Author: Anna Price

Africa is made up of many beautiful habitats including wetlands, lagoons, saltpans and woodlands and on a bird watching holiday in Africa you will be guaranteed to view the myriad species of birds that live in these habitats. Observe flamingos, eagles, buzzards, parrots, ostriches and many more against lovely scenery. If you’ve had enough of mass tourism then a bird watching holiday in Africa may be just the thing for you.  Responsible travel is a new way of travelling. It’s about respecting and benefiting local people and the environment. For example you would be led by a local birder who would have more knowledge about the local culture and way of life than any expat could.  Ecotourism is also about discovering and immersing yourself in nature; actually feeling it, smelling it and learning about it rather than just watching it. On an African bird watching holiday you would see how local people interact with the birds and other wildlife.  Before you go on a bird watching holiday to Africa buy yourself a guide book for the area to familiarise yourself with the surroundings. A guide book will also tell you about any local traditions that you need to respect. Also, buy a birdwatching guide. This will give you an idea of the types of birds you will expect to see. Learn as much as you can about the birds before you go so you don’t need to reference the book to much once you are in Africa and you can spend more time spotting the birds.
Once you are there you need to consider the welfare of the animals and birds. Do not feed animals in the wild or touch them. You could, disturb their natural patterns, pass on diease or even place yourself at risk. Do not tease or provoke the birds and try to be quiet when you are near them.
Don’t purchase any souvenirs that are made from wildlife products or threatened natural materials like coral, tortoiseshell, bush meat, ivory, or rare plants.
Your tour operator should be able to give you information about educational resources and conservation programmes.  If you are interested in other wildlife then why not combine an African bird watching holiday with a safari and take the opportunity to see some of Africa’s other amazing creatures such as lions, rhinos, giraffes, zebra and hippos close up.  Find out more information about a  bird watching holiday in Africa  at British Bird Lovers.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/exotic-locations-articles/an-ecotourism-bird-watching-holiday-to-africa-543870.html

About the Author:
This article was written by the author of  British Bird Lovers

The author is a keen gardener and amateur bird watcher,

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 2:21 am and is filed under Travel, Travel Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.