Image of the Month

Each month we will be adding a new stunning image from one of our recent tours. We will also make that image available for download as desktop wallpaper for your PC or Mac.

June

The fantasies of many a world birder are all too frequently centred around the 5 mythical Tragopan species that haunt the Himalayan ranges from Pakistan to China. These forest-dwelling pheasants are brilliantly colored, intricately patterned, emit evocative calls and are generally extremely shy and elusive. Their name Tragopan is a combination of the word “tragus” meaning billy-goat and Pan, the half-goat Greek deity, in reference to the concealed pair of brightly colored fleshy horns on the sides of all Tragopans’ heads. Our bird of the month is Satyr Tragopan and its specific name refers to the Satyrs, a troop of male companions of Pan who roamed the woods and mountains.

Now that the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan has opened its doors and welcomed tourists, its finally possible, with an excellent degree of certainty, to actually observe a Tragopan in the wild. All Rockjumper’s previous tours to Bhutan have enjoyed superb views of this incredible bird and this photo was taken by Rockjumper tour leader Markus Lilje on one of our 2010 Bhutan tours. Bhutan not only offers several other species of pheasants, including the unbelievable Himalayan Monal, but also other highly desirable Himalayan forest and riverine specials from Ibisbill to Fire-tailed Myzornis and Ward’s Trogon.

Exploring Bhutan not only provides superb birding, but also some of the world’s most incredible montane and forested landscapes; friendly, happy people, their lives little changed by the modern world and impressive Dzongs or fortress-monasteries. Rockjumper Birding Tours is offering two tours in April-May 2011 and during this Spring season, the flowering Rhododendron forests are a spectacle to behold. If you are considering this destination, we recommend a visit in 2011 as the Bhutanese government has raised the daily rate for visiting Bhutan by 25% from 2012.

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May

South Africa boasts the highest total of endemic birds on the African continent. Many of these localized species are restricted to specialized habitat zones, often in remote regions of the country. The arid Nama Karoo region of Bushmanland is a prime example. This vast and seldom visited region to the north of the Cape Fynbos biome and the succulent Karoo, but south of the Orange River boasts numerous avian specialties.

Driving through Bushmanland’s network of dirt tracks, where one can go for many hours without seeing another vehicle, provides the birder with the opportunity of finding several species of bustards (including the sought-after Karoo and nomadic Ludwig’s), coursers (including the elusive Burchell’s), chats (including Tractrac, Sickle-winged and Karoo) and seedeaters (specials include the lovely Damara Canary). However pride of place goes to the larks and nowhere in the world can such a diversity of larks be encountered. Red Lark is endemic to Bushmanland but other specials include Grey-backed and Black-eared Sparrowlark, Fawn-coloured, Spike-heeled, Karoo, Stark’s, Karoo Long-billed, Large-billed, Sabota and Sclater’s Lark. The last mentioned species is one of the most difficult to find but by staking out certain waterholes, large flocks of these lovely larks, with their unusual upturned bills, may be encountered as they come down to quench their thirst.

Birders seldom visit this desolate area but Rockjumper’s South African Endemics Mega-Birding tour thoroughly explores Bushmanland and other remote areas of our diverse country, whilst targeting all 152 endemic and near-endemic bird species occurring. Spaces are available for our 19 Oct – 11 Nov 2010 tour to be guided by veteran birder Erik Forsyth.

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April

The Ruspoli’s were an aristocratic Roman family who had intermarried with the Bonapartes in the 19th century and their wealth and status allowed Prince Eugenio Ruspoli to fulfill his dream of becoming a gentleman African explorer. He spent the years 1891 to 1893 traversing the little known kingdom of Abyssinia, modern day Ethiopia. His adventures were however brought to an abrupt halt when he was killed in “an encounter” with an elephant that he had wounded. Sometime before this unfortunate incident, the Prince had discovered a very beautiful new bird to science, a striking green turaco with a unique white crest and red nape. It was later named in his honor by a fellow Italian ornithologist, Salvadori. However one problem remained, no-one knew where the Prince had collected the specimen, and it was only well into the 20th century, after much effort, that it was rediscovered. We now know that Ruspoli’s Turaco is endemic to a small area of south-eastern Ethiopia, not far from the Kenya-Somali borders, where it favors fruiting fig trees that flourish along the wadis (dry riverbeds) of this arid landscape. This species is one of the many star birds of Rockjumper’s Ethiopian tour and this image was taken by Matthew Matthiessen, one of the participants on our February 2010 Ethiopian tour.

We invite you to join us to explore this fascinating nation, the only country in Africa not to have been colonized. Ethiopia boasts the 2nd highest total of endemic birds in Africa and our comprehensive tours record in excess of 500 bird species as well as many exciting mammals including the world’s rarest canid, the Ethiopian Wolf and the unique Gelada Baboon.

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March

On one’s first tour to Asia, a birder will be confronted by a variety of unfamiliar names; koels, malkohas, niltavas, ioras, shamas, minlas, sibias, treepies, yuhinas, leiothrix, avadavits and more! Some of these exciting birds’ names are derived from local languages, some from their scientific epithets and others from their calls. The Chestnut-headed Tesia is a beautiful little warbler belonging in the Cettidae warbler family, its name derived from the Nepali “tisi”. Five species of tesias occur from India to Indonesia and the closely related Neumann’s Warbler or Hemitesia is endemic to the Albertine Rift in Central Africa. Tesias are some of the most challenging of Asian birds to observe as these cute, short-tailed and brightly coloured ground dwellers lurk in the deepest forest undergrowth. They are usually detected by their strident calls, which seem to emanate from far more significant a creature, but obtaining even a glimpse can be a tall order.

This image was recently taken by Adam Riley during one of our Northern and Central Indian tours on which this endearing bird is often seen. This popular tour is a perfect introduction to Asia and participants are treated not only to superb Himalayan forest birding but also the birds and beasts of the woodlands and wetlands of the Gangetic Plains. So if the exotic birds mentioned above, as well as numerous pheasants, woodpeckers, laughingthrushes, Royal Bengal Tigers, toothy Gharials and the Taj Mahal are on your want list, then this is the perfect tour for you. Rockjumper’s next departure will be 1-18 December 2010, please contact our office for more details.

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February

Cisticolas now fall within the recently created Cisticolidae family; into which prinias, tailorbirds, camaropteras and other warbler-type genera have also been placed. The smaller grassland dwelling species, such as this Pale-crowned Cisticola , are known to exhibit some of the most fascinating breeding displays of any passerines. During the spring and summer months, the male Pale-crowned Cisticola attains a brighter plumage and performs remarkable aerial displays high above his territory. Whilst calling continually, he circles to such heights that he often becomes invisible to the naked eye. Eventually he tumbles back towards the earth, emitting unusual wing clicks.

Of the world’s 52 Cisticola species, only 2 occur outside of Africa and Madagascar. This remarkable photograph was taken by Hugh Chittenden in Midmar Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The male Pale-crowned shows a diagnostic golden crown in breeding plumage, and its high-pitched call has only in recent times become well known. In fact, until its call was discovered, this blonde-headed beauty was known as the Silent Cisticola!

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January

The East African nations of Tanzania and Kenya each boast a bird list in excess of 1,000 species. However this impressive indicator of extreme avian diversity doesn’t do justice in illustrating how amazing the birding really is in these countries. Nowhere else on the planet are birds as obvious, abundant, confiding and colourful! Of course there are the cisticolas and forest skulkers, but anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting Kenya or Tanzania will verify the ease and brilliance of the birding, as well as the incredible photographic opportunities that abound. If seeing large numbers of species is your game, then look no further – each of our Kenya Mega birding tours have recorded over 800 species! Our Tanzania Mega tour produces lower numbers, but more than makes up for this with rare Eastern Arc Mountain endemics.

Our ever-popular Kenya & Tanzania Birding & Big Game departures also focus on the unbeatable wildlife of the region, including the breath-taking Wildebeest migration and the highest density of large predators in the world.

With up to 2 million pink individuals, Lake Nakuru’s Lesser Flamingo spectacle is one of the world’s great wildlife sights and we cannot more highly recommend a visit to East Africa to experience this and a myriad other magnificent bird, game, scenic and cultural adventures.

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2009

January	February	March	April
May	June	July	August
September	October	November	December