South Africa Birding Trips

With a total of 869 species that can be found on the mainland, these tours are for anyone interested in creatures with feathers; be it at an expert level or in a “new-to-birding” sense. South Africa has amazing endemic bird species, the highest number on the African continent: 18 true endemics, 50 near endemics (with more than 70% of their range within the borders of South Africa), and one breeding near-endemic species, adding up to a grand total of 69 birds endemic or near-endemic to southern Africa.

South Africa’s national bird is the Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus), a small, elegant crane and arguably one of the world’s most sophisticated birds, with a gunpowder blue plumage, massively extended primary plumes and an exhilarating and elegant courtship dance. This species is mostly found in South Africa while a small, isolated population can be found in Namibia.

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RICK NUTTALL

The wonderful Rick Nuttall leads our birding tours. Rick has been sharing his knowledge and passion for all things nature, especially birds, from an incredibly young age. He conducted his master’s degree in extensive behavioral studies of waxbills. In 1991, Rick joined the National Museum in Bloemfontein. He has authored scientific, semi-scientific and popular ornithological publications while leading birding trips in South Africa since 1993. Rick has a keen interest in photography, sound recording, and is fascinated by nature. You will often see him with his recording equipment as he always keeps his eyes and ears open for recording opportunities.

These birding tours truly capture the essence of the passion we at Southern Sky Adventures and Rick share for nature. Our tours cover the most important birding locations and a few hidden gems in South Africa. We focus on endemic birds as well as special birds you might find in each area.