TourCaTalogue

1998

We offer professional tour leaders, small groups, solid value and a long-established reputation

Our tour leaders are all passionate birders and accomplished tour coordinators who derive great pleasure from sharing their birding experiences with

others. Most of our tours are guided by full-time Rockjumper leaders, often with the backup of the most experienced local birders across the globe. Whilst we guarantee that our leaders have superb birding skills, we also appreciate that they need to be personable, professional, friendly, attentive and dedicated to delivering a rewarding, educational, safe and enjoyable birding experience!

Our office team is based in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and is highly skilled at orchestrating the complex arrangements that efficient and organized traveling requires. Questions are gladly answered in a friendly and comprehensive manner, and you will find that booking with us is nothing but a pleasure. We do our utmost to ensure that all your requests and requirements are met; whether before, during or after your tour with us.

Our leader to guest ratio is one of the best in the birding tour industry and most of our tours have a maximum of eight participants, giving our guests a very personalized tour experience. For some destinations we provide two leaders with an absolute maximum of 12 participants. The only exception to this is cruises, where larger groups are unavoidable.

Our tour costs and booking conditions represent excellent value and are very reasonable. Although we are not always the least expensive in the market, it is important to compare exactly what you are getting when dealing with low-cost or local operators. In particular, the services of a professional tour leader can make or break your vacation, especially in remote countries where traveling provides additional challenges.

All tour details including dates and costs are listed in the insert at the back of this catalogue. Due to constantly fluctuating exchange rates, we quote our tours in 4 currencies but the tour price is fixed only in the currency printed in bold, and the actual cost in the other currencies listed will be adjusted according to prevailing exchange rates at the time of final invoicing. The same applies to domestic flight (where

applicable) and single supplement rates (ss). Please note that even though domestic flight costs have been quoted separately, the Rockjumper office will still book these flights for you at no extra charge. We accept payment by wire transfer, PayPal, credit card and US$ checks.

Please note that although we will adhere to the tour dates, leaders and prices listed in the insert as closely as possible, they are subject to change.

Our scheduled tours are generally designed for the keen birder, although the pace varies from tour to tour. For example, our Cape Wildflowers, Birding & Big Game tour is a relaxed birding journey with time dedicated to exploring the tapestry of spectacular wildflowers that grace the Cape region of South Africa. On the other hand, our Colombia 1,000 Birds Mega Tour is a more intense adventure suited to hardcore birders looking to boost their life lists. Between these extremes fall the balance of our tours, which are designed to maximize the birding experience without feeling rushed. We also include the salient highlights of every region we visit, be it the Taj Mahal and Tigers in India, or Jaguars and Giant Otters in Brazil.

Our loyalty program offers a 10% discount (limited to US$600) on every 5th full (14-day or longer) tour booked directly with Rockjumper. We also give a $300 discount to anyone who signs up for two back-to-back full Rockjumper tours. This is designed to assist guests who wish to travel for longer periods and make the most of expensive flights to distant parts of the world. We also offer a US$400 referral discount to any of our loyal guests who refers someone who has not traveled with us before, provided the referred person signs up for one of our scheduled departures. Our innovative Birding by Invitation Club is described on page 5 (for full terms and conditions of all our loyalty programs, please refer to our website.)

Our conservation initiative includes activities undertaken by the Rockjumper Birding Conservation Fund. A proportion of the fees from each tour sign-up is used solely to conserve the birds that give our lives so much fulfillment and joy.

About us

Website www.rockjumperbirding.com

email info@rockjumperbirding.comalternative email rockjumperbirding@yahoo.com

telephone +27-333-940-225 / 51Usa & Canada toll-free 1-888-990-5552

aUstralia +617-5538-8484fax +27-880-333-940-225

faCebook Rockjumper - Worldwide Birding Adventuresblog www.rockjumperbirding.blogspot.com

tWitter @RockjumperToursYou can also look for us on

google+, instagram, pinterest,fliCkr & tUmblr

postal PO Box 13972, Cascades, 3202, South Africa

Dra

kens

berg

Roc

kjum

per b

y Ad

am R

iley

3

Welcome

Dear Friends of RockjumperWelcome to our latest Rockjumper Tour Catalogue. We are honored to present to you more than 200 world-class birding tours that we schedule annually. Spanning all seven continents and over 100 countries, our tours deliver an incredibly comprehensive selection of the ultimate birding and natural extravaganzas that our planet offers. Every tour has been carefully selected, timed and crafted to ensure that it encompasses the very best birding experiences available in each region. These tours are described in the pages of this catalogue, with a few representative photos to whet your appetite, and tour dates, rates and other information can be found in the insert at the back of this document.

Our tour leaders add a critical dimension to each of these tours by ensuring they are fun, educational and professionally conducted whilst maximizing the birding encounters. After more than 16 years in the industry, you can be assured that our dedicated team of support staff has the experience and expertise to ensure that your journey with us is a pleasure, from first contact until after you return home from your tour.

We also specialize in arranging private, customized tours for groups of any size and we would be thrilled to make your dream vacation become a reality.

The Rockjumper Team would like to thank all our participants and friends for your amazing support since our launch in 1998, it is you who have made Rockjumper the largest and most successful bird tour company in the world! On our part we continually strive to make Rockjumper the most innovative birding tour company. Besides our suite of cutting-edge tours, our Birding by Invitation Club introduced on page 5 is further testimony to our achievement of this goal.

We trust that you will enjoy perusing this mouth-watering selection of tours and we look forward to you sharing a birding adventure of a lifetime with us!

The Rockjumper Team

As part of our commitment to reducing our environmental impact, this brochure has been printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. The wood fibre used in this paper is sourced from sustainable forests and is chlorine-free and acid-free.

1

Shoebill by Markus Lilje

Cover image: Blue-breasted Bee-eater by Markus Lilje

COnTEnTS

The

WORLDaccording to

Rockjumper

South AfricApg 10

finlAndpg 26

AntArctic cruiSeSpg 66

cAnAdA:cAnAdiAn Arctic cruiSe

pg 64

Moroccopg 24

cAnAry iSlAndSpg 24

SpAinpg 26

AuStriA, czech republic, SlovAkiA

& hungArypg 26

icelAndpg 26

Swedenpg 26

gAbonpg

SenegAl &the gAMbiA

pg 20

cAMeroonpg 20

cubApg 60

JAMAicApg 60

doMinicAn rep.pg 60

puerto ricopg 60

coloMbiApg 56

guyAnApg 50

venezuelApg 50

leSSer AntilleSpg 60

trinidAd & tobAgopg 60

brAzilpg 50

boliviApg 54

chilepg 48

perupg 54ecuAdor

pg 56

pAnAMApg 58

gAlápAgoS iSlAndSpg 56

coStA ricApg 58

guAteMAlApg 58

belize & hondurAS

pg 58

Mexicopg 62

uSApg 62

greenlAndpg 64

uSA: hAwAiipg 62

uSA: AlASkApg 62

pArAguAypg 48

ArgentinApg 48

AntArcticApg 66

tuniSiApg 24

cApe verdepg 24

2

nAMibiApg 12

South georgiApg 66

AtlAntic iSlAndS cruiSepg 66

fAlklAnd iSlAndSpg 66

botSwAnApg 12

São toMé & príncipe

pg 18

ghAnApg 20

AngolApg 18

republic of the congo

pg 18

Our sister companiesBirding by Invitation ClubOur TeamCustom ToursAfrica & The Middle EastSouth Africa & LesothoBotswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe & MalawiKenya, Tanzania & RwandaUganda, Ethiopia & Djibouti Angola, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe & Republic of the Congo Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal & The GambiaMadagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius & RéunionCanary Islands, Cape Verde, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Oman & UAEEuropeSpain, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Georgia, Armenia, Finland, Sweden & Iceland AsiaKazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China & MongoliaIndia, Sri Lanka & The Maldives Nepal, Bhutan & MyanmarThailand, Malaysia & BorneoCambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines & JapanIndonesia including West PapuaAustralasiaPapua New Guinea & Melanesia: Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga & West Samoa Australia, New Zealand & Subantarctic IslandsSouth AmericaChile, Argentina & ParaguayBrazil, Guyana & VenezuelaBolivia & PeruEcuador, Galápagos Islands & ColombiaCentral America & The Caribbean Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala & BelizeCuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles & Trinidad and TobagoNorth America Mexico & USA including Alaska and HawaiiGlobal CruisesCanadian Arctic, Spitsbergen & Russian Far East Antarctica, Falklands, South Georgia & Atlantic Islands

4568

1012141618202224

26

283032363840

44

46

48505456

5860

62

6466

5

leSothopg 10

MAdAgAScArpg 22

zAMbiApg 12

MAlAwipg 12

coMoroSpg 22

SeychelleSpg 22

MAuritiuS & réunion

pg 22

tAnzAniApg 14

kenyApg 14

ugAndApg 16

ethiopiA & dJibouti

pg 16

u.A.e.pg 24

JordAnpg 24

uzbekiStAnpg 28

kAzAkhStAnpg 28

georgiA & ArMeniA

pg 26

bulgAriApg 26

roMAniApg 26

oMAnpg 24

indiApg 30

chinApg 28

Sri lAnkApg 30

the MAldiveSpg 30

MAlAySiApg 36

bhutAnpg 32nepAl

pg 32

MongoliApg 28

thAilAndpg 36

JApAnpg 38

indoneSiApg 40

eAStern indoneSiAn cruiSeS

pg 40

SoloMon iSlAndSpg 44

newcAledoniA

pg 44

vAnuAtupg 44

tongApg 44

fiJipg 44

weSt SAMoApg 44

new zeAlAndpg 46

AuStrAliApg 46

SubAntArctic iSlAndS cruiSepg 46

pAcific cruiSeSpg 64

MelAneSiAncruiSeSpg 44

ruSSiA:ruSSiAn fAr eASt cruiSeS

pg 64

ruSSiA:wrAngel iSlAnd

pg 64

vietnAMpg 38

MyAnMArpg 32

ziMbAbwepg 12

rwAndApg 14

egyptpg 24

CAn'T dECIdE On A TOuR?Maybe this will help...

1. Eastern South Africa + Cape Extension2. Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game3. Ethiopian Endemics Birding4. Madagascar Comprehensive5. Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise

Our m

ost

popu

lar t

ours

per

num

ber

of

boo

king

s ea

ch y

ear

1. Colombia Mega (1044)2. Kenya Mega (817)3. Northern Ecuador - Birding the Andes to the Amazon + Sani Extension ( 7 74)4. Colombia - Andean Endemics + Santa Marta Extension ( 764)5. South Ecuador Endemics + Shiripuno Extension ( 764)

Tour

s w

ith th

e hi

ghes

t bir

d sp

ecie

s to

tals

1. Australia - East Coast + Extensions2. Indonesia - Sulawesi & Halmahera - Wallacean Endemics3. South Eastern Brazil4. The Philippines - Endangered Endemics + Visayan Extension5. Madagascar Comprehensive + Masoala ExtensionTo

urs

with

the

mos

t pos

sibl

e en

dem

ics

1. Papua New Guinea - Birding in Paradise2. Northern Peru & Classic Peru3. Malaysia & Borneo - Rainforest Birds & Birding4. Bhutan - Birding the Buddhist Kingdom5. Guatemala - Central American SpecialtiesTo

urs

with

th

e m

ost

spec

tacu

lar

bird

s

1. Kenya Mega (84)2. South Africa Mega (74)3. Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game (67)4. Eastern South Africa + Cape Extension (60)5. Uganda - Birds & Gorillas (84)

Tour

s w

ith

the

high

est

mam

mal

sp

ecie

s to

tals

1. Budget Eastern & Western South Africa2. Budget Morocco Birding3. Budget Ghana4. Northern Peru - Marañón Endemics & Marvelous Spatuletail5. Bulgaria & Romania in Winter

Our m

ost

inex

pens

ive

tour

sp

er d

iem

cos

t

toursTOp

3

cAMbodiApg 38

the philippineSpg 38

pApuA new guineApg 44

SpitSbergen cruiSeSpg 64

Our sisTer cOmpanies // photographic, wildlife, anthropological & spanish language tours

ORYX Photographic Expeditions prides itself on crafting unique, specialized wildlife and cultural photographic expeditions to the most photogenic destinations.

We offer a variety of photographic safaris, suitable for both amateur and professional photographers, either as set departure expeditions, or as customized tours to fit your particular photographic needs or travel desires. In order to offer you a more personal experience and one-on-one tutoring, our maximum group size is usually limited to six.

Furthermore, our expedition leaders are not only award-winning photographers who have been published worldwide, but are also extremely knowledgeable naturalists and experienced tour leaders, dedicating their lives to capturing truly breathtaking, inspiring and evocative images. Nothing gives them greater pleasure than sharing their passion and skills during unforgettable expeditions to destinations handpicked for the phenomenal photographic opportunities that they provide.

The idea for a wildlife-focused tour company first came to mind several years ago whilst trekking for Giant Panda in the remote Tien Shan Mountains of China. ORYX Wildlife Safaris has since more than fulfilled this brief with a suite of tours that showcases the iconic wildlife gracing our planet. We offer both luxury private customized wildlife vacations to the world’s premier ecolodges as well as scheduled wildlife tours to the world's last wildernesses. With us you will be enthralled by authentic wildlife experiences, including up close-and-personal views of the “Big Five” in Africa, searching for Tiger, Snow Leopard and Greater One-horned Rhinoceros in the thriving parks of India, or enjoying a bounty of cetaceans and Polar Bears in the icy reaches of Spitsbergen.

Our tours deliver the holiday of your dreams while visiting some of the planet’s most remote, intact and wildlife-rich destinations. Our passion for nature, strong commitment to conservation, wealth of knowledge and service excellence will ensure your wildlife experience is unforgettable.

Through Tau we weave together and explore four diverse and fascinating fields; namely anthropology, archaeology, traditional and modern interactions between man and wildlife (including game tracking), and the story of human evolution. In the process we will visit some of the world’s most important prehistoric sites and more modern architectural marvels, discover areas of pristine wilderness, spend time observing primate behavior and interact with tribes who proudly maintain their traditional cultures.

Led by Lee Gutteridge, an author and professional guide and tracker with over twenty years safari experience, our tours deliver a unique and fascinating insight into man's past. Tours with Tau are life-changing, intelligent travel experiences; together we will experience the world’s wildlife as man has done since time immemorial, meet with some of the world’s last unchanged traditional cultures, explore our human history and study fascinating primate species - including some of our closest relatives, in whose eyes we may hope to see ourselves reflected.

Suricato Safaris es la división de habla hispana de la familia Rockjumper/Oryx/Tau. Nuestro objetivo es brindar servicios a viajeros de naturaleza que hablen español, enfocándonos principalmente en viajes que incluyan, además de áreas de interés natural, aquellas que tengan atractivos culturales.

Además de ofrecer expediciones programadas, nos especializamos en personalizar servicios, para que nuestros clientes disfruten al máximo de su experiencia de viaje. Nuestros safaris están diseñados para satisfacer las necesidades de todo tipo de viajeros de naturaleza, desde observadores de aves, hasta fotógrafos.

Nuestra misión es hacer realidad su sueño de explorar aquellos paraísos naturales alrededor del mundo que siempre quiso conocer. Desde las planicies del Serengeti, hasta las selvas de Borneo; desde la Costa Esqueleto hasta Papua Nueva Guinea, Suricato Safaris lo invita a descubrir un mundo de maravillas naturales y culturales de la mano de expertos naturalistas de habla hispana.

oRYXWorldwide Wildlife Safaris

oRYXWorldwide Photographic Expeditions

www.oryxphotography.com www.oryxwildlifesafaris.com www.tauanthropologicalsafaris.com www.suricatosafaris.com

tAuAnthropological Safaris

suRIcAtoSafaris

4

Retic

ulat

ed G

iraffe

by

Mar

kus

Lilje

Maa

sai w

arrio

r det

ail b

y M

ariu

s Co

etze

e

Ant

arct

ica

phot

ogra

phic

exp

editi

on b

y St

even

Phi

llips

Beng

al T

iger

by

Mar

kus

Lilje

7

How many times, once you've returned home, have you basked in the glow of the tour - fondly reminiscing not just about the birds, the wildlife, the places or the guides, but also the travel companions with whom you shared this experience? Or alternatively, have you ever had a tour marred by a participant

who had completely different expectations or birding requirements of the tour than yourself?

Rockjumper prides itself in being at the cutting edge of the birding tour industry and we are pleased to introduce the next level of birding tours: our Birding by Invitation Club. Think of it as group match-

making for like-minded birders! Based upon a detailed questionnaire that club applicants fill in, members of our club will be invited onto especially designed and customized birding tours that are not publicly available. Invitations will only be offered to a select group of people who share similar

birding interests, goals, levels of fitness and budgetary restraints as you.

Maybe you want a hardcore birding tour that focuses on endemics and offers no frills? Perhaps you prefer to travel at a more relaxed pace and stay at more comfortable accommodations, or you'd

like to focus on your photography rather than racking up as many species as possible? Budgetary constraints; destinations; tour length; target species; combinations of birding and other aspects such

as cultural, botanical, wildlife and photography; fitness levels; group sizes; couples vs single travellers and times of year are all major considerations.

Each tour will be designed around the requirements of a particular subset of club members. You will then be invited to participate in a tour that meets your personal criteria. Not only will the tour meet

your specifications, but you will also only travel with participants who do not clash with your tour expectations. Furthermore Birding by Invitation Club members will be offered extremely generous

incentive discounts based on a point system which takes into account the number of tour invitations that you accept.

If you are interested in being part of Rockjumper’s innovative Birding by Invitation Club please email us on bic@rockjumperbirding.com. Birding by Invitation only

tours will be available from 2016.

Birding By inviTaTiOn cluB //

Like-minded birding adventures!

Birding tours are wonderful adventures... especially when you're with companions who enrich the experience...

5

Keith Valentine developed his interest in the outdoors and birding at a very young age. He is now a long-standing Rockjumper employee and plays an essential role in the management of the company, as well as leading birding tours throughout Africa, Asia and Madagascar. His calm demeanor and in-depth knowledge of each region’s birds and wildlife make him one of our most popular leaders.

Our Team // full-time guides part-time guides headquarters staff

David Hoddinott is one of the world’s most talented birders and has extensive experience leading birding tours throughout the globe. His zeal for birds has earned him the position of Rockjumper’s senior leader, and he is well known in birding circles for his endless energy and legendary spotting ability. He is one of only 5 birders to have seen over 2,000 birds in Africa.

Lee Gutteridge is a professional tour leader, guide trainer and tracker with over 20 years of bush experience. He has published 4 books on various

wildlife and anthropological subjects and his interest and infectious passion for

paleoanthropology and traditional cultures has led him to co-found Tau Anthropological Safaris in partnership with Adam Riley.

Erik Forsyth is a superb birder, raconteur, is blessed with a contagious sense of humor and has a wonderful gift for sharing his

enthusiasm and knowledge in the field. Erik has been a full-time Rockjumper

tour leader for more than 10 years, and is now based in New Zealand where he is fast becoming one of the nation’s top birders. He guides tours throughout Asia and Australasia.

Adam Riley qualified as a chartered accountant, but his passion for birding, wildlife and travel

led to him co-founding Rockjumper Birding Tours in 1998. Adam has traveled extensively throughout the world, leading tours to over 60 countries and racking up a bird list of over 2,000 species on the African continent and 7,000

worldwide. Adam is the Managing Director of Rockjumper and co-founder of ORYX

Photographic Expeditions, ORYX Wildlife Safaris and Tau Anthropological Safaris.

Chris Sharpe is a very experienced ornithologist and birding tour leader. He was a Venezuelan resident for many years and has worked throughout Latin America. He is the author of numerous books and articles on

birds and conservation in the region and helped launch the

Neotropical Bird Club in 1993.

Cuan Rush has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the African bush, its fauna and flora and the conservation thereof. After schooling he first completed a 3-year conservation diploma before launching his career in bird related work, including

spending several years developing birding multi-media products. Cuan divides his

time between heading Rockjumper’s Custom tours department and leading tours throughout

Africa and Asia.

Adam Walleyn was born and raised in the Canadian prairies. A birder and naturalist from a very

young age, he spent his youth in the field – birding, conducting faunal

surveys and gaining an intimate knowledge of

the area’s natural history. He has seen over 8,000 bird species and has

been involved in research and recovery plans on critically

endangered species.

Luis Segura has been a birding tour leader since 1982, during which time he has amassed a wealth of experience in the complicated logistics of international travel. Luis also co-founded Suricato Safaris, a specialist wildlife tour company for Spanish speaking naturalists, with Adam Riley.

David Erterius hails from southernmost Sweden, where he is one of the best-known

and most respected birders in the country. His meticulous fascination with birds dates back as far as he can recall. He is

a passionate birder who loves sharing his encyclopedic knowledge and

unbounded enthusiasm with others. David has extensive Palearctic, African and Asian experience.

6

Andrew Stainthorpe is a passionate birder who hails from our home country, South

Africa. He has over 15 years birding and guiding experience and his qualifications

include SKS (Specialized Knowledge & Skills) guiding involving dangerous

game. Andrew’s career has included numerous years of

conservation work and he is now a full-time

Rockjumper tour leader.

Clayton Burne also hails from South Africa. Before becoming a full-time Rockjumper tour leader he worked as a museum technician and ornithological researcher, spent five years safari guiding and several years in the field of ophthalmology. Clayton has recently completed a year-long birding expedition around South America, in the process accumulating an in-depth knowledge of the region’s birds and wildlife.

David Bishop has spent much of his life intimately exploring the entire Oriental Region, New Guinea and the South-west Pacific. As a result David is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and experienced bird-tour leaders within these areas. He has also regularly led tours to a wide variety of African destinations.

Forrest Rowland took his first trip to the Neotropics at the tender age of 9 and this has blossomed into a lifelong love affair with the region’s birds and wildlife. He has spent many years in the field, honing his birding skills throughout the Americas. Forrest heads up Rockjumper’s New World division and is our primary tour leader in this exciting region.

Glen Valentine’s unquestionable passion for birds developed at an extremely tender age. Glen has traveled extensively in Africa and is fast becoming Rockjumper’s lead Asia and Australasia birding tour leader. He possesses exceptional birding skills and a personable nature, coupled with hearty levels of enthusiasm and enviable knowledge and experience. He is also the youngest person to have seen 850 bird species in Southern Africa.

Mark Beevers hails from the UK and has been a birder for most of his life. Mark has enviable people skills, an easy-going nature and an incredible knowledge of Palearctic birds, much to the advantage of our European, Middle Eastern and North African tours. He is also one of few birders to have passed the 1800 mark for his Africa list and has done over 20 tours to

the continent.

9

Chevaughn Nagiah joined Rockjumper after a stint in the financial sector and is a great addition to our ever-expanding marketing and admin departments, where she assists with a variety of tasks including IT and social media.

Crystal Brook efficiently manages our sales and bookings department, and

also plays an important role in the operations side of Rockjumper.

Crystal’s dedication to her work is exceptional, and she handles all queries in a cheerful and efficient manner.

Michelle Wells started working in the tourism industry many years ago. She is now based at the Rockjumper head office where she is responsible for numerous administrative functions essential for our

tour operations.

Markus Lilje initially fulfilled his passion for birding and wildlife by guiding in and around Kruger National Park for over five years. His incredible knowledge of all aspects of the natural world makes him an invaluable asset to both Rockjumper and ORYX, for which he leads birding and wildlife tours throughout the globe. He is also fluent in German and is an accomplished photographer.

Rainer Summers holds a BSc Honors degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology and has

been passionate about birding and nature since an early age.

His extensive world birding and wildlife experience, exceptional enthusiasm and extremely likeable personality make Rainer one

of our most popular leaders. Rainer is also involved in the senior management of ORYX

Photographic Expeditions.

Rich Lindie has traveled, birded and photographed on every continent, amassing an incredible knowledge of the world’s birds and wildlife in the process. Attentive and enthusiastic, Rich enjoys showing others

the natural world as much as he loves discovering its wonders

for himself. He is also a highly proficient photographer

and his images appear on several photo stock sites.

Praniel Dhanesar is a qualified Professional Accountant (SA) with almost

20 years’ experience in a professional accounting practice behind him. Praniel now assists with Rockjumper’s day-to-

day financial and administrative affairs.

Sarah Dell has an Honours Degree in Accounting and is involved in various roles at the Rockjumper office, including pre- and post-tour support, and assisting in the operations and finance departments.

Sue Anderson worked at KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife and BirdLife South Africa before

joining our team, where she works tirelessly and very efficiently in our operations department.

7

Rob Williams is an experienced biologist, conservationist and birder who specializes in the New World tropics. He lived in Ecuador and Peru for many years and has guided birding tours on five continents, seeing over 5,000 species in the process.

Wayne Jones has been captivated by birds and wildlife his whole life. He worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for several years before succumbing to his passion for birding. Now a full-time Rockjumper tour leader, he has a thorough knowledge of Africa and Asia’s birds. His amiable and enthusiastic nature makes him a superb birding tour leader.

Yuraisha Chavan holds an Honors degree in Marketing and has worked internationally in both the private and public sector. She is responsible for Rockjumper's key marketing initiatives and strategy.

Other members of our team who are not based in our offices are David Shackelford, who mans our USA & Canada toll free line from Texas, Ric Zarwell, who represents us at birding festivals throughout North America, and Mick Travers, who represents us in Australia.

Local birding leaders and experts from throughout the world have also been carefully chosen to lead or co-lead some of our tours. You can rest assured that we have selected them for their superior knowledge, engaging personalities and guiding abilities. Many of our local leaders are among the top birders in their regions, while others are young and upcoming guides, passionate and eager to make their mark in the guiding world. Regardless, all can be counted on to do their utmost to ensure your vacation with Rockjumper exceeds your expectations.

Alison Wakelin has excelled in handling the complex logistics of running tours to a mind-boggling diversity of countries, and with a keen eye for detail and her commitment for service excellence she has built a great relationship with our clients. Alison

works with Cuan Rush in managing our Custom tours department.

Anthea Pillay works in our very busy financial department yet nevertheless always sports a ready smile. She is studying towards her B.Com and is responsible for our accounting, invoicing and tour documentation functions.

Candice Jack has been in the travel business for more than a decade and is fortunate to have traveled the world during this time. She is now based at our Rockjumper Headquarters where she assists in our busy travel department.

David Kaplan has been in love with birds since his earliest childhood memories. Since joining Rockjumper in 2009, David manages our website, Facebook page, itineraries, photos and trip reports,

amongst other tasks.

Felicity Riley has an Honors degree in Horticulture and worked in agricultural resource management for 14 years. She now assists in the Rockjumper office with

numerous administrative functions including banking.

Lorna Symons has travelled extensively through South and North America, Europe and, of course, Africa. She has over 10 years experience in the travel industry and now works in our Scheduled Tours department assisting in pre-tour support.

since our establishment in 1998 we have specialized in both customized tours and scheduled departures. The spirit of our customized private tours is rooted

in assisting you to realize your dream vacation, whatever your special interests or budget. Our team of specialist consultants and tour leaders are highly experienced and meticulously design each expedition, resulting in a creatively crafted tour to fit your specific requirements. Whether it be a relaxed family wildlife vacation, a hardcore expedition to find rare birds, or a romantic honeymoon to a luxury game lodge, our customized private tour department can arrange tours for single travelers through to large groups. We offer the flexibility of comfortable 3-star through to luxury 5-star lodgings, ensuring that you enjoy your adventure at whatever comfort level suits your budget.

cusTOm TOurs //

8Lounge area at King's Pool, Linyanti by Mickey Hoyle © Wilderness SafarisXigera Mokoro Trail © Wilderness Safaris Forest birding in Colombia by Jonathan Rossouw

Wild

erne

ss A

ir by

Dan

a A

llen

© W

ilder

ness

Saf

aris

How we go about planning a custom tour:

1... you contact usLet us know your desires and special interests – you can either be very specific, or if you are uncertain, allow our travel planning experts to make suggestions on your behalf.

2... We design your itineraryTaking into account your requirements, we will draft a suggested itinerary, which we can discuss and adjust until you are perfectly satisfied with the locations, timings, travel arrangements, focus and budget.

3... you secure your bookingYou secure your trip by simply filling out a booking form and sending us a deposit.

4... We provide you with all necessarypre-departure informationA pre-departure information pack to prepare you for your upcoming travel will be sent to you. Our knowledgeable team will also be on standby to answer all your questions on visas, flights, vaccinations, recommended reference books, photographic and other equipment, and anything else that crosses your mind.

5... We whisk you away for a vacation of a lifetimeYou depart on your trip along with one of our specialized tour leaders who will take care of all the logistical details of your travels, sharing along the way his expertise, passion and knowledge, whether for birds, wildlife, photography, culture or a combination of these. If you decide on an unguided tour instead (available on selected destinations only), then you can relax in the knowledge that our office team is always only a phone call away (day or night) to smooth out any unexpected hiccups or to make any last minute changes you may require.

Here’s what some of our guests had to say about their custom travel experiences with us:

“Eliza and I had a wonderful time on our Eastern South Africa trip with personal extensions to Uganda and Cape Town. We have only good things to say about Rockjumper, its great guides, and impeccable planning and execution. I am obviously very pleased by the great birds (including my three target families), animals, landscapes and people that we saw. We could not be more pleased!”

Tim Earle, USA

“I just got back from my epic journey through southern Africa. It was one of the most enjoyable trips I've ever taken. The success of this expedition was due in large part to the excellent leadership provided by Cuan Rush. Cuan was extremely competent, friendly, helpful and safety conscious. I certainly hope to travel with him again, and, in fact, he and I started preliminary discussions about 2 possible trips in 2015. I thank you and Rockjumper for providing me with a great experience, full of memories to treasure for the future.”

Manny Alvarez, USA

“We had a wonderful time in Ghana! Thank you for your massive contribution to our great birding holiday. The “Laugh a Minute Group” were thoroughly impressed by your skills resulting in all of us seeing hundreds of great birds, with a large quota of lifers included. My list of 30 lifers was way beyond expectation, pushing me well over my 2,000 Africa birds target. A special thanks for the extra effort from your side to achieve this.”

David Chamberlain, South Africa

9

Kalahari Plains camp by Dana Allen © Wilderness Safaris

Scoping larks in Angola by Markus Lilje

Birding on elephant back in India by Markus Lilje

Our home country of South Africa is quite simply one of the planet’s most pleasurable destinations in which to travel, offering unrivalled wildlife viewing,

world-class infrastructure and unbeatable value for money. 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 splendor of Africa’s most varied nation, and it’s not hard to see why South Africa is our most popular destination!

The combination of Rockjumper’s two-week Eastern South Africa tour and six-day Cape Extension is our top seller. 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 colorful 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, Gurney’s Sugarbird 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 targets include African Penguin, Black Harrier, Southern Black Korhaan, the

glittering Orange-breasted Sunbird, gaudy Cape Sugarbird and Cape Rockjumper. These tours 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 colorful 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. Our Cape to Windhoek - The Best of the West tour is a two-week adventure that can be taken in conjunction with our Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls Overland safari. Besides covering much of the same ground as our Wildflowers tour, we also include a pelagic birding trip off the Cape and visit the Great Fish River Canyon.

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

aFrica // southern

10

Cape

Sug

arbi

rd b

y H

ugh

Chitt

ende

n

Blue

Cra

ne b

y Ad

am R

iley

Pink

-thr

oate

d Tw

insp

ot b

y Ad

am R

iley

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

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 tour 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 planet’s grandest and most famous reservesin our search to locate some of Africa’s most iconic birds and big game, including the legendary “Big Five and the Endangered African Wild Dog.

Our new Best of South Africa - Cape & Kruger tour encompasses three of South Africa’s most bio-diverse 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 tour offers some of the very best birding and game-viewing that Africa

has to offer and is the perfect introduction to this vast and spectacular continent. The trip is taken at a more relaxed pace and is also suitable for both keen birders and more

general nature enthusiasts alike!

Another new and exciting tour on offer is Northern South Africa, which takes us to the extremely bird-rich savannas and forests in the far north of the

country. The prolific Acacia woodland surrounding Polokwane holds the localized, endemic

Short-clawed Lark and hordes of other more widespread but no less

desirable species, while in the nearby scarp forests of

Magoebaskloof we will track down such mouth-watering birds as Orange Ground Thrush, White-starred Robin, Black-fronted and Olive Bushshrike and Swee Waxbill. The tour also ventures to the less-visited northern part of the world-famous Kruger National Park as well as the newly proclaimed national park of Mapungubwe on the Zimbabwe border. The density of birds in these two regions

is quite remarkable! We stand good chances of finding specialties that include Dickinson’s Kestrel, Grey-headed Parrot, Arnot’s Chat, Böhm’s Spinetail and the rare Thick-billed Cuckoo, plus the chance of encountering a wealth of mammals including the “Big Five”. We end off in the productive bushveld north of Pretoria where exquisite Violet-eared and Black-faced Waxbill, Crimson-breasted Shrike and a staggering number of Intra-African and Palearctic migrants reside.

Rockjumper’s Budget Eastern South Africa and Budget Western South Africa 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.

south AfRIcA & lesotho

11Rufous-eared Warbler by Glen Valentine Violet-backed Starling by Hugh ChittendenAfrican Wild Dog by Marius Coetzee

Jack

al B

uzza

rd b

y H

ugh

Chitt

ende

n

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

rockjumper’s popular Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls Overland safari visits the major highlights of three of Africa’s most remarkable

countries. This comprehensive tour combines the endemic birds of the Namib Desert with spectacular tropical savanna and wetland species. Spending time observing mammals will also be a major feature as we seek creatures ranging from elephant-shrews to elephants, as well as the fabled “Big Five”. We explore the rugged Khomas Highlands around Windhoek, the desert plains of the Namib-Naukluft, Walvis Bay where thousands of flamingos and other waterbirds feast on the riches of the cold Atlantic Ocean, unrivalled game-viewing in Etosha National Park, the world famous Okavango Delta in Botswana, the floodplains of the Okavango and Zambezi River systems and, in Livingstone, we marvel at one of the world’s most amazing natural wonders, the mighty Victoria Falls! Birding targets on this fabulous adventure include Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, Ludwig’s Bustard, Rüppell’s Korhaan, Pel’s Fishing Owl (one of ten possible owls!), Rockrunner, White-tailed Shrike and an incredible diversity of larks. Mammals abound on this tour, from Etosha's enormous African Elephants, big cats (Lion, Leopard and Cheetah) and a mind-boggling variety of antelope, including regal Sable and Roan, to fascinating smaller creatures including Meerkat and the unique Dassie Rat.

The countries of Zambia and Malawi offer superb birding in two of Africa’s safest regions. The extensive Miombo woodlands, montane forest patches, dambos and unique mushutu forests that dominate the countries’ indigenous habitats harbor an impressive number of range-restricted endemics. Our comprehensive Zambia tour covers the country’s best birding sites and habitats. Specialties abound and include the endemic Chaplin’s Barbet, Anchieta’s Barbet, eye-catching Black-necked Eremomela, Anchieta’s Sunbird, Bar-winged Weaver and Grimwood’s Longclaw, among many others. The attractive, land-locked country of Malawi with its plateaus, rolling plains, lakes, mountains, forests and vast Miombo woodlands offers incredible birding and the opportunity to see many of Africa’s most localized species. We venture across the length of this scenic nation, from the Zomba Plateau and idyllic Liwonde National Park in the south to the vast Nyika and Viphya Plateaus in the north, and targets include such gems as Stierling’s Woodpecker, Souza’s Shrike, stunning White-winged and endemic Yellow-throated Apalis, gorgeous Böhm’s Bee-eater, Pel’s Fishing Owl and Scarlet-tufted Sunbird.

Pristine wilderness areas, spectacular landscapes and an amazing variety of ecosystems make Zimbabwe a natural history paradise. Our Best of Birding Zimbabwe tour

aFrica // southern

12

Secretarybird by Adam Riley

Crimson-breasted Shrike by Adam Riley Rüppell's Korhaans by Markus Lilje Rockrunner by Markus Lilje

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

incorporates a variety of rich habitats and we can expect unrivalled birding and wildlife experiences. Tour targets include such specials as Streaky-breasted Flufftail, Striped Crake, the localized Boulder Chat, Chirinda Apalis, Robert’s Prinia, stunning Swynnerton’s Robin, Spotted Creeper, Red-faced Crimsonwing, and Southern Hyliota. Birding

sites include Gonarezhou National Park, the fantastic Savé Valley Conservancy and the Miombo woodlands and forests of the Vumba Mountains. Furthermore, we will take time to marvel at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, as well as visit several magnificent panels of San (Bushman) rock art. Big game abounds and we have the special opportunity to track both Black and White Rhinoceros on foot and enjoy packs of African Wild Dog; while exciting night drives offer us chances for numerous nocturnal species including Leopard, Brown Hyena, Aardvark and even Ground Pangolin! Our Victoria Falls Extension takes us to these world famous falls, rightly considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. We will also enjoy quality birding on the Zambezi floodplain. Avian targets on this adventure include Slaty Egret, Schalow’s Turaco, Bradfield’s Hornbill and the rare Shelley’s Sunbird. Finally, our African Pitta Extension takes us to the middle Zambezi River Valley in search of one of Africa’s rarest and most highly sought-after birds – the stunning African Pitta! This area also teems with numerous other desirable birds including Bat Hawk, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Lilian’s Lovebird, Eastern Nicator and the beautiful Livingstone’s Flycatcher.

botsWAnA, nAmIbIA, ZAmbIA, ZImbAbWe & mAlAWI

13African Pitta by Hugh Chittenden Livingstone's Flycatcher by Hugh Chittenden

Etos

ha w

ater

hole

sce

ne b

y M

arku

s Li

lje

Böhm's Bee-eater by Hugh Chittenden

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

K enya and Tanzania, each boasting a bird list in excess of a thousand species, epitomize Africa’s reputation as “the birding continent”, hosting a

profusion of outrageously colorful and easily observable birds! Augmenting this incredible birding, you are guaranteed front row seats to the finest mammal show on the planet. Over our many years of operation in this region we have tailored an exciting portfolio of tours to satisfy every visitor, from hardcore birders to travelers seeking a more diverse vacation blending birding, wildlife, photography and cultural activities with luxury game lodges.

Rockjumper’s Kenya & Tanzania - Birds & Big Game safaris are designed to maximize both big game and birding experiences by selecting the very best and most accessible destinations of these two fantastic African nations. In Tanzania we explore the floor of the legendary Ngorongoro Crater, literally teeming with mammals and birdlife, the

endless plains of the Serengeti, and the verdant riverbeds of Tarangire. In Kenya we visit key reserves offering a variety of habitats, from Amboseli in the shadows of Mt. Kilimanjaro, to the montane forests of Mt. Kenya, fantastic Shaba in the dry Samburu region, as well as Lake Nakuru, regularly glowing pink with up to two million Lesser Flamingos! Offering over 450 bird species and unparalleled African wildlife experiences, it’s no surprise that this remains one of our most popular tours. Furthermore, a small group size of just six guests makes for a very personalized and enjoyable experience.

Our Kenya Mega Birding adventure provides 26 days of non-stop birding! This tour typically produces an astounding total of over 800 bird species, as well as an amazing diversity of large mammals. Not only do we obtain a huge list of mouth-watering species, but also Kenya’s most sought-after rarities and endemics. We explore areas that include Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Tsavo West and East, the isolated Taita Hills, Lake Baringo, Kakamega and the plains of the Masai Mara. This is simply the finest tour available for those wanting a complete Kenyan birding experience! This tour will be offered every second year and alternated with our Tanzania Mega Birding Tour.

For a different Kenyan experience we have introduced an exciting camping safari to our suite of tours. The route will take us to Kenya’s essential birding sites, from Lake Nakuru and Lake Baringo to Kakamega Forest and

the Masai Mara, where specials such as Gray-crested Helmetshrike, Turner’s Eremomela, Jackson’s Hornbill

and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat reside. This Budget Kenya Birding tour also takes time to explore the

seldom-visited Kongolei Escarpment and Saiwa Swamp National Park. This tour is the perfect way to experience the wilds of Kenya at a pocket-friendly rate.

Our Tanzania Mega Birding tour has been specifically designed to target virtually all the

Tanzanian endemic bird species, including such megas as Udzungwa Forest Partridge,

aFrica // eastern

14

Purp

le G

rena

dier

by

Rich

Lin

die

Red-

and-

yello

w B

arbe

t by

Mar

kus

Lilje

White Rhinoceros by Elliott Neep

Lion by Elliott Neep

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Dapplethroat and the endangered Uluguru Bushshrike. This 26-day adventure begins on the idyllic island of Pemba. Thereafter we launch our assault on the numerous Eastern Arc Mountain endemics, taking us into the remote reaches of the Udzungwa, Uluguru, Ukaguru and Usambara Mountains, where a number of exceedingly range restricted species are found. Our exploration continues with a visit to the Kilombero Swamps for three newly discovered species, before making our way into the dry Acacia woodlands and game filled plains of northern Tanzania.

Ravaged by a terrible genocide, Rwanda has managed to resurrect itself and is once again famous as one of the best places on earth to view the critically endangered Mountain Gorilla. Not only this, but within its small territorial limits over 650 bird species have been recorded, offering the enthusiast a wealth of avian delights in this short, yet rewarding, exploration. Our Rwanda Extension: Gorillas & Albertine Rift Endemics tour visits three core areas: the eastern savannas of Akagera National Park, the bamboo clad slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes, and the seemingly endless forests of Nyungwe National Park. Join us as we search for the highly localized Red-faced Barbet and numerous Albertine Rift Endemics, including Red-collared Babbler, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Red-throated Alethe and Dusky Crimsonwing – not to mention Mountain Gorillas!

KenYA, tAnZAnIA & RWAndA

15Great Migration scene by Elliott Neep Hartlaub's Turaco by Markus Lilje

Mountain Gorilla by Adam Riley

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

e thiopia’s many highlights include one of the highest endemic bird counts on the African continent, a remarkable mammalian assemblage, an ancient

Christian culture and remote tribes little influenced by the modern world. This combination of unique features makes for a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating journey to one of the world’s most exceptional countries. Rockjumper’s comprehensive Ethiopian Endemics Birding tour loops through central and southern Ethiopia as we seek out the very best birding that this nation has to offer, including targeting every possible endemic and near-endemic bird on this route. Participants can expect to see over 500 species, including the fabled Ruspoli’s Turaco, beautiful White-cheeked Turaco, strange Stresemann’s Bush Crow, Rouget’s Rail, Harwood’s Francolin, Blue-winged Goose, Spot-breasted Lapwing, remarkable Thick-billed Raven, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Abyssinian Owl, the extremely localized Salvadori’s Seedeater, rare Red-billed Pytilia, Ethiopian Wolf and the unique Gelada! Our Lalibela Historical Extension explores the astounding series of 12th century monolithic churches hewn out of solid rock, and rightfully considered one of the wonders of the world! The Omo Valley Extension is a cultural and birding experience that will take us to one of the wildest and most ethnically diverse places on Earth – the South Omo Valley, home to more than fifty distinct tribes, each with their own language, clothing, hairstyles and body ornamentation. Our tour takes us through the very heart of this vast and varied cultural melting pot, and promises to make an exciting and memorable end to our Ethiopia birding experience!

Our new Ethiopia Budget Birding tour offers a wide array of species and most of this ancient country’s endemics in a convenient 13-day package. To boot, you’ll be exposed to the kaleidoscope of cultures that grace this ancient land, and all of these factors combine to ensure a fascinating experience of not just the country’s birds, but also its amazing mammals.

For our new Ethiopia Highlights tour, we have hand-picked the prime birding destinations in central Ethiopia and chosen only premier lodges. This trip offers brilliant birding

and wildlife viewing for those with less time to spare and the requirement for more comfortable accommodations. This tour can be linked with both the Lalibela Historical Extension and also our Northern Extension – Simiens & Gondar. This latter extension explores the ancient city of Gondar, famed for its spectacular and unique medieval castles, and the awe-inspiring Simien Mountains National Park, which holds the only population of the magnificent Walia Ibex as well as a bounty of birds and huge troops of Geladas, to name just some of the highlights.

Our Djibouti Extension is aimed at finding the endemic and endangered Djibouti Francolin, along with a number of other exciting species that are difficult to locate elsewhere. These include Somali Starling, Somali Sparrow, the beautiful Arabian Golden Sparrow, Sombre Rock Chat, White-eyed Gull, Crab-plover, Arabian and Menetries’s Warbler and Gambaga Flycatcher. This tour takes us to one of Africa’s least visited destinations; which, along with superb birding, spectacular scenery and diverse and interesting cultures, makes this extension a must for the intrepid birder.

We are extremely proud of our vast wealth of experience in Uganda, where we have successfully arranged and guided more than 40 tours over the past fourteen years. Our fantastic Uganda - Birds & Gorillas tour visits Kibale, famed for its primates, ranging from minuscule galagos to Chimpanzees, as well as being the best site for the mythical Green-breasted Pitta. We also marvel at the towering trees of the fabled Royal Mile, and five days are enjoyed in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to more than half the world’s surviving Mountain Gorillas.

aFrica // eastern

16

Gelada by Adam Riley

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse by Markus Lilje

Ham

ar g

irl in

Eth

iopi

a’s O

mo

Valle

y by

Mar

ius

Coet

zee

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Although the Gorilla trek can be strenuous, staring into the eyes of one of these magnificent beasts from only a few feet away is nothing short of a life-changing experience and is rated by many as the greatest wildlife encounter on the planet! In the drier country we visit the mighty Murchison Falls where the Nile is forced through a tiny gap, forming the most powerful water surge on Earth. A boat cruise allows us to watch the birds and animals that throng the Nile’s banks, and here we expect to find one of the world’s most wanted birds, the bizarre Shoebill. Straddling the Equator is the vast Queen Elizabeth NP, boasting impressive crater-lake scenery, grasslands and forests, huge herds of Elephant and Buffalo and predators including Lion and Leopard. Over 530 species of birds and a diverse array of

mammals can be expected on this unbeatable tour. Further potential avian highlights include Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Nahan’s Francolin, the unique Grauer’s Broadbill, Great Blue Turaco, Dusky and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black Bee-eater, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Red-chested Owlet, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Red-faced Barbet, Lühder’s and Bocage’s Bushshrike, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-throated Alethe, Neumann’s Warbler and Jameson’s Antpecker. Our Budget Uganda Birding tour covers the highlights of this diverse country, from opportunities to track wild Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees, to seeking out Shoebill and several rare Albertine Rift endemics and other forest specialties. This 12-day tour offers an excellent overview at a much-reduced price.

ugAndA, ethIopIA & djIboutI

17

Chim

panz

ees

by D

avid

Hod

dino

tt

White-tailed Swallow by Rich Lindie

Grauer's Broadbill by David Hoddinott

Regal Sunbird by Adam Riley

Ham

ar g

irl in

Eth

iopi

a’s O

mo

Valle

y by

Mar

ius

Coet

zee

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

ngola’s first ever birding tour was a Rockjumper departure in 2004, and we are proud to be one of the few companies still offering this productive

birding country. Our tour is an “off-the-beaten-track” camping expedition for those with a sense of adventure and the willingness to journey where few birders have previously ventured! Our overland safari begins in Lubango in southern Angola, from where our convoy of safari-kitted 4x4 vehicles will head to the Tundavala Escarpment, offering some of the most dramatic scenery in Africa. Concluding 19 days later in Luanda, we will have covered all the major habitats and birding sites of Angola - from the parched Namib Desert to misty Afro-montane scarp forests, rainforest and Miombo woodlands. As we seek out all of Angola’s endemic and range-restricted birds our intrepid group can expect to find many species seen by just a handful of birders. Our previous Rockjumper tours each recorded over 520 bird species, while at the same time making a valuable contribution to the known distribution ranges of some of the rarest and least known birds in the world. Target species will include the unique Angola Cave Chat, Cinderella Waxbill, mythical Swierstra’s and Gray-striped Francolin, arguably Angola’s most beautiful endemic - the Red-crested Turaco, Gabela Akalat, Pulitzer’s Longbill, Monteiro’s, Braun’s and Gabela Bushshrike,

Gabela Helmetshrike, Red-backed Mousebird and the remarkable White-headed Robin- Chat.

The West African nation of Gabon made headlines in 2002 when its national parks rose from zero to thirteen, as more than 10,000 square miles of pristine rainforest was protected to conserve the incredible faunal wealth of this, the largest intact forest bloc on the entire African continent. Due to its small population and vast rainforest

resources, Gabon is unique in harboring significant numbers of

African rainforest mammals that have either disappeared or are very

difficult to find elsewhere. Our tour takes us to Lope and Loango National Parks where we will seek herds of Forest Elephant and Forest Buffalo, sounders of Red River Hogs and a plethora of monkeys. Chances exist for Chimpanzee, Mandrill and West African Manatee. The birding is also exceptional, including such African megas as White-crested Tiger Heron, Congo Serpent Eagle, Hartlaub’s Duck, Vermiculated Fishing Owl, Plumed Guineafowl, Bates’s Nightjar, White-bellied Kingfisher, Black-headed, Rosy and Black Bee-eater, Black-casqued Hornbill, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide and Black-collared Bulbul. Our Ivindo National Park extension explores a remote rainforest reserve for several

aFrica // central

18Red-crested Turaco by Markus Lilje

Bat H

awk

by Jo

hn C

arly

on

African Finfoot by Hugh Chittenden

Lowland Gorilla by David Shackelford

White-headed Robin-Chat by Jonathan Rossouw

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

very rare and range-restricted species, including great flocks of African River Martin, Sjöstedt’s Barred Owlet, Long-tailed Hawk, Violet-backed Hyliota, Gosling’s Apalis and Woodhouse’s Antpecker.

Our São Tomé & Príncipe extension will take us to these remarkable yet seldom-visited tropical islands boasting no less than 25 endemics! We will target all these specials, amongst which are such sought-after birds as São Tomé Ibis, the aberrant São Tomé Fiscal, Giant Sunbird, Giant Weaver, São Tomé Shorttail and the unique São Tomé Grosbeak.

Our tour to Republic of the Congo takes us to the fantastic Odzala-Kokoua National Park, an Important Bird Area hosting some of the continent’s rarest species. These include such mouth-watering gems as Black Guineafowl, Spot-breasted Ibis, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Bare-cheeked Trogon, Black-capped Apalis and Cassin’s Malimbe. In addition, the reserve harbors high densities of Western Lowland Gorilla, and our chances of close and intimate encounters with these magnificent creatures are almost guaranteed! Other mammals we may encounter include Forest Elephant, Bongo and Red River Hog.

AngolA, gAbon, sÃo tomÉ And pRÍncIpe & RepublIc of congo

19Black Bee-eater by David Hoddinott Tundavala campsite in Angola by Markus Lilje

São

Tom

é Pr

inia

by

Adam

Rile

y

Blac

k-ca

pped

Apa

lis b

y D

avid

Hod

dino

tt

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

due largely to the poorly-developed infrastructure of the region, Central and West Africa are amongst the world’s least-visited tourism destinations. However,

at Rockjumper we pride ourselves in having operated numerous highly successful tours to this biodiverse area. If you are game for an adventure and want to experience first-class birding and tropical Africa at its best, then we thoroughly recommend our Cameroon and Ghana tours.

Cameroon harbors a wide range of habitats, from vast lowland and montane forests (the latter on some of Africa’s highest peaks), to extensive Sahelian semi-desert. In the moist south we visit prime sites that include Mount Cameroon, Campo Maán National Park, Mount Kupe, Bakossi Mountains and the Bamenda Highlands, where we seek out numerous endemics and both lowland and montane forest specials. Campo Maán is famous for its colonies of Gray-necked Rockfowl, and our chance of viewing these strange birds is excellent! In central Cameroon we visit the Adamawa Plateau and Benoue National Park, with areas of mixed broad-leaved woodlands. This region teems with incredible birds and here the spectacular Pennant-winged

and Standard-winged Nightjars may even be found side by side! To the far north the fabulous Waza National Park is renowned as a superb arid-zone birding and mammal-watching destination. Names such as Bare-cheeked Trogon, Vermiculated Fishing Owl, Mount Kupe Bushshrike, Arabian Bustard, Quail-plover, White-throated Mountain Babbler, Mount Cameroon Spierops, Shelley’s Oliveback, Gray-headed Broadbill, Golden Nightjar and Cricket Warbler should whet any birder’s appetite. Our Cameroon tour will provide some of the most memorable birding possible on the African continent and, as we thoroughly cover this vast country, we hope to observe up to 600 bird species along with a wealth of exciting African wildlife. Our two-week Forests of Cameroon tour is a shorter offering to our standard tour and visits only the core forest sites in the south of the country, with a specific focus on seeking some of the region’s rarest and least-known forest species, including most of Cameroon’s endemic or near-endemic birds.

Ghana offers core West African rainforest and savanna birding, and the discovery of easily accessible White-necked Rockfowl colonies has firmly established this as a “must-visit” birding destination. Our Ghana Comprehensive tour allows for a thorough exploration of the most exciting West African birding habitats. From Guinea savanna to lush rainforest, we will see much of what Ghana has to offer, promising a truly impressive bird tally and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Our days in this wonderful country will be spent ambling forested trails, scanning for canopy species from a fabulous walkway, and exploring vast tracts of deciduous woodland. Typical African families such as turacos, sunbirds and greenbuls are particularly well represented, yielding a colorful and interesting bounty of species. Furthermore, we also have the opportunity to see one of Africa’s most highly sought-after birds – the fabled White-necked Rockfowl!

Our Ghana Mega Birding tour is specifically designed to cover all the crucial sites in the country, offering a fully comprehensive overview of Ghana’s spectacular avifauna. Highlights we will seek include White-breasted

aFrica // western

20West African Wattle-eye by David Hoddinott

Orio

le W

arbl

er b

y D

avid

Hod

dino

tt

White-necked Rockfowl by Adam Riley

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Guineafowl, Congo Serpent Eagle, Nkulengu Rail, Yellow-footed Honeyguide, Blue Cuckooshrike, Capuchin Babbler, Nimba Flycatcher and numerous Upper Guinea endemics. We will take time to enjoy the primary target of our tour, the White-necked Rockfowl, and watching these bizarre birds coming in to their roost is likely to be one of the highlights of any birder’s adventures! Further north, Mole National Park lies in a belt of broad-leaved Guinea woodlands where we will seek the beautiful Oriole Warbler, stunning Violet Turaco and numerous kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, sunbirds and starlings; while in the dry Sahelian savanna of the seldom-visited far north of the country we will look for some really special species, including the splendid Egyptian Plover and Standard-winged Nightjar, one of the world’s most uniquely adorned birds!

For our Ghana Budget tour we have cherry-picked the very best and most accessible birding sites of this fantastic country and packaged this in a shorter and more cost effective offering. This tour includes spending time in pristine forest along the Kakum canopy walkway and targets the White-necked Rockfowl and many of Ghana’s most special species. Further highlights of this highly recommended African adventure include a visit to Ghana’s most notorious edifice, the Cape Coast Castle, which once served as a major base for shipping slaves to the “New World”. We will also seek various rainforest and savanna mammals, including the beautiful Bongo and Mole National Park’s healthy population of particularly well-habituated African Elephants.

Finally, the Ghana Birds & Butterflies tour concentrates on the southern Upper Guinea rainforests where over 800 species of butterfly can be found, along with most of Ghana’s most sought-after birds. This tour includes the rarely-visited Ankasa rainforest, affording us possibilities for such megas as White breasted Guineafowl, Nkulengu Rail, Spot-breasted Ibis and Akun Eagle-Owl, over and

above some of Africa’s most beautiful butterflies. Other sites visited include Kakum National Park and a White-necked Rockfowl nesting site where we stand excellent chances of viewing this mythical species.

Our Gambia & Senegal tour combines two of West Africa’s finest birding destinations into a single, comprehensive package. Encompassing three distinct

biomes - Sudan Savanna, Guinea Savanna and Forest Savanna – both nations consequently harbor

an impressive array of birdlife, including several Sahelian specialties that

are typically difficult to see elsewhere. These resident birds

are complimented by numerous overwintering European and North African

species, making for a very rewarding African birding adventure! Some of the many tour targets

include Black Crowned Crane, Scissor-tailed Kite, Adamawa Turtle Dove, Blue-bellied Roller, Cricket Warbler, Pied-winged Swallow and Sudan Golden Sparrow, with possibilities even for Savile’s Bustard and Egyptian Plover. This tour makes for a perfect introduction to Africa’s spectacular avifauna!

cAmeRoon, ghAnA, senegAl & the gAmbIA

21Gray-necked Rockfowl by Markus Lilje Egyptian Plover by Matthew Matthiessen

Blac

k Cr

owne

d Cr

ane

by M

arku

s Li

lje

Blue-moustached Bee-eater by David Hoddinott

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island and is often referred to as the “Eighth Continent”. Its exceptional fauna and flora have evolved during

millions of years of isolation and of the 200 bird species regularly recorded on the island, no fewer than 140 are endemic or near endemic, including 5 endemic bird families! However, the wonder of Madagascar extends well beyond its avifauna; this “laboratory of evolution” teems with unique wildlife including over 100 species of amazing lemurs, colorful chameleons, outlandish insects and fascinating flora. Rockjumper’s 3-week Madagascar Comprehensive birding tour offers an all-encompassing overview of this remarkable island. We visit key habitats, ranging from the deciduous woodlands of the northwest, to the Tolkienesque spiny forests of the south and the rainforests blanketing the island’s eastern spine. Avian highlights include the spectacular Schlegel’s Asity, Rufous-headed Ground Roller, Subdesert Mesite and Sickle-billed Vanga. We also stand a chance of encountering up to 27 lemur species, including “dancing” sifakas and the unforgettable singing of the Indri. Other highlights range from strange tenrecs to cryptic leaf-tailed geckos and the bizarre Giraffe-necked Weevil.

Our Masoala Extension takes us to this little-explored and extremely beautiful part of the island, which protects Madagascar’s last remaining extensive area of lowland rainforest and harbors some very special and exotic birds and mammals. Targets include the fabulous Helmet and rare Bernier’s Vanga, Madagascar Serpent Eagle, Red Owl, Brown Mesite and Red-breasted Coua, while mammalian possibilities include the beautiful Red Ruffed Lemur and a wealth of other exciting species.

Madagascar’s Remote North - Pochard & Endangered Endemics tour is an “off-the-beaten-track” birding adventure in search of some of the world’s rarest birds. We will visit isolated lakes holding the last population of the recently rediscovered Madagascar Pochard and the lowland rainforests of the Masoala Peninsula where the outrageous Helmet Vanga occurs. Other targets include Sakalava Rail, Madagascar Serpent Eagle, Red Owl and Slender-billed

aFrica // indian ocean islands

22

Rufous-headed Ground Roller by Markus Lilje Panther Chameleon by Dale Morris

Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity by James Wakelin Helmet Vanga by Keith Valentine

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Flufftail. We now offer the chance of locating every single Malagasy endemic with the introduction of our brand new Tsingy Wood Rail Extension. This short venture into a bizarre tsingy (razor-sharp limestone karst) formation gives an excellent chance of finding this new addition to the ever-growing Madagascar bird list. This area is also famous for its lemurs, of which the localized Decken’s Sifaka is the most notable.

For our Madagascar Highlights tour we have cherry-picked the very best of Madagascar and are offering it as a shorter package. This tour still produces all 5 endemic bird families, plus an exciting selection of lemurs and other representative wildlife. Our Budget Madagascar Birding tour provides the birder with a fantastic opportunity for observing the highlights of the island’s birds and wildlife at a much reduced cost.

Sprinkled on the tropical seas off East Africa are a series of islands where paradise is defined and we are very excited to be offering, once again, the remarkable Indian Ocean Islands to our tour portfolio. These tours are designed to maximize our experiences of these idyllic isles by visiting those with the richest birdlife and most spectacular scenery, be it rugged, forest-clad volcanic peaks or white beaches, fringed by warm waters and teeming coral reefs.

Our, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Reunion and Seychelles tour endeavors to find as many of this region’s range-restricted birds as possible. On Mauritius our explorations take us to the dramatic Black River Gorges National Park where the final remnants of Mauritius’ rainforests are protected. Here we will search for Mauritius Cuckooshrike, the aberrant Mauritius Gray White-eye,

Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher and lovely Mauritius Fody. We will also take a boat trip to search for the rare Trindade Petrel and other tropical seabirds while further Mauritian highlights are sure to include Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon and Echo Parakeet, all recently snatched back from the jaws

of extinction. A quick visit to Rodrigues will provide four endemics before we jet off to French governed

Réunion, a rugged volcanic island, rich in land endemics and some very special seabirds including Barau’s and

Mascarene Petrel. Here we will walk stunning forest trails for Réunion Cuckooshrike, while open areas harbor Réunion Stonechat and the recently split Réunion Harrier. The granitic Seychelles are generally acknowledged as being the most beautiful islands in the world. We will explore a number of these isles to observe several of the planet’s rarest birds as well as some of the greatest tropical seabird colonies. Highlights include Crab-plover, the fabulous all-black Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher, Seychelles Scops Owl, Seychelles Magpie-Robin and Seychelles Blue Pigeon. Seabird colonies that we visit contain hundreds of thousands of nesting Sooty Terns, lesser numbers of Bridled and Fairy Tern, Wedge-tailed

and Audubon’s Shearwater, Greater and Lesser Frigatebird, Brown and Lesser Noddy and more than 20,000 White-tailed Tropicbirds! The Comoro Islands (or Comoros) is a small archipelago of astoundingly beautiful islands

situated between Madagascar and Africa and, while little-explored by birders, happens to host a significantly high number of endemic bird species. Our tour to this remote area will attempt to locate as many of these as possible and highlights could include four endemic scops owls, Humblot’s Flycatcher (placed in its own genus), Comoros Cuckooshrike and Comoros Thrush. In a nutshell, our Indian Ocean Islands

tour offers a relaxed exploration of these paradise islands and is a perfect add-on to

our Madagascar tours for the ultimate Western Indian Ocean Island experience.

mAdAgAscAR, comoRos, seYchelles, mAuRItIus & RÉunIon

23

Mauritius Fody by Dubi Shapiro

Pink Pigeon by Dave Chantler

Ring

-tai

led

Lem

ur b

y M

arku

s Li

lje

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

Fascinating Morocco, with its breathtaking scenery, sumptuous food, complex history and fantastic birding, has become a vital destination for serious

and casual birders alike. Walled Medieval medinas bustle with activity, colorful tribespeople, snake charmers and leather craftsmen throng the markets, and souks are filled with stalls selling carpets and laden with exotic spices. Our Morocco - Atlas to Sahara adventure begins in fabulous Marrakech, but we soon find ourselves winding through the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains. Woodland-cloaked slopes and alpine areas support North African endemics including Moussier’s Redstart, African Crimson-winged Finch and Levaillant’s Woodpecker. After dropping down dizzying mountain passes, we reach the coast at Agadir and bird nearby lagoons and estuaries teeming with waterfowl, waders and gulls. However, our main target is one of the world’s most endangered birds, the Northern Bald Ibis or Waldrapp; wild birds are now restricted to only two colonies in Morocco and a single individual in Syria. A new addition to our tour is a productive pelagic birding trip off Agadir and an exciting array of oceanic birds may be expected. Moving inland, the countryside gradually becomes drier until we reach the spectacular red Erg Chebbi sand dunes, near the Algerian border. Along the way we search for specials that include the rare Houbara Bustard, dainty Cream-colored

Courser, Desert Sparrow, Streaked Scrub and African Desert Warbler and numerous larks, including Temminck’s, Maghreb, Thick-billed and Dupont’s. Our Budget Morocco Birding tour is designed around the birding highlights of southern Morocco and is an economical option for finding Morocco’s most sought-after species.

Our Tunisia - Jewel of North Africa tour (which can be linked with Morocco - Atlas to Sahara) takes us to several spectacular sites, ranging from towering mountains, desert oases and vast tidal saltpans, in search of a host of very special resident and migratory birds. Some of the highlight species we target are the endangered White-headed and Marbled Duck, Yelkouan Shearwater, Bonelli’s Eagle, Greater Hoopoe-Lark and Desert Sparrow. This tour also offers the opportunity to observe some endangered North

African mammals, including the spectacular Addax, Scimitar-horned Oryx, Dama and Dorcas Gazelle, the kangaroo-like Jerboa, and the cute, hamster-like Gundi. In addition, we take time to marvel at some of Tunisia’s many archaeological treasures, and we will also visit several world-famous sites including the Punic City of Carthage, the Roman Empire’s 3rd largest Coliseum, and ancient Muslim medinas. With comfortable accommodations, great food, friendly people, impressive antiquities and abundant birds, time spent in Tunisia could not be more pleasurable!

Our Canary Islands - Macaronesian Endemics tour explores three of the archipelago’s islands in search of the region’s six endemic and three near-endemic birds. These include Laurel and Bolle’s Pigeon, Canary Island Stonechat, Island Canary and the lovely Blue Chaffinch. We stand a chance of finding a variety of seabirds as well as dry country species including Houbara Bustard and Cream-colored Courser. This promises to be a pleasant week with comfortable hotels, excellent cuisine, stunning scenery and a selection of island endemics. Our Cape Verde - Island Endemics & Seabirds tour takes us to these seldom-visited islands in search of several rare and endemic species, including Cape Verde Swift, Raso Lark, Cape Verde Warbler, Iago Sparrow and the Western Hemisphere’s only

aFrica // north & the middle east

24

Nor

ther

n Ba

ld Ib

is b

y Ad

am R

iley

Hou

bara

Bus

tard

by

Dav

id H

oddi

nott

Gra

yHyp

ocol

ius

by M

ike

Pope

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Magnificent Frigatebirds. We will also seek other birds that have been proposed for full species status such as Bourne’s Heron, Boyd’s Shearwater and both Alexander’s and Neglected Kestrel.

Few places are more exemplary of advancement and hospitality in the Arab World than the mountainous Sultanate of Oman and neighboring United Arab Emirates. Our tour begins at the coastal, otherworldly hub of Dubai, from where we will work our way inland across red sands to the Indian Ocean coast of Oman. We then head south to the wintering grounds of millions of shorebirds at Barr al Hikkman, before turning inland traversing the “Empty Quarter” and finally ending our adventure in the Dhofar Mountains and the humid coastal plains of Salalah. This tour seeks many of the finest birds of Arabia, and some of the expected highlights include Persian Shearwater, Jouanin’s Petrel, Caspian Plover, Sociable Lapwing, Great Knot, Sand and Arabian Partridge, more than 20 species of raptors, Pallid Scops, Hume’s Tawny and the recently discovered Omani Owl, South Arabian, Red-tailed and Hume’s Wheatear, and three sought-after species each belonging to a monotypic family: Crab-plover, Gray Hypocolius and Streaked Scrub Warbler. To boot, this tour seems to always produce several amazing avian discoveries and is conducted at a relaxed pace, granting us plenty of time to familiarize ourselves with the birds and,

of course, to enjoy the hospitable culture of this unique and unforgettable setting.

Our 3-day extension to the Kingdom of Jordan includes a full day exploration of Petra, the most astounding ancient city left to the modern world. This capital of the Nabataeans’ housed an estimated 30,000 people, and many impressive state buildings were hewn from the rose-red cliffs of the Sharrah Mountains. This is without doubt the most “must-see” site in the entire Middle East, while also providing excellent birding, including chances for Sand Partridge, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Palestine Sunbird, Sinai Rosefinch

and Syrian Serin.

Since the advent of tourism several thousand years ago Egypt has been one of the world’s most desirable tourist destinations, and marveling at Egypt’s many antiquities is a major feature of our tour. With this in mind, we will visit all the important sites and indulge ourselves in the region’s essential experiences. This includes being dazzled by the Sound-and-Light show at the giant Abu Simbel statues close to the Sudanese border, strolling around the Sphinx and Great Pyramids, visiting the Egyptian Museum housing Tutankhamun’s spectacular treasures, the vast Temples of Luxor and Karnak, and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. Furthermore, our tour is timed to coincide with the great bird migration between Africa and Eurasia. Storks, raptors, waders and passerines passing through make birding here easy and enjoyable. Amongst others, we will be searching for specialties that include Crowned Sandgrouse, Greater Painted-snipe, Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Nile Valley and Palestine Sunbird, and the beautiful Sinai Rosefinch. The easy birding and breathtaking antiquities, further augmented by luxurious hotels, a 3-day Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, incredible snorkeling and exciting shopping opportunities – all combine to make this a thoroughly enjoyable tour for both keen birders and non-birding spouses alike. Our Petra Extension is also available after our Egypt tour.

cAnARY IslAnds, cApe VeRde, moRocco, tunIsIA, egYpt, joRdAn, omAn & uAe

25Desert Sparrow by Ignacio Yúfera African Crimson-winged Finch by Ignacio Yúfera

Gre

at P

yram

id a

nd S

phin

x by

Mar

kus

Lilje

Crab-plover by Glen Valentine

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

The main attraction of our Bulgaria & Romania in Winter tour are the approximately 50,000 Red-breasted Geese, in fact almost the entire world

population of this Endangered species, that over-winter on the Black Sea coast of these two nations. We will be assured of superb views of great flocks of these incredibly beautiful waterfowl amongst thousands of other wild geese. We will also explore forests, mountains, steppes and cliffs for other key targets including Dalmatian Pelican, White-headed Duck, stunning Smew, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Eurasian Bittern, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, no less than eight woodpeckers including Syrian, Black and White-backed, Bearded Reedling, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Western Rock Nuthatch and if we are fortunate, Lesser White-fronted Goose and Wallcreeper. This is a highly recommended tour offering prime European winter birding and opportunities for numerous highly sought-after species.

Our Central & Eastern Europe tour will explore prime birding areas in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Targets include displaying Great Bustard (surely one of the most impressive birding spectacles!), the fabulous Eastern Imperial Eagle, Saker Falcon, Little Crake, numerous woodpeckers and River Warbler. Though birding is our prime focus, we won’t neglect the abundant cultural and historical sites that we encounter. Indeed, this is a region steeped in history, both ancient and recent. We stay in small guesthouses at great birding locations throughout this tour, and food will always consist of hearty local cuisine accompanied by excellent regional wines.

Spain has long been an extremely popular birding destination, offering a wide range of Mediterranean habitats along with safe, easy and excellent birding. Many sites are found in beautifully scenic settings, featuring Romanesque architecture and ancient, fortified hilltop villages; whilst much of the interior of Spain that we visit is rural and way off the tourist trail. Our comprehensive itinerary concentrates on three distinct habitats: the semi-arid steppes and cork-oak dehesas of the interior, the scenic Sierras and Pyrenees, and the Ebro River Delta wetlands on the Mediterranean coast. During the spring, Spain’s many

eurOpe // spAIn, AustRIA, cZech RepublIc, hungARY, RomAnIA, bulgARIA, sloVAKIA, geoRgIA, ARmenIA, fInlAnd, sWeden & IcelAnd

26Male Ruff during display by Jari Peltomäki Red-breasted Goose by Mladen Vasilev

Wallcreeper by Markus Lilje

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

breeding birds are joined by passage migrants, and some of the fabulous species we target include Lammergeier, Spanish Imperial Eagle (up to 23 raptor species are possible!), Great and Little Bustard, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Alpine Accentor, White-throated Dipper and the fabulous Wallcreeper. We travel in comfortable vehicles, the cuisine is delicious and our accommodations are mostly family-run establishments nestled in charming villages.

The Scandinavian countries of Finland and Sweden offer unbeatable temperate zone birding, spectacular scenery, villages steeped in history and welcoming people. Our Birding Finland & Sweden tour is timed for the prime spring period and encompasses a wide variety of habitats, so we can expect to notch up most of the region’s important species. In Sweden we visit lowlands, the vast forested montane zones and the migration hotspot island of Öland in the Baltic Sea, and in Finland we concentrate on the Oulu and Kuusamo region. Targets include the stunning Smew, magnificent White-tailed Eagle, Red Kite, Gyrfalcon, Hazel and Black Grouse, the giant Western Capercaillie, Corn Crake, frilled Ruff, Eurasian Dotterel, Great Gray,

Ural, Boreal, Eurasian Eagle and Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Ring Ouzel, Siberian Jay, Gray-headed Chickadee, Red-flanked Bluetail and the tiny Eurasian Penduline Tit. In addition, photographic opportunities are excellent on these tours.

Lying far out into the North Atlantic Ocean, the volcanic island of Iceland is situated between two continents; a land of fire and ice with an ancient Viking heritage. While Iceland doesn’t have a long list of breeding birds, those that do occur are in many cases abundant, with globally important populations of waders, wildfowl and seabirds. In fact, its towering cliffs are among the largest seabird colonies on the planet, while the numerous lakes and wetlands teem with an array of divers, ducks and waders. Targets on our Birding Iceland tour include Gyrfalcon, White-tailed Eagle, Barrow’s Goldeneye, King Eider, Eurasian Woodcock, Harlequin Duck and Iceland Gull. As

a beautiful backdrop there is also the country itself, with its abundant volcanoes, lava fields, glaciers, spouting geysers, mud pools, dramatic coasts and black sand beaches making for spectacular and other-worldly scenery at every turn!

Our Georgia & Armenia tour explores Europe’s highest mountain range, the Caucasus in Georgia, as well as the neighboring Transcaucasus in Armenia, located along the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. Showcasing a diverse array of habitats including wooded gorges, arid semi-deserts and valleys and plains bedecked with wildflowers, orchids and vineyards, our tour targets include the region’s endemics - Caucasian Snowcock and Great (Caucasian) Rosefinch, along with a superb array of Palearctic specialties amidst some of the most spectacular mountain scenery on earth! Other target species include Caspian Snowcock, Caucasian Grouse, Velvet Scoter, a wide array of raptors from Bearded Vulture to amazing numbers of migrant species, Armenian Gull, Wallcreeper, Mountain Chiffchaff (sometimes split as Caucasian Chiffchaff), Güldenstädt’s Redstart, the lovely White-throated Robin, Finsch’s Wheatear, White-winged Snowfinch and Red-fronted Serin.

spAIn, AustRIA, cZech RepublIc, hungARY, RomAnIA, bulgARIA, sloVAKIA, geoRgIA, ARmenIA, fInlAnd, sWeden & IcelAnd

27

Will

ow P

tarm

igan

by

Jari

Pelto

mäk

i

Atla

ntic

Puffi

n by

Elli

ott N

eep

Gre

at G

ray

Ow

l by

Jari

Pelto

mäk

i

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

china is a vast country requiring multiple birding trips at various times of year to find the region’s many special and spectacular species. As a first

taste of China, we recommend our Tibetan Plateau & Beidaihe tour which explores two of China’s most diverse and rewarding birding areas – in the west, the scenically spectacular Tibetan Plateau; and in the far east, prime coastal sites for migrants. Commencing in Qinghai Province, we bird one of China’s most pristine and remote regions for targets including Blue Eared Pheasant, Black-necked Crane, Tibetan Sandgrouse, Tibetan and Himalayan Snowcock, Henderson’s Ground Jay, Wallcreeper, Przevalski’s Redstart, numerous snowfinches and rosefinches and Przevalski’s Finch (now placed in its own monotypic family). Timed for the migration peak along China’s eastern coast, we experience an incredible gathering of eastern Palearctic birds at Beidaihe and Happy Island. Our tour wraps up after marveling at the breathtaking Great Wall of China. Fascinating cultures, dramatic and

breathtaking landscapes, plus a bounty of exceptional birds all make this tour one of the most rewarding birding experiences that Asia has to offer! Our exciting Lhasa Extension takes us to Tibet itself, one of the most mythical places on our planet. As we explore this previously off-limits, ancient city and its surrounds, we will target Tibetan Eared Pheasant, Giant Babax, Tibetan Partridge, Lord Derby’s Parakeet, Ibisbill and other exciting species.

Our China in Winter tour concentrates on the south east of this huge nation and offers a rich kaleidoscope of impressive and localized bird specialties, including several of the world’s most spectacular cranes. Foremost among these is the elegant Siberian Crane, one of the rarest birds on Earth. We will also explore the mountainous region of Fujian for one of Asia’s most sought-after pheasants – Cabot’s Tragopan. An impressive supporting cast of other exciting possibilities includes the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, rare Scaly-sided Merganser, thousands of

Swan Geese, Falcated Duck, Baikal Teal, Oriental Stork, Saunders’s Gull, Reed Parrotbill, Pied Falconet, Elliot’s Pheasant and possibly even Swinhoe’s Crake.

Our Sichuan Birding tour explores a variety of habitats from alpine meadows to evergreen and temperate forests, grassland and snow-capped peaks. Pheasants are of particular focus and we will seek an astonishing ten species, including White Eared, Golden, Mrs. Hume’s and Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Temminck’s Tragopan and Chinese Monal. The supporting cast includes Verreaux’s Monal Partridge, Pere David’s Owl, Black-necked Crane, Emei Shan Liochicla, Golden and the rare Rusty-throated Parrotbill and stunning Grandala. Our Yunnan Extension takes us to Yunnan Province, boasting over 770 bird species, including 39 endemics! Birding highlights may include Yunnan Nuthatch, Giant and White-speckled Laughingthrush, Chinese Babax and the highly localized Rufous-headed Robin. Yunnan also shares a number of

asia // central & eastern

28

Blac

k-ne

cked

Cra

nes

by D

ubi S

hapi

ro

Tibe

tan

Wild

Ass

by

Dav

id S

hack

elfo

rd

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

quality forest species with bordering Myanmar and Vietnam including Fire-tailed Myzornis, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Ward’s Trogon and Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler.

Taiwan is blessed with a rich avifauna comprising 30 endemics, numerous sought-after resident species and abundant migrants of the East-Asian Flyway. Our Best of Taiwan tour focuses on the endemics and other East Asian specialties in the nation’s largely pristine forests. Targets include Fairy Pitta, Taiwan Blue Magpie, Swinhoe’s and Mikado Pheasant, Taiwan Partridge, Mandarin Duck, Black-faced Spoonbill, Taiwan Whistling Thrush, Taiwan Hwamei, Steere’s Liocichla, Flamecrest – and many more. We will also enjoy the numerous other aspects of Taiwan’s natural biodiversity and fascinating, friendly culture, all of which combine to make for a thoroughly enjoyable tour!

Kazakhstan extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Tien Shan Mountains in the east, an area larger than Western Europe and of immense interest to serious birders. Our comprehensive and highly recommended tour covers all major sections of the country covering woodlands, the Taukum Desert, endless steppes and the dramatic Tien Shan Mountains. Targets include Black Grouse, displaying McQueen’s Bustards, the elegant Demoiselle Crane, endangered Sociable Lapwing, Ibisbill, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, White-winged and the mythical Black Lark the striking Azure Tit, Güldenstädt’s and Eversmann’s Redstart and Saxaul Sparrow. Neighboring Uzbekistan has a more arid climate and desert flatlands cover most of the territory, but to the east lie the foothills of the Tien Shan Mountains. We explore the Kyzyl-Kum Desert in search of Pander’s Ground Jay and other special birds that we target on our Uzbekistan - Deserts & Mountains Extension include Eastern Imperial Eagle, Eastern Rock Nuthatch, White-throated Robin and Asian Desert Warbler. Our adventure concludes with a cultural tour of Samarkand’s traditional highlights.

In the heart of remote Central Asia lies a country that conjures up images of nomadic horsemen riding across wind-swept plains with the grand Altai Mountains rising up above the endless expanse of the Gobi Desert. This land

is Mongolia, the world’s most sparsely populated nation, a country of fascinating legend and history; little-changed over the years and the heart of the once vast Mongol Empire. Our Mongolia birding escapade offers the very special opportunity of venturing across the lake-covered steppes and through the great Taiga forests. We can look forward to superb birding in this gloriously scenic landscape with mouth-watering specialties such as Altai Snowcock, Black-billed Capercaillie, White-naped Crane, Asian Dowitcher, Relict Gull, Wallcreeper, Kozlov’s Accentor, Oriental Plover, White-throated (Hodgson’s) Bush Chat and Henderson’s Ground Jay, to name just a few. This is a tour like few others and promises to be a most memorable birding, wildlife and cultural adventure!

KAZAKhstAn, uZbeKIstAn, chInA & mongolIA

29

Golden Parrotbill by Dubi Shapiro

Oriental Plover by David Erterius

White-browed Tit-warbler by Dubi Shapiro Lady Amherst's Pheasant by Dubi Shapiro

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

Home to over 1.2 billion people and reflecting the world’s richest cultural kaleidoscope, India is also justifiably famous for its abundant avifauna and

charismatic mammalian megafauna. Our Northern India - Birds & Tigers circuit is doubtlessly one of the world’s classic “must-do” tours! We begin with astonishingly productive birding on the outskirts of bustling Delhi, before relocating to Ranthambore where we seek unforgettable encounters with the majestic Bengal Tiger, as well as numerous dry woodland birds and mammals. Next we head to the world-famous waterbird sanctuary of Bharatpur, taking rickshaw rides around wetlands teeming with waterfowl, storks, cranes, raptors and migrant passerines. After marveling at the world's greatest monument to love - the incomparable Taj Mahal - we take in a boat trip on the Chambal River, one of the last strongholds of the Gangetic Dolphin, Gharial and Indian Skimmer. Moving northwards we head to the Himalayas to explore Corbett Tiger Reserve, where, in addition to the big cats we shall look for Indian Elephant, and the quaint hill stations of Nainital and Sattal, before returning once again to Delhi. Birding highlights include Sarus Crane, Koklass and Cheer Pheasant, Ibisbill and Wallcreeper with up to 400 species expected.

Our exciting North Eastern India - Eagle’s Nest & Beyond tour explores the plains and montane forests of this remote but rewarding corner of India. We bird from boat on the Brahmaputra, searching for Gangetic Dolphins and grassland specialties including Black-breasted Parrotbill and Marsh Babbler; from elephant-back and jeep in Kaziranga for such gems as Bengal Florican, Greater Adjutant, Swamp Francolin and significant populations of Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asiatic Elephant, plus a chance for Bengal Tiger. In Nameri National Park, targets include Ibisbill, Pied Falconet and the rare White-winged Duck. After birding the Sangti Valley, we spend thrilling days exploring the fabulous Eagle’s Nest area. From lush lowland evergreen forests to breathtaking passes at 14,500ft we will seek out Himalayan Monal, Temminck’s Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, Snow Partridge, Ward’s Trogon, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Beautiful Nuthatch, Fire-tailed Sunbird and the recently discovered Bugun Liocichla.

asia // southern

30Black-and-orange Flycatcher by Markus Lilje Bengal Tiger and cub by Elliott Neep

Ibisbill by Adam Riley

Beautiful Nuthatch by Markus Lilje

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Southern India is widely recognized as one of the most important endemic bird areas in Asia, and our tour to this productive birding region produces not only an amazing number of endemics, but also spectacular scenery as we

wind our way through the Western Ghats mountain range. Birding highlights

include Malabar Whistling Thrush, Indian Pitta, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Malabar Trogon and White-bellied Treepie. Furthermore, excellent mammal opportunities exist for Dhole and Gaur, amongst many others. This tour is offered in conjunction with

our Sri Lanka - Endemic Birds & Big Game tour. This small, friendly island nation provides one of the most enjoyable and rewarding birding tours imaginable.

With plenty of endemics, most of which are extremely easy to locate,

comfortable lodges and an abundance of wildlife, it makes perfect sense that

Sri Lanka has become such a popular birding destination. Our tour targets all

34 endemics and other wildlife highlights of the island, including the vibrant Sri Lanka

Blue Magpie, lovely Kashmir Flycatcher, Red-faced Malkoha, Pied Thrush, recently described Serendib Scops

Owl, Leopard, Asian Elephant and Sloth Bear.

Our Western India – Desert Specialties tour showcases India’s little-explored desert habitats and associated species in the country’s dry western parts. Desert National Park, Velavadar National Park (home to the stunning Blackbuck), Sassan-Gir National Park (famous for preserving the final relict population of Asiatic Lions) and the Gulf of Kutch will all be visited in our off-the-beaten-track exploration of this neglected corner of this vast nation. Avian targets include Gray Hypocolius, Great Indian and Macqueen’s

Bustard, Lesser Florican, thousands of overwintering Demoiselle Cranes, Sociable Lapwing, Crab-plover, Indian Courser, Jungle and Rock Bush Quail, Painted Sandgrouse, Sykes’s Nightjar, White-naped Tit and Marshall’s Iora.

The Maldives, composed entirely of coral atolls, is the tropical picture postcard of your dreams! Our cruise here can expect some of the finest cetacean viewing on Earth with an astounding 18 species recorded on previous cruises. While tropicbirds sail overhead, we will scan the waters for such delights as Spinner, Striped, Rough-toothed and Risso’s Dolphins, Longman’s Beaked Whale and even Blue Whale, the largest animal ever to have graced our planet! This wealth of cetaceans is complemented by tropical pelagic birds, and we will spend our days on the deck scanning for Black-naped, White-cheeked and Bridled Tern, Tropical Shearwater and Lesser Frigatebird, to name a few.

IndIA, sRI lAnKA & the mAldIVes

31

Sri L

anka

Blu

e M

agpi

e by

Mar

kus

Lilje

Indian Peafowl by Adam Riley

Taj Mahal by Markus Lilje

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

Thanks to a small population embracing their Buddhist traditions, Bhutan has avoided the environmental ravages that have left most neighboring Himalayan

forests sadly degraded. Here majestic mountain passes littered with prayer flags give way to pristine forests, often dominated by massive dzongs (temple-fortresses), and we will have an opportunity to view up-close the impressive artwork that adorns these structures as well as interact with the devout Bhutanese people. Traveling across the breadth of this remarkable country we will pass through lush broad-leaved forests dripping with orchids, blazes of spring rhododendrons and magnolias, and seemingly endless coniferous forests. Our tour includes comfortable camping, often at breathtakingly beautiful sites, where our needs are catered to by a team of helpful camp assistants. Much of our birding is done whilst walking the most productive sections of the only road winding its way across the Kingdom. Targets include the stunning Satyr Tragopan, incredible Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, Ibisbill, White-bellied Heron, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Ward’s Trogon, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Beautiful Nuthatch and an astounding selection of parrotbills and wren-babblers (including Spotted Elachura, previously Spotted Wren-Babbler, which has recently become a monotypic bird family.) Join us on an adventure through a paradise of culture, birds and scenic vistas, as we explore the heavenly riches of Bhutan!

Our new Budget Bhutan Birding tour is a shorter and more cost effective offering compared to our standard tour, yet nevertheless still showcases most of what this amazing country has to offer, including the bulk of Bhutan’s most beautiful and sought-after birds. In addition, we’ll be among the very first foreign birders to explore Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, refuge for about 150 overwintering Black-necked Cranes and scores of other great Himalayan species, making this a true venture of discovery!

Our Assam - Kaziranga & Nameri Birding & Big Game Extension showcases these two productive Indian parks. Vast swathes of swamp, grassland and forest support an abundance of large mammals, unrivaled anywhere else in Eurasia. The prehistoric Greater One-horned Rhinoceros

asia // southern & south eastern

32Golden-breasted Fulvetta by Markus Lilje Spotted Laughingthrush by David Shackelford

Satyr Tragopan by Markus Lilje Himalayan Monal by Markus Lilje

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

will be encountered in astounding numbers, while large numbers of Water Buffalo, Asian Elephant, Swamp and Hog Deer can also be viewed, along with a chance for the mighty Bengal Tiger. Our birding targets are numerous and include the rare White-winged Duck, Bengal Florican, Greater Adjutant, Swamp Francolin and Blue-naped Pitta.

Myanmar (Burma), sandwiched between Thailand and India, remains a poorly-known birding destination, due in part to the difficulty in obtaining permits for visiting the prime birding localities. However, our Myanmar - Endemics of Remote Asia tour explores these seldom-visited birding hotspots! Starting from Yangon we journey to the Irrawaddy plains, holding not only important populations of declining waterbirds but also four endemic species, including the striking Hooded Treepie. Here we will also marvel at the more than 2,000 temples and pagodas around Bagan. Moving onwards to our prime destination, we spend quality time in the mixed Oak, Rhododendron and bamboo forests of Mount Victoria in the Chin Hills. This section of the Eastern Himalayas is an endemic-rich bird region sustaining several species only seen by a handful of intrepid birders, including White-browed Nuthatch, Mount Victoria Babax, Burmese Bushtit and Chin Hills Wren-

Babbler. Next we move to the mountains of central Burma in southern Shan State to explore the broad-leaved forests around Kalaw for Burmese Yuhina and a mouth-watering selection of other hill forest birds. Lastly, we will visit Inle Lake for the highly localized Jerdon’s Bush Chat and endemic Collared Myna, amongst a wealth of interesting wetland species. At the cutting edge, our Gurney’s Pitta extension aims to locate one of the world’s rarest and most beautiful birds at a little explored tropical location teeming with other exciting rainforest species.

Nepal is a land of unparalleled scenic beauty located within one of the most geographically diverse areas on earth. Draped along the greatest heights of the Himalayas between China and India, it has retained its essentially agrarian and medieval character, while its wondrous history and geography are still the defining aspects of everyday life.

Our Nepal tour not only offers an exciting opportunity to search for some very special Himalayan species, but also a rare chance to take a step back in time amidst a vivid kaleidoscope of picturesque landscapes, heavenly high-altitude meadows and magnificent mountains. Nepal is also blessed with a surprisingly wide array of habitats, which in turn host an incredible 850 bird species (the highest bird list of any Asian country of similar size), including vast numbers of over-wintering northern Asian species. Some of our mouthwatering targets include Nepal’s only endemic bird, Spiny Babbler, the globally threatened Bengal Florican, Ibisbill, Slender-billed Babbler, Nepal Fulvetta, rare Gray-crowned Prinia and Indian Grassbird, amidst a host of other babblers, scimitar babblers, laughingthrushes, fulvettas, warblers and much besides. Wildlife opportunities include Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, Bengal Tiger and the bizarre Gharial.

nepAl, bhutAn & mYAnmAR

33Viewing Greater One-horned Rhinoceros from elephant back by David Shackelford

Fire

-tai

led

Myz

orni

s by

Mar

kus

Lilje

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

Thailand is the quintessential birding destination of South East Asia, showcasing habitats from mountain peaks draped with Rhododendron forests to dense

tropical lowlands resounding with bird and gibbon song. Thailand’s treasures also extend beyond the natural world into the cultural realm, and spectacular pagodas and temples adorn this tropical nation. Our Northern & Central Thailand - Asian Birding at its Best tour provides a detailed overview of the major sites of the country. Setting out from Bangkok, we explore the forested hillsides of Khao Yai National Park, where we will be overwhelmed by the vast array of broadbills, hornbills, babblers and barbets. After scanning the mudflats of Samuth Sakhon for migrant waders, including the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, we continue to Kaeng Krachan. This park offers unbroken rainforest scenery and supports one of the richest bird lists in South East Asia. We then fly north to Chang Mai to bird the montane forests of Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain and most famous birding site. Here a

collection of uniquely Asian groups, such as ioras, barwings, mesias, minlas, sibias and niltavas, will dazzle us! Moving east we bird the mountains of Doi Angkhang on the border of Myanmar, where we will continue finding representatives of unique families, including parrotbills, liocichlas, finchbills and stunning minivets. Other sites visited include Sab Sadou, Thaton and Doi Lang. Our tour is designed to take advantage of the incredible influx of migrants from the north, complimented by a brilliant cast of Asian bird species. Tour highlights may include the magnificent Green Peafowl, Siamese Fireback, Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo, Silver-breasted Broadbill and Blue Pitta.

Our Southern Thailand Extension takes us to remnant lowland forests of the Malay Peninsula that support some of the world’s most desired and endangered birds. We begin by exploring the nearby mangroves of Krabi by boat, searching for such specialties as Mangrove Pitta, Brown-winged Kingfisher and Mangrove Whistler, while mudflats support

wintering Chinese Egret and Nordmann’s Greenshank. The fragmented lowland forests of Khao Nor Chuchi still offer a splendid variety of fabulous species that include Malayan Banded Pitta, Banded Kingfisher, Green Broadbill and Red-bearded Bee-eater, while the nocturnal birding opportunities are among the best in the entire region. Rare and sought-after owls, nightjars and frogmouths that are frequently seen include Oriental Bay, Barred Eagle- and Spotted Wood Owl, the incredible Large Eared Nightjar, and Gould’s and Blyth’s Frogmouth. We also venture to the idyllic Similan Islands for the outlandish Nicobar Pigeon and stunning snorkeling opportunities.

Malaysia is a modern Asian country offering first-class facilities within its extensive network of parks and reserves. Our Malaysia & Borneo - Rainforest Birds & Mammals tour visits some of the world’s most famous birding sites, including Fraser’s Hill, venue of the legendary annual Bird Race, the grand Taman Negara National Park,

asia // south eastern

34

Born

ean

Bris

tlehe

ad b

y Ro

bert

Cho

ng

Prob

osci

s M

onke

y by

Col

in V

alen

tine

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Danum Valley, which protects the largest pristine lowland rainforests in South East Asia, the Kinabatangan River and fabled Mt. Kinabalu. A rich mix of typical tropical Asian birds, peninsular Malaysian specialties and Bornean endemics combine to create a truly fantastic birding adventure. We can expect to see several species of fabulous pittas, trogons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, broadbills, leafbirds, ioras, pheasants, babblers and bulbuls, as well as a broad range of exciting mammals, including Orangutan and the peculiar Proboscis Monkey. We will bird along forest trails, boardwalks through mangrove forests, rainforest canopy walkways, and even from boats as we cruise along jungle rivers. Highlights might include the magnificent Great Argus displaying at close quarters, Crested Fireback, Crimson-headed Partridge, Whitehead’s Trogon and Whitehead’s Broadbill, Rhinoceros and Helmeted Hornbill, Great Slaty Woodpecker, strange Bornean Bristlehead and the eye-searingly bright Malayan Banded, Bornean Banded, Blue-headed and Garnet Pitta!

Our Budget Borneo Birding tour has been designed to provide prime Bornean birding and wildlife viewing at an economical price and for those with less time to spare in the field. Our Borneo - Island of Pittas, Broadbills & Orangutan tour offers an in-depth exploration of the wonders of this extraordinary island, with our focus primarily trained on the region’s endemic birds and mammals. We will seek out Blue-banded Pitta, Hose’s Broadbill, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter in particular, while also standing a chance for the elusive Clouded Leopard and many other spectacular animals. Our exciting Borneo - Black Oriole & Dulit Frogmouth Extension takes us into Sarawak province, where we will venture into some remote mountain forest zones in search of two of the island’s least-known and most seldom-seen endemics. Both the Black Oriole and Dulit Frogmouth are quite simply among the most mythical birds to have ever been discovered on the island, and we are therefore very excited to offer the fantastic opportunity of seeking these incredible rarities! This extension can be linked with both our Malaysia & Borneo - Rainforest Birds & Mammals and our Borneo - Island of Pittas, Broadbills & Orangutan tours.

thAIlAnd, mAlAYsIA & boRneo

Malayan Banded Pitta by Boonchuay Promjiam

Malayan Tapir by Rich Lindie

Spoon-billed Sandpiper by Niels Poul Dreyer

Oriental Bay Owl by Rainer Summers

Whitehead's Trogon by Rainer Summers

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

35

composed of 7,107 islands strewn across a vast stretch of tropical sea, The Philippines occupy the unenviable position of harboring the most birds facing imminent

extinction. Many of these critically endangered and spectacular species survive only in increasingly shrinking remnants of habitat. Our Endangered Endemics tour explores The Philippines’ three largest islands and we can expect to encounter up to 150 endemic birds and many other magnificent migrants and residents. On Luzon we visit sites for Stripe-headed Rhabdornis, Scale-feathered Malkoha, the sensational Yellow-breasted Fruit Dove and recently discovered Chocolate Boobook. Palawan’s white sandy beaches, extensive coral reefs and an underground river make a spectacular backdrop for a number of specials including the mound-building Philippine Megapode, Red-bellied Pitta, the incredibly beautiful Blue Paradise Flycatcher and glittering Palawan Peacock-Pheasant. Mindanao hosts the largest tracts of remaining lowland forest and here we search for the elusive Wattled Broadbill, Azure-breasted Pitta and Philippine Trogon. The forested slopes of Mt. Kitanglad are the most reliable site for the regal Philippine (Monkey-eating) Eagle; this giant raptor is often rated as the world’s single-most desirable bird! Here we will also search for a recently discovered species, Bukidnon Woodcock, as well as Apo Myna and Giant Scops Owl. Our Visayan Islands Extension takes in the smaller islands of Cebu, Bohol and Negros, where we target some highly sought-after birds, including the critically endangered Cebu Flowerpecker, Flame-templed Babbler and Visayan

Broadbill. This extension also provides chances for the strange Philippine Colugo and Philippine Tarsier, while the Chocolate Hills scenery is simply spell-binding! Our Philippines Highlights tour covers the very best birding sites for those with less time to spend in the field, but still wishing for a fantastic overview of the region’s special species.

Our Japan – Winter Birding tour explores the main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido and Kyushu where some of the world’s most amazing and desirable birds can be found, whilst simultaneously enjoying the wonderfully diverse scenery and fine local cuisine. On Honshu we will search for an array of specialties, including the stunning endemic Copper and Green Pheasant, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Japanese Accentor and dainty Japanese Waxwing. We will also spend time with endearing families of Japanese Macaques, better known as Snow Monkeys, at their hotspring hangouts. Hokkaido, to the far north of Japan’s long chain of islands, will open the curtain to a wonderland of snow, frozen lakes and pine forests. This is the land of the Red-crowned Crane, which dances these snowfields with grace and elegance. White-tailed Eagle and the world’s largest eagle, Steller’s Sea Eagle, cavort on the icy coastline, while vast numbers of sea-dwelling ducks and gulls join loons and alcids in the frigid Pacific Ocean. Another star bird here is the magnificent Blakiston’s Fish Owl, an incredible heavyweight of the owl world! Further south at Kyushu, over 10,000 cranes congregate during

asia // south eastern & north eastern

36Angkor Wat Temple by David ShackelfordPhilippine Frogmouth by Rich Lindie

Azure-breasted Pitta by Dubi Shapiro

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

then seek out Bengal Florican before visiting a community reserve that protects Giant and White-shouldered Ibis (both critically endangered) as well as various other highly sought-after species, including White-rumped Falcon and Pale-capped Pigeon. At our final site in Cambodia we will visit a vulture restaurant where several species can be expected, including the rare Red-headed, White-rumped and Slender-billed Vulture. Moving on to Vietnam we concentrate on the endemic bird areas in the south, and will visit Nam Cat Tien National Park and Dalat. A long list of potential avian highlights includes Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant, the resplendent Green Peafowl (surely the most impressive bird in the world!), beautiful Bar-bellied and Blue-rumped Pitta, Black-headed Parrotbill, Gray-crowned Crocias, Green Cochoa, Vietnamese Cutia and localized Black-hooded, White-cheeked and Orange-breasted Laughingthrush, to mention but a few of the exciting prospects here. Amongst the mammalian species that we seek are two endangered primates; Black-shanked Douc and Buff-cheeked Gibbon.

Our Cambodia Extension kicks off with a combined birding and historical tour of the fabled Angkor Watt temples, before we continue exploring forests and grasslands en route to our main destination, Seima Protected Forest. Targets include Sarus Crane, Black-necked Stork, Orange-necked Partridge, numerous woodpeckers (including the huge Great Slaty and Heart-spotted), the newly discovered Cambodian Tailorbird and Mekong Wagtail. On the mammal front we will seek Irrawaddy Dolphin, Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon and the nocturnal Pygmy Loris. Our Cambodia and Vietnam tours offer exceptional Asian birding for the adventurous traveler!

these winter months to escape the blizzards of the Siberian steppes. The majority consist of White-naped and Hooded Cranes, although a remarkable seven crane species have been recorded! Large stands of temperate broad-leaved forests harbor Japanese Grosbeak and Japanese Wood and Whistling Green Pigeon, whilst Baikal Teal is regular on small water-bodies and the striking Japanese Murrelet will be sought offshore.

Our Japan – Spring Birding tour will visit the same islands as our popular Winter Birding tour but at a contrasting time of year. The snowy wonderland of Hokkaido will be transformed into a lush, green and flowering expanse of grassy meadows with rugged mountain backdrops, while Honshu and Kyushu’s extensive deciduous forests come alive with the songs of breeding migrants. This exciting and seldom-offered tour of Japan will target specialties such as Japanese Paradise Flycatcher, Japanese Robin, Japanese Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat and the difficult Fairy Pitta, while we should still see many desirable resident species including Red-crowned Crane, Blakiston’s Fish Owl, Green and Copper Pheasant, Japanese Green Woodpecker and much besides!

Our Southern Islands Extension visits the subtropical islands of Amami and Okinawa and, with their white-sand beaches and palm trees, makes for a striking contrast to the frigid islands of the north. These tiny isles are home to an array of extremely localized endemics, with Amami hosting the beautiful Lidth’s Jay, Amami Thrush and the endangered Amami Woodcock. On Okinawa we seek out the threatened Black-faced Spoonbill and a horde of other over-wintering migrants, before turning our attention to the island’s specials including the remarkable and elusive Okinawa Rail and Okinawa Woodpecker, as well as Ryukyu Robin, Ryukyu Minivet and Ryukyu Scops Owl.

Our Best of Birding Vietnam & Cambodia tour commences in Cambodia at the famous Prek Toal waterbird colony where we search for Greater Adjutant, the increasingly elusive Masked Finfoot and both Milky and Painted Stork, amongst thousands of waterbirds. We

cAmbodIA, VIetnAm, the phIlIppInes & jApAn

Japanese Macaque by Nima Sarikhani

Palawan Peacock-Pheasant by Dubi Shapiro

Phili

ppin

e Ea

gle

by R

ich

Lind

ie

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

37

indonesia, spread across 17,508 islands, boasting over 1,600 bird species and nearly 400 endemics (more than any other nation in the world), is an essential destination

for the world birder. We are therefore proud to offer opportunities to thoroughly explore this mind-bogglingly biodiverse but sadly threatened region and advise birders to take advantage of the current phase of political stability.

Nestled in the tropical waters of Wallacea, the remarkable islands

of Sulawesi and Halmahera are seldom-visited parts of the Indonesian archipelago. These two strangely shaped islands lie just to the east of Borneo, yet their Australasian-influenced fauna could not contrast more sharply with Borneo’s. Our carefully-crafted tour will provide the intrepid birder with a mouth-watering

array of exceptional endemics, the most extraordinary of which must surely be the outrageous

Standardwing, an otherworldly bird-of-paradise observed at its display lek.

The luxuriant rainforests are also home to a wonderful assortment of parrots, fruit doves

and endemic kingfishers, while other targets include Hylocitrea (previously known as Olive-flanked Whistler but now placed in its own family), the stellar Ivory-breasted Pitta, strange Maleo, Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Knobbed Hornbill and Purple-winged Roller. Unique mammals also abound, including the cute Spectral Tarsier and aberrant Crested Black Macaque. This tour offers some of the finest endemic island birding in the world!

The Lesser Sundas, a diverse and rugged chain of islands stretching across the Java Sea between Bali and New Guinea, support more than 80 endemics. Our birding tour visits four of these islands (Sumba, Timor, Flores and Komodo) and targets over 60 of these localized and highly sought-after birds. We explore montane rainforests, lowland monsoon forests and dry scrub. Key targets include Sumba Hornbill, the beautiful Red-naped Fruit Dove, Black-

banded Flycatcher, Orange-sided Thrush, Timor Sparrow, the difficult Flores Scops Owl, Elegant Pitta, unusual Bare-throated Whistler, stunning Glittering Kingfisher, Yellow-crested Cockatoo and the truly impressive 10ft Komodo Dragon! Internationally renowned as a holiday mecca, a lesser known fact is that Bali also offers exceptional birding. Our Bali Birding Extension visits the drier north-west at Bali Barat National Park, home to the last few wild Bali Starlings, as well as a range of specials shared only with Java, including Javan Banded Pitta and Green Junglefowl.

We will stay at a fantastic lodge set inside the national park, offering great mammal and bird viewing plus world-class snorkeling opportunities. We also bird the montane forests of Bedugul and the coastal and wetland areas around Nusa Dua.

Over the next few years we plan to offer a succession of cruises coupled with short land-based ventures to some of the most exciting and least known islands on our planet. Our Indonesian cruises will be led primarily by David Bishop, author of the field guide to the birds of these fabled islands. Following in the footsteps of Alfred Russell Wallace and some of the world’s most famous naturalists, we will encounter a plethora of Indonesia’s remarkable avian endemics. Our West Papuan Island cruise to the Raja Empat Islands (Waigeu, Batanta, Salawati and Kofiau) will seek out such extraordinary gems as Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise – regarded by many as the most spectacular bird on earth; Red Bird-of-paradise, Kofiau Paradise Kingfisher and Kofiau Monarch. Thereafter we cross Weber’s Line and head into the south Moluccas. Here we explore the little birded waters in addition to visiting several endemic-rich islands including Obi, Seram, Boano and Ambon for many incredibly exciting endemics such as Bare-eyed Rail, Carunculated Fruit Dove, Obi Woodcock, Lazuli Kingfisher and Long-crested Myna, to mention but a handful. We will then continue westwards along the north coast of Seram to the little-explored islands of Boano and Ambon where we hope to find the virtually unknown Boano Monarch and Ambon White-eye. Our Buru Extension explores a beautifully forested island hosting 20 avian endemics including Buru Green Pigeon, Spectacled Imperial Pigeon, superb Buru Racket-tail, Moluccan King Parrot, Buru Boobook, Black-tipped Monarch and Tawny-backed Fantail among many others, and if we are very lucky perhaps Lesser Masked Owl or the reputedly nocturnal Black-lored Parrot!

Eastern Indonesia is so littered with little known, virtually unexplored islands that we will have a surfeit of opportunities to check out places where no birder has been before and undoubtedly make some exciting discoveries along the way. Rockjumper’s Far Eastern Indonesian

asia // islands

38

Bali

Star

ling

by A

dam

Rile

y

Stan

dard

win

g by

Igna

cio

Yúfe

ra

Sunda Thrush by Dubi Shapiro

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

evolution of a diverse and unusually interesting birdlife with numerous endemics. Our comprehensive tour to the region is designed to see as many of these range-restricted and endemic birds as possible, including such spectacular and sought-after species as Red, Wilson’s and MacGregor’s Bird-of-paradise, Splendid and Arfak Astrapia, Western Parotia, Long-tailed Paradigalla, Vogelkop Bowerbird, Collared Brushturkey, Snow Mountains Quail, Papuan Eagle, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Victoria and Western Crowned Pigeon, Papuan Logrunner, Spotted Jewel-babbler and Vogelkop Melidectes to name but a few! For those dedicated birders with a sense of adventure and a desire to see birds that very few people have ever seen, this remains one of the most incredible destinations on Earth!

cruise kicks off in the Kai islands from where we explore some of the least birded waters and islands on our planet. Taking in Great and Little Kai, endemic rich Tanimbar Islands, Pulau Banda, Damar (one of THE most exciting of the trip), arid Pulau Leti, fascinating but little known Wetar finally ending in West Timor. Numerous island endemics and sought-after pelagic species can be expected as well as rare cetaceans. A selection of our many targets include Heinroth’s Shearwater, Tanimbar Scrubfowl, Elegant and Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon, the exquisite Wallace’s Fruit Dove, Wetar Ground Dove, elusive Fawn-breasted Thrush, Great and Little Kai White-eye, Damar Flycatcher and the enigmatic Kisar Friarbird.

Sumatra and Java harbor numerous tantalizing endemics. The vast and wild Sumatra is surprisingly poorly explored. We will range from the bird- and mammal-rich lowland rainforests of Way Kambas National Park to the volcanic slopes of Mt. Kerinci, Sumatra’s highest mountain and the famous Tapan Road. Key targets include the endangered White-winged Duck, Bronze-tailed Peacock-Pheasant, Salvadori’s Pheasant, Large Frogmouth, Bonaparte’s Nightjar, Black-crowned and the incomparable Schneider’s

Pitta, Sumatran Trogon, gorgeous Pink-headed Fruit Dove, Chestnut-winged and Shiny Whistling Thrush and Sumatran Cochoa. Mammal opportunities include Sumatran Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Leopard Cat, Sun Bear, Asian Elephant and Siamang. Java is a land of great beauty, dominated by towering volcanos whose forests support important watersheds for the fertile rice fields that dominate the lowlands. Wandering along the enchanting trails of Mt. Gede – Pangrang and Baluran National Parks, we will search for a long list of endemics and specialties including the tiny Pygmy Tit, Spotted Crocias, exquisite White-flanked Sunbird, Orange-spotted Bulbul, miniscule Javan Tesia, Sunda Thrush, Green Junglefowl, Green Peafowl and gorgeous Javan Banded Pitta.

New Guinea is the world’s largest tropical island, surpassed in size only by Greenland, and is blessed with an incredible avifauna, including some of the planet’s most outlandish species. The province of West Papua occupies the little-birded Indonesian half of the island, comprising large expanses of pristine habitat, from towering snow-capped peaks to huge tracts of humid lowland forest, including several isolated mountain ranges. This has led to the

IndonesIA including West pApuA

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

39

Kom

odo

Dra

gon

by A

dam

Rile

y

Sum

atra

n O

rang

utan

by

Rain

er S

umm

ers

Knob

bed

Hor

nbill

by

Igna

cio

Yúfe

ra

Wils

on's

Bird

-of-P

arad

ise

by D

ubi S

hapi

ro

Of all the world’s birding destinations, Papua New Guinea surely ranks as the most fascinating and exotic. New Guinea, the planet’s second largest

island, was the last inhabited landmass to be explored by Europeans. Its virtually untouched forests come alive with the sights and sounds of fruit doves, fig parrots, fairywrens, whistlers, paradise kingfishers, jewel-babblers, honeyeaters, berrypeckers and bowerbirds, whilst more than 20 species of dazzling birds-of-paradise display their iridescent colors and elaborate plumes in one of the most astonishing exhibits of the natural world!

Traveling by air, road and boat, our Birding in Paradise tour explores the region’s diverse habitats, from winding lowland rivers and sprawling grasslands, to rich highland ecosystems and forested valleys. Here tribes dance mimicking the fabulous birds-of-paradise, adorned with elaborate head plumes of the exotic birds that grace this mystical island. Over the years Rockjumper has established an unbeatable reputation for leading highly successful birding tours to Papua New Guinea, and our tour

totals of around 400 species include up to 22 different birds-of-paradise! The extravagant birds that we can expect to see range from the bizarre Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise to the strangely plumed King-of-Saxony, and from the

brilliant Blue and King Birds-of-paradise to watching Raggiana and Greater Birds-of-paradise dance at their phenomenal leks. We also enjoy almost 20

kingfisher species, a feat impossible to match anywhere else in the world. Furthermore, most of our tours boast sightings of the rarely-seen Shovel-billed Kookaburra,

remarkable Southern Crowned Pigeon, unbelievable Flame Bowerbird and Papuan Eagle. You can

therefore expect a phenomenal array of remarkable birds amidst vast and pristine forests. Our New Britain Endemics Extension takes us to another beautiful and little-explored region of the world, the Bismarck Archipelago. Here we bird forests and tiny islets for several exciting species, including Melanesian Megapode, outlandish Nicobar Pigeon and a plethora of endemic doves, kingfishers and parrots. Our journey though Papua New Guinea is rated by many as the world’s ultimate birding tour!

Unique is perhaps an overly used term, but in reference to our Islands of the South-west Pacific tour it is absolutely appropriate. This will be a comprehensive birding itinerary to such islands and island groups such as Western Samoa (Uplou and Savaii), Fiji (Taveuni, Viti Levu and Kadavu), Vanuatu (Efate and Espiritu Santo), and New Caledonia (including Lifou.) Each island exhibits its own distinctive ensemble of spectacular and rarely-seen endemics, including some of our planet’s least known species. On this trip we will be treated to a wonderful assortment of imperial pigeons, fruit doves, parrots and lorikeets, kingfishers, the fabulous and monotypic Kagu, hosts of flycatchers, monarchs, fantails, whistlers, honeyeaters and white-eyes, almost all of which are endemic. Besides Kagu, key targets

ausTralasia // northern pApuA neW guIneA & melAnesIA: solomon IslAnds, VAnuAtu, neW cAledonIA, fIjI, tongA & sAmoA

40

King

of S

axon

y Bi

rd-o

f-par

adis

e by

Mar

kus

Lilje

Breh

m's

Tige

r Par

rot b

y M

arku

s Li

lje

Kagu

cou

rtin

g by

Jona

than

Ros

souw

Ragg

iana

Bird

-of-p

arad

ise

by M

arku

s Li

lje

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

include the incredible Orange, Golden, Tanna Fruit and Cloven-feathered Doves, Flat-billed Kingfisher, Silktail and giant Crow Honeyeater. Furthermore, the islands of the South-west Pacific have a lazy, relaxed charm about them and, birds aside, we can also anticipate a fascinating collage of landscapes and culture, great food and some lovely accommodation. This tour will be led by one of the region’s most experienced and knowledgeable birders and is suitable for both hardcore birders and more general travelers seeking a relaxed and exotic island vacation.

Our Melanesian cruises take us to seldom-visited tropical islands that host over 200 endemic bird species! Our Melanesia Discoverer cruise explores the key islands from mainland New Guinea eastwards taking in New Ireland, Manus, Bougainville and several of the western Solomon Islands. Aside from the many endemic and range-restricted birds, including chances for Victoria Crowned Pigeon, the amazing Superb Pitta, Twelve-wired and King Birds-of-paradise, Beck’s Petrel and Sanford’s Sea Eagle (to name just a handful), this cruise also offers some of the finest snorkeling and diving in the world! Our Secrets of Melanesia cruise continues eastwards covering the outer Solomon Islands through to Vanuatu. Targets on this

adventure include Vanuatu Megapode, Vanuatu Petrel, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon, Solomons Cockatoo, Santa Cruz Shrikebill, Solomons Monarch, Makira Honeyeater, Long-tailed Myna and Polynesian Starling. This cruise also affords us the fabulous opportunity to dive and explore one of the planet’s most

famous wrecks and discover hidden underwater worlds bejewelled with a dazzling array of astounding marine life.

The South West Pacific Odyssey cruise, beginning in New Zealand and ending in Papua New Guinea, provides an unprecedented opportunity to see some of the world’s most rarely-observed seabirds and remote island endemics. We land at Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, and four of the Solomon Islands, before disembarkation at East New Britain off Papua New Guinea. Such mouth-watering species as Kagu, Beck’s Petrel, Heinroth’s Shearwater, Roviana Rail, Norfolk Island Parakeet, Rennell Shrikebill and Crow Honeyeater are possible, as well as a potential new species of storm petrel off New Caledonia. Birds aside, the list of cetaceans is outstanding and there are also many snorkeling, swimming and relaxation opportunities. The option also exists to continue on until Japan with the second leg of this journey, namely the Pacific Pelagic Odyssey – please refer to page 61 for more information.

pApuA neW guIneA & melAnesIA: solomon IslAnds, VAnuAtu, neW cAledonIA, fIjI, tongA & sAmoA H

uli W

igm

en b

y D

avid

Sha

ckel

ford

Sout

hern

Cro

wne

d Pi

geon

by

Mar

kus

Lilje

Ora

nge

Dov

e by

Jona

than

Ros

souw

Tahi

ti Pe

trel

by

Jona

than

Ros

souw

4341

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

ustralia is a vast and biodiverse continent, packed with numerous and often spectacular endemic birds and bizarre wildlife found nowhere else on our

planet. Our comprehensive Australia - East Coast tour covers the prime birding and wildlife sites of Australia’s eastern seaboard, from the wet tropical rainforests and mangrove backwaters of the Daintree and endemic-rich Atherton Tablelands near Cairns, through to the cool temperate forests of Lamington and Royal National Parks, an exciting pelagic seabird trip off Wollongong, the scenic Capertee Valley and surrounds, the remote Outback area around Deniliquin, and finally ends with coastal

birding around Melbourne. Our targets are numerous, and highlights might include Victoria’s and Paradise Riflebird, Australian Logrunner, Noisy Pitta, the strange Chowchilla, unique Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Tooth-billed, Regent and the exquisite Golden Bowerbird, outrageous Southern Cassowary, Emu, Superb Lyrebird, the strange Plains-wanderer (sole member of its own family), much desired Malleefowl, endangered Regent Honeyeater, Rose-crowned, Wompoo and Superb Fruit Dove, Topknot and Squatter Pigeon, Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Eastern Ground Parrot, Powerful and Rufous Owl, Australian Owlet-nightjar, Superb and Splendid Fairywren, and a plethora of colorful parrots including King Parrot, Yellow-tailed and Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and the incomparable Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo! Non-avian highlights will be abundant, ranging from soaking in the magnificent scenery of eastern Australia, marveling at the world’s strangest mammals, including such exotic sounding creatures as quolls, bandicoots, wombats, gliders, possums, bettongs, wallabies, echidnas, koalas and of course kangaroos, to enjoying the company of friendly, warm and welcoming Australians.

Our South West Extension takes us to the fantastic Darling and Stirling Ranges, Dryandra Woodland and the productive heathlands of Albany, to seek out the dozen endemic and numerous other avian and wildlife targets of this isolated ecozone. Prime amongst these is the Noisy Scrubbird, believed to be extinct until its dramatic rediscovery in 1961. Further targets include Short-billed and Long-billed Black Cockatoo, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Painted Buttonquail, Western Bristlebird, Western Whipbird, Western Wattlebird, Western Spinebill, Western Thornbill, Western Corella, Western Rosella, Rock Parrot, Western Ringneck, Splendid and Blue-breasted Fairywren, Southern Emu-wren, Western Fieldwren, White-cheeked Honeyeater, the stunning little Red-capped Robin, Crested Shrike-Tit, Red-eared Firetail, Western Brush Wallaby, Quokka and even chances for Numbat. For our Tasmania Extension, we fly into Hobart to search for the thirteen endemics of this rugged, temperate and isolated island. Spending two nights on Bruny Island and another near Mount Field National Park, we will seek the rare and beautiful Forty-spotted Pardalote,

ausTralasia // southern

42Plains-wanderer by Jonathan Rossouw

Stitchbird by Adam Riley

Sout

hern

Cas

sow

ary

by Jo

nath

an R

osso

uw

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Black Currawong, Little Penguin, Musk Duck, Tasmanian Nativehen, Green Rosella, Tasmanian Thornbill, Scrubtit, Beautiful Firetail, Yellow Wattlebird, Yellow-throated, Strong-billed and Black-headed Honeyeater, and many others. Tasmania is also the stronghold for numerous rare mammals and we stand good chances of finding the unique and aberrant Platypus, massive Common Wombat, the attractive Eastern Barred Bandicoot or even the catlike, carnivorous Eastern Quoll.

New Zealand supports a host of unusual endemic land birds and a rich assemblage of marine birds and other wildlife. Our very comprehensive tour is designed to seek almost every possible endemic bird species and take full advantage of New Zealand’s exceptional oceanic diversity. Beginning in Auckland we will target North Island Brown Kiwi, outrageous Tui (an endemic honeyeater) and gorgeous New Zealand Pigeon, amongst a multitude of other species that will no doubt be lifers. The first of our several pelagic excursions takes place in the Hauraki Gulf, in search of the recently rediscovered New Zealand Storm Petrel, endemic Buller’s Shearwater, localized Black Petrel, Grey Noddy, and a myriad of other seabirds. Continuing to the fabled Tiritiri Matangi Island, we will bird this predator-free reserve for the prehistoric Takahe, North Island Kokako and localized Stitchbird, before combing the Miranda shoreline for the bizarre Wrybill and flocks of migrant waders. We round off our time on North Island inside the fern-tree forests, searching for the noisy New Zealand Kaka, migrant Long-tailed Cuckoo and tiny Rifleman.

Crossing onto South Island, our first stop is Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary, where the dazzling South Island Saddleback and New Zealand Robin will no doubt entertain us, before we embark on another pelagic adventure into the fantastic upwelling off Kaikoura, searching for an abundance of albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels. Travelling across South Island, we will seek the endemic flightless rail known as the Weka, as well as Great Spotted Kiwi, before hiking through pristine Red Beech forest surrounded by breathtaking glacier-lined mountains, where Pipipi, New Zealand Kaka, Yellow-crowned Parakeet, and the massive Kea can be

found. In Fiordland National Park our targets will include Blue Duck, the cute Rock Wren and the scarce New Zealand Falcon, before catching our ferry to the rugged Stewart Island. Here Southern Brown Kiwi, New Zealand Bellbird, Yellowhead and a variety of other specialties will entertain us before another pelagic outing visiting several nearby islands. Our final destination will be Dunedin, where a visit to a Northern Royal Albatross colony and a Yellow-eyed Penguin breeding site will certainly be amongst the many highlights of this rewarding tour. With excellent lodging and meals, awe-inspiring scenery and fantastically friendly “Kiwis”, this is sure to be a birding tour of a lifetime!

AustRAlIA & neW ZeAlAnd

Duc

k-bi

lled

Plat

ypus

by

Gle

n Va

lent

ine

Gouldian Finch by Jonathan Rossouw

Little Spotted Kiwi by Adam Riley

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

43

e offer a comprehensive suite of Argentina tours that will take you to the very best birding

sites that this diverse country has to offer. Our Argentina - Birding the Pampas & Northern Patagonia tour is an overland adventure from Buenos Aires in the

heart of the Pampas grasslands to the Valdes Peninsula in northern Patagonia. Targets include most of the Argentine endemics such as Sandy Gallito, Carbonated Sierra Finch, Cinnamon Warbling Finch and Chubut Steamer Duck. Other key species include Firewood-gatherer, South American Painted-Snipe, Greater Rhea, Spotted Nothura, Yellow Cardinal and Olrog’s Gull. This tour wraps up at the Valdes Peninsula where we visit a Magellanic Penguin colony and seek marine mammals including Southern Right Whale, Southern Elephant Seal and the famous beaching Orcas! Our Southern Patagonia Extension continues from the Valdes Peninsula south-west towards the Andean glaciers of El Calafate, picking up most of the Patagonian specialties en route. Over 60 Patagonian endemics can be expected, including the unique Magellanic Plover (placed in its own monotypic family), the huge Magellanic Woodpecker, White-throated Treerunner, Austral Rail and the critically endangered Hooded Grebe. We will also have the opportunity to explore a mixed colony of Magellanic

and Southern Rockhopper Penguins, as well as enjoying a great diversity of seabirds along the Atlantic coast of mighty Patagonia.

Our Northern Argentina Comprehensive Birding Tour targets every single endemic and near endemic the region has to offer! From such diverse areas as the spectacular Humahuaca Valley and Yungas Cloud forests of Calilegua, across the rarely-visited Gran Chaco, we bird remarkable wetlands of Esteros del Iberá, the last remnants of San Pedro’s native Araucaria forest and conclude at one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, the gargantuan Iguazú Falls. Amongst the many fine birds we will target are such desirable and localized species as Rufous-throated Dipper, Tucuman Mountain Finch, Tucuman Amazon, White-throated Cacholote, Strange-tailed Tyrant, Yellow Cardinal, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, spectacular Andean Condor, exquisite Red-tailed Comet and the extraordinary Lyre-tailed Nightjar. This tour is suitable for those who enjoy easy birding, awe-inspiring landscapes, comfortable travel, fine cuisine and comfortable lodgings, and comes very highly recommended! Our Hooded Grebe Extension takes us to the Andes of southern Argentina to seek the critically endangered Hooded Grebe, a beautiful and recently discovered species that is facing a very real risk of imminent extinction. Other targets include the unique Magellanic Plover, Magellanic Woodpecker and Austral Rail. Our Cordoba Endemics extension explores the geographically isolated Cordoba Hills where endemics abound and we can expect to find Olrog’s and Cordoba Cinclodes as well as the extremely localised Salis Monjita.

Chile occupies a 2,650 mile-long narrow ribbon of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, and stretches from north of the Atacama Desert to Cape Horn, the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Chile is one of South

sOuTH america // southern

44Magellanic Plover by Rich Lindie

Red-

legg

ed S

erie

ma

by L

uis

Segu

ra

Gua

naco

s by

Igna

cio

Yúfe

ra

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

America’s most stable and prosperous nations and our comprehensive Birds, Wildlife & Andean Landscapes birding tour covers the highlights of this fabulous country as we search for its numerous specialties and endemics. These range from the giant Andean Condor to the tiny Chilean Woodstar, and include the unique Chilean tapaculos called huet-huets and turcas. One of our primary targets will no doubt be the highly sought-after Diademed Plover, while other no less desirable species include James’s Flamingo, Puna Ibis, Chilean Tinamou, Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe, Andean Avocet, Rufous-legged Owl, Slender-billed Parakeet, Magellanic Woodpecker, White-throated Treerunner and the appropriately named Giant Hummingbird. We will also undertake an exciting pelagic excursion in search of the region’s seabirds, including the rare Peruvian Diving Petrel and Chilean Skua, while mammal possibilities include herds of stately Vicunas, the range-restricted Southern Sea Otter and the bizarre Mountain Viscacha. Accommodations, meals and wines are excellent throughout the tour and the Chilean people offer warm hospitality. Combined with the outstanding scenery of high altitude Puna lakes and snow-capped volcanoes, excellent coastal desert and rich Patagonian forest, this is without doubt one of South America’s most memorable birding destinations. Our post-tour Arica Extension takes us to the country’s far north, where we explore the scenic, varied habitats ranging from the Atacama Desert oasis valleys (thousands of feet deep!), and venture up the desolate west face of the Andes to the high Puna. Coastal birds such as Gray Gull and beautiful Peruvian Tern grace the beaches, while Peruvian Martin, Tamarugo Conebill, Peruvian Sheartail and Oasis Hummingbird occur within the Oasis Valleys. Other highlights might include Puna Rhea, Puna Tinamou and thousands of flamingos of three species.

Paraguay is a seldom-visited birding and wildlife wonderland. Our Paraguay - Birds & Wildlife tour explores all the major hotspots and habitat types. These range from Chaco woodlands, scrub and waterholes

where we will search for Spot-winged Falconet, Chaco Chachalaca, Cream-backed and Black-bodied Woodpeckers,

Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, Chaco Earthcreeper, Many-colored Chaco Finch, Olive-crowned

Crescentchest and Quebracho Crested Tinamou, to name just some of the exciting possibilities. We will also spend time in the pampas, savannahs and expansive grasslands in search

of such specials as Giant Snipe, Sickle-winged Nightjar, Sharp-tailed Grass, Cock-tailed and Cinereous Tyrants, Bearded Tachuri, Black-legged Seriema and a host of seedeaters and seedfinches. We will even search the wonderful Atlantic Rainforest patches for Black-fronted Piping Guan,

Saffron Toucanet, Helmeted Woodpecker, Tufted Antshrike and many other colorful forest species. While the array of birds is impressive to say the least, the wildlife on this tour will also be outstanding, with opportunities for Lowland Tapir, Greater Hairy Armadillo, Puma and possibly even elusive Jaguar!

chIle, ARgentInA & pARAguAY

Yellow-fronted Woodpecker by Adam Riley

Hooded Grebe by Luis Segura

Torrent Duck by Adam Riley

And

ean

Cond

or b

y M

urra

y Co

oper

Puma by Ignacio Yúfera

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

45

Brazil is an outstandingly huge and biodiverse country, and our birding tours to the region offer a thorough selection of Brazil’s incredible highlights.

Rockjumper’s Birds & Wildlife of the Pantanal & Cerrado is one of our classic must-do tours. Kicking off in the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland system, encompassing 80,000 square miles of emerald forests, savannas, rivers and lagoons and boasting over 650 bird and a staggering 200 mammal species! The nearby dry Cerrado habitat is also home to an amazing diversity of birds, several of them highly localized species. This combination provides us with the fantastic opportunity to seek out such specials as Bare-faced Curassow, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Greater Rhea, Red-legged Seriema, Southern Screamer, the majestic Hyacinth Macaw, Sunbittern, Sungrebe, Collared Crescentchest and Helmeted Manakin, amongst an incredible diversity of other avian delights. In addition, the abundance of mammals in the Pantanal includes such sought-after creatures as Giant River Otter, Brazilian Tapir,

Giant Anteater and, of course, the mighty Jaguar, which we stand an excellent chance of observing from boats on the Cuiaba River! Our pre-tour extension to the Argentine side of the impressive Iguaçu Falls, the most voluminous and arguably most scenic waterfall in the world, offers fantastic Atlantic Rainforest birding and targets include Surucua Trogon, Helmeted Woodpecker, Rufous-capped Motmot, Rufous Gnateater and many more. At nearby higher-elevation sites we seek other regional specialties such as Saffron Toucanet, Spotted Bamboowren and Tufted Antshrike. Finally, our Amazon Rainforest Birding Extension takes us to the famous Cristalino Lodge. Here we will explore the trails and waterways and scan from a productive canopy tower in search of Razor-billed Curassow, Zigzag Heron, Cryptic Forest Falcon, Curl-crested Aracari, Rufous-faced and Bare-eyed Antbird and Fiery-capped, Flame-crested and Band-tailed Manakin, to

name just a few of the special southern Amazonian species we hope to see.

Our North East Brazil itineraries take us from beaches and arid canyons to the lush rainforests of the Atlantic slopes – a vast area that holds some of the world’s most

spectacular and rare birds! These tours visit all the prime birding sites in the

region and seek out the region’s endemic and, in most cases, severely threatened species.

Targets of North Eastern Endemics - Alagoas & Beyond include the spectacular, yet recently

discovered, Araripe Manakin, recovering Lear’s Macaw, critically endangered White-collared Kite, Great Xenops and Banded Cotinga, among many other North Eastern Brazil endemics and

Atlantic Rainforest specialists. This exciting tour travels from the coastal Fortaleza, south through the Caatinga and Alagoas endemism locales, to the fabulous forests

sOuTH america // eastern

46Jaguar by Dale Morris

Blac

k Ja

cobi

n by

Ada

m R

iley

Black-cheeked Gnateater by Dubi Shapiro

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

near Salvador. North Eastern Endemics - Bahia & Beyond travels inland, after spending time in the Atlantic rainforests of Itacare, to the famed Chapada Diamantina. This dramatic, fascinating landscape holds a plethora of beautiful and endemics species, including Horned Sungem and Diamantina Tapaculo. We then head back southwards to the lush environs of Serra Bonita and Itubera, where we will search for numerous Bahia endemics, stunning cotingas, flocking tanagers and the rare Pink-legged Graveteiro and Bahia Tapaculo.

Our South Eastern Brazil - Atlantic Forest Endemics tour covers the highlights of the threatened Atlantic Forests, seeking out a myriad of remarkable and rare endemic species. Habitats range from high mountains to lowland gallery forest and even an island where Red-tailed Parrots roost! Ubatuba, Intervales, Itatiaia and Volta Velha are among the big-name sites we will explore, with highlight species including Black-fronted Piping Guan, Spot-winged

Wood Quail, Plovercrest, Buff-fronted Owl, Long-trained Nightjar, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Sharpbill, Bare-throated Bellbird, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, as well as numerous antbirds and gorgeous tanagers! Our unique Minas Gerais Extension searches for the special birds of this state including the incomparable Hyacinth Visorbearer, vibrant Blue Finch, localized Cipo Canastero and the charismatic Gray-backed Tachuri, and that’s just the first site! Brasilia Tapaculo, Campo Miner, Firewood-gatherer and the extremely rare Brazilian Merganser are other targets. Our post-tour extension to Rio Grande do Sul offers superb birding in a lovely region of Brazil infrequently visited by birders. From the beautiful highlands near Sao Francisco de Paula we head straight to the coast for a dramatic change in scenery and birds. Some of the species we seek include Spotted Nothura, Dot-winged and Red-and-white Crake, Red-spectacled Parrot, Mottled Piculet, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, Hudson’s Canastero and Straight-billed Reedhaunter.

bRAZIl, guYAnA & VeneZuelA

Araripe Manakin by Forrest Rowland

Hyacinth Macaw by Dale Morris

Giant Anteater by John Carlyon

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

47

We base ourselves at a single

comfortable lodge for our Serra dos Tucanos tour. This family-owned lodge

is situated within the 46,000-hectare Tres Picos State Park and from here we will set out

to explore both higher and lower elevations, covering extensive rainforest, wetlands and

drier savanna. Approximately 250 species can be expected, including such mouth-watering Atlantic

Rainforest specialties as Sharpbill, Three-toed Jacamar, Saffron Toucanet, Plovercrest, Giant Antshrike, Black-and-gold Cotinga and Black-cheeked Gnateater.

The Rio Roosevelt, or River of Doubt, is as iconic now (after the description of 15 new species in the region

over the past few years!) as it was in the days of Theodore Roosevelt’s ill-fated journey through this utterly primitive, remote area. We now offer an exciting Rio Roosevelt & Porto Velhos tour, spending time on both sides of the river, as well

as at the various habitats around Porto Velho and Humaita. Bird diversity on this tour is astounding, as the river systems here have acted as biogeographical barriers allowing evolution to go wild! Some of the exciting species possible include Dark-winged Trumpeter, Cryptic Forest Falcon, Crimson-bellied Parakeet, White-breasted Antbird, Pale-faced Bare-eye, and many of the recently-described species published in 2013, such as Aripuana and Predicted Antwrens, Western Striolated Puffbird and Inambari Woodcreeper. The stunning forests and landscapes only add to the mystique, as does the rich history of the region. Our Carajas Extension, further north in the Amazon, allows a sampling of several habitats and species not found on the main tour. The forested mountain ridges and swampy drainages of this massive park harbour many incredible birds, including the marvellous and virtually unknown Black-chested Tyrant. This species alone would be worth the trip, but throw in the likes of White-browed Guan, Harpy Eagle, Fiery-tailed Awlbill, Santarem and Pearly Parakeet, Black-bellied Gnateater, Brigida’s Woodcreeper and White-tailed Cotinga, and this becomes an irresistible addition!

Manaus, the metropolitan hub of Amazonia is unique, a huge city in the middle of a seemingly endless expanse of tropical jungles, it is also the perfect place to stage an expedition into what looks to be a blanket of uniform green from above but is, in fact, a mosaic of micro habitats unparalleled anywhere on Earth. Our two week Manaus - Heart of the Amazon tour visits all the famed sites in the Manaus vicinity, including Anavilhanas Islands,

sOuTH america // eastern

48Collared Crescentchest by Adam Riley

Toco

Touc

an b

y Ad

am R

iley

Pink River Dolphin by Adam Riley

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock by Adam Riley

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Presidente Figueroa and Borba. We will also be setting up a special extension that ventures into Amazonia National Park itself. Wildlife abounds, including some of the most spectacular monkey species on the continent. The birding will however take first prize with species such as Vulturine Parrot, Crimson Fruitcrow, Fiery Topaz, Fiery-tailed Awlbill, Capuchinbird, Golden Parakeet, Black-necked and Guianan Red-Cotinga, Harpy Eagle, Bald Parrot, and over 50 species of antshrikes, Antwrens, antbirds, antpittas and gnateaters that will be our focus. Canopy towers, varzea and igapo swamp boating, pristine terra firme and serra dry forests will all be featured.

Venezuela held court as the premier South American birding destination until Ecuador and Colombia blossomed into the birding meccas they have now become. It is our pleasure to once again offer this fascinating birding destination, which is finally opening up and becoming more receptive to foreign visitors. We plan to have this country on offer by 2017, with a suite of tours that span from the Coastal Cordilleras and High Andes in the north, south to the Llanos, and farther afield into the vast Tepui and Orinoco regions. Gems ranging from White-tipped Quetzal and Scallop-breasted Antpitta, to Harpy Eagle, Red-banded Fruiteater, Rose-collared Piha and the charismatic Guianan Cock-of-the-rock will all be possible, as well as a staggering array of Venezuelan Andean endemics (including the newly split White-bearded Helmetcrest) and Tepui endemics. Wildlife opportunities will be abundant in the Llanos and Orinoco, with staggeringly beautiful scenery as a backdrop to these adventures.

Guyana, a small English-speaking South American country nestled on the Atlantic Coast between Venezuela and Suriname, has become recognized as one of South America’s top birding and wildlife destinations. Guyana also boasts one of the world’s most intact environments and some of the last relatively unexplored wildernesses on Earth. The variety of pristine habitats, from untouched lowland rainforests that stretch to the horizon and the endless Rupununi savannas, to arguably Earth’s most impressive waterfall, the mighty Kaieteur Falls, ensures

a birding and wildlife tour that cannot be more highly recommended! Locations we visit include Iwokrama, Atta Canopy Walkway, Surama and Karanambu Ranch. Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Gray-winged Trumpeter, Scarlet Ibis, Guianan Red Cotinga, Crimson Fruitcrow, the aberrant Capuchinbird and Harpy Eagle are among many birding highlights that can be anticipated. Mammals also form a major emphasis of this tour and we can expect species ranging from the amazing Giant Anteater to Giant River Otter, plus an excellent chance for Jaguar. Our Sun Parakeet & Red Siskin Extension takes us to remote savannas and forests in search of endangered birds including the stunning Sun Parakeet and Red Siskin, both decimated by the cage bird trade, as well as the highly localized Rio Branco Antbird and other little-known species.

bRAZIl, guYAnA & VeneZuelA

Blue

Man

akin

by

Dub

i Sha

piro

Harpy Eagle by Adam Riley

Sun Parakeet by Adam Riley

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

49

peru, a land of stark contrast and astounding beauty, boasts one of the largest bird lists in the world. What’s more, our comprehensive Classic Peru -

Machu Picchu to Manu tour includes the most important archaeological site in South America, magical Machu Picchu, where we will marvel at the most breathtaking architectural achievement of the New World. At the scenic Huacarpay Lakes, surrounded by Inca and pre-Inca ruins, we will seek a wide variety of high altitude birds, including the magnificent Andean Condor and Bearded Mountaineer. Descending the Andean slopes, we then bird through temperate zones and montane cloud forest, offering chances for an incredible variety of exciting and endemic species including Cerulean-capped and Yungas Manakin, White-rumped Hawk, Solitary Eagle, Crested Quetzal, Blue-banded Toucanet, the outrageous Amazonian Umbrellabird, Chestnut-crested Cotinga and Peruvian Piedtail. We also visit an Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek site, where up to 20 males congregate to perform their strange mating dance!

With persistence, night birding in this area might yield the uncommon Roraiman and Rufescent Screech Owl, Rufous-banded Owl and possibly even Andean Potoo. Continuing into the depths of the Amazon, we will explore the Manu Biosphere Reserve, spending several fabulous days in this avian wonderland. The number of star birds calling this their home is again mind-boggling, with stellar potentials including Rufous-headed Woodpecker, Manu Antbird, Elusive Antpitta, Razor-billed Curassow, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Pavonine Quetzal, Purus Jacamar, Sunbittern and Sungrebe, to name but a few. Marvelous Spatuletail, the mysterious Long-whiskered Owlet, Yellow-scarfed Tanager, Pale-billed Antpitta, Royal Sunangel, Lulu’s Tody-Tyrant … these are only some

of the mind-blowing species we’ll seek at just one of the premier birding areas we visit on our

comprehensive Northern Peru - Marañón Endemics & Marvelous

Spatuletail tour! Kicking off at the productive coastline, we then move inland

to bird the most up-to-date sites for the vast myriad of Tumbesian endemics, before we continue

into the very heart of the Marañón Valley. Some of the headline species we will enjoy in this region include Peruvian Plantcutter, flocks of Sulphur-throated Finches, White-winged Guan, Piura Chat-Tyrant, Tumbes Tyrant and Spotted Rail. Mammal opportunities include a high probability of encountering the elusive Spectacled Bear! Once in the Marañón drainage proper, we will seek out the whole suite of Marañón endemics including all four inca finches, Marañón Crescentchest, Koepcke’s Screech Owl and Yellow-faced Parrotlet. From the depths of this famous valley we continue to the highlands around Abra Patricia

sOuTH america // western

50Red-fronted Macaw by Dubi ShapiroYellow-scarfed Tanager by Dubi Shapiro

Mar

velo

us S

patu

leta

il by

Dub

i Sha

piro

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

for the mouth-watering species mentioned above – and much besides. We then descend the Eastern Andes into the foothills of the Amazonian lowlands where targets are many and include an Oilbird colony, the amazing hummingbird show at Wakanqi, Hairy-crested Antbird and numerous tanagers including the difficult Dotted. One of the clear highlights, however, will be a camping excursion for an attempt (with high probability of success!) at the recently described and extremely beautiful Scarlet-banded Barbet, amongst many other highly desirable lifers! We finally end the tour passing back across the Marañón drainage to Cajamarca, where the critically endangered and localized Gray-bellied Comet might be the last new bird of this unforgettable trip.

Bolivia is something akin to the “Andean Frontier” in birding. While new birds are certainly being discovered in Colombia and Peru, Bolivia remains the least-accessible

of all the Andean nations. Lucky for us, this is changing! Our Bolivia Mega Birding Tour covers it all: Yungas, Savanna, Chaco, Arid Montane Valleys and the Amazon Rainforest. While access to two Bolivian endemics remains elusive logistically, our tour features perhaps the two most iconic endangered endemics in the whole country: Red-fronted and Blue-throated Macaw! Those aside, Red-tailed Comet, Berlepsch’s Canastero, Scimitar-winged Piha, Slaty Gnateater, Plush-crested Jay, Blue-capped Puffleg, Titicaca Grebe, Bolivian Warbling Finch, Chestnut-crested Cotinga – the list of amazing Bolivian birds is endless! Yet birds alone are not the only allure to this culturally-intact and aware country. Breath-taking scenery in the High Andes puna, dramatic Andean canyons and vast savannas are the backdrop for a vibrant cultural diversity, which makes our experience in Bolivia’s remote wilderness all the more memorable. We look forward to having you join us on this ground-breaking tour.

bolIVIA & peRu

Diademed Plover by Niels Poul Dreyer

Buff-

fron

ted

Ow

l by

Ow

en D

euts

ch

Mac

hu P

icch

u sc

ener

y by

Ada

m R

iley

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

51

colombia has more bird species than any other country: the list is almost at a staggering 1,900, of which 72 are endemic! This massive diversity results

from the equally diverse habitats including three Andean Cordilleras, two inter-Andean valleys, the lowland forests of the Amazon and Orinoco regions and the isolated Santa Marta Mountains. Our Colombia - Andean Endemics tour focuses on the special birds within these areas. While our main tour explores the bird-rich Andean regions, our extension visits the Guajira Desert and Santa Marta Mountains on the northern coast. Targets include Bogota Rail, Northern Screamer, Yellow-eared Parrot, Buffy Helmetcrest (one of over 70 possible hummingbird species!), over a dozen antpitta species (many at feeding stations), Chestnut-capped Piha, Tanager Finch, Gold-ringed Tanager (over 60 tanager species can be expected), White-tipped Quetzal and a host of Santa Marta endemics. Colombia Highlights is a shorter version of our Andean Endemics tour, yet still covers all Andean ranges and inter-Andean valleys in search of Colombia’s specialties. We have handpicked only choice sites, resulting in proportionately less travel and more birding time, and an overall less intensive tour. We target a remarkable collection of birds, combined with spectacular scenery and pleasant lodges situated in prime birding areas.

For more adventurous birders, our ground-breaking Colombia 1,000 Birds Mega tour targets over 1,300 of Colombia’s birds and aim to encounter over 1,000 bird species in less than a month! This tour includes most of the sites of our Andean Endemics tour and Santa Marta Extension, as well as the exceptional Mitu region of Amazonian Colombia, where we will search for another 300 species not available on our other tours. Red-fan Parrot, Fiery Topaz, Pompadour Cotinga, Orinoco Piculet and Brown-banded Puffbird are but some of the spectacular birds that await us! This tour is a monumental New World birding experience; in fact, all our previous Mega Tours have achieved their 1,000 species goal, with our 2014 tour recording 10% (1044 species) of the world’s birds!!! One of our newest tours explores the least-visited sites in

Colombia that our other tours, and those of other companies, miss. Given the nature of most sites

on this epic birding adventure, we have dubbed it Remote Colombia. Our ground-

breaking route allows access to 45 endemics, and a bird list of well over 700! Beginning in Bogota, we head east for the rare Cundinamarca Antpitta and

Green-bellied Hummingbird, before journeying to Puerto Inirida for Pale-headed Jacamar, Orinoco Softtail,

Yellow-crested Manakin, Azure-naped Jay and other rare and spectacular species. We also explore the fantastic Choco lowlands for Choco Tinamou, Brown Wood Rail, Great Green Macaw, Rufous-crowned Antpitta, several near-endemic tanagers and the endemic Baudo Oropendola. We search Andean forests for Fuertes’s Parrot, Dusky-headed and Yellow-headed Brush Finch, Velvet-fronted Euphonia and Tolima Dove. Other targets include Urrao Antpitta, Dusky Starfrontlet and Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer. Our plans also include a visit to Sierra de Perija for five endemics found nowhere else!

Ecuador, boasting over 1,700 bird species, great infrastructure and spectacular scenery, offers the most productive and enjoyable birding experiences. Our Northern Ecuador - Birding the Andes to the Amazon adventure covers the west Andean slopes as we bird the exceptionally biodiverse cloudforests of the Tandayapa and Mindo Valleys. A highlight here is the famous antpitta show, which produces incredibly close encounters with several species of this tricky family! In the Antisana Reserve’s tundra-like grasslands we stand chances for numerous high altitude species, while we also spend two days at the fantastic Napo Wildlife Center, which alone boasts over 600 bird species! From the

sOuTH america // northern

52

Swor

d-bi

lled

Hum

min

gbird

by

Adam

Rile

y

Ecuadorian Hillstar by Dubi Shapiro

Brow

n-th

roat

ed T

hree

-toe

d Sl

oth

by R

aine

r Sum

mer

s

Banded Ground Cuckoo by Jonathan Rossouw

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

verdant Amazon to the endemic-rich Andes, this tour offers the very best birding in this remarkable country and comes highly recommended. Our Sani Extension takes us to the community owned Sani Lodge, affording opportunities for various Amazonian birds that are difficult-to-impossible to observe elsewhere. Targets include the endemic Cocha Antshrike, Black Bushbird, White-lored Antpitta and Varzea Schiffornis. Nearby river islands support Parker’s and White-bellied Spinetail, Black-and-white Antbird and Castelnau’s Antshrike, while Terra Firme forests across the Napo River host Rio Suno Antwren, Ash-throated Gnateater and many other species not found north of this river. To complete our Ecuador experience, our Northwest Ecuador Extension continues into the Choco lowlands where we search for such specials as Baudo Guan, Banded Ground Cuckoo, Sapayoa, Golden-chested and Blue-whiskered

Tanager, Scarlet-breasted Dacnis and many more!

Due to incredibly complex topography, Southern Ecuador boasts the world’s most diverse habitats, and our South Ecuador Endemics tour will sample seven distinct areas in search of numerous specialties. Targets include El Oro and White-breasted Parakeet, El Oro Tapaculo, Watkins’s and Jocotoco Antpitta, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Rainbow Starfrontlet and extremely localized Orange-throated Tanager. Our Shiripuno Amazon Adventure Extension takes us to the remote Shiripuno Lodge situated in upper Amazonia. Boasting over 450 species within walking distance of the lodge itself, targets include Nocturnal Curassow, Rufous Potoo, Ringed Woodpecker, Black-necked Red Cotinga, Lunulated and Wing-banded Antbird and Yasuni Antwren. To complete our Southern Ecuador endemic quest, our Cuenca Extension seeks several of the North Andes’ rarest species. Commencing in Cuenca, we will search for Crescent-faced Antpitta and Chestnut-bellied Cotinga, both known from only a handful of sites. We also visit Yunguilla for the critically endangered Pale-headed Brush Finch, while in Cajas NP we search for Violet-throated Metaltail, Ecuadorian Rail, Tit-like Dacnis and Giant Conebill, all the while surrounded by glorious peaks, glacial lakes and rolling paramos.

The Galapagos Islands need little introduction. The inspiration for Darwin’s theories on evolution, our navigation of these legendary isles affords us the chance to see nearly all the Galapagos endemics, aside from those on inaccessible islands. From various mockingbirds to tool-using finches, we will enjoy island birding every day, including such stellar seabirds as Galapagos Petrel and displaying Waved Albatross. Equally intriguing is the marine life, and we have the amazing opportunity to swim daily with sea turtles, Galapagos Penguins and playful sea lions, gaze upon fleets of eagle rays, or float above foraging Galapagos Sharks – the area’s underwater world is just as inspirational! Fine food, luxurious boat accommodations and excellent local guides will round out a complete Galapagos experience, which is something every nature lover should do at least once!

ecuAdoR, gAlÁpAgos IslAnds & colombIA

Hoatzins by Murray Cooper Photographing Nazca Boobies by Murray Cooper

Saffr

on-h

eade

d Pa

rrot

by

Mur

ray

Coop

er

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

53

panama is the perfect introduction to tropical American birding. This friendly and accessible country offers an array of typical Neotropical

species, as well as several endemics and birds difficult to find elsewhere. Our Best of Panama tour concentrates on three key areas. We spend several days at and around the famous Panama Canopy Tower, allowing us an unrivalled opportunity to explore the rainforest canopy of

Soberanía National Park from a bird’s eye view. Colorful tanagers, toucans

and honeycreepers can even be observed from our beds

or dining room!

Surrounding forest and wetland sites provide diverse birding, while mammal opportunities are excellent. Our next attraction is the Canopy Lodge in the delightful hill country of el Valle de Antón. Here we explore cloudforest and a new range of mouth-watering species! Continuing further south, we enter the vast rainforests of the Darien and its myriad of exciting birding opportunities. Key targets of this easy, exciting tour include Harpy Eagle, Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo, the endemic Veraguan Mango, stunning Blue Cotinga, Ocellated and Wing-banded Antbird, Rosy Thrush-Tanager and the bizarre Sapayoa. The Chiriquí Highlands Extension rounds off our very thorough exploration of Panama; these productive cloud forests are a birder's delight. Potential highlights here are the plethora of hyperactive hummers including Volcano Hummingbird, Black-and-yellow Phainoptila (Silky-flycatcher), Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Turquoise Cotinga, Three-wattled Bellbird, Collared Whitestart and Flame-throated Warbler; although the Resplendent Quetzal show will be hard to beat!

Spectacular volcanoes and fabulous highland lakes take centre stage in our Guatemala - Central American Specialties tour. While this region is probably best known for its shade coffee productions, local people have developed a strong environmental bond and an understanding of ecotourism, which has resulted in much of the remaining highland forest being protected. Even the coffee fincas offer superb birding! At this time of year

Guatemala teems with northern migrants, but we will also search for a host of special residents that include the incomparable Resplendent Quetzal, cute Pink-

headed Warbler, Fulvous Owl, Rufous Sabrewing, Blue-throated Motmot, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Prevost’s Ground Sparrow and the localized Azure-rumped Tanager. A day will be devoted to

hiking the slopes of the impressive San Pedro Volcano in search of one of the world’s most

prized birds: the fabulous Horned Guan. Our pre-tour Atlantic Slope

Extension takes us to

eastern Guatemala in

search of several habitat- specific species, including Russet-crowned Motmot, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Lesser Ground Cuckoo, Canivet’s Emerald and Plain-capped Starthroat. We also explore the humid broad-leaved forest of Cerro San Gil Reserve where species such as Red-throated Ant Tanager, Keel-billed Tody, Slate-colored Solitaire, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager and Scaled Antpitta occur! Finally we explore the Mayan Quiriguá Ruins where splendid monuments and birds such as Rufous-breasted Spinetail will end off a fine introduction to Guatemala.

Our post-tour Tikal Extension not only takes time to explore the remarkable Mayan ruins that dominate this

region, but also targets such highly sought-after species as the glittering Ocellated Turkey, Orange-breasted Falcon, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Mexican Antthrush, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, Northern Royal Flycatcher and the

cenTral america //

54

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Resp

lend

ent Q

uetz

al b

y Vi

vek

Khan

doze

Rosy

Thr

ush-

Tana

ger b

y Ad

am R

iley

Spot

ted

Ant

bird

by

Adam

Rile

y

pAnAmA, costA RIcA, honduRAs, guAtemAlA & belIZe

impressive Great Curassow.

The newest addition to our Central American suite of birding tours are the hospitable countries of Belize and Honduras! Both nations occupy an important migratory zone of north western Central America. Tiny Belize, the only English speaking Central American nation, supports the highest density of Jaguar on Earth and claims the world’s second largest barrier reef. Belize’s neighbour, Honduras, may well be Central America’s best kept wildlife secret. A biodiversity hotspot, it supports over 700 bird species, playing host to over 30 separate cloud forests. These countries cover a diverse range of landscapes and habitats from cloud- and rainforests, coral reefs and caves off the Caribbean coast, to swamps, lagoons and pine savanna grasslands. Our very relaxed Best of Belize and Best of Honduras tours – which can either be undertaken as completely separate or linked departures – target a rich assemblage of Neotropical, Yucatan and overwintering North American warblers, including every possible endemic and many near-endemic species in the area; and, using the services of local bird specialists at each site, we guarantee an impressive success rate in observing such speciality species as Orange-breasted Falcon, Keel-billed Motmot and Lovely Cotinga. The awesome birdlife is further augmented by ease of travel, luxury lodges, super-friendly people and fine cuisine, making these thoroughly enjoyable adventures for both hardcore and casual birders alike.

The small nation of Costa Rica has geared itself heavily towards birding tours, developing a superb infrastructure to service the numerous visiting birders, and with over 850 species it is easy to understand why! The backbone of the country is formed by a scenic mountain range, and here the cloud forests are home to exotic species such as the unbelievable Resplendent Quetzal, Black Guan, Snowcap, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Golden-browed Chlorophonia and Spangle-cheeked Tanager, plus a plethora of striking trogons, toucans, motmots, other hummingbirds and migrant warblers. Thrilling birding, quality lodges and a relaxed pace make this destination perfect for anyone who has yet to experience the exciting avifauna of Central America!

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

55

Hor

ned

Gua

n by

Ada

m R

iley

Keel

-bill

ed To

ucan

by

Adam

Rile

y

Viol

et-c

row

ned

Woo

dnym

ph b

y Ad

am R

iley

The constellation of tropical islands across the Caribbean Sea boast a regional bird endemism rate of over 25% and are home to more than 560 bird species,

many of which are threatened or endangered. Rockjumper offers four back-to-back Caribbean tours covering the major islands making up the Greater Antilles: Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. Our Mexico - Yucatan Extension (refer to pg 59) has also been strategically placed alongside our Cuban departures for participants traveling to Cuba via Cancun who would like to explore this endemic-rich region of Mexico.

Cuba, just 90 miles south of Florida, is the largest island in the Caribbean, and offers an impressive 28 endemics, numerous Caribbean specials, and a rich assemblage of overwintering migrants. Our comprehensive Caribbean Endemic Birding tour targets all Cuban endemic and near-endemic species, except the remote Cuban Kite. Wide use of local knowledge results in an impressive success rate at observing the island’s amazing avian diversity and endemic wildlife. From the world’s smallest bird, the miniscule Bee Hummingbird, to such sought-after species as Giant Kingbird, we hope to observe the avian gems of this beautiful island, including the cute Cuban Tody, lattice-tailed Cuban Trogon, localized Zapata Wren, rare Stygian Owl, and no less than four species of stunning quail-doves! Given the relaxed pace and vibrant culture surrounding us, Cuba is an absolute pleasure to bird.

The Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation, straddling the eastern half of arguably the most beautiful of all the Caribbean islands, Hispaniola. This island boasts an impressive variety of endemic and range-restricted birds, including six endemic genera and the monotypic Palmchat, the sole representative of its own bird family! Our comprehensive tour is co-led by the nation’s top birder and takes us through all the habitats necessary to target the island’s specialties, from dry thorn scrub to montane pine forest. Some of our numerous targets include the rare Ridgway’s Hawk, Ashy-faced Owl, Least Poorwill, White-fronted Quail-Dove, Hispaniolan Amazon, Bay-breasted Cuckoo, both Broad-billed and

cenTral america // the caribbean

56Red-billed Streamertail by Owen Deutsch Ashy-faced Owl by Dubi Shapiro

Cuban Tody by Adam Riley

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Narrow-billed Tody, Hispaniolan Trogon, Hispaniolan Woodpecker, White-necked Crow, White-winged Warbler and Hispaniolan Crossbill.

A tropical paradise with palm-fringed beaches, reggae music and a generally relaxed lifestyle, Jamaica is also blessed with 28 mouth-watering endemics. Our

tour across this rugged island explores

habitats from

evergreen mountain forests to idyllic beaches

and ultramarine coastal waters and we target all of Jamaica’s endemic bird species, while also allowing time to soak up the unique atmosphere of the island. Some of the special birds we specifically seek include the spectacular Red-billed Streamertail, Jamaican

Tody, Jamaican Pewee, Jamaican Vireo, Arrowhead Warbler, charming Jamaican Mango, Orangequit, Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo, Jamaican Woodpecker – and much besides.

Puerto Rico is simply incredible! With all the modern conveniences of infrastructure and birding in the United States, and the tropical warmth and allure of the Caribbean, it can’t be beat! All of the endemics of this small, accessible island will be sought during our time here, from the near-mythical Puerto Rican Amazon, to perhaps the prettiest of all New World Woodpeckers, the Puerto Rican Woodpecker. In fact, we hope for a clean sweep of all 17 Puerto Rican Endemics! While Adelaide’s Warbler and Puerto Rican Tody might top the list of most beautiful birds on the island, Puerto Rican Lizard Cuckoo and Antillean Crested Hummingbird are usually near the top of the favorites list. From humid montane forests to arid coastal scrub and beaches, we will enjoy the best of Puerto Rico.

The islands of Trinidad & Tobago lie just off the Coast of South America, where they benefit from a Caribbean climate and culture, but have a distinctly South American avian affinity. With a mix of Caribbean and purely Trinidadian endemic birds, and more widespread Caribbean and South

cubA, jAmAIcA, domInIcAn RepublIc, pueRto RIco, lesseR AntIlles & tRInIdAd And tobAgo

American species, it is no wonder that many birders get their neotropical birding beginnings amongst the beautiful hills, forests, mangroves and beaches of these pleasant island nations. The pace of this tour is a delightful mix of exciting mixed flocks in montane forests and leisurely feeder-gazing over afternoon tea and snacks. From Bearded Bellbirds off the veranda at Asa Wright, to watching White-tailed Sabrewing in full view of the Caribbean Sea, this tour is a fabulous introduction to most of the Neotropical bird families and is enjoyable for both novices and hardcore birders alike.

Our Lesser Antilles tour is an epic adventure, covering 6 countries and 10 islands in the quest to seek out all the single island and Lesser Antillean Endemics. Starting from Barbados – the most easterly of the islands – we embark on numerous short hops to Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Barbuda and, ultimately, Antigua. Hosting 14 single island endemics, 17 Lesser Antillean endemics, 14 Caribbean endemics and upwards of 8 potential splits, this travel intensive but birding relaxed tour appeals to the birder, twitcher and photographer alike and promises to be one of our future birding highlights!Cu

ban

Trog

on b

y Ad

am R

iley

Scar

let I

bis

by A

dam

Rile

y

Bee

Hum

min

gbird

by

Rich

Lin

die

Blue

-hea

ded

Qua

il-D

ove

by Jo

hn C

arly

on

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

57

south Texas is a birder’s paradise at any time of the year, but especially during late winter when the spectacular array of resident birds are joined by an

abundance of wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. Our Texas - Whooping Cranes & the Lower Rio Grande Valley tour makes a comprehensive loop through the region’s birding hotspots. Photo opportunities will abound on this comfortable tour. Targets include the incomparable Whooping Crane, Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, White-tailed Hawk, Plain Chachalaca, Long-billed Thrasher and Olive Sparrow. Our extension to West Texas takes in the desert of the far west, where we will seek Varied Bunting, Scott’s Oriole and Gambel’s Quail, while grasslands targets include Black-chinned Sparrow and Montezuma Quail. The stunning vistas and lush montane and riparian forests of Big Bend National Park, and the Davis Mountains, will be our focus as we seek out such specialties as Lucifer Sheartail (Hummingbird), Elf Owl, Crissal Thrasher and the near-endemic Colima Warbler. We will enjoy fine accommodations and delicious southern cuisine while in one of the most remote and least-populated regions of the United States.

Our Arizona - Best of the Southwest tour takes it all in! While the “Sky Islands” are essential to any Arizona visit, replete with 10 species of hummingbird, 8 species of owl, Elegant Trogon, Arizona Woodpecker, Painted Whitestart,

Red-faced Warbler and many others, we will also incorporate time in the Sonoran desert and the higher Rocky Mountains. Gilded Flicker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Dusky Grouse and Le Conte’s Thrasher are as much a part of Arizona as the special Mexican species, and we will enjoy them all! Timing our tour with the peak of Spring migration, we can expect over 400 species in one of the most arid areas of the United States! Wildlife is also abundant, with Black Bear, Ringtail, Mexican Coati and Abert’s (Tufted-eared) Squirrel all possible.

Though Colorado is generally known as the Centennial or Colombine State, birders know it as “The Chicken State”! Our Colorado - The Prairie Chicken Tour takes us through topography ranging from the expansive grasslands of southeast Colorado, up onto the high plains and into the deep forests and alpine tundra of the Rocky Mountains in search of the state’s wildfowl. Expected highlights include displaying Greater and Lesser Prairie Chicken, Sage and Gunnison Grouse, Sharp-tailed and Sooty Grouse, Mountain Plover, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Rough-legged Hawk, Pinyon Jay and McCown’s Longspur, among many others! California is much more than just gorgeous beaches and amazing wine: it also boasts the highest bird list (neck-and-neck with Texas) of any state in the Union. The diversity of habitats not only hosts over 600 species, but includes several birds endemic to the state, as well as restricted habitats such

as Coastal sagebrush, Sierra Nevada alpine forest, and rich coastal waters with the best pelagic birding in the Northern Hemisphere, along with many Western US specialties. In under two weeks, we will explore the beautiful coastlines, offshore water, various montane habitats and even the Mojave Desert for such enticing species as Ashy, Black and Least Storm Petrel, Black-vented Shearwater, Black Turnstone, California Gnatcatcher, Mountain Quail, Bell’s Sparrow and many, many more. We will round out this lovely travel experience by taking time to enjoy the fine food and local vintages in the region.

Hawaii is Earth’s most remote archipelago, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and consequently with a high degree of faunal and floral endemism. Our tour to Hawaii covers the four major islands searching for some of the most critically endangered birds on the planet, combined with fantastic scenery and phenomenal underwater life. Targets include the bizarre Akiapola’au, endangered Bristle-thighed Curlew,

nOrTH america //

58

Shar

p-ta

iled

Gro

use

by M

arku

s Li

lje

'I'iw

i by

Ow

en D

euts

ch

Blac

kbur

nian

War

bler

by

Ow

en D

euts

ch

Bris

tle-t

high

ed C

urle

w b

y D

avid

Sha

ckel

ford

Thes

e to

urs

are

also

ava

ilab

le a

s cu

stom

ized

priv

ate

dep

artu

res

Hawaiian Petrel, Fairy Tern, nesting Laysan Albatross, I’iwi, Akohekohe (Crested Honeycreeper), Akikiki (Kauai Creeper), Akepa and Palila. Join us as we focus on these surviving endemic forest species, seabirds and other Hawaiian specialties, combined with the riches of this fabulous chain of picturesque tropical islands!

With thousands of miles of coastline, the highest mountains on the continent and vast wildernesses, Alaska is a must for all adventurers in search of unforgettable birds and wildlife set within unrivalled beauty. The first of our suite of tours is Nome & the Seward Peninsula, timed for when the birds and wildlife are at their most abundant. We can expect a host of fine Arctic and Asian birds, including Bristle-thighed Curlew, Gyrfalcon, Hoary Redpoll and Bluethroat, with chances for Emperor Goose, Terek Sandpiper, Siberian Rubythroat and other rarities. The mammal highlight will be the remarkable Musk Ox. Next on our Alaskan Adventure is Barrow - the High Arctic where the focus will be three-fold: Snowy Owls, High Arctic breeding waterfowl and waders, and if we are fortunate, the iconic Polar Bear! Spectacled and Steller’s Eiders will undoubtedly be highlights, and besides the regular breeding shorebirds we will also seek Asian vagrants during this unforgettable visit to the northernmost settlement of the USA. No Alaskan experience is complete without traveling through Denali

& Kenai, and this tour is by far the most diverse offering in this dramatically scenic region. Activities include a boat ride through Kenai Fjords for auklets, puffins, murrelets, whales, Sea Otters and Orca, and exploring the Denali highway for Smith’s Longspur, Arctic Warbler and Rock and Willow Ptarmigan, with excellent chances of bears and wolves. We then search the lush forests around Anchorage for American Three-toed Woodpecker, Varied Thrush, Pine Grosbeak and more. Our final stop are the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea which boast an impressive list of Asian migrants and our visit is timed for optimum viewing of the massive breeding colonies of alcids both kittiwakes and the charismatic Red-faced Cormorant. While we will surely encounter an Asian species or two during our stay, the highlights of this visit will likely be experiencing the antics of these endearing, photogenic, cliff breeding seabirds. When it comes to Bering Sea birding and photography, there’s nowhere better than the Pribs!

Mexico boasts a list of over 110 endemic bird species, including such specials as Long-tailed and Bearded Wood Partridge, Thick-billed Parrot, the miniscule Bumblebee Hummingbird, striking Tufted Jay, Giant Wren, and dazzling Orange-breasted and Rose-bellied Bunting! Combined with easy travel, delicious and varied local cuisine, and some of the most diverse and stunning scenery north of the Equator,

Mexico makes for a birder’s paradise! We are currently developing a suite of tours that focus on Mexican endemic species. The two tours we will offer cover all of the best birding sites in Oaxaca, Veracruz and Chiapas, including the culturally fascinating Monte Alban and breathtaking Sumidero Canyon. Extensions will range north to the Balsas Drainage and Sinaloa in search of Elegant and Banded Quail, Purplish-backed and San Blas Jay, Balsas Screech Owl, and much more beside.

Our Yucatan Extension is offered in conjunction with our Cuba tours. During this week-long exploration we expect to notch up an impressive 250 bird species, including 14 endemics and another 8 near-endemics. Habitats we cover include the scrub and forest of Tulum, coastal estuaries and mangroves of Rio Lagartos, the endemic-rich island of Cozumel and the deep forests that envelope the Coba ruins. Some of our targets include the remarkable Ocellated Turkey, Yucatan Bobwhite, Yucatan Amazon, Yucatan Poorwill, Yucatan Woodpecker, Yucatan Jay, Yucatan Wren, Black Catbird, Mexican Sheartail, Cozumel Emerald and Rose-throated Tanager. Aside from brilliant birds, our exploration also includes delicious food, breathtaking Mayan architecture and beautiful, white sand beaches, all of which combine to create a very relaxing and enjoyable birding experience.

meXIco & usA including AlAsKA & hAWAII

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

Yucatan Jay by Owen Deutsch Musk Oxen by Adam Riley

59

spitsbergen lies a mere 600 miles from the North Pole and is the largest island of the Svalbard Archipelago. Draped in darkness during the long northern winter,

this frigid land is dramatically transformed into a place of perpetual sunshine during our summer cruises. The scenery is nothing short of breathtaking, with towering snowcapped mountains, forbidding glaciers and flower-studded tundra. The abundance of iconic Arctic mammals is a major attraction, including whales, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Reindeer and, of course, one of our primary tour targets, the fabulous Polar Bear, of which we stand an excellent chance of close and personal encounters. Avian specialties include the ghost-like Ivory Gull, King Eider and vast colonies of breeding alcids, including Little Auks (Dovekies) and Atlantic Puffins.

Our Russian Far East cruises explore some of the richest seas in the northern hemisphere and take us to some of the planet’s most remote lands and islands, little explored by naturalists and largely untouched by the modern world. Our Russia’s Ring of Fire cruise explores three quite distinct and unique geographical regions: the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Commander and Kuril Islands. Referred

to as the “Ring of Fire” for the prevalence of its impressive and active volcanoes, this wilderness still supports spectacular numbers of wildlife. These range from a dozen alcid species, including the sought-after and uniquely bedecked Whiskered Auklet, to healthy Sea Otter and Orca populations. We also have excellent chances for finding a number of superb cetaceans, Steller’s Sea Lion, Brown Bear, and outstanding birds, such as Steller’s Sea Eagle, Short-tailed Albatross and numerous Asian passerines. Little known outside of Russia and seldom visited by westerners, Russia’s Sea of Okhotsk dominates the Northwest Pacific. Bounded to the north and west by the Russian continent and the Kamchatka Peninsula to the east, with the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island guarding the southern border, it is almost entirely landlocked. Its coasts were once home to a number of groups of indigenous people: the Nivkhi, Oroki, Even and Itelmen, and their traditional name for this sea simply translates as “Sea of Hunters”, which gives us a clue as to the abundant wildlife to be found here. Possible species include Steller’s Sea Eagle,

Whiskered and Parakeet Auklet, Red-faced Cormorant, Horned Puffin, Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, Short-tailed Shearwater, Beluga, Bowhead, Northern Right and Fin Whale, the stunning Ribbon Seal, Siberian Musk Deer, Big Horned Sheep and even chances for Wolverine. Siberia’s Forgotten Coast expedition takes us to one of the remotest coastlines on earth in search of some very special birds and

wildlife. Primary on our list of targets is the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, of which

fewer than 200 pairs are thought to now make the annual migration to Northern Kamchatka and Chukotka to breed. Other potential highlights on this epic adventure include an incredible 13 species of alcids, Red-legged Kittiwake and Emperor Goose. The seas also support

a rich diversity of cetaceans as well as Walrus, while on the surrounding

coastline we will look for Brown Bear, Kamchatka

Marmot and Arctic Fox. Our Jewel of the

Russian Far East cruise explores

cruises // arctic & north pacific oceans

60

Pola

r Bea

r and

zod

iac

by E

lliot

t Nee

p

Stel

ler's

Sea

Eag

le b

y N

ima

Sarik

hani

a previously off-limits area to foreigners and includes the Koryak and Kamchatka coastlines, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, as well as two full days at the Commander Islands. Birdlife is prolific with thousands upon thousands of birds migrating to the region in Spring and Summer to take advantage of the abundant food in the surrounding seas. This area is also home to large numbers of Brown Bears and Western Gray Whales, and we should have numerous sightings of both. Across the Top of the World takes us literally across the top of the world as we sail through the Bering Straits to Wrangel and Herald Islands, home to high densities of Polar Bears, Walrus, Musk Ox, Snowy Owl, Snow Goose, Ross’s and Ivory Gull and other High Arctic fauna. These islands are so special that Woolly Mammoths survived on Wrangel until 1,650BC, thousands of years after dying out elsewhere! This fascinating voyage is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to visit the world’s most remote inhabited region.

The Northwest Passage is one of our planet's most historic and elusive sea routes, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Canada’s High Arctic. Join us as we sail in comfort through this dramatic wilderness, first explored by Barrow, Parry and Franklin almost a century ago – and little changed since those earlier times. Herds of Walrus, rafts of seals, pods of whales, prehistoric-looking Musk Ox and the mighty Polar Bear are all targets. The Canadian Arctic is also host to numerous special birds, including Ivory Gull, King Eider, Gyrfalcon, Snowy Owl and Snow Bunting, to name just a tiny few.

The Pacific Pelagic Odyssey is offered as an extension to the South West Pacific Odyssey cruise (see page 40). It takes us north to Japan and crosses deep into the equatorial ocean desert. Departing from Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, we traverse the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer, finally concluding in Yokohama, Japan. Targets include Short-tailed Albatross, Tristram’s and Matsudaira’s Storm Petrel, Japanese Murrelet and several Caroline Islands endemics. Both these cruises can be undertaken as completely separate expeditions or linked together for a more fully comprehensive Pacific adventure.

cAnAdIAn ARctIc, spItsbeRgen & RussIAn fAR eAst

Ivory Gulls by David Semler King Eider by Ignacio Yúfera

Red Phalarope by Ignacio Yúfera

Whiskered Auklet by Adam Riley

Arctic Fox by Ignacio Yúfera

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

61

Our Classic Antarctica cruise is a ‘must’ for every wildlife and nature enthusiast, and we guarantee that you will return not only enriched but totally

blown-away by this experience of a lifetime! During this incredible journey we will explore the remote Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Shetlands and, finally, the Antarctic continent. Along the way we will marvel at some of the world’s last truly pristine wildernesses and be treated to spectacular vistas, hauntingly beautiful icebergs and the planet’s greatest concentrations of marine wildlife. Walking amongst vast, crowded nesting colonies of over 200,000 displaying King Penguins and their fluffy young is an experience that defies description. We will also set foot on Antarctica at the aptly named Paradise Bay, while our return via the Drake Passage promises to produce some

thrilling pelagic birding, as we search for species including Wandering and Light-mantled Albatross, Snow and Antarctic Petrel, and South Georgia Diving Petrel. This cruise also offers unbeatable photographic opportunities, and some of our departures will have onboard specialist Rockjumper birding leaders along with highly experienced expedition leaders.

Our Antarctic Peninsula Adventure cruise is a shorter excursion, aimed at those with less time who nonetheless wish to experience a wide array of fantastic Antarctic fauna against the scenically unmatched backdrop of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. This tour takes us

through the seabird-rich waters of the Southern Ocean to bustling penguin colonies on the shores of the

Great White Continent.

Sailing in comfort aboard our ice-strengthened vessel, our Weddell Sea - Emperor Penguin Helicopter Expedition is a 10-night cruise from Ushuaia through the Beagle Chan-nel and across the Drake Passage, pelagic birding en route, to our ultimate destination, the famous Emperor Penguin rookery on Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea. Along the way we will enjoy selected landings at remarkable sites on the Antarctic Continent and South Shetland Islands where we will encounter several other penguin species. Our ship’s high-class ice-rating will ensure that our captain can do his utmost to position the vessel close enough to Snow Hill Is-land to allow for ship-to-shore helicopter transfers to within walking distance from the Emperor Penguin rookery. To maximize our chances of success, we have allocated three full days to visit the Emperor Penguins by helicopters. If we succeed during the first two days, we will enjoy an alterna-tive landing in the Weddell Sea, possibly Paulet Island with 100,000 pairs of Adelie Penguins! This voyage is truly an incredible opportunity, and we invite you to join us on this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Our Atlantic Odyssey expedition is an epic 32-day adventure that traverses some of the most interesting and

cruises // southern & atlantic oceans

62Chinstrap Penguin by Marius CoetzeeSouthern Elephant Seal bull by David Shackelford

Wan

derin

g A

lbat

ross

by

Mar

kus

Lilje

least explored areas in the Southern Ocean; besides the Antarctic Peninsula, we plan to stop at numerous islands including Deception, Paulet, South Orkneys, South Georgia, Gough, Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, St. Helena and Ascension. We also offer a 7-day, post-tour Ascension Island to Cape Verdes extension, which will see us crossing the equator while witnessing the northbound spring migration of birds. Special targets of this cruise include Northern Rockhopper Penguin, Ascension Frigatebird, Gough Island Moorhen, Inaccessible Island Rail, St Helena Plover, Tristan Thrush, Gough Bunting and a mind-boggling variety of pelagic species.

Our Galápagos of the Southern Ocean cruise sets off from New Zealand, from where we explore four groups of Subantarctic islands: the Snares, Auckland, Macquarie and Campbell Islands. These waters support the richest seabird assemblage on Earth, plus an impressive diversity of endemic land birds and waterfowl. Vast penguin and seabird colonies include the entire world population of 850,000 pairs of Royal Penguins on Macquarie! Other highlights include Campbell Albatross, White-headed Petrel, Fulmar Prion and numerous other pelagic species, Snares Penguin, Macquarie Shag, Auckland and Campbell Teal and Subantarctic Snipe. This cruise offers a unique opportunity to visit these remote and little-known islands and their teeming wildlife.

AntARctIcA, subAntARctIc IslAnds & AtlAntIc IslAnds

King Penguin colony by Marius CoetzeeSnow Petrel by Markus Lilje

Det

aile

d it

iner

arie

s, tr

ip re

por

ts, p

hoto

gal

lerie

s an

d o

ther

info

rmat

ion

can

be

foun

d a

t ww

w.ro

ckju

mp

erb

irdin

g.c

om

63

A huge thanks to all the photographers (guides and friends of Rockjumper) whose phenomenal images grace the pages of our tour catalogue. If you would like to purchase any images or simply see more of their work please visit the following websites:

www.bird-stockphotos.photoshelter.com Adam Riley, Forrest Rowland, Markus Lilje, Owen deutsch, Glen Valentine, Keith Valentine, david Hoddinott, Rainer Summers, david Erteriuswww.oryxphotography.com Marius Coetzee, Elliott neep, dale Morris www.shutterstock.com/g/richlindie Rich Lindiewww.birdinfo.co.za Hugh Chittendenwww.pbase.com/dubisha dubi Shapirowww.iyufera.com Ignacio Yúferawww.mindenpictures.com Murray Cooperwww.jaripeltomaki.com Jari Peltomäkiwww.dreyerfoto.dk niels Poul dreyerwww.mladvaswildlife.com Mladen Vasilevwww.flickr.com/photos/robertccy Robert Chongwww.500px.com/NimaSarikhani nima Sarikhani

John Carlyon, Matthew Matthiessen, dave Chantler, James Wakelin, Jonathan Rossouw, Mike Pope, david Shackelford, Colin Valentine, Luis Segura, Steven Phillips, david Semler

Flame Bowerbird on his bower by Markus Lilje

TOuR SCHEduLE & RATESPlease refer to www.rockjumperbirding.com for the latest rates and tour information or

email us at info@rockjumperbirding.com for an electronic version that you can print out.

Rockjumper Birding Tours is proud to be associated with these companies and organizations:

SATIB Insured

Recommended Partner

Red-necked Tanager by Dubi Shapiro

Birds & Business Alliance member