SA Rare Bird News Report - 04 August 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, 04 August 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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Starting in the Western Cape, a NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS was seen on a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay on Saturday while a GOLIATH HERON was reported again at Rondevlei Nature Reserve on Saturday and the widely wandering WHITE-HEADED VULTURE was snapped on a camera trap at Grotto Bay Nature Reserve on Saturday morning again. Also of interest, a LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was seen on a private farm near Greyton at -34.088, 19.670 on Saturday and, according to locals, has been in the area for a while already, while another LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was reported at Buffeljagsriver Dam near Swellendam yesterday. Over on the Garden Route, at least one SQUACCO HERON was still at the linking channel between Rondevlei and Langvlei, near Sedgefield, on Saturday while, at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay, the GREATER SAND PLOVER was still present yesterday and the TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER remained on until at least Saturday. | |||||||||
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Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Michael Mason | Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Garret Skead | ||||||||
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Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | |||||||||
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Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Oli Main | Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Dana Goldberg | ||||||||
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Goliath Heron at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Daryl de Beer | White-headed Vulture at Grotto Bay Nature Reserve © Cape Nature (camera trap image) | ||||||||
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Long-crested Eagle near Greyton © Angus Robertson | Squacco Heron at linking channel between Rondevlei and Langvlei © Elmarie Brits | ||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, there was some surprize when a juvenile GREY-HEADED GULL was found at Marie se Gat in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park earlier today.
In the Eastern Cape, the immature PALM-NUT VULTURE was seen again at Sibuya Game Reserve this morning.
Into the Free State where the locally mega WATTLED CRANE was still present around Neethlingshalte at -28.872, 25.652 on Saturday.
Mpumalanga held on to the 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS which were still at Malelane gate in the Kruger National Park yesterday with a single bird still showing there this afternoon. | |||||||||
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Grey-headed Gull at Marie se Gat © Guy and Jay Louw | |||||||||
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Wattled Crane in the Neethlingshalte area © Juandre Rowe-Rowe | Palm-nut Vulture at Sibuya Game Reserve © Chris Ovens | ||||||||
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Up in Namibia, the biggest news was the discovery of a GREY WAGTAIL at Avis Dam in Windhoek at -22.566, 17.132 this morning. Elsewhere, a YELLOW-BILLED STORK was seen at the wetlands under the railway bridge over the Swakop River on Saturday afternoon and then again over Kramersdorp in Swakopmund yesterday while, also of local interest, the LITTLE (STRIATED) HERON was still at the Swakop River mouth earlier today, a COMMON QUAIL was found outside Swakopmund, just east of the dunebelt, on Saturday and an AFRICAN GREEN PIGEON was spotted in the Torra Conservancy at -20.304, 14.152 on Saturday as well.
And finally, in Mozambique, although now downgraded to just a subspecies of LITTLE EGRET, the LITTLE (DIMORPHIC) EGRET was seen again at The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculous at -22.127, 35.490 on Friday. | |||||||||
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Yellow-billed Stork in Swakopmund © Kirby Mackintosh | Yellow-billed Stork in Swakopmund © Anton Jooste | ||||||||
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African Green Pigeon in the Torra Conservancy © Anthony Dawids | Common Quail outside Swakopmund © Conrad Strauss | ||||||||
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Little (Dimorphic) Egret at The Sanctuary © Dave Gilroy | |||||||||
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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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