SA Rare Bird News Report - 24 April 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, 24 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									SARBN is proud to be associated with the following brands:
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Once again, because the upcoming weekend is a long weekend with Monday as a Public Holiday, there is a strong possibility that there won’t be a formal report going out on Monday evening, but I will continue to provide alerts and updates on any important birds if they are around.   Now to catch up on the last week’s worth of news and, starting in the Western Cape, a FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER was seen on a pelagic trip out of Simon’s Town on Saturday. At least one SAND MARTIN was still around Pan P2 at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Monday, 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES remained on at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Friday, at least one GREATER SAND PLOVER was still at De Mond Nature Reserve near Arniston on Sunday and a WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER was seen on a private farm west of Robertson on Saturday, possibly the same individual that had been reported at Silverstrand the week before. Over on the north-eastern side of the province, the DUSKY LARK was still at Springfontein Dam in Beaufort West at -32.340, 22.601 on Tuesday and the TAWNY EAGLE was also still present near Skietkuil at -31.698, 23.403 on Tuesday as well.   Up in the Northern Cape, a young DWARF BITTERN was seen at Morevet waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park at -25.820, 20.476 on Tuesday.   In the Eastern Cape, the GROUNDSCRAPER THRUSH was seen again earlier today in Kenton-on-Sea at the entrance to the Ski Boat Club.
Flesh-footed Shearwater on pelagic trip © Luke Goddard					Red-necked Phalarope at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Joshua Rogers
White-fronted Bee-eater west of Robertson © Martines Lampreghts					Groundscraper Thrush in Kenton-on-Sea © Keith Lennox
Dwarf Bittern at Morevet waterhole © Elandré Scherman
Into Kwazulu Natal where a GREY WAGTAIL was seen near Mapelane Ski Boat Club at -28.413, 32.418 on Monday. One has to wonder whether this is perhaps the same individual that was present on Princes Grant Golf Estate near Stanger about a week ago. Elsewhere, a DWARF BITTERN was seen at Babanango Game Reserve at -28.280, 31.018 on Sunday and another DWARF BITTERN was reported this morning at Mthembu Lodge while a single GREATER SAND PLOVER was also seen at the St Lucia estuary this morning. Several AFRICAN CRAKE records also continued to come through with one at Thurlow Game Reserve at -29.545, 30.171 on Sunday and as many as 4 individuals reported at Munyawana Game Reserve on Saturday.   Over in Mpumalanga, there were still 2 AFRICAN SKIMMERS at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park yesterday while one was also still seen along the river south of Lower Sabie at -25.142, 31.942 on Friday. It’s tough to know whether there are multiple individuals involved or just the same birds moving between the different sites at the moment. Also of local interest, a group of 8 SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATERS were seen along the Trichardspoort Road at -26.636, 28.928 on Monday.   In Limpopo, a single AFRICAN SKIMMER was reported between Letaba and Engelhard Dam in the Kruger National Park at –23.849, 31.604 on Friday.   Up in Namibia, a young BLACK HARRIER was seen close to Ganab on Monday while a single FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK was present at Avis Dam in Windhoek on Friday.   And finally, in Mozambique, the most exciting news of the last week was the discovery of a DIMORPHIC EGRET at The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculous at -22.097, 35.463 on Friday which was seen again briefly in the same area on Saturday. This species has a confusing taxonomical history having been considered by some authorities as a subspecies of both Little Egret and Western Reef Heron in the past while the IOC still considers it a valid species in its own right. Because we follow the IOC taxonomy currently here in Southern Africa, it effectively makes it a new species to the Southern African list making it the 994th species to have now been recorded in the subregion. Elsewhere, a PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER in breeding plumage was also reported this morning on the mudflats in front of Hotel Capitao in Inhambane.
Black Harrier near Ganab © Anton Jooste					Dimorphic Egret at The Sanctuary © Stuart Shackleton
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