SA Rare Bird News Report - 24 November 2025
Trevor Hardaker
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S O U T H E R N A F R I C A N R A R E B I R D N E W S R E P O R T | |||||||||
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This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 18h00 on Monday, 24 November 2025.
Information has been gleaned from various websites, email groups as well as from individual observers who have passed on their sightings. This report cannot be taken as being totally comprehensive as it is based only on information made available at the time of writing. All bird sightings reported here are reported in good faith based on information as provided by the observers. Any inaccuracies are totally unintentional and the writer cannot be held liable for these.
None of the records included in this report have undergone any adjudication process with any of the subregion’s Rarities Committees, so inclusion in this report does not constitute any official confirmation of the particular record. Observers are still encouraged to make the necessary submissions accordingly.
For those who may have only joined the group recently and are interested in finding out what has been seen in the past, previous reports can be viewed at https://groups.google.com/g/sa-rarebirdnews |
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It certainly seems as if the rarity season has kicked off into a higher gear now and the flood gates have started opening up a bit… what a busy and exciting last few days we’ve had…J
Starting in the Western Cape, there was lots of local excitement when a BLACK-HEADED GULL in full breeding plumage was found at Strandfontein Sewage Works yesterday afternoon. It moved around quite a bit and was still present there this morning as well. Given that the last local record around Cape Town was some 17 years ago, the bird proved extremely popular and many twitchers managed to connect with it during the course of the yesterday afternoon and today. Other new records in the province included a EURASIAN HOBBY seen just outside Darling at -33.392, 18.432 on Saturday, a young COMMON CUCKOO in a garden on a farm south of Clanwilliam on Saturday and a EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE in a Kleinmond garden yesterday.
Elsewhere, lingerers included the GOLIATH HERON still at Rondevlei Nature Reserve yesterday, the BAIRD’S SANDPIPER still at Macassar Sewage Works this morning, as many as 49 LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS counted along the Darling Hills road at -33.481, 18.351 on Saturday and at least 8 still there yesterday, the CASPIAN PLOVER still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif at -32.822, 18.203 yesterday, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE still at Kliphoek Salt Pans on Saturday, the PECTORAL SANDPIPER still on the mudflats on the Berg River in Velddrif at -32.787, 18.174 on Saturday, 2 AUSTRALASIAN GANNETS still at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay on Saturday and the GULL-BILLED TERN still at the Bot River Lagoon at -34.365, 19.102 this afternoon. | |||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © David Winter | Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Garret Skead | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Nick Fordyce | Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Regard van Dyk | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © John Graham | Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Ian Rijsdijk | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Daryl de Beer | Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Gigi Laidler | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Sarel Snyman | Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Christine Griffiths | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Jordan Hazell | Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Renier Meyer | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Aadam Abdullah | Black-headed Gull at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Willem Botes | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull twitchers at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Paul Josop | |||||||||
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Black-headed Gull twitchers at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Trevor Hardaker | |||||||||
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Black-headed Gull twitchers at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Mark Tittley | |||||||||
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Lesser Striped Swallow along the Darling Hills Road © Garret Skead | Lesser Striped Swallow along the Darling Hills Road © Regard van Dyk | ||||||||
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Eurasian Hobby near Darling © Oscar Nordahl | Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Bart Fokkens | ||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Conrad Strauss | Pectoral Sandpiper on the Berg River © Conrad Strauss | ||||||||
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Australasian Gannet at Bird Island © Susan de la Bat | Common Cuckoo near Clanwilliam © Anne Paterson | ||||||||
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Eurasian Golden Oriole in Kleinmond © David Malan | Gull-billed Tern at the Bot River Lagoon © Dylan Schröder | ||||||||
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Gull-billed Tern at the Bot River Lagoon © Bart Fokkens | Gull-billed Tern at the Bot River Lagoon © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, a MARABOU STORK was found this morning in Mokala National Park between Lilydale Rest Camp and Lilydale gate, fairly out of range in this area.
Kwazulu Natal had plenty on offer too, with a COLLARED FLYCATCHER found at Kumasinga hide in Mkuze Game Reserve on Saturday and a GREY WAGTAIL found at Yembeni Private Bush Lodge yesterday while a GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER was spotted again on Saxony Wildlife Estate on Saturday, now in its 4th consecutive season at this site. Elsewhere, lingerers included at least one RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.314, 32.437 on Friday, the GREATER SAND PLOVER still at the St Lucia estuary yesterday and the GREEN SANDPIPER still at Castleburn, north-west of Underberg, at -29.741, 29.299 on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Marabou Stork in Mokala National Park © Alta Brand | Grey Wagtail at Yembeni Private Bush Lodge © Lesley Weaver | ||||||||
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Collared Flycatcher at Kumasinga hide © Ethan Kistler | Collared Flycatcher at Kumasinga hide © Max van Waasdijk | ||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, birders were also kept entertained with 2 PALM-NUT VULTURES being reported, one along the R571 next to the Komati River at -25.495, 31.972 on Saturday and another at the Vulture Restaurant at Marloth Park on Saturday as well, while a single WHITE-BROWED SPARROW-WEAVER was reported in a garden in Wakkerstroom on Saturday and a WHITE-BACKED NIGHT HERON was found on a private farm near Badplaas (eManzana) earlier today at -25.950, 30.522. Other lingerers included at least one LESSER JACANA still at Otter Pan, south-east of Middelburg, at -25.917, 29.930 this morning and at least 3 BLUE SWALLOWS still near God’s Window at -24.854, 30.886 earlier today as well. The Kruger National Park also held some attraction with a WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL seen in Satara Restcamp at -24.393, 31.776 on Friday (but not reported again after this), the GREEN SANDPIPER still along the S3 at -24.989, 31.467 yesterday, up to 8 CASPIAN PLOVERS still along the S25 at -25.348, 31.881 this morning and 2 PINK-BACKED PELICANS seen again at Mlondozi Dam on Friday. | |||||||||
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Western Yellow Wagtail at Satara © Niels Bredahl | Western Yellow Wagtail at Satara © Simon Vegter | ||||||||
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Palm-nut Vulture at Marloth Park © Annette du Toit | Green Sandpiper on the S3 road © Anika Oosthuizen | ||||||||
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Lesser Jacanas at Otter Pan © Ian Johnson | Lesser Jacana at Otter Pan © Phil van Dyk | ||||||||
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Blue Swallow near God’s Window © Keegan Steward | White-browed Sparrow-weaver in Wakkerstroom © Caroline Fox | ||||||||
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Gauteng was not to be outdone and delivered 2 GREY CROWNED CRANES flying over Flamingo Hide at Marievale Bird Sanctuary on Saturday, a GREY PLOVER found at Leeupan in Benoni at -26.226, 28.316 on Saturday and still present there this morning, and a GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER seen along Vlei Route in Rietvlei Nature Reserve on Thursday while the long-staying SLATY EGRET was still at Gnu Valley farm on Saturday as well. Also of local interest, a GREEN SANDPIPER was found along the Jukskei River in Helderfontein Lifestyle Estate this morning, returning to the same area again this season. The following additional info has been provided by Grant Fairley: Access can be gained through Gate 4 of the Estate. Birders must inform the guards at the gate that they are going to the restaurant. The restaurant staff will guide them to the viewing spots. Lakeside Café tel: 0820485378. | |||||||||
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Grey Plover at Leeupan © Wian van Zyl | Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Wian van Zyl | ||||||||
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Grey Crowned Cranes at Marievale Bird Sanctuary © Devan Bohmer | Grey-headed Kingfisher at Rietvlei Nature Reserve © Corrie Barnard | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper at Helderfontein Lifestyle Estate © Chris de Klerk | |||||||||
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Into Limpopo where the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still at Vogelfontein on Saturday and a single CASPIAN PLOVER was found at Mooiplaas waterhole in the Kruger National Park at -23.541, 31.444 on Friday. Also of local interest, a BROAD-BILLED ROLLER was found on a farm near Roossenekal at -25.147, 29.845 on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Mooiplaas waterhole © Ankia Pusey | Rufous-bellied Heron at Vogelfontein © Arno Scherman | ||||||||
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Broad-billed Roller near Roossenekal © Gerhard Vosloo | Broad-billed Roller near Roossenekal © Maureen van der Westhuizen | ||||||||
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Broad-billed Roller near Roossenekal © Izelle Bekker | |||||||||
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Up in Namibia, a GREY PLOVER was reported near Mahango Lodge yesterday. I also received a delayed report earlier today of a WHINCHAT seen at Namushasha River Lodge, south of Kongola, on 12 November in the grassland opposite the lodge boat jetty. This would be the 32nd record of this species for Southern Africa and only the 4th for Namibia.
And finally, in Mozambique, the birding was still pumping at The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilaculous with 7 ROSEATE TERNS and 48 CRAB PLOVERS present there yesterday and as many as 9 EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHERS, a single AFRICAN OYSTERCATCHER and the LITTLE (DIMORPHIC) EGRET still present there earlier today as well. | |||||||||
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Little (Dimorphic) Egret at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | Crab Plovers at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatchers and African Oystercatcher at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | |||||||||
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Thank you to all observers who have contributed their records. Please continue to send through any reports of odd birds as well as continued updates on the presence of rarities already previously reported, no matter how mundane you think they may be. Even if you think someone else has probably sent in a report, rather send the report yourself as well. The only way to improve this service and to make it as useful as possible to everyone is if it can be as comprehensive as possible.
Kind regards Trevor | |||||||||
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TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa |
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