12 Feb 2026 - 21 Feb 2026 (10 days)
ZAR32,995 NO SPACES AVAILABLE
Tour Leader: Adam Riley
Tour Leader: Daniel Danckwerts
Tour Leader: David Hoddinott
Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar
Tour Leader: Julian Parsons
Tour Leader: Keith Valentine
Tour Price (Per person): ZAR32,995 (USD1,973 * GBP1,507 * EUR1,721 * AUD3,018)
Single Supplement: ZAR6,550 (USD392 * GBP299 * EUR342 * AUD599)
Pricing notes : A meal supplement of ZAR5,000.00 will be charged per person to cover all meals for the duration of the Challenge.
21 Feb 2026 - 26 Feb 2026 (6 days)
ZAR36,950 NO SPACES AVAILABLE
Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar
Tour Price (Per person): ZAR36,950 (USD2,210 * GBP1,688 * EUR1,928 * AUD3,380)
Single Supplement: ZAR2,800 (USD167 * GBP128 * EUR146 * AUD256)
Flight costs (Linked Tour): ZAR2,310 (USD138 * GBP106 * EUR121 * AUD211)
This unique and fun birding and wildlife challenge provides the opportunity to explore the world-famous Kruger National Park in north-eastern South Africa, from its remote north to its vast south. Not only will you get to experience amazing birding and wildlife viewing, but you will also be assisting in saving a special bird from imminent extinction. All proceeds raised will go directly to BirdLife South Africa for vital research and conservation work to protect one of Africa’s, and indeed the world's, most endangered and little-known species – the White-winged Flufftail. Rockjumper Birding Tours has volunteered its resources and expertise to arrange and coordinate this event and will not be benefiting financially.
Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s most famous, oldest, largest and magnificent reserves and will play host to this birding and wildlife challenge during February 2026. In total, a maximum of 8 teams will take part in what will be a light-hearted, exciting competition where teams explore Kruger National Park from top to bottom, recording all the species of birds and mammals they encounter over an 8-day period. Each team of up to 9 participants will have its own open safari vehicle, professional safari driver guide, and experienced volunteer birding leader. Each team will be awarded a single point for every species of bird and mammal, regardless of the difficulty associated with locating the species, and the team with the highest score at the end of the 7 days will be crowned the Birding & Wildlife Champions of Kruger. We will be exploring the length of Kruger from Punda Maria in the north to Berg-en-Dal in the south. The challenge will begin in Johannesburg, where we will enjoy a welcome dinner and a briefing. Thereafter, we will all transfer to Mopani and the challenge begins as we enter Kruger National Park. The challenge ultimately concludes in Berg-en-Dal for an epic final night of festivities and prize-giving.
Please note: these prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.
Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Red-crested Korhaan, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bateleur, Martial, Crowned, African Hawk- and Tawny Eagles, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Lizard Buzzard, Lappet-faced, Cape, White-backed, Hooded & White-headed Vultures, chances for the elusive African Finfoot, White-crowned Lapwing, Swainson’s & Natal Spurfowls, Coqui Francolin, Bronze-winged Courser, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Southern White-faced Owl, Pearl-spotted & African Barred Owlets, Southern Red-billed & Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills, Brown-headed Parrot, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Burchell’s & Cape Starlings, Magpie & Southern White-crowned Shrikes, Red-headed Weaver, White-throated Robin-Chat, Acacia Pied Barbet, Burchell’s Coucal, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Violet-eared Waxbill, Burnt-necked Eremomela, African Pygmy & Giant Kingfishers, Black, Woolly-necked, Saddle-billed & Yellow-billed Storks, African Openbill.
The ‘Big 5’, Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Side-striped Jackal, Greater Kudu, Giraffe, Spotted Hyena, Nyala, Common and Central African Large-spotted Genets, Wild Cat, African Civet, Serval, Cape Porcupine, White-tailed Mongoose, Klipspringer, Thick-tailed Greater Galago, Honey Badger, Caracal.
acacia savanna, bushveld, terminalia woodland, riverine forest, grasslands, rivers, wetlands
subtropical with occasional rain, warm to very hot
Teams of 9 with with 1 expert leader and one driver guide
UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.
relaxed
comfortable
easy
300+
vast, pristine wilderness
excellent
We are writing to say thank you for all you did for us on our recent Birds and Wine tour with you and Alvaro. We really enjoyed meeting you and spending two weeks touring with you around South Africa. The itinerary that you put together with Alvaro was great and all the arrangements worked out to give us a wonderful tour. Your knowledge of the birds and patience spent helping us find and see all the birds really helped us to enjoy our experience and increase our knowledge. We spent much of our time in the Manyoni Reserve in the vehicle with you and it was always exciting finding the wildlife and hearing your analysis of the situation. We also truly appreciated your selection of wineries to visit, the wines we tasted, and the wines you selected to take with us to Zebra Hills Lodge. Your knowledge of the wine and wineries greatly added to our pleasure on the tour. We live in the Northern California wine region and the opportunity to compare South Africa’s wine with the product we know was very enlightening for us. Both the wineries we visited and the wines we tasted convinced us that we were in an excellent wine producing region of the world.
I had an excellent birding adventure. Daniel Danckwerts was superb at finding and identifying the myriad of species. He interfaces with the group exceptionally well, from the beginner birder to the pros on the tour. I would love to go on another birding tour with Dan, as he was exceptionally skilled at his craft. Other environmental/birding issues would pop up for conversation and he was skilled in his answers and knowledge. His passion for birding was very apparent, as well as his thoughtfulness in making sure everyone was on the bird and helping with our travel experience.
"Daniel was a fantastic guide. Great at handling everything and anything. Superb with all and great at talking to everyone - just a young man beyond his years. And his spotting and guiding skills were amazing. Will book another trio when he is guiding as soon as possible. "
Heinz was incredible. His knowledge and personality were wonderful. What a wonderful young man! We had an incredible time.
Both Greg and Wade were amazing. Greg has a fantastic knowledge of the area and it's wildlife. He was always willing to add information and facts regarding the wildlife we observed. He managed the tour expertly and his enthusiasm was contagious. And Wade is flat out the best bird/wildlife finder that I have ever been around. Truly extraordinary. The trip was beyond my expectations.
South Africa - Kruger Extension (Small Group) I 2025 - November 2025
South Africa - Rannels 2025 - November 2025
South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) I 2025 - October 2025
South Africa - Wachira (Shortened ESA) 2025 - October 2025
South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) V 2025 - October 2025
South Africa - Webb (Cape & Kruger) 2025 - October 2025
South Africa - Eastern (Small Group) IV 2025 - September 2025
South Africa - Birds, Wine & Big Game 2025 - September 2025
South Africa - Murphy (RWT) 2025 - September 2025
South Africa - Cape Wildflowers, Birding & Big Game (Small Group) 2025 - September 2025
South Africa - Smith & Belencan 2025 - August 2025
South Africa - Wachira (Cape & Kruger) 2025 - July 2025
South Africa - Cape & Kruger I 2025 - July 2025
South Africa - Perillo (RWT) 2025 - June 2025
South Africa - Piuze family 2025 - May 2025
South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2025 - March 2025
South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2025 - February 2025
South Africa - Eastern III 2025 - February 2025
South Africa - Flock to Marion - Sani Pass post-tour extension 2025 - January 2025
South Africa - Flock to Marion - Sani Pass pre-tour extension 2025 - January 2025