SA Rare Bird News Report - 17 April 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 Thursday, 17 April 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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Before I get started with the formal report, this is just to let all subscribers know that there won’t be a formal report going out on Monday unfortunately. I am flying out of Cape Town early tomorrow morning and only fly back late on Monday, so will not have an opportunity to prepare a report. If there are any mega sightings during that time, I will obviously provide individual alerts and updates on them to the group, but the next formal report will only be next Thursday, 24 April.
Alright, on to the news and, starting in the Western Cape, the wandering immature WHITE-HEADED VULTURE was seen again yesterday, initially along the R27 at the Yzerfontein/Darling intersection and then, just 2 hours later, some 30km to the north along the R27 6km south of the Langebaan turn-off. Elsewhere, a TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER was seen this morning at the salt marsh south of Geelbek in the West Coast National Park while, further east in the province, a RED-BILLED OXPECKER was reported at Plettenberg Game Reserve yesterday. |
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White-headed Vulture along the R27 near Yzerfontein © Conrad Strauss |
Tibetan (Lesser) Sand Plover at Geelbek saltmarsh © Dean Boshoff |
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Into Kwazulu Natal where a FAN-TAILED GRASSBIRD was found at Sungulwane Lodge on Tuesday while a ROSEATE TERN at the Boboyi River mouth north of Port Edward on Sunday was another good provincial record. |
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Fan-tailed Grassbird at Sungulwane Lodge © Keenan Houareau |
Roseate Tern at the Boboyi River mouth © Hugo Voigts |
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Over in Mpumalanga, it was all happening in the Kruger National Park with perhaps the most bizarre record of this week being a male YELLOW-THROATED SANDGROUSE found at Nsemani Dam yesterday afternoon. This is a first record for the park and probably also a first record for the entire province. Elsewhere in the park, the 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still along the river near Lower Sabie at -25.142, 31.941 yesterday and a PALM-NUT VULTURE was reported along the S28 at -25.329, 31.903 yesterday as well. |
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Yellow-throated Sandgrouse at Nsemani Dam © Jack Crowe |
African Skimmers near Lower Sabie © Ivan Putter |
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Gauteng produced another (or perhaps the same) immature CAPE VULTURE seen in Eikenhof at -26.376, 28.000 on Tuesday which was still in the same area yesterday.
And finally, in Limpopo, 2 DENHAM’S BUSTARDS were seen near the JG Strydom Tunnel at -24.488, 30.645 on Tuesday while 2 THREE BANDED COURSERS were seen again at Marataba Conservation Camps in Marakele National Park on Monday evening. |
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Cape Vulture in Eikenhof © Michelle Brink |
Denham’s Bustard near the JG Strydom Tunnel © Hannes Swanepoel |
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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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