South Africa - Falcons & Big Cats (Small Group) 2024 - 07 Feb 2024 - 18 Feb 2024 (12 days)
ZAR67,500
Spaces Available
Tour price (Per person): ZAR67,500 * USD3,639 * GBP2,977 * EUR3,379 * AUD5,454
Overview Tour Facts Top Birds
South Africa is quite simply one of the most pleasurable countries in which to travel, offering fantastic birding, exceptional wildlife viewing, and breath-taking photographic opportunities, along with world-class infrastructure. Besides the many endemic bird species, including two near-endemic bird families: Rockjumpers and Sugarbirds, we will focus on finding large numbers of migratory Amur Falcons and Lesser Kestrels in the country’s highland grasslands. South Africa’s other birdlife includes a rich seabird assemblage and vast numbers of more widespread, yet no less spectacular, African birds. Add to this the full big game experience (with excellent chances for finding Africa’s “Big Five” – Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino and Elephant and much besides), rich botanical heritage, fine food and wines, friendly people and the scenic splendour of Africa’s most varied country and one of the world’s 17 megadiverse nations, and it’s not hard to see why South Africa is an exceptionally popular destination!
For our Falcons and Big Cats safari experience, we have selected the two most productive and diverse regions of South Africa, the Cape Peninsula in the southwest and the vast Kruger National Park in the northeast of the country. In addition, we will spend two nights in the birding hamlet of Wakkerstroom, home to numerous endemic highland species as well large numbers of overwintering Amur Falcons.
Please note: these prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.
*2024 Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Western Cape: Cape Rockjumper, Cape Sugarbird, Cape Siskin, Protea and Cape Canaries, Orange-breasted, Malachite & Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, African Penguin, African Oystercatcher, Crowned, Bank & Cape Cormorants, Hartlaub’s Gull, Black Harrier, Southern Black and Karoo Korhaans, Cape Spurfowl, Bokmakierie, Jackal Buzzard, Southern Boubou, Swee Waxbill, Karoo and Large-billed Larks, Karoo Eremomela, Ground Woodpecker, Cape Weaver, Cape Bulbul, Maccoa Duck, Cape Teal, Cape Shoveler, South African Shelduck, Victorin’s, Cinnamon-breasted, Rufous-eared and Namaqua Warblers, Cape Penduline Tit, White-backed Mousebird, Greater and Lesser Flamingos. Wakkerstroom: 10 000 Amur Falcons, 1000 Lesser Kestrels, Southern Bald Ibis, Blue Crane, Blue Korhaan, White-bellied Bustard, Ground Woodpecker, Bokmakierie, Botha’s, Rudd’s, Pink-billed, Eastern Long-billed & Eastern Clapper Larks, Mountain Wheatear, Sentinel Rock Thrush, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Pied Starling, Long-tailed & Fan-tailed Widowbirds, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Quailfinch, Red-winged & Grey-winged Francolins, Secretarybird, South African Shelduck Kruger: Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bateleur, Martial, Crowned, African Hawk- & Tawny Eagles, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Lizard Buzzard, Marabou & Saddle-billed Storks, Lappet-faced, White-backed, Hooded & White-headed Vultures, chances for African Finfoot, White-crowned Lapwing, Swainson’s & Natal Spurfowls, Coqui, Crested and Shelley's Francolins, Bronze-winged Courser, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Verreaux’s and Spotted Eagle-Owls, Southern White-faced, African Scops Owls, Pearl-spotted & African Barred Owlets, Southern Red-billed and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills, Brown-headed Parrot, Bennett’s, Cardinal and Golden-tailed Woodpeckers, Mosque Swallow, Grey-headed and Orange-breasted Bushshrikes, Burchell’s Starling, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Red-headed Weaver, White-browed Robin-Chat, Bearded Scrub Robin, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Bushveld Pipit
Top Mammals Western Cape: Afro-Australian Fur Seal, Common Eland, Blesbok (Bontebok), (Cape) Mountain Zebra, (Red) Hartebeest, Cape Grysbok, Southern Right Whale, Long-beaked Common Dolphin Wakkerstroom: Black Wildebeest, Yellow Mongoose, Meerkat Kruger: The ‘Big 5’ (Lion, Leopard, African Elephant, Black and White Rhinoceroses, African Buffalo), Cheetah, African Wild Dog, Side-striped Jackal, Greater Kudu, Giraffe, Spotted Hyena, Nyala, Common and Central African Large-spotted Genet, Wild Cat, African Civet, Cape Porcupine, White-tailed Mongoose, Klipspringer, Plains Zebra, Warthog
Habitats Covered Western Cape: mountains, fynbos, coastal waters, semi desert, wetlands Wakkerstroom: Montane grasslands and marshes Kruger: acacia savanna, bushveld, terminalia woodland, riverine forest, grasslands, rivers, wetlands
Expected Climate Western Cape: subtropical with occasional rain, can be cold at times Wakkerstroom: warm to hot during the day, gets cool to cold at night Kruger: subtropical and dry, warm to hot
Max Group Size 6 with 1 Rockjumper leader
Tour Pace & Walking relaxed to moderate pace with undemanding walks
Accommodation comfortable to very comfortable
Ease of Birding mostly easy with a few tougher species
Number of Species Expected 320 - 350
Other Attractions Western Cape: Table Mountain, incredible coastal and mountain scenery, Tanqua Karoo, great food & wine Kruger: vast, pristine wilderness, huge numbers of African mega-fauna
Photographic Opportunities excellent
Tour Route Map 
Client Testimonials
Client Testimonials Dates, Leaders and Pricing
2024 DEPARTURES
Trip Reports
Tour Enquiry
Our guide, Doug McCulloch, was outstanding. Both professional and personable. He made sure we all got on the bird if possible. Great eyes and ears, went out of his way at times. Ie: The scope was set up too high, the only way to see the bird, so for Joanie, Doug got down on all fours and had her step up on his back to see an African Finfoot through the scope. (We have a photo of this).
Doug McCulloch was a wonderful leader – skilled and informative, with patience and good humour in spades. This was the kind of tour that I enjoy most, where I learned about many aspects of natural history, and the culture and history of a country, in addition to seeing many bird species. An excellent experience!
During Oct 19 to Nov. 6, 2010, I participated in the Eastern South Africa and Western Cape Extension tour. It is the ultimate tour if you are birding for the first time in the African continent. The diversity of birds is overwhelming and unlike birding in the tropical Americas, the birds are easy to see! I personally added 419 lifers! The pace of the tour was ideal. Accommodations were top-notch and the meals wonderful. Keith Valentine is an unsurpassed tour leader. Extremely knowledgeable yet very laid back, approachable and quick to laugh. I have been on many organized bird tours but none come close to the standards set by Rockjumper on this tour. The bar has been raised!
Thanks to Rynart Bezuidenhout and Daniel Danckwerts for an unforgettable tour. Their effort to give us the very best experience was sublime. Not only was our ambition to see the wanted birds, animals and nature much more than fulfilled – our competent, friendly and openminded guides also managed to give a perspective into the life and culture in South Africa of today. This we appreciate a lot.
Andre Bernon was excellent at sharing his expertise and assisting even the most novice birder (me). We couldn't have asked for a better professional. And he was so personable, considerate and had a great sense of humor.