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South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group)

© Cape Rockjumper by Adam Riley
South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2025

11 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025 (13 days)

ZAR70,950 - No Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop

Tour price (Per person): ZAR70,950 * USD3,840 * GBP3,063 * EUR3,683 * AUD6,150

Single Supplement: ZAR6,500 * USD352 * GBP281 * EUR337 * AUD563

Can be linked with: South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2025

Flight costs (Linked Tour): ZAR1,800 * USD97 * GBP78 * EUR93 * AUD156

South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2026

12 Jun 2026 - 24 Jun 2026 (13 days)

ZAR79,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: David Hoddinott

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,327 * GBP3,451 * EUR4,150 * AUD6,931

Single Supplement: ZAR4,900 * USD265 * GBP212 * EUR254 * AUD425

Can be linked with: South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2026

Flight costs (Linked Tour): ZAR1,500 * USD81 * GBP65 * EUR78 * AUD130

Southern Africa’s dry west is a unique and fascinating, yet under-visited land and offers exceptional opportunities for bird, mammal, and scenic photography. A hotbed of faunal and floral diversity, this area harbours two botanical regions found nowhere else on earth: the Cape Floristic Region and the Succulent Karoo. Our Western South Africa Bird Photo Tour showcases these areas and the range of special bird’s endemic to them; you can expect not only great birds, but some of the most dramatic scenery in Africa! Tour highlights include the stunning fynbos-clad slopes of the Western Cape, home to the stunning Cape Rockjumper and numerous other endemics; and the arid and semi-arid areas of the Karoo, which provide another great backdrop for a variety of bustards, larks and other endemics before we head back to Cape Town, taking in an impressive Cape Gannet colony and the West Coast National Park on the way.

Highlights

  • The pelagic trip into Cape Town’s Atlantic Ocean offers up some of the very best sea birding on the planet. The spectacle is something to behold and photo opportunities are extremely good
  • Visit one of only two land-based African Penguin colonies and enjoy exceptional viewing and photo opportunities of these special and highly endangered birds
  • Exploring and photographing the unique Fynbos and Karoo ecosystems
  • Visiting the spectacular Cape Gannet breeding colony at Lambert’s Bay
  • Opportunities to see and photograph some of South Africa’s most range-restricted and special endemic and near-endemic species including Southern Black Korhaan, Ludwig’s Bustard, Red and Sclater’s Larks, Karoo Eremomela, Cinnamon-breasted and Victorin’s Warblers, Orange-breasted Sunbird, and Black Harrier
  • Excellent chances of seeing the two endemic bird families to Southern Africa – Rockjumpers & Sugarbirds

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

Top Birds

Cape Rockjumper; Cape Sugarbird; Cape Siskin; Cape Bulbul; Protea & Black-headed Canaries; Orange-breasted & Southern Double-collared Sunbirds; African Penguin; African Oystercatcher; Crowned, Bank & Cape Cormorants; Hartlaub’s Gull; Southern Black & Karoo Korhaans; Ludwig’s Bustard; Cape Spurfowl; Victorin’s, Namaqua, Cinnamon-breasted, Layard’s & Rufous-eared Warblers; Fairy & Fiscal Flycatchers; Karoo Eremomela; Barlow’s, Red, Sclater’s & Cape Long-billed Larks; Cape Penduline Tit; White-backed Mousebird; Karoo & Tractrac Chats; Karoo Scrub Robin; Cape Grassbird; Karoo Prinia; Southern Boubou; Cape Batis; Verreaux's & Booted Eagles; South African Shelduck; Karoo Thrush; Forest & Cape Canaries. The pelagic could provide Indian, Atlantic Yellow-nosed, Shy & Black-browed Albatrosses; Cape Petrel; Southern & Northern Giant Petrels.

Top Mammals

Afro-Australian Fur Seal; Southern Right Whale; Common Eland; Blesbok (Bontebok); (Cape) Mountain Zebra; (Red) Hartebeest; Cape Grey Mongoose; Cape Grysbok; Springbok; Klipspringer; Grey Rhebok; Chacma Baboo; Meerkat.

Habitats Covered

Mountains, semi-desert, fynbos, coastal and pelagic waters, wetlands

Expected Climate

Temperate with occasional rain, can be cold in winter

Max Group Size

5 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Moderate. Suitable for all birding / wildlife / photography interest levels and most mobility capabilities. Can be a little tiring due to travel distances. Our Bird Photo Tours are a hybrid between our Classic birding tours and dedicated photographic tours. You don’t have to be a professional photographer or have the biggest lens; this is for everyone with an interest in photography and birding. Whether you’re using a bridge camera or the latest body and prime lens, our aims are the same. • These tours are not aimed at seeing the most species possible on the route, rather taking time to photograph key targets and any other interesting species we may find. Naturally, the overall species list will be lower than a comparable birding focused tour. • Whilst we may use blinds, feeders and hide setups on some of these tours, we will not be spending an entire day nor even several hours fixed in one spot. • These tours are suitable for photographers who prefer opportunistic photography over entire days in a hide. • Our leaders will assist in helping everyone secure good photographic opportunities and advise as much as they can on camera setup. However, they are not professional photographic tour leaders.

Accommodation

Comfortable lodges.

Ease of Birding

Undemanding, most species provide good visuals. A small number of scarce/rare species.

Photographic Opportunities

Good to very good. Some hides.

What our clients say about us

Keith Valentine
SD, South Africa 2018

I deeply appreciate that Keith Valentine worked hard to find the endemics and warblers that I had expressed an interest in.

Julian Parsons
RK, South Africa

The tour was fantastic. Julian Parsons is an excellent guide. Outstanding with both birds and people. Several times he was required to troubleshoot problems and issues and did so without distracting from the trip in any way. Our driver was also fantastic. Two flat tires, but he quickly changed out to the spare and arranged to have both fixed, after hours! He was very personable and incredibly safe driver. We always arrived on time (or early) without incident, including when we had the flat tires.

Gregory de Klerk
JS, Best of South Africa: Cape & Kruger I 2016

Greg de Klerk was one of the best guides I've had – EVER. Excellent with bird ID, calls and habitat. And probably just as important in a group setting, VERY good with people, fun, friendly and left no one out. I have heard good things about Rockjumper Tours for years and now I see why. Keep up the good work.

Gregory de Klerk
KK, Eastern South Africa X 2016

Greg was a fantastic guide, and I hope that I can take another tour/bird with him again in the future. I greatly enjoyed birding and spending time with him, he was very personable and I'm glad that we were able to become friends. Greg knew where to search for the birds and was extremely knowledgeable about birds and other wildlife and natural history. I also greatly appreciated how Greg dealt with issues that arose with other guests, and how quickly he tried to step in and prevent problems from escalating further. Guiding can be a difficult job, and Greg did a terrific job.

Gregory de Klerk
MM, Eastern South Africa X 2016

Having been a guide myself in Australia from time to time, I genuinely appreciated the time and effort Greg dedicated to preparing for each day of the tour; where possible, there was an alternative site or activity if ever bird sightings or weather did not go exactly to plan. Greg acted with great professionalism throughout the tour and looked after himself well so he could look after us while on the road and in the bush... For me, the bottom line is: Greg is an excellent birder and a bloody good guide, and, an absolute gem of a bloke. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my time on the tour.

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