Welcome to Birdquest
ULTIMATE SOUTH AFRICA
Birdquest's South Africa birding tour is surely the ultimate South African birdwatching experience. Many tours feature this marvelous country, which hosts an extraordinary concentration of endemic birds, not to mention some great mammals, but our tour has the most comprehensive coverage of all, and produces more of the specialities than any other. Modern roads, good vehicles, accommodations, food and wines, and fabulous birding: what more could anyone want?
- SOUTH AFRICA September 2012 - October 2012
- THE BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA October 2013
- ULTIMATE SOUTH AFRICA October 2014
Thursday 9th October -
Monday 27th October 2014
(19 days)
Northern Cape Pre-Tour Extension from Thursday 2nd October (7 days)
Leaders:
Pete Morris and assistant
Group Size Limit: 12
Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate
The fantastic Cape Sugarbird, a classic symbol of the Cape avifauna, and a much-wanted bird for the family-hunters! (Pete Morris)
Over 180 species are endemic or virtually endemic to Southern Africa, the highest concentration in the continent, and the great majority of these are to be found inside South Africa itself. Many are confined to the arid and semi-arid western regions of South Africa or to the unique ‘fynbos’ and ‘karoo’ habitats of the southwest. Others have evolved in isolation in remote mountainous regions, whilst a few are relict species found only in tiny restricted areas in out-of-the-way places, virtually unknown until recently. Not only is South Africa extremely rich in endemic birds, but there is a host of more widespread species and also a surprisingly diverse selection of large mammals.
Not surprisingly, South Africa is nowadays one of the world’s top birding destinations and this extraordinary tour is the most comprehensive itinerary in South Africa available, allowing participants to see more of the country’s endemics and other specialities than any other bird tour. With good roads and accommodation, and a quiet, rural atmosphere over much of the country, South Africa offers some of the most exciting and most comfortable birding experiences in Africa.
Our South African birding adventure begins in Cape Town, justly famous for its dramatic mountainous scenery, including the famous Table Mountain that dominates the city. From the lofty sea-cliffs near the Cape of Good Hope, the sight of the South Atlantic meeting the Indian Ocean in all its seabird-thronged turbulence is something truly memorable. To make it even more memorable, there are often a few Southern Right Whales present at this time of year, while African (or Jackass) Penguins nest along some sections of the coastline. Around Cape Town we can also explore the strange fynbos, the macchia-like, Mediterranean-style vegetation characteristic of the Southwestern Cape which holds many endemic birds, such as the spectacular Cape Sugarbird, the impressive Cape Rockjumper and the secretive Victorin’s Warbler. Countless thousands of seabirds occur in the area and a deep-sea pelagic cruise to the fishing grounds off Cape Town is one of the great birding spectacles of Southern Africa. Here we can marvel at several species of albatrosses, attractive Great Shearwaters and Sabine’s Gulls, and many other seabirds.
Further afield, we will pass through the Overberg, with its elegant Blue Cranes and stately Denham’s Bustards, and then explore the attractive coastal reserve of De Hoop, where the localized Southern Tchagra will be high on our want list. We will make our way back to Cape Town via Ceres, from where we will explore the amazing Little (or Tanqua) Karoo, where Karoo Larks and Karoo Eremomelas reside.
During the second part of the tour we will move eastwards to Kwazulu-Natal. Here we shall visit the ‘mist forest’ and rolling grasslands of the Natal Midlands where colourful Knysna Turacos, aptly named Chorister Robins and secretive Knysna Woodpeckers will vie for our attention with Cape Parrots and Orange Thrushes. Next we climb high into the mighty Drakensberg and enter the Kingdom of Lesotho. This small, mountainous country, most of which lies over 2000m, possesses truly spectacular scenery. Situated amongst the peaks of the lofty Drakensberg range, southern Lesotho is reached by only a few roads that climb over breathtaking mountain passes and the winding road that we will take reaches an altitude of nearly 3250m. Here we will search for a suite of montane endemics including Drakensberg (or Orange-breasted) Rockjumper, Mountain Pipit and Drakensberg Siskin. After leaving the Drakensberg behind, we descend to the coastal lowlands of Kwazulu-Natal, taking in the endangered Spotted Ground Thrush as we go, and work our way northwards to the lagoons and almost impenetrable, liana-choked forests of the Lake St Lucia area. Here, endemics such as Brown Scrub-Robin, Rudd’s Apalis and Woodward’s Batis will keep us busy before we move on to the bird-rich bushveld, lakes and papyrus swamps of Mkhuze Game Reserve. Although we will already have seen a number of impressive mammals during the tour, Mkhuze is a mammalogist’s paradise, with White Rhinoceros, the beautiful Nyala (a relative of the Kudu) and Hippopotamus being among the more spectacular creatures. Yet more avian delights await us at Mkhuze too, including African Broadbill, Neergaard’s Sunbird and the delightful Pink-throated Twinspot. Our next destination will be the rolling grasslands of the southern Transvaal (now known as Mpumalanga province). One of the most threatened habitats in Southern Africa, the endemic bird species that live there, such as the splendid Blue Korhaan and Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks, are now in a precarious situation. This beautiful area of rocky ridges, pristine grasslands, small lakes, marshy meadows (with delightful Long-tailed Widowbirds bounding over them) and gullies choked with forest is bird rich and is a taste of what the whole region must have looked like a century ago. We will then move north to explore the dry country of the northern Transvaal (now known as Limpopo province). Here we will make a special effort to see the dashing Taita Falcon (although widespread, this falcon is seldom seen anywhere!) and the endemic Short-clawed Lark, and will visit one of the most productive forests in the country where Black-fronted Bush Shrike will be high on our agenda, and where we have a second chance for the rare Cape Parrot. By the time we come to the end of our South African odyssey we will have explored the whole range of this extraordinary country’s diverse habitats and seen a remarkable variety of birds, including many of the most sought-after in Africa.
The pre-tour extension will first take us to the dry country around Kimberley in the northeastern part of the huge Cape province, where we will be looking for the elusive Orange River Francolin and the fairly recently-described Kimberly Pipit, and then onwards towards the desert region in the far west through which the Orange River flows, creating a green ribbon of lush vegetation in an otherwise stark, moonscape-like habitat. Here, Northern Black Korhaan, Namaqua Sandgrouse and Karoo Long-billed Lark will be among the many new species. We will follow this river as it meanders towards the South Atlantic, cutting through deep gorges and canyons and creating spectacular waterfalls, pausing to look for the secretive Namaqua Warbler and Orange River White-eye as we go.
We will then veer south to follow the Pre-Cambrian river bed of the Orange River which has left behind an extensive valley of rolling red sand dunes, so reminiscent of the Kalahari to the north. This arid region is called Bushmanland and stretches for hundreds of kilometres to the coast. In this area, which in earlier times was the hunting grounds of many sects of the San tribe, we will seek out a number of dry country specialities including the spectacular Ludwig’s Bustard, Karoo Korhaan, the rare Red Lark and, in the Port Nolloth area, the little-known Barlow’s Lark.
Travelling southwards, we will search for the rather elusive Protea Canary before arriving at the Atlantic coast at Lambert’s Bay, where we will marvel at the spectacular colony of Cape Gannets which is situated just in front of the town. Further south we will look for Cape Long-billed Lark and the spectacular Black Harrier before we eventually reach the scenic city of Cape Town.
Birdquest has operated tours to South Africa since 1989.
(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are of normal Birdquest standard throughout (although bathroom facilities are shared at Witsand). Road transport is by minibus. The roads are good, but there are some long drives.
Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy, but there are a few longer walks.
Climate: Rather variable. In interior South Africa and in lowland Kwazulu-Natal most days will be hot, dry and sunny. Overcast conditions are not uncommon and it may rain in Kwazulu-Natal. In the Southwestern Cape and in the Drakensberg conditions range from warm to cool, or even cold in the mountains. Overcast conditions are interspersed with sunny spells and it may rain.
Bird/Mammal Photography: Opportunities are good.
Part-Tour Option: Subject to space being available, we can accept bookings for any part of this itinerary (for example, Johannesburg to Cape Town or Durban to Johannesburg). Please contact us for further information.
Tour Price: (provisional): $6140 Cape Town/Johannesburg. Pre-Tour Extension: $2380 (starting in Johannesburg). Price includes all transportation (including all flights inside South Africa), all accommodations, all meals, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.
Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $583. Pre-Tour Extension: $284.
Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.
The superb Orange-breasted (or Drakensberg) Rockjumper, one of the two representatives of the (sometimes recognized) endemic rockjumper family (Pete Morris)
As we travel along the southern edge of the Kalahari Desert we will encounter the amazing colonial nest structures of the near-endemic Sociable Weaver (Mike Watson)
Their architects look rather unfinished - Sociable Weaver, Pofadder (Mike Watson)
The gorgeous Orange Ground-Thrush is one of the star birds in the eastern forests (Pete Morris)
Black Harrier is perhaps one of the most attractive raptors in the world! This one was photographed in the West Coast National Park (Pete Morris)
African Penguins are having a tough time but can still be enjoyed at a couple of mainland colonies in the Western Cape (Mike Watson)
We also visit the famous and noisy Cape Gannet colony at Lambert's Bay (Mike Watson)
Black-bellied Bustard is one of ten species of bustard, which can be seen on this tour (Mike Watson)
South Africa can also boast probably the world's most obvious stakeout of the widespread Spotted Eagle Owl (Mike Watson)
The delightful Pink-throated Twinspot is a sand forest specialist that is best found in Mkhuze Game Reserve (Pete Morris)
Just a single pair of Taita Falcons is known to breed in South Africa, and these are probably the only easily accessible pair in the world! (Pete Morris)
The endemic Mountain Pipit is one of a bewildering array of pipits and larks that will be seen on the tour, many of which are endemic! (Pete Morris)
The tiny Cape Penduline Tit can be hard to find (Pete Morris)
The endemic Protea Canary is extremely localized (Pete Morris)
More widespread species include the charming Red-capped (or Natal) Robin-Chat (Pete Morris)
Another endemic that takes a special effort is the Southern Tchagra (Pete Morris)
Other wildlife is abundant in South Africa ranging from African Elephants to this endangered Cape Leopard Toad (Pete Morris)
The rare Botha's Lark is classified as endangered due to the destruction of its native grassland habitat (Pete Morris)
South Africa is also a great place to see a selection of spectacular (albeit mostly reintroduced) mammals like White (or Grass) Rhino (Mike Watson)
Kudu, this is an impressive bull (Mike Watson)
and the stately Giraffe (Mike Watson)
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