SA Rare Bird News Report - 03 November 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, 03 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 |
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Starting in Western Cape, there was a rather large surprize when a SOUTHERN FULMAR was found on a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay yesterday, a very late record for this species indeed, and possibly the first ever November record for it in the subregion. Elsewhere, the GOLIATH HERON was still at Rondevlei Nature Reserve yesterday and the AFRICAN JACANA was still present and seen from Sunset Hide at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve on Saturday while at least 11 LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS were found along the van Schoorsdrif Road at -33.730, 18.564 on Friday with several still present there yesterday. There was also some local excitement when a BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was found at Macassar Sewage Works yesterday at the bend in the river there, still a pretty rare species in Southern Africa – it was also still present there late this afternoon. Up on the west coast, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park this afternoon and at least 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif yesterday. Moving east in the province, a YELLOW-BILLED STORK was found near Voelvlei, south-west of Bredasdorp, at -34.647, 19.885 yesterday, at least one GREATER SAND PLOVER and 2 other unidentified SAND PLOVERS were present at De Mond Nature Reserve yesterday, the LONG-CRESTED EAGLE was seen again between Ashton and Swellendam at -33.918, 20.191 on Saturday and a GREATER SAND PLOVER was also still present at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay this morning. | |||||||||
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Southern Fulmar on pelagic trip © Michael Mason | Southern Fulmar on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Southern Fulmar (right) on pelagic trip © Jimmy Kirby | |||||||||
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Lesser Striped Swallow on the van Schoorsdrif Road © Eric Hermann | Lesser Striped Swallow on the van Schoorsdrif Road © Gerald Wingate | ||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Hernus Langeveldt | Long-crested Eagle between Ashton and Swellendam © Ritz de la Bat | ||||||||
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Yellow-billed Stork near Voelvlei © Eugene Hahndiek | Yellow-billed Stork near Voelvlei © Lester van Groeningen | ||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, a GREATER PAINTED SNIPE was seen at Samevloeing Waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on Friday afternoon.
Into Kwazulu Natal where there was some local excitement when a single KNOB-BILLED DUCK was discovered at Darvill Bird Sanctuary in Pietermaritzburg at -29.596, 30.437 yesterday. Also of local interest, a EURASIAN CURLEW was seen earlier today at Woodstock Dam at -28.752, 29.223. Elsewhere, the GREEN SANDPIPER was still at Luleka Dam on Manyoni Private Game Reserve yesterday, at least one RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.315, 32.437 on Saturday and the LESSER MOORHEN remained just outside the Buddist Retreat in Ixopo at -30.094, 30.062 on Friday. | |||||||||
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Greater Painted Snipe at Samevloeing waterhole © Ryan Bennewith | Lesser Moorhen in Ixopo © Stuart McLean | ||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, several BLUE SWALLOWS were still near God’s Window at -24.857, 30.881 on Saturday while the Kruger National Park continued to entertain with 5 CASPIAN PLOVERS found along the S25 at -25.348, 31.879 on Saturday, the GREEN SANDPIPER still along the S3 at -24.989, 31.467 yesterday and at least one PINK-BACKED PELICAN still at Mlondozi Dam on Friday.
The North-west Province produced a WHITE-BACKED NIGHT HERON in Pilanesberg National Park at -25.304, 27.178 on Saturday.
Into Limpopo where the COLLARED PALM THRUSH was seen again at Crooks Corner near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park at -22.427, 31.307 on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Caspian Plover along the S25 road © Denielle Lewis | Pink-backed Pelican at Mlondozi Dam © Greg Stewart | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper along the S3 road © Pieter Bester | Green Sandpiper along the S3 road © Sarel Snyman | ||||||||
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Green Sandpiper along the S3 road © Marc Cronje | White-backed Night Heron in Pilanesberg National Park © Wynand Sauerman | ||||||||
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Namibia held on to the mega NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER which was still in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony just upstream of Zambezi Mubala Lodge yesterday while the SQUACCO HERON was also still at the Swakop River mouth in Swakopmund earlier today.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, a GREEN SANDPIPER was found between Small Bridge Dam and Stapleford at -18.752, 32.778 on Friday. | |||||||||
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Squacco Heron at the Swakop River mouth © Anton Jooste | Green Sandpiper between Small Bridge Dam and Stapleford © Jaco Beukman | ||||||||
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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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