Field Guides Association of Southern Africa - Qualifications

SKS BIRDING QUALIFICATION
At this level the guide: Is operating as a professional nature guide specialising in Birding. Has attained a FGASA nature guiding Level 3 qualification. Has been declared competent against the birding theoretical assessment. Has been declared competent against the birding sound and slide identification assessment. Has been declared competent against the bird guiding skills practical assessment. Has a valid, up-to-date recognised First Aid certifica This qualification will require the following: The guide must first have attained the FGASA Level 3 qualification The guide will be assessed by means of the SKS(Birding) Theory examination. 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. The SKS Birding qualification (and certificate) will reflect which areas the guide has been assessed competent to guide in. For example: “SKS-Birding: Savanna”. If the guide is assessed as competent for all the areas (biomes) s/he will be deemed an SKS–Birding National Guide. See section 3.6 as to when you will be awarded your qualification. IMPORTANT: You will only be eligible for the bird guiding skills practical assessment once you have been declared competent for the Birding theory examination and the birding Slide and Sound Assessment.
APPLICATION AND PAYMENT:
Theory examination: You will need to send your exam application form and proof of payment for the SKS(Birding) theory examination to the FGASA Johannesburg office. Remember that examination applications close 1 month before the set national examination sitting. Slide and Sound assessment: These assessments can only be done at presbed venues and are not carried out at any of the FGASA National exam sittings. You will need to apply to the FGASA Johannesburg office in order to be assessed against the Slide and Sound assessment. You will need to provide proof of payment for the slide and sound assessment to the FGASA Johannesburg office. The practical assessment for the SKS(Birding) 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 theory examination and the Slide and Sound assessment and the Birding skills practical assessment you will have attained the FGASA SKS(Birding) Qualification for the specific area/Biome in which you have been assessed competent to guide in.
WHAT LEARNING MATERIALS DO I NEED FOR THE SKS(BIRDING) QUALIFICATION?
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 calls Roberts Birds of Southern Africa The Slide assessment (visual identification) This assessment consists of two compulsory sections and then a choice of one or more biome/vegetation areas. The two compulsory sections: 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. 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. The Sound assessment (Bird call identification) This assessment consists of one compulsory section and then a choice of one or more biome/vegetation areas. The compulsory section: 80 calls from the Species Core list (Birds that may be seen over the whole country) 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)
BIRD LISTS
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.