RETURN Africa is flying the flag as headline sponsor of Birding Big Day on Saturday, 5 December for a second year running, and in 2026 the partnership is more exciting than ever.
The grand prize is just as spectacular this year: a four-night stay for four people at Pafuri Camp, worth R66 000. Every person on every team that registers for Birding Big Day (pending an opt-in) is automatically entered into the lucky draw, so simply signing up gives you a shot at one of the country’s finest birding destinations.
RETURN Africa is running a Birding Big Day special of its own across the concession, opening dedicated routes and sending its safari vehicles out to help guests staying at Pafuri camp find birds during the day. New for this year, and particularly exciting for me; I will be there myself! From Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December, RETURN Africa will be my host at Pafuri Camp, where I will meet the Birding Big Day participants staying there, broadcast the event live from camp, and join birders out in the field for some of the day’s birding.
Why Pafuri? This year alone, nine birders based at RETURN Africa have logged 340 species in the Pafuri area, part of a wider region holding more than 450 recorded species: the richest tally found anywhere in Kruger National Park. Recent sightings include Bat Hawk, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Three-banded Courser, Racket-tailed Roller, Böhm’s Spinetail, Mottled Spinetail, and Tropical Boubou, showcasing the calibre of birds that make the Makuleke Concession, cradled between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers, one of the very best birding destinations in the country.
Whether you are counting species from your own back garden or dreaming of a Pafuri win, Birding Big Day 2026 is shaping up to be one to remember. Registration is now open, so get ready to log your sightings on BirdLasser, and join us on Saturday, 5 December for South Africa’s biggest day on the birding calendar.
A huge thank you to RETURN Africa for its continued generosity and commitment to South African bird conservation. I cannot wait to bring you the sightings, and the stories, from Pafuri. Happy birding!
