A week until the South African Bird Fair!
The South African Bird Fair returns to the Pretoria National Botanical Garden on Saturday, 5 September, bringing together birders, conservationists, photographers, authors, families and some of the leading names in South African birding.
Explore the garden through the Canon South Africa Nature Walks, with expert-led excursions focusing on birding, photography, botany and more. BirdLife Northern Gauteng will also offer live bird-ringing demonstrations, giving visitors a fascinating look at how birds are studied and monitored. Birders of every experience level are welcome, including those picking up binoculars for the first time.
Inside the fair, the Ford Wildlife Foundation Conservation Talks will offer opportunities to learn directly from conservation experts, while the Jonathan Ball Authors’ Corner will bring together natural history books and the people who write them. While the Italtile Children’s Programme, hosted in partnership with Lessons in Conservation, is already sold out, there will still be plenty of exciting and educational activities for children of all ages throughout the day!
Visitors will also be able to meet well-known figures from the birding community, including Faansie Peacock, the Firefinch team and John Kinghorn, BirdLife South Africa’s Avitourism Project Manager. Leading optics brands such as Swarovski Optik, Vortex, ZEISS, Leica and Steiner will showcase their latest equipment, while Canon South Africa and Sony Alpha South Africa will offer visitors the chance to try high-end photographic gear.
One of the day’s most entertaining attractions will be the inaugural Call of the Hadeda, hosted by comedian and Hadeda enthusiast Themba Robin. Attendees can take to the stage, perform their best Hadeda call, dress for the occasion and compete for prizes.
With just a week to go, tickets for the fair’s special events are selling out quickly. Advance booking is strongly recommended if you would like to take part in these activities. General admission tickets will also be available at the gate.
