What is your favorite bird species?
Gorgeous Bushshrike
What is your name, and where do you live?
René Rossouw, I live in Nelspruit, South Africa.
What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?
North-eastern South Africa including the Kruger National Park and the Western Cape
How long have you been a bird guide?
5 years
How did you get into bird guiding?
From being an avid birder for over 20 years, I slowly started getting interested in guiding myself as there was a gap in the industry in the area where I live.
Saddle-billed Stork
What are the aspects of being a bird guide that you like best? Which aspects do you dislike most?
I like being able to show guests birds that they have wanted to see and never had the opportunity. I also do birding walks for young children and it gives me great satisfaction to see their faces when they see a new bird.
I don’t think there is anything I dislike about it.
What are the top 5-10 birds in your region that you think are the most interesting for visiting birders?
Hamerkop, Martial Eagle, Southern Ground Hornbill, Saddle-billed Stork, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Secretarybird, African Fish Eagle, Lilac-breasted Roller and Lappet-faced Vulture
Lilac-breasted Roller
Can you outline at least one typical birdwatching trip in your area? Please briefly describe the locations, the key birds, and the approximate duration of such a trip
Our 16-day birding tour offers an extraordinary birding experience in some of the most exciting birding destinations of the eastern parts of South Africa, including the Kruger National Park, Wakkerstroom, the forests of Magoebaskloof and northern Kwazulu-Natal, as well as some smaller gems like Zaagkuildrift and Mount Sheba. Expect to see many of South Africa’s endemic and special species, and a total trip list well in excess of 400 species!
Kruger National Park – One of the planet’s top wildlife parks
Magoebaskloof – Stunning forest beauty and special birds
Wakkerstroom – Grassland and wetland birding, with many specials
Mkuze – Very special park with the Big Five and over 500 bird species
St Lucia – A wetland wonderworld where the ocean and land meet spectacularly
Mtunzini – Beautiful coastal village with incredible wildlife-rich forests
Top Birds:
• Martial Eagle
• Tawny and African Fish Eagle
• White-bellied Bustard
• Southern Bald Ibis
• Rudd’s, Short-clawed and Botha’s Lark
• Yellow-breasted Pipit
• African Rock Pipit
• Cape and Brown-headed Parrot
• Knysna and Purple-crested Turaco
• Spotted and Orange Ground Thrush
• Gorgeous Bushshrike
• Black-fronted and Olive Bushshrike
• Narina Trogon
Southern Ground Hornbill
What other suggestions can you give to birders interested in your area?
Summer in South Africa is the best time to bird, as all the migrants are in the country. Remember to bring a sunhat and raincoat as it is also the rainy season in some parts of the country. We have some great information on our website on all the countries we offer trips to, with trip reports, pictures, and info about the destination and what to expect.
If any reader of 10,000 Birds is interested in birding with you, how can they best contact you?
René Rossouw, Nature Travel Birding
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturetravelbirding
Website: https://naturetravelbirding.com/
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