SA Rare Bird News Report - 27 November 2025

[Trevor Hardaker]

 

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
This is the Southern African Rare Bird News Report issued at 18h00 on Thursday, 27 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									SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands:
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Starting in the Western Cape, there has been no sign of the BLACK-HEADED GULL at Strandfontein Sewage Works since late on Monday, but other lingerers remained in place to keep everyone entertained. The BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was still at Macassar Sewage Works yesterday, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park yesterday, at least one AUSTRALASIAN GANNET was still at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay this afternoon, the GULL-BILLED TERN was still present at Bot River Lagoon yesterday, 2 WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATERS continued along the van der Stel Pass at -34.117, 19.235 on Tuesday and at least 2 GREATER SAND PLOVERS were still at De Mond Nature Reserve near Arniston on Tuesday as well. New records included a GREAT EGRET found late this afternoon in the Philippi wetlands at -34.025, 18.540, a GREY WAGTAIL found in Disa Kloof at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens in Betty’s Bay this afternoon and 2 GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTINGS seen in a garden in Plettenberg Bay yesterday.
Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Pieter Bester					Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Gigi Laidler
Gull-billed Tern at the Bot River Lagoon © Michael Mason					White-fronted Bee-eaters on the van der Stel Pass © Lester van Groeningen
Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Gerbus Vermaak					Golden-breasted Bunting in Plettenberg Bay © Selena Flores
Up in Northern Cape, it was all about BURNT-NECKED EREMOMELAS with one seen just west of Kimberley at -28.710, 24.497 yesterday and another seen in Nossob camp in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park yesterday as well.
Burnt-necked Eremomela at Nossob © Eric Herrmann					Burnt-necked Eremomela west of Kimberley © Gita Claassen
Into Kwazulu Natal where the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still present on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.314, 32.437 on Tuesday while a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was reported on the Nibela floodplains on Monday.   Over in Mpumalanga, it was all about lingerers with at least 3 BLUE SWALLOWS still present near God’s Window at -24.854, 30.886 yesterday and 2 WHITE-BROWED SPARROW-WEAVERS still in the garden in Wakkerstroom on Tuesday while the Kruger National Park held on to the 2 PINK-BACKED PELICANS still at Mlondozi Dam on Tuesday and the GREEN SANDPIPER still along the S3 at -24.989, 31.467 on Tuesday as well.
White-browed Sparrow-weaver in Wakkerstroom © Caroline Fox					Green Sandpiper along the S3 road © Simon Vegter
Gauteng held on to the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL which was still around the Flamingo Hide area at Marievale Bird Sanctuary until at least Tuesday while the GREY PLOVER was also still at Leeupan in Benoni at -26.226, 28.316 this morning.   Across in Limpopo, a group of 7 GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARKS were reported this afternoon along the main road between Punda Maria and Pafuri in the Kruger National Park at -22.658, 31.169.   Up in Namibia, there was a nice surprize when 2 BLACK-TAILED GODWITS were found at Fisher’s Pan in Etosha National Park on Tuesday while a GREEN SANDPIPER was also reported near Ngepi Camp on Tuesday.
Lesser Black-backed Gull at Marievale Bird Sanctuary © Jan Ekke Wigboldus					Grey Plover at Leeupan © Zak Croukamp
Black-tailed Godwit at Fisher’s Pan © Hartmut Kolb
In Botswana, a CASPIAN PLOVER was reported near Third Bridge Camp in Moremi Game Reserve on Sunday while both a CASPIAN PLOVER and a SANDERLING were also reported in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve around -22.184, 23.798 on Sunday as well.   Zimbabwe chimed in with a GREEN SANDPIPER on the eastern Chionja Platform in Gonarezhou National Park on Monday.   And finally, in Mozambique, 3 CRAB PLOVERS and a SOOTY FALCON were present at Pomene on Monday while The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculous held 3 SAUNDERS’S TERNS and up to 35 ROSEATE TERNS yesterday.
Crab Plovers at Pomene © Rob Hattingh					Sooty Falcon at Pomene © Rob Hattingh
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
TREVOR HARDAKER Cape Town, South Africa