Our home country of South Africa is quite simply one of the most pleasurable birding tours destinations, offering unrivalled wildlife viewing, world-class infrastructure and unbeatable value for money. This makes birding tours in South Africa a popular choice among birders across the world. South Africa also boasts the most regionally endemic bird species of any African country, as well as a rich seabird assemblage and vast numbers of more widespread, yet no less spectacular African birds and wildlife. Add to this the rich botanical heritage, fine food and wines, friendly people, fascinating history and the scenic splendour of Africa’s most varied nation, and it’s not hard to see why South Africa is our most popular birding destination!
The combination of Rockjumper’s two-week Eastern South Africa tour and six-day Cape Extension is one of our top sellers. Eastern South Africa offers the classic African savannas of the world-renowned Kruger National Park along with the teeming Zululand game reserves. Besides the exhilarating array of colourful bushveld birds, we spend time seeking big game and other wildlife. We also explore endemic-rich mist-belt forests and Highveld grasslands, as well as scaling the lofty peaks of the Drakensberg into the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. Target birds include Drakensberg Rockjumper, Ground Woodpecker, Blue Crane, Southern Bald Ibis, Taita Falcon and the lovely Pink-throated Twinspot. On our Cape Extension, we spend unforgettable days exploring the breathtaking Cape Peninsula and its offshore pelagic waters, before searching the succulent Tanqua-Karoo and flower-laden West Coast for endemics. Cape birding targets include African Penguin, Black Harrier, Southern Black Korhaan, the glittering Orange-breasted Sunbird, gaudy Cape Sugarbird and Cape Rockjumper. These birding tours in South Africa typically produce up to 500 bird and 50 mammal species.
Our Cape Wildflowers, Birding & Big Game tour is scheduled to take in the very best of the fairest Cape at a time when the Cape Fynbos and Namaqualand spring flowers are at their peak. This is the greatest wildflower display on earth in one of Mother Nature’s most colourful spectacles and a once-in-a-lifetime event that no nature lover should miss! In addition, we spend time searching for endemic birds on the plains of Bushmanland and also big cats and other game in the famous Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on this South African birding tour.
Our South Africa - Mega Birding Tour is the ultimate South African birding adventure. We visit every far-flung corner of our beautiful land and target almost all 143 regionally endemic bird species! From Barlow’s Lark in Port Nolloth to Knysna Woodpecker at Agulhas and Short-clawed Lark near Polokwane, we traverse deserts, Fynbos, high mountain passes, rolling grasslands, tropical dune forests and prime Acacia savanna in our quest. In the course of this 24-day birding tour in South Africa, we can expect to amass a very impressive bird list, observe scores of mammal species and intimately get to know one of the world’s most spectacular countries. Our new Kruger Extension takes us to one of the world’s grandest and most famous reserves in our search to locate some of Africa’s most iconic birds and big game, including the legendary “Big 5”. The park’s rich bushveld will also provide us with opportunities for some of the most exciting and rewarding birding to be had anywhere in Africa. Of special note here are species requiring vast areas of wilderness, such as Common Ostrich, Southern Ground Hornbill, Martial Eagle, Bateleur and an incredible diversity of other raptors.
Our new Cape & Kruger tour encompasses three of South Africa’s most biodiverse and productive regions; the fantastic Cape Peninsula, the stark yet endemic-rich Tanqua Karoo, and the world famous, bird-and game-filled Kruger National Park. This birding tour of South Africa’s Western Cape and the north-eastern bushveld biome offers some of the very best birding and game-viewing in Africa and is suitable for both hard-core birders and more general nature enthusiasts alike.
Rockjumper’s Budget Eastern South Africa and Budget Western South Africa birding tours showcase the most important birding and wildlife sites in the country. With fewer frills than our classic departures, these tours will appeal to the avid birder looking for an inexpensive but thorough exploration of our vast and biodiverse nation.
Blog - South Africa’s Endemic Birds