Raptor Research Foundation 2018 Meeting

Post-Conference Raptor Tour, 17-23 November

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The Raptor Research Foundation will hold its 2018 Annual Meeting in Kruger National Park, South Africa, on November 12-16, 2018. South Africa has a wonderful variety of diurnal raptors, and this meeting represents an excellent opportunity to visit the country and get to know its raptors.

This 7-day tour is designed to see many of the raptors regularly occurring in South Africa in the Austral mid-spring. We will spend lots of time during this tour discussing the biology of the myriad of raptors we will be seeing, as well as their identification. While the focus of this trip is on raptors, we will see many other birds and animals. 

We start this tour right after the RRF Conference and spend 4 days exploring different areas of the huge Kruger Park. We head back leisurely to Johannesburg (Jo’burg) with stops to look for Bat Hawk and Taita Falcon. Our last day will be around Jo’burg to find selected raptors. 

We should see well more than 30 species of diurnal raptors and a few owls, as well as many other species of birds and some mammals, including big cats. 

Our Guide will be Bill Clark, senior author of the upcoming African Raptors, a field guide to the raptors of Africa. Each participant will receive a copy of this guide at the start of the tour. Coleader will be André Botha, conference organizer. André will discuss the biology of the various raptors we encounter.

 

Learn hands-on with the guy that wrote the book!

Bill Clark leads this Post-Conference raptor tour. He is a co-author of the ultimate field guide to the African Raptors.

All tour participants will get a signed copy of the new book upon meeting with Bill in Jo’burg!

The new field guide covers 106 species of dirunal raptors occurring in Africa, featuring stunning 52 color plates, and more than 300 color photographs.

You can’t get it anywhere else until 9 October 2018, so you might as well secure your copy here, now, and Bill will sign it and give to you, when you meet in South Africa! 

 

 

 

 

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

November 17

After breakfast at Skukuza Rest camp, we will check out and slowly drive north looking for big game and raptors. Our chances for leopard, rhino, and wild dogs are good in the next four days. In Kruger Park, we should seek Lappet-faced Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Cape Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Tawny Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Martial Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Secretarybird and others. Dinner and overnight at Letaba Rest Camp.

Day 2

November 18

All day looking for raptors, other birds, and big game. We should also see Yellow-billed Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, and Shikra. Dinner and overnight at Letaba Rest Camp.

Day 3

November 19

After breakfast, we will again drive north into the northern part of Kruger. He habitat is somewhat different and we should see different ratio of species, including Gabar Goshawk. Dinner and overnight at Shingwedzi Rest Camp.

Day 4

November 20

After breakfast, we go to the northern part of Kruger. Here we will search for Lizard Buzzard, Dickinson’s Kestrel, and Dark Changing Goshawk. Dinner and overnight at Punda Maria Rest Camp.

Day 5

November 21

After breakfast, we leave Kruger Park and climb up the Escarpment into the high veld. In this different habitat, we can expect to see different species including African Goshawk, Black Sparrowhawk, Jackal Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, and perhaps Africa Cuckoo Hawk. We will visit a Bat Hawk breeding site. Dinner and overnight at the Magoebaskloof Hotel.

Day 6

November 22

After breakfast, we will slowly travel to Jo’burg, stopping at areas of breeding Taita Falcon. We will see other species of raptors enroute, possibly Peregrine Falcon and Crowned Eagle. Dinner and overnight at the Black Eagle Boutique Hotel.

Day 7

November 23

Breakfast at the hotel. Early morning at the Botanical Gardens to look for and Verreaux’s Eagle and other raptors. Then visit a veterinary farm with a local guide in the morning to target Ovambo, and Little Sparrowhawks, and Ayres’s Eagle. Then head to JNB airport where the Post-Conference Raptor Tour ends, and drop off participants no later than 5 pm. Alternatively, transfer to the Blue Mango Lodge and spend an extra night in Johannesburg (not included).

 

Target Species

common name

1. Sercretarybird (VU)
2. Black-shouldered Kite (LC)
3. African Harrier-Hawk (LC)
4. African Cuckoo-Hawk (LC)
5. Hooded Vulture (CR)
6. White-backed Vulture (CR)
7. Cape Vulture (EN)
8. White-headed Vulture (CR)
9. Lappet-faced Vulture (EN)
10. Black-chested Snake Eagle (LC)
11. Brown Snake Eagle (LC)
12. Bateleur (NT)
13. Bat Hawk (LC)
14. Crowned Eagle (NT)
15. Martial Eagle (VU)
16. Long-crested Eagle (LC)
17. Wahlberg’s Eagle (LC)
18. Booted Eagle (LC)
19. Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle (LC)
20. Tawny Eagle (LC)
21. Verreaux’s Eagle (LC)
22. African Hawk-Eagle (LC)
23. Lizard Buzzard (LC)
24. Gabar Goshawk (LC)
25. Dark Chanting Goshawk (LC)
26. Pale Chanting Goshawk (LC)
27. African Goshawk (LC)
28. Shikra (LC)
29. Little Sparrowhawk (LC)
30. Ovambo Sparrowhawk (LC)
31. Black Sparrowhawk (LC)
32. Yellow-billed Kite (N/A)
33. African Fish Eagle (LC)
34. Forest Buzzard (LC)
35. Jackal Buzzard (LC)
36. Rock Kestrel (LC)
37. Greater Kestrel (LC)
38. Dickinson’s Kestrel (LC)
39. Red-necked Falcon (NT)
40. Amur Falcon (LC)
41. Lanner Falcon (LC)
42. Peregrine Falcon (LC)
43. Taita Falcon (VU)

latin name

1. Sagittarius serpentarius
2. Elanus caeruleus
3. Polyboroides typus
4. Aviceda cuculoides
5. Necrosyrtes monachus
6. Gyps africanus
7. Gyps coprotheres
8. Trigonoceps occipitalis
9. Torgos tracheliotos
10. Circaetus pectoralis
11. Circaetus cinereus
12. Terathopius ecaudatus
13. Macheiramphus alcinus
14. Stephanoaetus coronatus
15. Polemaetus bellicosus
16. Lophaetus occipitalis
17. Hieraaetus wahlbergi
18. Hieraaetus pennatus
19. Hieraaetus ayresii
20. Aquila rapax
21. Aquila verreauxii
22. Aquila spilogaster
23. Kaupifalco monogrammicus
24. Micronisus gabar
25. Melierax metabates
26. Melierax canorus
27. Accipiter tachiro
28. Accipiter badius
29. Accipiter minullus
30. Accipiter ovampensis
31. Accipiter melanoleucus
32. Milvus aegyptius
33. Haliaeetus vocifer
34. Buteo trizonatus
35. Buteo rufofuscus
36. Falco rupicolus
37. Falco rupicoloides
38. Falco dickinsoni
39. Falco chicquera 
40. Falco amurensis
41. Falco biarmicus
42. Falco peregrinus
43. Falco fasciinucha

Suggested Field Guides

CHITTENDEN, H.,‎ G. DAVIES,‎ and I. WEIERSBYE. 2016. Roberts Bird Guide. Second Edition. Paperback. Jacana Media. (Get it at Amazon.com)

Ferguson-Lees, J., and D.A. Christie. 2005. Raptors of the World. Paperback Edition. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.

OBERPRIELER, U. and B. CILLIE. 2009 (or 2012). The Raptor Guide to Southern Africa. Sunbird Publishers Ltd.

Sinclair, I., Hockey, P., Tarboton, W., and P. Ryan. 2011. Birds of Southern Africa: Fourth Edition. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. (Get it at Amazon.com)

Need to Know

Tour Dates & Availability

17–23 November 2018 | 8 Places

 

Group Size Limits

4-10 Participants

 

Combine it with

Our Pre-Conference Raptour, 3-11 November

 

Tour Price

Reservation fee US$200 (requested at the time of booking).

Tour price is US$2,900 and includes hotels (double occupancy), park conservation fees, ground transportation, a signed copy of African Raptors (Clark & Davies, 2018), a contribution to the Raptor Research Foundation, and guide fees.

International flights, entrance visa (if applicable), extra nights in Johannesburg, all meals and drinks, items of personal nature, tips, and insurance of any kind are not included. Estimate US$50 per person per day for meals and drinks.

 

Single Supplement

Single supplement is US$300.

Roommates will be assigned to those participants willing to share a room. If a roommate is not available, you will be required to pay the single supplement.

 

Booking & Payment

Booking deadline is 1 May 2018.

Fill out the online booking form at your earliest convenience. Participants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. This online form is contractual. 

Once your application information is reviewed, the non-refundable Reservation Fee will be requested (credit cards via PayPal only).

Once the minimum number of 4 participants is attained, the US$2,900 tour fee, plus any applicable Single Supplement fees will be requested (wire transfer or credit card).

If by 1 May 2018 the minimum number of 4 participants has not been attained your Reservation Fee will be refunded.

 

Trip Cancellations

All cancellation requests must be made in writing to Raptours, L.L.C.

Cancellations requested before 15 May 2018 will be subject to a full refund minus the non-refundable reservation fee (US$200).

No refunds will be made for cancelations requested on 15 May 2018 or after.

Raptours, L.L.C. reserves the right to cancel the tour at any time with full refund (including the Reservation Fee) to participants.

Travel cancellation insurance is recommended.

 

Difficulty

Easy. No strenuous walks or hikes involved.

 

Comfort

Good to Very Good | Guide-to-participant ratio 1:5 or better

Accommodations throughout will be comfortable, AC, and private bathrooms. Free wi-fi, either in rooms or public areas, will be available.

We will travel in a comfortable van with AC. Please note that at Kruger NP we will be able to exit the vehicles only at authorized sites.

 

Weather & Clothing

Temperatures will range from an average high of 90 °F (32 °C) in northern Kruger, to chilly lows of 55 °F (13 °C) in Johannesburg. November is the onset of the wet season in Johannesburg, so we expect up to a 42% probability of rain on any given day there.

Make sure to bring long-sleeved, but light clothing, and at least one warm jacket, a brim hat, and a folding umbrella just in case. Sunscreen and sunglasses are strongly recommended.

 

Health

Malaria is present in Kruger National Park.

For detailed information on health precautions, anti‑malarial medication, and vaccines recommended for South Africa, visit CDC’s website 6 weeks before departure.

The government of South Africa requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever.

Local Currency

Local currency is the South African rand (ZAR), and exchange rate is approximately 12.0 ZAR for U.S. dollar. Restaurants will accept credit cards.

Tour Leader

Bill Clark is an experienced tour leader who specializes in birds of prey and has been observing, studying, and photographing raptors for over 50 years. He coauthored African Raptors, the latest, most comprehensive raptor field guide for the continent. Bill is familiar with the locations visited in this tour and knows well the raptors and other birds, and mammals in South Africa.

Co-Leader

Andre Botha is the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the Raptor Researech Foundation 2018 Annual Meeting. He has worked for the conservation of African vultures in southern Africa, and all wildlife in Kruger for many years; he simply knows the Kruger like the back of his hand. Andre is a keen spotter and dead-on on raptor ID. He knows the goeology, vegetation, megafauna, culture and history of the park, and South Africa. Andre is a natural leader and has a subtle sense of humor too!

Tour Showcase

(click on images to enlarge)

 

Terms

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Raptours, L.L.C. reserves the right to alter this itinerary as necessary, or to cancel the tour prior to departure, with full refund to participants.

Raptours, L.L.C. or its agents may decline to accept or retain any person as a member of this tour at any time.

No smoking will be permitted while with the group, either when indoors or in the field.

Travel medical insurance is strongly recommended.

All passengers will be required to sign a hard copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form upon meeting with the tour leader in Skukuza.

No participants will be allowed in the group without a signed copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form.

Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Form
(including Terms)