Africa's highest level of endemism
in the most accessible setting: 185 bird species are endemic or
near endemic to southern Africa. With its scenic and botanical wealth,
South Africa contains two of Africa’s four biodiversity hotspots
(as defined by Conservation International).
We offer regional itineraries, such as a Western Endemics Tour along
the Cape Birding
Route, an Eastern Endemics Tour or a Kruger birds & mammals
tour. Each of these can be tailored to your needs or combined into
a comprehensive South Africa tour.
Let us know your desired areas
and species. Let us tailor your private guided tour or
self-drive tour, or join a set-departure group
tour from the itineraries below.
Dalton recommends: The South
Africa tours are well suited to world listers, because we see a
very high proportion of endemic birds, as well as wildlife enthusiasts
because we make a special effort to see large mammals, reptiles
and special plants on our walks.
Dalton
Gibbs ensures Cape Town's last protected areas
remain intact and runs Rondevlei Nature Reserve, where he
also monitors bird breeding colonies and chases down escaped
hippos!
Dalton is a superb naturalist
with a deep interest in all living things and their systems - making
him a highly valued guide for Birding Africa and a favourite with
tour participants.
Dalton leads many of our tours around Cape Town, and as long as
he buys his wife another rose bush for each excursion, is gearing
up to lead trips in Uganda and Madagascar. Dalton also leads trips
to Namibia, day trips from Cape Town and Cape Town Pelagic seabirding
trips.
Designed to offer the best of both East and East South Africa, maximizing
the number of bird species and offering charismatic and localised
mammals and exceptional scenery.
The tour starts in Cape Town and ends in Johannesburg or vice versa.
This tour is a combination of the Western and Eastern endemics tours,
run back-to-back.
As on all our tours, we've carefully
selected guesthouses and lodges to maximise birding time and quality.
This tour covers a possibility of 135 southern
African endemic and near-endemic bird species, with up to 450 bird
species expected.
Western
Endemics
4 to 7 days
The itinerary is designed with the dedicated birder in mind and
targets the highest proportion possible of the region’s endemics
and characteristic habitats of South Africa's West and its Cape
Floral Kingdom. This tour starts and ends in Cape Town.
We'll explore:
• Darling area: Cape Clapper Lark, Blue
Crane
• West Coast National Park: Southern Black Korhaan,
Black Harrier, Chestnut-banded Plover
• Tanqua Karoo, a semi-desert: Karoo Eremomela,
Namaqua Warbler, Fairy Flycatcher,
Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Ludwig’s
Bustard, Burchell’s Courser, Black-headed
Canary, Layard’s Tit-Babbler, Rufous-eared
Warbler, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Karoo
Korhaan, Black-eared Sparrowlark
• De Hoop and Agulhas Plains: Cape Vulture,
Blue Crane, Denham's Bustard,
Damara Tern, Knysna Woodpecker,
Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Agulhas Clapper
Lark, Southern Tchagra
• Cape coastal Fynbos and mountains: Cape Rock-jumper,
Victorin's Scrub-Warbler, Cape Sugarbird,
Orange-breasted Sunbird, Cape Siskin,
Ground Woodpecker, Neddicky and
Cape Rock-Thrush
Optional extension: Afromontane forest at Grootvaderschbos or
Wilderness in the Garden Route.
• Grootvaderschbos: Narina Trogon,
Forest Canary, African Crowned Eagle,
Knysna Woodpecker, Knysna Warbler,
Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Olive
Bush-Shrike
• Wilderness National Park, Garden Route: Knysna Turaco,
Narina Trogon, African
Wood Owl, Green-backed Camaroptera, Green
Woodhoopoe, Chorister Robin-Chat
Eastern Endemics 7 to 14 days
This itinerary is designed to see as many bird species as possible
in the shortest time. It combines subtropical birding with good
mammal watching. We visit coastal forests and bird-rich reserves,
perhaps better known for Rhino conservation, in search of specials
such as the delicate Pink-throated Twinspot and
the mystical Pel's Fishing Owl. This tour starts
in Durban and ends in Johannesburg.
We'll explore:
- the Drakensberg, to look for Blue Swallow, the
endemic Drakensberg Rockjumper, Drakensberg
Siskin, Bearded Vulture, Amur
Falcon, Gurney's Sugarbird;
- Zululand forests,
to search for Orange Ground Thrush, Spotted
Ground Thrush, Livingston's Turaco, Woodward's
Batis, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon;
-Zululand coastal plains, to target Pel's Fishing Owl,
African Broadbill, Neergaard's Sunbird,
Olive-tree Warbler, Green and
Pink-throated Twinspot;
- Wakkerstroom's globally
threatened highland wetlands and grasslands, to find Rudd's
and Botha's Lark, Blue
and Barrow's Korhaan, Southern Bald Ibis,
Yellow-breasted Pipit, four species of bustard and three
cranes.
This itinerary is designed to complement birds with mammals, in
both Kruger National Park and Afromontane forest. It starts and
ends in Johannnesburg.
It offers birding in the Afro-montane
forests, lowland acacia savanna, grassland, riverine and broadleafed
woodlands, with a total list of over 500 bird species.
This tour also offers excellent mammal encounters, including 'the
Big 5': elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard.
We'll explore:
- the northern escarpment forests at Magoebaskloof - arguably South
Africa's best forest birding site - to look for Bat Hawk,
Cape Parrot, Green Twinspot and
Black-fronted Bush-Shrike;
- the vicinity of the Blyde River Canyon, to spot Taita
Falcon - one of Africa's most endangered raptors.
- Central and Southern Kruger National Park, to search for African
Finfoot, Lilac-breasted Roller, Southern
Ground Hornbill, Saddle-billed Stork,
Secretary Bird, Bateleur and other
large raptors as well as a wealth of mammals.
'Many thanks for such a comprehensive
set of information... but then I'd expect nothing less after all
of your previous hard work and attention to detail!
Having decided upon an itinerary
which most suited our requirements, essentially using the invaluable
'Southern African Birdfinder' (Cohen et al, 2007) as a reference,
the services of Birding Africa (http://www.birding-africa.com/)
were employed in sourcing appropriate accommodating, giving additional
logistical advice and securing some excellent low-season deals on
both accommodation and car hire. Birding
Africa were also on hand to make a few tweaks in the itinerary during
the course of our travels and it was reassuring to know that we
had such backup should anything go astray.
Special thanks must be credited to Marje Hemp of Birding Africa
who worked tirelessly in answering our many queries and requests
and also to Callan Cohen for all the additional bird-finding help
and advice so freely given; without Birding Africa's input the trip
would surely not have been the smooth-running success which it turned
out to be and we would urge anyone who follows in our footsteps
to do so with the assistance of this first class company.'
IM, Leicestershire
* Price per person sharing a
room, ** Single room supplement.
* Included in the above price: Birding Africa tour leader, Birding
Africa printed booklet with species lists, boat trips as indicated
on the itinerary, road transport, guide fees, entry fees for the
parks, reserves and botanical gardens, full board accommodation.
Not included: international flights, drinks, optional tips, and
items of a personal nature.
* Price per person sharing a
room, ** Single room supplement.
* Included in the above price: Birding Africa tour leader, Birding
Africa printed booklet with species lists, boat trips as indicated
on the itinerary, road transport, guide fees, entry fees for the
parks, reserves and botanical gardens, full board accommodation.
Not included: international flights, drinks, optional tips, and
items of a personal nature.
Practical tour information
Focus
For keen birders and mammal enthusiasts.
Designed to see as many as possible endemic birds, but while
on the walks we spend a lot of time looking for other aspects
of wildlife such as mammals, chameleons, geckos, butterflies
and interesting plants. We can also customise any itinerary
to suit to the keen birder, the wildlife enthusiast or both.
Photography
Many participants on our trips are amateur
wildlife photographers. And when we get excellent views of
a bird or mammal, some time is usually spent watching and
photographing it. However, this is not a photographic tour
and once the majority of the people have felt that they have
absorbed the animal or bird to their satisfaction, then we
move on in search of the next encounter. Thus, while the photographic
opportunities are very good, the group will only occasionally
wait for somebody who wants to spend even longer getting better
photos.
Fitness
Please enquire as this depends on the exact
tour.
Timing
The best timing
varies per region; please enquire.
Climate
Cool in the Cape and highlands Drakensberg
hot in the lowlands.
Comfort
A good standard of accommodation in guest
houses, lodges and small hotels.
Transport
We travel by minibus or four wheel drive
vehicle.
Group Size
This depends on the specific tour. Please
enquire.
Top birds
Several endemics and near-endemics in a
spectacular setting
Please email
us if you wish to book. You will receive the booking form
and conditions and a tour information pack.
About
Birding Africa
Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour
company customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed
holiday birders. We combine interests in mammals, butterflies,
dragonflies, botany and other natural history aspects and will guide
you to Africa's and Madagascar's most diverse birding destinations.
Our guides' knowledge of African
birds and birding areas is our greatest strength and together we
have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations with the
birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent.
We've even written two acclaimed guide
books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best
birds. Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and
we are dedicated to making professional, best value trips filled
with endemic species and unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997,
we've run bird watching tours
in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders,
small birding groups and top international tour companies. We've
run Conservation Tours
in association with the African Bird Club and work with and consult
for a number of other top international tour companies and the BBC
Natural History Unit.
