Grasslands birds, such as ostrich, kori bustard, secretary bird and black korhaan may also be observed throughout the year. One local guide once referred to the korhaan as “the Makgadikgadi chopper” due to the noisy kraak sounds which it makes. But what makes the area so special are the large flocks of great and lesser flamingos which gather here when the pan is flooded during good rainfall years. However, when Sowa Pan is too deep, the birds tend to congregate on the smaller pans in the sanctuary where the water is much more shallow. Other water birds, such as spoonbills and herons, also call the sanctuary home. The sanctuary also occurs along the flight path of many Palaearctic and inter-African migrants such as steppe eagles and European and carmine bee-eaters.