SA Rare Bird News Report - 22 September 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, 22 September 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, the GOLIATH HERON was seen again on the northern end of Zeekoevlei yesterday while an AFRICAN JACANA was found at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve at -33.841, 18.492 yesterday as well. A LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was seen near Muratie Wine Estate, north of Stellenbosch, at -33.870, 18.880 on Friday, another LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was found between Swellendam and Ashton at -33.918, 20.191 yesterday and yet another LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was reported near Klapmuts at -33.819, 18.877 this morning. Up on the west coast, lingerers included the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park yesterday, at least one RED-NECKED PHALAROPE still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif yesterday and an AUSTRALASIAN GANNET still at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay on Saturday. Further east in the province, the GREATER SAND PLOVER was still at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay on Friday and a COMMON SCIMITARBILL was reported in Prince Albert yesterday. | |||||||||
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African Jacana at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Regard van Dyk | Long-crested Eagle near Muratie Wine Estate © Renier Meyer | ||||||||
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Long-crested Eagle near Klapmuts © Dana Goldberg | |||||||||
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Long-crested Eagle between Swellendam and Ashton © Martienet Uys | Red-necked Phalarope at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Alice Moller | ||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Adam Buckham | Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Corne Rautenbach | ||||||||
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Australasian Gannet at Bird Island © Lize Stassen | Australasian Gannet at Bird Island © Anton Jooste | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, a HOODED VULTURE was seen at Paws and Claws Pet Resort Farm, just outside East London, on Saturday while the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still present at the Kromme River estuary and visible from Shore Road in St Francis Bay yesterday. | |||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher at the Kromme River estuary © Barry Kurten | Hooded Vulture at Paws and Claws Pet Resort Farm © Pierre Hensburg | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a GREATER SAND PLOVER was present at the St Lucia estuary on Saturday, a RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was seen again at Amazibu hide on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park this morning and a LESSER MOORHEN was found just outside the Buddist Retreat in Ixopo at -30.094, 30.062 on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Greater Sand Plover at St Lucia estuary © Hugo Voigts | Rufous-bellied Heron on the Eastern Shores © Hugo Voigts | ||||||||
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Over in Mpumalanga, the AFRICAN SKIMMERS were still on view at Malelane bridge in the Kruger National Park yesterday.
Gauteng held on to the SLATY EGRET which was still at Gnu Valley farm yesterday. | |||||||||
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African Skimmers at Malelane bridge © Estelle Smalberger | African Skimmers at Malelane bridge © Dean Boshoff | ||||||||
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Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Samantha Kotze | Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Bjorn Lindemann | ||||||||
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And finally, in Namibia, a CASPIAN PLOVER and a SLATY EGRET were seen at Onesi Dam at -17.434, 14.639 on Saturday, the KURRICHANE THRUSH was still at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek on Saturday, a dead COLLARED FLYCATCHER was found in a garden in Kramersdorf in Swakopmund on Friday, the TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER was seen again at the Lagoon Viewpoint in Walvis Bay on Friday and the long-staying ROSS’S TURACO was still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, this morning. | |||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Onesi Dam © Pieter Bester | Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Pieter Bester | ||||||||
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Kurrichane Thrush at Parliament Gardens © Andrew Brown | Kurrichane Thrush at Parliament Gardens © Anton Jamz | ||||||||
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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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