One of South Africa’s foremost bird experts is set to share a lifetime of raptor knowledge. Building on decades of field expertise and a genuine passion for raptors, this eight-lecture series is everything nature lovers, birders and guides have been waiting for.
South Africa is home to an extraordinary range of raptors. Over 80 species occur here, making it one of the most raptor-diverse countries in the world. Raptors are part of our environment whether you are in the wheatfields of the Western Cape, the dry Karoo, sub-tropical Maputaland or even the suburban jungle of Johannesburg. They are all around us, yet they remain the most challenging and least-understood birds in the sky. That is about to change.
EcoTraining – Africa’s leading field guide training organisation – launches Eyes Above the Bush: Raptors of South Africa alongside Martin Taylor, one of the region’s foremost bird experts.
The live, online, eight-module, four-week lecture series brings together expert knowledge and insights in a course built for everyone from birdwatchers just starting out to experienced listers and seasoned field guides.
A voice of authority in the field
Anton Lategan, founder and managing director of EcoTraining, says this course feels different to other birding courses.
“Martin has an unmatched knowledge and deep love for South Africa’s birdlife,” says Lategan. “This is a passion project that has evolved organically over years of fieldwork and photography – image by image, encounter by encounter – until it simply had to be shared. He takes you on a fascinating journey covering eagles, accipiters, falcons, kites and buzzards, harriers, vultures and owls – and you really want to be along for the ride! The course is perfect for anyone wanting to deepen their knowledge and improve their raptor identification skills.”
Participants can expect vivid storytelling alongside expert instruction with Taylor sharing a lifetime of highlights from close encounters with Crowned Eagles to the thrill of photographing a Taita Falcon for the first time.
Throughout the course, he will share high-quality photographic imagery from the field – pictures that don’t just illustrate identification points but convey the wonder of raptors in their element.
What the course covers
Structured across eight evening lectures and delivered over four weeks, the course offers a deep dive into the physiology, ecology and identification of South Africa’s raptors. Each session focuses on a specific group, moving from some of the largest eagles in Africa all the way through to the diminutive Pygmy Falcon. Each session covers key field identification marks, plumage variations, behaviour and flight patterns unique to each group. Crucially, the course places raptors firmly within their ecological context – examining how each species fits into the environments it inhabits and why raptors matter to the health of those ecosystems.
For everyone who looks up
Eyes Above the Bush is designed to welcome anyone with a love of nature and a curiosity about the birds that rule its skies. Beginners who are just discovering the joy of birding will find a structured, accessible introduction to the world of raptors, while experienced birders will gain new depth and precision in their identification skills.
For Taylor, raptors are not a niche interest, they are a fundamental part of every ecosystem in which they appear and understanding them enriches every experience in the bush. And although it’s difficult to choose, he’s most looking forward to the module on the vultures:
“If I had to choose, it would have to be the vultures. I’ve always been passionate about them – I worked in conservation for a long time and I find them absolutely fascinating, even though not many people do. And that’s part of the problem. Six out of the seven regularly occurring vulture species in South Africa are threatened, with three globally critically endangered,” says Taylor. “That’s a frightening statistic that most people simply don’t know. This course is an opportunity to help people understand not just how to identify these birds, but why it matters that we do.”
It is a conviction that runs through every module. “You can only really conserve something that you can identify and understand,” says Taylor. And it’s this belief that gives Eyes Above the Bush its depth as much as its joy.
The evening lecture format has been deliberately chosen to make participation as easy as possible. Two lectures per week, delivered online, means no travel, no disruption to work schedules, and no barriers to learning – just eight evenings that could change the way you see the world above the treeline.
“This course will ignite the spark in anyone who has ever looked up at a soaring bird and wanted to know more.” – Martin Taylor
Immerse yourself in the African wilderness, expand your knowledge, and embark on a transformative learning experience with EcoTraining.
Sign up for Eyes Above the Bush. Raptors of South Africa with Martin Taylor today!
For more information on Eyes Above the Bush. Raptors of South Africa with Martin Taylor, please contact [email protected] or call +27 (0)13 7522532
