South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) I 2025

31 Oct 2025 - 21 Nov 2025 (22 days)

ZAR107,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Julian Parsons

Tour price (Per person): ZAR107,950 * USD6,237 * GBP4,824 * EUR5,477 * AUD9,658

Single Supplement: ZAR8,500 * USD491 * GBP380 * EUR431 * AUD760

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) II 2025

23 Nov 2025 - 14 Dec 2025 (22 days)

ZAR107,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop

Tour price (Per person): ZAR107,950 * USD6,237 * GBP4,824 * EUR5,477 * AUD9,658

Single Supplement: ZAR8,500 * USD491 * GBP380 * EUR431 * AUD760

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) I 2026

30 Oct 2026 - 20 Nov 2026 (22 days)

ZAR119,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Tour price (Per person): ZAR119,950 * USD6,930 * GBP5,360 * EUR6,086 * AUD10,731

Single Supplement: ZAR8,500 * USD491 * GBP380 * EUR431 * AUD760

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) III 2026

16 Nov 2026 - 07 Dec 2026 (22 days)

ZAR119,950 - 3 Spaces Available

Book Now

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Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar

Tour price (Per person): ZAR119,950 * USD6,930 * GBP5,360 * EUR6,086 * AUD10,731

Single Supplement: ZAR8,500 * USD491 * GBP380 * EUR431 * AUD760

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) II 2026

22 Nov 2026 - 13 Dec 2026 (22 days)

ZAR119,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Tour price (Per person): ZAR119,950 * USD6,930 * GBP5,360 * EUR6,086 * AUD10,731

Single Supplement: ZAR8,500 * USD491 * GBP380 * EUR431 * AUD760

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) II 2027

15 Nov 2027 - 06 Dec 2027 (22 days)

ZAR127,000 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR127,000 * USD7,337 * GBP5,675 * EUR6,444 * AUD11,362

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) I 2028

06 Nov 2028 - 27 Nov 2028 (22 days)

ZAR134,600 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR134,600 * USD7,776 * GBP6,015 * EUR6,830 * AUD12,042

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) II 2028

13 Nov 2028 - 04 Dec 2028 (22 days)

ZAR134,600 - Spaces Available

Book Now

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR134,600 * USD7,776 * GBP6,015 * EUR6,830 * AUD12,042

South Africa has the highest number of endemic and near-endemic bird species of any country on the African continent. Some of these special birds such as Drakensberg Rockjumper and Blue Crane – are beautiful and charismatic; while others, including the endangered Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks, are less striking but incredibly range-restricted. To boot, South Africa is also home to two very impressive endemic families, the striking Rockjumpers and Sugarbirds.

The focus of this 22-day endemics mega-birding tour is to see as many of these South African endemic, breeding endemic and near-endemic species as possible. Every single one of the 99 birds falling into this category as well as most of the 78 species falling into the category of endemic or near-endemic to the southern African sub-region are targeted during the tour. Furthermore, we will seek out many other special and sought-after African species; and, in the course of this tour, we have the potential to rack up a very impressive bird list in terms of species numbers, rarities and great sightings. Mammals will likewise form a major focus of our attention, and we can expect to also find an incredible diversity of reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife. We invite you to join us on this exciting celebration of our endemic treasures during this ultimate South African mega-birding adventure!

Please note: these prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.

Top Birds

African Penguin, Blue and Wattled Cranes, Ludwig’s and Denham’s Bustards, Blue, Southern Black and Karoo Korhaans, African Oystercatcher, Crowned, Cape and Bank Cormorants, Cape and Natal Spurfowls, Southern Bald Ibis, Cape Vulture, Black Harrier, Cape & Drakensberg Rockjumpers, Cape & Gurney’s Sugarbirds, Bush Blackcap, Ground Woodpecker, Rudd’s, Botha’s, Short-clawed, Red, Sclater’s, Cape Long-billed & Barlow’s Larks, African Rock & Yellow-breasted Pipits, Cape Longclaw, Knysna, Purple-crested & Livingstone’s Turacos, Cape Parrot, Gorgeous, Black-fronted & Olive Bushshrikes, Bokmakierie, Victorin’s, Namaqua, Cinnamon-breasted, and Layard’s Warblers, Fairy Flycatcher, Karoo Eremomela, Cape and Grey Penduline Tits, White-backed Mousebird, Spotted & Orange Ground Thrushes, Cape and Sentinel Rock Thrushes, Rudd’s Apalis, Woodward’s Batis, Karoo & Brown Scrub Robins, Karoo & Buff-streaked Chats, Pink-throated Twinspot, Neergaard’s, Orange-breasted & Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, Cape & Drakensberg Siskins, Protea, Cape, Forest & Black-headed Canaries.

Top Mammals

Black & White Rhinoceroses, Southern African Hedgehog, Meerkat, Black Wildebeest, Nyala, Cape Grysbok, Aardvark, Aardwolf, Springhare, Common Eland, Bat-eared Fox, Blesbok (Bontebok), Grey Rhebok, Klipspringer, Springbok, African Wild Dog, Cheetah

Habitats Covered

dune and mist-belt forest, acacia savanna, high elevation and coastal grasslands, mountains, semi-desert, fynbos, coastal waters, wetlands

Expected Climate

subtropical conditions with occasional rain, cooler in the highlands and the Cape

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.

Accommodation

comfortable guesthouses and lodges

Ease of Birding

mostly easy with some difficult species

Number of Species Expected

500 - 550

Other Attractions

Cape Peninsula, Sani Pass, Lake St. Lucia, Zululand game reserves, good food & wine, remote and seldom visited areas, spectacular scenery

Photographic Opportunities

good, but limited by time

What our clients say about us

Daniel Danckwerts
EL, South Africa 2022

Daniel Danckwerts was excellent—great hearing and eyesight and was excellent at pointing out exactly where the skulky bird was lurking. He was able to find the group many birds that various members of the group had missed on previous trips to South Africa. And more importantly, he was a store of information about the birds, animals and Kruger. Teamed up with Daniel was our most excellent Kruger driver-guide Dirk who knew where everything was and could find it. We navigated this very complicated trip (flight to Skukuza, travel in south Kruger, flight to Cape Town, testing for covid, boarding the MSC Orchestra and off on our cruise around the Cape of Good Hope only with Daniel’s help and guidance. I am hoping to return to Kruger (for the third time) to bird with Daniel and Dirk on the Kruger Challenge. More than the birds, the trip was fun.

Daniel Danckwerts
TT - South Africa Rallid Quest 2019

There are not enough superlatives to describe Daniel Danckwerts! He is a superstar of a guide and I am glad I had the opportunity to tour with him, because he will be in great demand when the word gets out how amazing this tour was! Although he is one of your junior guides, he conducts himself with poise and confidence in excess of his years. His passion for birding, culture and history is unsurpassed and his laugh is absolutely infectious.  He knew all the hotspots for the notoriously difficult species on this tour and even when the birds weren't cooperating, he devised innovative means to ensure the group would have the best opportunity to see these very, very elusive birds. We learned a few lessons on this inaugural tour about patience and stamina.... it is certainly not for the faint-hearted because it requires a lot of hard work but the rewards certainly exceeded the effort.  Where else do you have the opportunity to see mythic flufftails and crakes all in one place? I will absolutely travel with Daniel again!

Julian Parsons
DT, South Africa

Our short custom tour with two day trips out of Cape Town was really excellent. Our guide Julian was knowledgeable and engaging and generally a great fit for our small family of three. We found almost all our main target species and Julian was always quick to set up the scope to ensure we all got great views of the more distant birds. As a family with a range of interests including not only birds, but also mammals and plants, we really appreciated that Julian found the right balance between trying hard to find some of the more difficult birds and allowing some extra time for studying plants, especially at Kirstenbosch. Thanks Julian, for a great couple of days! Thanks also to Daniel and Laverne for your help with planning and logistics!

André Bernon
P

André, who escorted us on four drives, is a superb tracker with great knowledge of the reserve and its denizens. He is also an expert on the birdlife of southern Africa and was able to bring the bush to life for us with knowledge of all that we saw.

Heinz Ortmann
JM, South Africa 2016 (Private)

We were very happy to have Heinz Ortmann as our guide. He operated the tour very skilfully in every way and with flexibility when needed to try to get all possible targets. We were also very positively surprised that he had such a great knowledge about mammals, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians beside the birds. Since we also are very interested in all these groups, this was a most welcome bonus. A great tour that we will remember for a long time. We would be very happy doing another private trip with Heinz as our guide.

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