The event, hosted by Kruger Magazine, aims to raise funds to showcase the conservation efforts in and around the Kruger National Park (KNP). According to Pat Botha, more than 450 bird species have been recorded in the KNP, representing roughly 60% of the total for South Africa. This includes more than 50 migratory species, most of which arrive from Eurasia or elsewhere in Africa in November and depart in April.

“It’s a birders’ paradise! Every year, millions of people, locals and foreigners alike, participate in wildlife viewing and birding activities in southern Africa, and the Greater Kruger region, contributing to many economic sectors and conservation projects. The ultimate goal of the Kruger Bird Challenge (KBC) is to challenge yourself, and earn your incredible Kruger Bird Challenge certificate and medal,” said Botha.

The rules of the challenge are: The bird must have been seen and photographed by the participant/s anywhere in southern Africa within the prescribed time period of 400 days, and the bird must be a member of a species currently listed on the official Kruger Bird Challenge checklist and the bird must have been alive, wild, and unrestrained when encountered.

“Only submissions on the official KBC checklist will be considered and participants can choose their own start date and must notify the promotor via email:subs@mlpmedia.co.za. “The purpose is to encourage people to identify and photograph as many bird species as possible within the period of 400 days! As their skills improve and their bird list grows, they can qualify for increasing levels of achievement,” she added.

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High-quality custom-designed pewter medals of 70x100mm and full-color certificates will be awarded at four levels as follows: a participant that will have 250 species will receive a bronze medal, 300 species participants will receive a silver medal, 350 species participant will receive a gold medal and 400 species participant will receive a platinum medal.

“This is how the challenge will work; people can participate as individuals, as a couple, or as teams of up to five people. If you register as an individual you pay R500, as a couple, it will be R750 and as a team, it will be R1 500. After that, the participants will receive an official KBC electronic checklist after registration, and their fee payment.

“The checklist includes species, date, time, area, comments, and a photograph. they will then send their completed checklist to Kruger Magazine for validation after their 400 days, and will then receive a medal and a certificate,” she said. She added that a commencement date depends on when the participant wants to start but the closing date is strictly 400 days after their commencement. “Kruger Magazine conceptualised the challenge and the funds raised will be allocated to publish the regular Kruger Magazine conservation projects feature,” she concluded.