Time is running out! BirdLife South Africa’s annual Jackpot Birding Raffle closes at 12h00 on Friday, 16 October – and one lucky ticket holder will win an extraordinary birding trip for two to the Philippines’ Visayan Islands, worth R150 000.
The prize is an 8-day/7-night birding adventure from 3 to 10 April 2027 for two people sharing, with Rockjumper Worldwide Birding Adventures – including return flights from Johannesburg.
And what a birding adventure it promises to be.
Scattered across a jewel-bright tropical sea, the Philippines is one of the world’s great birding frontiers. Its remarkable level of endemism means that many of the birds encountered here occur nowhere else on Earth. Sadly, it is also home to an exceptionally high number of threatened species, making birding these islands both exhilarating and deeply meaningful.
The journey takes in the biodiversity-rich islands of Cebu, Negros and Bohol, with each offering its own suite of highly sought-after birds.
On Cebu, you could be searching the forests of Tabunan for island specialities such as the Black Shama and Cebu Boobook, alongside Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Visayan Balicassiao and Streak-breasted Bulbul.
Then it’s on to Negros, where an extraordinary collection of Visayan endemics awaits. Highlights could include the spectacular Visayan Spotted Wood Kingfisher, Visayan Shama, Negros Shortwing, Negros Scops Owl, Visayan Boobook and Visayan Hornbill. Other possibilities include the striking Flame-templed Babbler, White-winged Cuckooshrike, Black-belted Flowerpecker, Magnificent Sunbird, Negros Leaf Warbler and Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon.
On Bohol, the magnificent forests of Raja Sikatuna offer the chance to find yet more special birds, including the Visayan Broadbill, Visayan Blue Fantail, Bohol Sunbird, Samar Hornbill and Northern Silvery Kingfisher. Add Azure-breasted Pitta, Philippine Trogon, Everett’s Scops Owl and Philippine Jungle Flycatcher, and the potential bird list becomes truly mouth-watering.
Beyond the birds, the Visayas offer unforgettable wildlife and landscapes. There may be opportunities to encounter remarkable endemic mammals such as the wide-eyed Philippine Tarsier and gliding Philippine Colugo, as well as experience Bohol’s famous Chocolate Hills.
This is birding at its most rewarding: rare and endemic species, important conservation stories and spectacular island landscapes.
But there’s only a little time left to put yourself in the running – and tickets could sell out before the raffle closes!
Get your ticket here before they sell out!
The raffle closes at 12h00 on Friday, 16 October 2026, or when all tickets are sold.
