BIRDING SPECIALIST QUALIFICATIONS
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The FGASA Birding Specialist Qualifications consist of two categories:
- Local Bird Guide
- Specialist Bird Guide
See the SKS QUALIFICATIONS for The SKS-Birding Qualification
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LOCAL BIRD GUIDE
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At this level the guide:
- This guide is operating as a nature site guide specialising in bird guiding as a Local bird guide.
- A Site usually refers to a particular Game or Nature reserve, National Park, Botanical garden, Bird Sanctuary, etc. A Local bird guide at this level may be operating as a competent bird guide in a number of different sites.
- Has attained a FGASA nature guiding qualification (Either Local, Level 1, 2 or 3).
- Has been declared competent against the FGASA birding practical assessment.
- Has a valid, up-to-date recognised First Aid certifica
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HOW DO I GET A FGASA LOCAL BIRD GUIDE QUALIFICATION?
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Once you have attained any one of the following nature guiding qualifications or higher:
- FGASA Local or Level 1 nature guide qualification
- or a Full Tracking qualification (including create a guided experience for customers - if this unit standard not included in the tracking qualification then it will have to be assessed in the birding practical assessment),
You will then be eligible to apply to be practically assessed for the FGASA Local Bird Guiding Qualification in a birding area of your choice.
The practical assessment for the Local bird guide qualification is carried out by a registered FGASA birding assessor in a guiding area of your choice. You will need to take the assessor on a guided birding experience in a limited geographical area (with or without paying clients), preferably with clients.
The practical Assessment will be explained to you in detail by your assessor in the pre-assessment brief. The assessor will make sure that you know what you will be assessed on in order that you can prepare yourself for this assessment.
(Payment for your practical assessment is done directly to the assessor and does not come via the FGASA office.
There is no Slide and Sound assessment and no theory examination for the Local bird guide qualification.
Once you have been declared competent for the Local bird guide practical assessment you will have attained the FGASA Local Bird Guide Qualification for the specific site in which you have been assessed competent to guide in.
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WHAT LEARNING MATERIALS DO I NEED FOR THE LOCAL BIRD GUIDE QUALIFICATION?
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The following learning materials are compulsory:
Any one of the following bird books:
- Newman’s Birds of South Africa – Sappi
- Sasol Birds of SA – Sasol.
- Roberts Field Guide to Birds of Southern Africa
Recommended reading to improve your knowledge:
- Specialist Training manual for Bird Guides – Bruce & Dee Lawson
- Birds The inside story – R&H Loon
- Beat about the Bush (Birds) – Trevor Carnaby
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SPECIALIST BIRD GUIDE
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At this level the guide:
- This guide is operating as a nature guide specialising in bird guiding as a specialist bird guide.
- The competence of bird guiding at this level is assessed within different vegetation areas or biomes. A Specialist bird guide at this level may be operating as a competent specialist bird guide in a number of different sites, areas or biomes. (Refer to the list of areas below in the slide and sound assessments).
- Has attained a FGASA nature guiding qualification (Either Local, Level 1, 2 or 3).
- Has been declared competent against the FGASA birding slide and sound assessment and the bird guiding skills practical assessment.
- Has a valid, up-to-date recognised First Aid certifica
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HOW DO I GET A FGASA BIRDING SPECIALIST QUALIFICATION?
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Once you have attained any one of the following nature guiding qualifications or higher:
- FGASA Local or Level 1 nature guide qualification
- or a Full Tracking qualification (including create a guided experience for customers - if this unit standard not included in the tracking qualification then it will have to be assessed in the birding practical assessment),
you will then be eligible to apply to be practically assessed for the FGASA Specialist Bird Guiding Qualification by means of:
- A slide and sound assessment
- A bird guiding skills practical assessment.
IMPORTANT: You will only be eligible for the bird guiding skills practical assessment once you have been declared competent for the Birding Slide and Sound Assessment.
There is no theory examination for the Specialist bird guide qualification.
The practical assessment for the Specialist bird guide qualification is carried out by a registered FGASA birding assessor in a guiding area of your choice. You will need to take the assessor on a guided birding experience in a birding area or your choice (with or without paying clients), preferably with clients.
The practical Assessment will be explained to you in detail by your assessor in the pre-assessment brief. The assessor will make sure that you know what you will be assessed on in order that you can prepare yourself for this assessment.
(Payment for your practical assessment is done directly to the assessor and does not come via the FGASA office.
You can choose which vegetation areas / biomes you want to be assessed for. The Slide and Sound assessment will assess all the areas that you want to be assessed for, however the Practical birding skills assessment will take place in one area only in order to assess bird guiding skills.
Once you have been declared competent for the birding Slide and Sound assessment and the Birding skills practical assessment you will have attained the FGASA Specialist Bird Guide Qualification for the specific area/Biome in which you have been assessed competent to guide in. The Specialist Bird Guiding qualification (and certificate) will reflect which areas the guide has been assessed competent to guide in. For example: Specialist Savanna Bird Guide. If the guide is assessed as competent for all the areas (biomes) s/he will be deemed a National Specialist bird guide.
This qualification will require the following:
- The guide will be assessed by means of the birding Slide and Sound assessment.
- The guide will be assessed by means of a Birding Skills Practical assessment.
- There is no theory examination for this qualification.
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THE SLIDE ASSESSMENT (VISUAL IDENTIFICATION)
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The Slide assessment (visual identification)
This assessment consists of two compulsory sections and then a choice of one or more biome/vegetation areas.
There is one compulsory section:
- Open book assessment
35 slides of more difficult plumages (females, immature, eclipse, vagrants) A choice of a minimum of one Biome / vegetation area must be answered.
- Savanna Biome: 80 species
- Montane Grassland: 25 species
- Karoo: 15 species
- Arid habitat: 20 species
- Marine: 20 species
- Forest: 30 species
- Fynbos: 15 species
- Special regions:
- Namibia: 20 species (+Core +Arid)
- Botswana: 20 species (+Core +Savanna)
- Zimbabwe: 30 species (+Core +Savanna +Forest)
- Mozambique: 30 species (+Core +Savanna +Forest)
In each of the Biomes/Vegetation areas there will be a minimum of 5 species under-wing pattern slides, 5 species of immature bird slides and 5 slides of bird nests that require identification.
If as a birding specialist you want to be a recognised as a National Birding Specialist you will also have to have been declared competent for the 80 slides from the Species Core list (Birds that may be seen over the whole country). The slides will include a minimum of 10 species of immature birds and the wing patterns of at least 5 species.
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THE SOUND ASSESSMENT (BIRD CALL IDENTIFICATION)
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This assessment consists of a choice of one or more biome/vegetation areas.
A choice of a minimum of one Biome / vegetation area must be answered.
- Savanna Biome: 80 calls
- Montane Grassland: 25 calls
- Karoo: 15 calls
- Arid habitat: 20 calls
- Marine: No sound tests
- Forest: 40 calls
- Fynbos: 15 calls
- Special regions:
- Namibia: 20 calls (+Core +Arid)
- Botswana: 20 calls (+Core +Savanna)
- Zimbabwe: 30 calls (+Core +Savanna +Forest)
- Mozambique: 30 calls (+Core +Savanna +Forest)
If as a birding specialist you want to be a recognised as a National Birding Specialist you will also have to have been declared competent for the 80 calls from the Species Core list (Birds that may be seen over the whole country)
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BIRD LISTS
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All bird lists for bird species you are required to know for all areas in the country and the neighbouring countries can be obtained from the FGASA office. These lists will inform you of what species you need to know for the particular areas in terms of sight and sound identification. Ensure that you obtain the Core bird list as this will indicate which birds found nationally you would need to know for both the slide and sound assessments.
These bird lists can be emailed to you or you can obtain a copy of the lists from the FGASA Johannesburg office.
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WHAT LEARNING MATERIALS DO I NEED FOR THE SPECIALIST BIRD GUIDE QUALIFICATION?
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The following learning materials are compulsory:
- Specialist Training manual for Bird Guides – Bruce & Dee Lawson
- Birds The inside story – R&H Loon
- Beat about the Bush (Birds) – Trevor Carnaby
Any one of the following bird books:
- Newman’s Birds of South Africa – Sappi
- Sasol Birds of SA – Sasol.
- Roberts Field Guide to Birds of Southern Africa
Recommended reading to improve your knowledge:
- The Roberts multimedia is also a good reference for bird call
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