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South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group)

© Bokmakierie by Adam Riley
South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) III 2026

16 Nov 2026 - 07 Dec 2026 (22 days)

ZAR119,950 NO SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR119,950 (USD7,210 * GBP5,503 * AUD10,620)

Single Supplement: ZAR8,500 (USD511 * GBP390 * AUD753)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Kruger Extension (Small Group) III 2026

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

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR119,950 (USD7,210 * GBP5,503 * AUD10,620)

Single Supplement: ZAR8,500 (USD511 * GBP390 * AUD753)

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

15 Nov 2027 - 06 Dec 2027 (22 days)

ZAR127,500 NO SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR127,500 (USD7,664 * GBP5,849 * AUD11,288)

Single Supplement: ZAR8,700 (USD523 * GBP399 * AUD770)

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

06 Nov 2028 - 27 Nov 2028 (22 days)

ZAR134,600 2 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR134,600 (USD8,091 * GBP6,175 * AUD11,917)

Single Supplement: ZAR9,570 (USD575 * GBP439 * AUD847)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Kruger Extension (Small Group) I 2028

Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

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

13 Nov 2028 - 04 Dec 2028 (22 days)

ZAR134,600 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR134,600 (USD8,091 * GBP6,175 * AUD11,917)

Single Supplement: ZAR9,570 (USD575 * GBP439 * AUD847)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Kruger Extension (Small Group) II 2028

Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) I 2029

05 Nov 2029 - 26 Nov 2029 (22 days)

ZAR141,100 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Jan Pienaar

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR141,100 (USD8,481 * GBP6,473 * AUD12,492)

Single Supplement: ZAR10,527 (USD633 * GBP483 * AUD932)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Kruger Extension (Small Group) I 2029

Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

South Africa - Mega Birding Tour (Small Group) II 2029

12 Nov 2029 - 03 Dec 2029 (22 days)

ZAR141,100 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Book Now

Tour Price (Per person): ZAR141,100 (USD8,481 * GBP6,473 * AUD12,492)

Single Supplement: ZAR10,527 (USD633 * GBP483 * AUD932)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Kruger Extension (Small Group) II 2029

Pricing notes : *All prices are estimated, and dates may change*

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 Cinnamon-breasted and Knysna Warblers are less striking but 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 (very rare), Botha’s (very rare), 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

5 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

DIFFICULT: This is a high-intensity “mega” tour designed for passionate listers and serious birders who enjoy a fast-paced schedule. Due to its demanding nature, it’s not recommended for avid photographers, inexperienced birders, or anyone with mobility or health limitations.

Demanding & tiring tour. Designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. Not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced birders; or anyone with mobility or health challenges. 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

Good to comfortable.

Ease of Birding

Very targeted birding. Several tricky endemic species, though most birding is in open habitat with limited forest birding.

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 due to time.

What our clients say about us

James Wade Lee
FZ, South Africa - Zagst (Eastern Pre-Tour Ext) 2026

We had one room without an AC. The manager of the Inn stressed not to leave the windows open because of the monkeys. We were later told that the monkeys were not active a night. You could have your windows open at night and during the day if you were in the room. Wade’s birding skills were top notch, and his local knowledge enhanced the trip. It was very nice having the flexibility of a private tour. We birded hard, but were able to take a couple hours “off” during the afternoon on some days. 310 lifers over 10 days was a great way to start our South Africa trip.

Keith Valentine
PS, South Africa - Birds & Wine 2018

I'd read and heard positive feedback about Rockjumper before I booked the tour, so I was quite pleased when Keith Valentine, our guide, and Rockjumper were able to exceed my expectations. I knew Keith's role within the firm, so my expectations were particularly high. Keith was terrific. He knows the birds in great detail, including their field marks, calls, and where they can be found. He also deeply understands what it means to provide his customers a great experience, which he did his best to provide. A true leader and nice person that others in the firm can hopefully learn from and follow. All in all, this was a trip of a lifetime for me and my wife.

Gregory de Klerk
CS - South Africa 2019

As a guide myself for more than 10 years (starting back in the early 90s), I believe I can give a sincere and realistic review of Greg de Klerk's performance during our nearly 2 weeks in Eastern South Africa. With this in mind, I can say that Greg did an excellent of maintaining and overseeing all aspects of our trip from start to finish. I particularly felt that his capacity for maintaining the various and sometimes complex logistics was impressive and well above average. Whether it was making sure that everyone's accommodations were comfortable, or helping us find a restroom during one challenging afternoon, when the restaurant we were eating in randomly closed their bathrooms down, Greg was always "on top of his game." This is not to mention his excellent abilities in the field as well. As a professional wildlife biologist, I was very impressed with Greg's abilities "beyond " just identifying species, so to speak. ln other words, Greg gave impressive, in-depth natural history descriptions of nearly every species of wildlife we recorded.

David Hoddinott
MW, South African Mega 2015

David was a fantastic guide whose love for his homeland, and passion for its wildlife, shone brightly. I couldn’t have wished for a better guide to show me the wonders of South Africa.

Keith Valentine
JT & LT - Birds & Wine

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.

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Route Map

Tour Route Map