SA Rare Bird News Report - 23 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 Thursday, 23 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: | |||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
| |||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
PLEASE CONSIDER FOLLOWING ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY CLICKING ON THE LINKED ICONS BELOW: | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
| ||||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Before I get started, just a quick note of thanks to Garret Skead for jumping in and helping out with SARBN again while I was away last week. Your willingness to assist is always greatly appreciated Garret…J
On to the news and, starting in the Western Cape, one of the ROYAL ALBATROSSES was seen on a fishing trip out of Hout Bay today, but not enough details were seen to be able to clinch the ID down to species level unfortunately. Elsewhere, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was found at Macassar Sewage Works at -34.080, 18.767 yesterday while other lingerers included the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park yesterday, 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif at -32.824, 18.197 this afternoon and 2 GREATER SAND PLOVERS still at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay yesterday, the second individual only being seen yesterday for the first time. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Pectoral Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Tertius Gous | Pectoral Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Renier Meyer | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Hernus Langeveldt | Greater Sand Plovers at the Keurbooms River estuary © Pieter Schoeman | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Up in the Northern Cape, a LITTLE EGRET was present at Cheleka waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on Tuesday.
In the Eastern Cape, 5 KNOB-BILLED DUCKS were found on a farm dam north of the Gamtoos River near Loerie at -33.899, 24.962 yesterday while, not too far away from there, a WAHLBERG’S EAGLE was found on a private farm with restricted access at -33.908, 24.948 yesterday as well. Another interesting record was a HOODED VULTURE that was seen around the Vulpro enclosure on Shamwari Game Reserve earlier today. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Knob-billed Ducks north of the Gamtoos River © Hugh Retief | Knob-billed Duck north of the Gamtoos River © Wessel Rossouw | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Wahlberg’s Eagle north of the Gamtoos River © Wessel Rossouw | Little Egret at Cheleka waterhole © Jono Savadier | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, lingerers included the GREATER SAND PLOVER still at the St Lucia estuary on Tuesday and the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON still at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti this morning. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Rufous-bellied Heron at Umbogavango Nature Reserve © Mark Daniels | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Over in Mpumalanga, there was an unconfirmed report of a WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD seen at Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park yesterday which would be an incredible record for the park if it could be relocated and confirmed. Also in the park, a group of 8 PINK-BACKED PELICANS were reported earlier today at Mlondozi Dam. Elsewhere, the GOLDEN PIPIT was still on Timbavati Private Game Reserve at -24.380, 31.195 yesterday and at least one BLUE SWALLOW was still present near God’s Window at -24.857, 30.881 yesterday as well. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Golden Pipit in Timbavati Private Game Reserve © Duncan Butcher | Golden Pipit in Timbavati Private Game Reserve © Marc Cronje | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Up in Namibia, the mega NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER was still present in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony upstream of Zambezi Mubala Lodge until at least late on Tuesday afternoon while the out of range SQUACCO HERON was still at the Swakop River mouth in Swakopmund this afternoon.
Over in Botswana, a GULL-BILLED TERN and a SANDERLING were found at Kang Pan at -23.696, 22.796 yesterday with the Tern still being present there this morning.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, yet another lingering mega… 2 SPUR-WINGED LAPWINGS were still present earlier today at Lake Chivero, west of Harare. | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Northern Carmine Bee-eater near Zambezi Mubala Lodge © Conrad Strauss | Northern Carmine Bee-eater near Zambezi Mubala Lodge © Danny Naidoo | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Northern Carmine Bee-eater near Zambezi Mubala Lodge © Eldore Wood | Northern Carmine Bee-eater near Zambezi Mubala Lodge © Linda Mannheim | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Squacco Heron at the Swakop River mouth © Anton Jooste | Gull-billed Tern at Kang Pan © Niall Perrins | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
Spur-winged Lapwing at Lake Chivero © Duwan Botha | |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
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 |
|
|
|
| |||||
| |||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
