SA Rare Bird News Report - 06 October 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 Monday, 06 October 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, at least one COLLARED PRATINCOLE remained throughout the weekend and was still present on Pan S6 at Strandfontein Sewage Works earlier today. Up on the west coast, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park this afternoon, 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES continued to entertain birders at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif yesterday and a KNOB-BILLED DUCK was found at De Plaat in Velddrif at -32.793, 18.207 yesterday as well while, further east, an AFRICAN CRAKE was seen in farmlands between Bredasdorp and Struisbaai on Friday and at least one GREATER SAND PLOVER was present at De Mond Nature Reserve yesterday.   In the Eastern Cape, the male GREATER PAINTED SNIPE was still at Barkley East Sewage Works on Saturday.
Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Kaleb Pillay					Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Gareth Bain
Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Johan van Wyk					Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Magriet van Wyk
Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Alex Aitkenhead					Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Atiyya Ally
Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Leon Marais					Greater Painted Snipe at Barkley East Sewage Works © Lesley Meise
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, a GREEN SANDPIPER was found at Manyoni Private Game Reserve yesterday and the THICK-BILLED CUCKOO was still around Phinda Forest Lodge on Saturday. Elsewhere, the GREATER SAND PLOVER was still at the St Lucia estuary on Friday, the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti yesterday and a RUDDY TURNSTONE was reported at Spioenkop Dam on Saturday.
Thick-billed Cuckoo at Phinda Forest Lodge © Nic Wright					Green Sandpiper at Manyoni Private Game Reserve © Chris Overington
Over in Mpumalanga, an AFRICAN SKIMMER was present at a dam in the northern Sabi Sands at -24.756, 31.504 on Saturday.   Gauteng held on to the SLATY EGRET which was still at Gnu Valley farm yesterday.   Up in Limpopo, a SADDLE-BILLED STORK was found just south of Polokwane at -23.98, 29.497 yesterday.
Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Ian Vos					Saddle-billed Stork south of Polokwane © Minkie Prinsloo
Across in the North-west Province, at least 2 LAPPET-FACED VULTURES were seen flying around and feeding on a cow carcass at the Kgomo Kgomo bridge on Saturday while there was also some local excitement when a VERREAUX’S EAGLE OWL was seen in Potchefstroom at -26.721, 27.088 on Thursday evening.
Verreaux’s Eagle Owl in Potchefstroom © Daleen Jacobs					Lappet-faced Vulture over the Kgomo Kgomo floodplain © Jandre Verster
Namibia chimed in with the best record in the subregion in the last few days when Southern Africa’s 5th NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER was found at the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony just upstream of Zambezi Mubala Lodge, east of Katima Mulilo, at -17.536, 24.545 on Saturday and was still there yesterday. The subregion’s first record was on 17 December 2020 in Bwabwata National Park followed by our second record on 4 January 2021 on a farm along the southern bank of the Crocodile River in Limpopo Province in South Africa. Both of these records were “one day wonders” and totally untwitchable, and it was only when a bird spent time from 28 September 2022 – 25 November 2022 and again from 17 September 2023 – 21 November 2023 in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony near Nunda River Lodge in Namibia that many twitchers could finally catch up with it and add it to their subregion lists. Subsequent to this, we’ve had one more “one day wonder” on 23 January 2025 at Manyeleti Game Reserve.   And finally, in Zimbabwe, also still a mega and only the 13th record for Southern Africa, the 2 SPUR-WINGED LAPWINGS were still at Lake Chivero, near Harare, at -17.917, 30.843 yesterday while a CASPIAN PLOVER was reported at Kennedy 2 Pan in Hwange National Park earlier today.
Northern Carmine Bee-eater near Zambezi Mubala Lodge © Neal Cooper					Spur-winged Lapwing at Lake Chivero © Etienne Hinrichsen
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