SA Rare Bird News Report - 11 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, 11 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, it was mostly about lingering raptors with a LONG-CRESTED EAGLE seen again along the R44 just outside Klapmuts yesterday, the WHITE-HEADED VULTURE seen again along the Darling Hills road at -33.490, 18.342 yesterday, the BROWN SNAKE EAGLE still present along the R315, near Darling Cellars, at -33.441, 18.580 on Friday and the LONG-CRESTED EAGLE also still near Greyton at -34.093, 19.665 on Friday while a single WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER was seen just outside Prince Albert at -33.166, 22.034 on Saturday and as many as 4 SQUACCO HERONS were reported at the linking channel between Rondevlei and Langvlei, near Sedgefield, this morning. | |||||||||
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Brown Snake Eagle near Darling Cellars © Regard van Dyk | Brown Snake Eagle near Darling Cellars © Graham Luden | ||||||||
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White-headed Vulture on the Darling Hills Road © Michael Mason | White-headed Vulture on the Darling Hills Road © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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White-headed Vulture on the Darling Hills Road © Richard Fleming | Long-crested Eagle near Greyton © Lester van Groeningen | ||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, an out of range SENTINEL ROCK THRUSH was found on the farm Wolwefontein, about 25km south-west of Victoria West, at -31.545, 22.932 yesterday.
In the Eastern Cape, there was some local excitement with the discovery of 2 FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCKS at St Francis Bay Sewage Works on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Sentinel Rock Thrush near Victoria West © Hannie de Wit | Fulvous Whistling Ducks at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Patrick Kilian | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the long-staying RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti yesterday while other records of interest included an AYRES’S HAWK EAGLE seen at Kudiza Pan in Mkhuze Game Reserve on Saturday and 2 AFRICAN CRAKES reported at Zini River Estate in Mtunzini on Friday. | |||||||||
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Ayres’s Hawk Eagle at Kudiza Pan © Brian Roberts | Rufous-bellied Heron at Umbogavango Nature Reserve © Mark and Debra Daniels | ||||||||
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Mpumalanga remained as Skimmer-central with the Kruger National Park holding on to 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS still at Malelane bridge yesterday, 1 AFRICAN SKIMMER seen again at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie on Saturday and a single AFRICAN SKIMMER also still at the Olifants River bridge on Friday. | |||||||||
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African Skimmer at Malelane gate © Theo Kruger | African Skimmer at Malelane gate © Pieter Schoeman | ||||||||
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And finally, in Namibia, a TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER was found at Walvis Bay Salt Works at -23.000, 14.454 on Thursday and was still there on Friday and up to 7 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were also reported during the winter bird count at the Salt Works yesterday, while the YELLOW-BILLED STORK was seen again in the Swakop River in Swakopmund close to the Golf Course on Friday. | |||||||||
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Tibetan (Lesser) Sand Plover at Walvis Bay Salt Works © Mike Buckham | Yellow-billed Stork in Swakopmund © Anton Jooste | ||||||||
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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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