Each year BirdLlife South Africa selects a species as the ‘Bird of the Year’. The Cape Rockjumper has been chosen as Bird of the Year in 2021. We are partnering with Rockjumper Worldwide Birding Adventures to raise awareness about this interesting species. Bird of the Year is funded by the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust.
The Cape Rockjumper is endemic to the mountain fynbos region of South Africa. They are medium- sized passerine birds with black and orange colouration. As their name suggests, they are often seen running and jumping across rocks and grassland, but they rarely fly. Unfortunately, they face multiple threats, including habitat loss, and they are particularly vulnerable to climate change. They have been classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Bird of the Year initiative aims to raise the profile and understanding of the Cape Rockjumper and thus ultimately contribute to its conservation efforts. This year we are collaborating with Caitlin Judge to bring you free educational resources about our 2021 Bird of the Year. She is producing a mixture of infographics, fact-files, lesson plans and other educational tools throughout the year which will be available on our social media platforms and this webpage. We are also very pleased that Kathleen April and Stephan Terblanche will be translating the material into isiXhosa and Afrikaans and, therefore, the resources will be accessible to a wider audience. Make sure to check back on this page for monthly updates and to learn more about this awesome species!
