SA Rare Bird News Report - 02 October 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 Thursday, 02 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 |
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Starting in the Western Cape, the 2 COLLARED PRATINCOLES were still at Strandfontein Sewage Works earlier today, but now seem to be spending most of their time on Pan S6 while, not too far away, a GOLIATH HERON was seen at Zandvlei Bird Sanctuary this morning as well. Elsewhere, the RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Tuesday, a RED-BILLED OXPECKER was seen on a private farm north of Villiersdorp at -33.935, 19.351 yesterday, the GREATER SAND PLOVER was still at the Keurbooms River estuary in Plettenberg Bay on Tuesday afternoon, a SQUACCO HERON was reported in the grass along the boardwalk to the Beacon Island Hotel in Plettenberg Bay yesterday and a COMMON SCIMITARBILL was seen in a garden in Prince Albert on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Michael McSweeney | Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Daryl de Beer | ||||||||
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Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Gilbert Reinhardt | Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Garret Skead | ||||||||
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Collared Pratincole at Strandfontein Sewage Works © Kevin Shields | Goliath Heron at Zandvlei Bird Sanctuary © Thierry de Ryckel | ||||||||
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Red-billed Oxpecker near Villiersdorp © Lester van Groeningen | Greater Sand Plover at the Keurbooms River estuary © Pieter Schoeman | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at the Kromme River estuary in St Francis Bay on Tuesday while the long-staying GROUNDSCRAPER THRUSH was reported again this afternoon on the road verge at the entrance to Kenton-on-Sea, opposite the new shopping mall.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal where a SLATY EGRET was reported at Muzi Pan at -27.656, 32.405 yesterday while the locally popular RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti this morning and another RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.317, 32.437 this afternoon as well.
Over in Mpumalanga, as many as 4 AFRICAN SKIMMERS were present at Malelane bridge in the Kruger National Park on Tuesday while at least 3 individuals were still present there this afternoon.
In Gauteng, the SLATY EGRET continued to show well at Gnu Valley farm this morning.
Across in Limpopo, the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was also still at Vogelfontein on Tuesday. | |||||||||
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Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Marlou Schalkwyk | Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Lize Stassen | ||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron at Vogelfontein © Tarry Butcher | |||||||||
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Up in Namibia, several lingerers remained in place with the SQUACCO HERON still at the Swakop River mouth in Swakopmund this morning, the CASPIAN PLOVER still at Onesi Dam yesterday and a couple of PALE-THROATED GREENBULS (aka YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES) still around Caprivi River Lodge in Katima Mulilo yesterday as well.
And finally, in Zimbabwe, a SLATY EGRET was found at Manga 3 Pan in Hwange National Park at -19.042, 26.940 on Monday. | |||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Onesi Dam © Buzzy Joel | Squacco Heron at the Swakop River mouth © Anton Jooste | ||||||||
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Slaty Egret at Manga 3 Pan © Doug Macdonald | |||||||||
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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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