Birding Events

Penguin Random House and BirdLife South Africa invite you to the online launch of

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa

Please join Peter Ryan, Warwick Tarboton, Niall Perrins, Dominic Rollinson & Faansie Peacock

9 July 2020 at 19h00

South Africa is arguably one of the leading pelagic birding destinations in the world and trips like Birdlife South Africa’s Flock and all the regular pelagic trips that leave from Cape Town and Durban have certainly put pelagic birding on the map. There’s nothing quite like watching thousands of albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, and storm-petrels behind a trawler as they haul up their nets…bucket list stuff!

Every birder should try and get on a pelagic at least once, but identifying seabirds is not always straightforward so we’ve compiled a series of webinars on Pelagic Birding, starting next Wednesday, 17th June 2020 at 19:30 (GMT+2). The topic will run over a series of separate webinars, the dates of which will be announced in due course.

We are very pleased to be joined by our good birding friend, Dr. Dominic Rollinson (of Snowy Egret fame!), who is one of Southern Africa’s most experienced and knowledgeable pelagic birders.  Dom completed his Ph.D. on the impact of long-line fishing on pelagic bird species and has spent many months on long-line boats gathering data and observing seabirds.  Dom is also one of the co-authors of the much-anticipated Sasol 5 and has been instrumental in this revision.

In the first of our series on pelagic birding, we’ll talk a little bit about Dom’s involvement in the new Sasol and what to expect,  the dos and don’ts of birding at sea and then we’ll focus our ID attention on the 16 albatross species that have been recorded in Southern African waters.

There is no need to register again for these webinars, but if you know of anyone that might enjoy them please feel free to refer them to this registration link: https://forms.gle/yfEEBoCWMRr26fnU8

South Luangwa’s green season is a magical time and place for birders and wildlife photographers alike. This is not common knowledge and is still considered a secret. The colourful vegetation, animal action and interaction of the breeding season, amazing cloud formations and few tourists in the Park makes this an ideal time to add something spectacularly different to your photo portfolio.

Date: 09 – 15 December 2020
Tour: BirdLife South Africa Photo Safari to South Luangwa
Sharing cost p/p: USD $ 3 500
Single cost p/p: USD $ 4 200

The International Ornithologists’ Union (IOU), which has convened the world’s largest summit on avian biology since its first congress in 1884, will partner with the University of KwaZulu-Natal to organize the 28th IOCongress^® in Durban, South Africa, 14–20 Aug. 2022.

Every four years, the IOCongress brings together the world’s foremost ornithologists and others whose work advances avian biology at every level. More than 1,600 scientists and other professionals came together for the 2018 IOCongress in Vancouver, British Columbia. Durban hosted the event the one time it was convened in Africa in 1998.

The count down to the Fifteenth Pan African Ornithological Congress (PAOC15) has begun with less than a year before Ornithologists from all over Africa and beyond will converge on the resort town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

An exciting time is envisaged, as researchers, students and bird lovers connect to promote the study and conservation of birds – an integral part of African wildlife heritage.

Diarize 15-19 November 2021 and register early to take advantage of early bird rates. The PAOC15 programme includes a packed schedule of Keynote presentations, Symposia, Round Table Discussions, and Social events.

Visit www.paoc15.org for more information on Congress Registration, Accommodation, Events, Mid Congress Excursion Day, Travel Information and Pre and Post Congress Tours.
Get involved in PAOC15 by submitting an abstract for an oral or poster presentation. Keep an eye on the PAOC15 website for details on Calls for Abstracts and deadlines for submission.

Students, the future of African ornithology and the conservation of African birds and their habitats is in your hands, so you are encouraged to participate!

The venue for PAOC15 is the resort town of Victoria Falls, a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). The Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is also one of the greatest attractions in Africa. Wilderness, culture and adventure unite around the spectacular Waterfall to make this a genuine bucket-list destination. Not only does it offer the best views of the iconic falls, but it also has amazing wildlife and birding opportunities.