SA Rare Bird News Report - 12 January 2026
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, 12 January 2026.
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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Another rather busy few days in terms of rarities have just been had…
Starting in the Western Cape, the BLACK-HEADED GULL continued to entertain twitchers on Friday where it moved between Camps Bay, Maiden’s Cove and Clifton 4th beach but, at sparrows on Saturday, it was nowhere to be found and has not been reported again since then. Elsewhere, the male DUSKY SUNBIRD was reported again in a Muizenberg garden on the corner of Clifton and Yarmouth Roads on Saturday, a SAND MARTIN was reported around Pan P2 at Strandfontein Sewage Works on Saturday, the locally popular BAILLON’S CRAKE was still at Rondevlei Nature Reserve today and the GOLIATH HERON was still there yesterday. Heading up the west coast, at least one EUROPEAN ROLLER was still along the R27 near Atlantic Beach Estate this afternoon, several LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS were still along the Darling Hills Road at -33.470, 18.385 this morning, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park earlier today while a WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL was found there this morning as well, the CASPIAN PLOVER and at least 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were still at Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif on Saturday and at least two AUSTRALASIAN GANNETS were still at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay earlier today as well. Also proving popular, an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was found at Macassar Sewage Works on Saturday and was still there yesterday, the BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was still at Macassar Sewage Works today, the GREY WAGTAIL was still at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens in Betty’s Bay this morning, the KNYSNA WOODPECKER was still there this afternoon, and the GULL-BILLED TERN was still at Bot River Lagoon on Saturday. Continuing eastwards, a JACOBIN CUCKOO was reported along the cliff path in Hermanus at -34.416, 19.248 on Thursday evening, 2 EUROPEAN ROLLERS were present along the R43 outside Stanford at -34.418, 19.426 yesterday, a EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE was seen at Sempurna Estate in McGregor on Saturday and a COMMON SCIMITARBILL was reported along the N12, north of Klaarstroom, at -33.113, 22.539 yesterday as well. | |||||||||
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Baillon’s Crake at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Thierry de Ryckel | Baillon’s Crake at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Renier Meyer | ||||||||
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Baillon’s Crake at Rondevlei Nature Reserve © Geoff Moller | Dusky Sunbird in Muizenberg © Kyle Martin | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Camps Bay © Conrad Strauss | Black-headed Gull at Camps Bay © Zunaid Barday | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Camps Bay © Gaynor Donovan | Black-headed Gull at Camps Bay © Hannes Visagie | ||||||||
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Black-headed Gull at Camps Bay © Pieter Scholtz | |||||||||
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European Roller near Atlantic Beach Estate © Michael Mason | Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Daryl de Beer | ||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Daryl de Beer | Red-necked Phalaropes at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Daryl de Beer | ||||||||
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American Golden Plover at Macassar Sewage Works © Michael Mason | American Golden Plover at Macassar Sewage Works © Pieter Bester | ||||||||
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American Golden Plover at Macassar Sewage Works © Renier Meyer | American Golden Plover at Macassar Sewage Works © Philip Faure | ||||||||
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American Golden Plover at Macassar Sewage Works © Jacques Malan | American Golden Plover at Macassar Sewage Works © Tertius Gous | ||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Tertius Gous | Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Jacques Malan | ||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Michael Mason | Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Pieter Bester | ||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Renier Meyer | Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Philip Faure | ||||||||
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Grey Wagtail at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Michael Mason | Grey Wagtail at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Daryl de Beer | ||||||||
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Grey Wagtail at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Ian Johnson | Grey Wagtail at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Jeanetta Hoekstra | ||||||||
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Grey Wagtail at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Pieter Scholtz | |||||||||
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Grey Wagtail at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Jacques Malan | Knysna Woodpecker at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Jacques Malan | ||||||||
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Knysna Woodpecker at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Michael Mason | Knysna Woodpecker at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens © Daryl de Beer | ||||||||
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European Roller near Stanford © Johan van der Westhuizen | Eurasian Golden Oriole at Sempurna Estate © Adrius Rabie | ||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, a delayed report has come through of a LONG-TOED LAPWING seen at Polentswa waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on 2 January 2026, a mega for the province, and for the entire country of South Africa.
Into the Eastern Cape where an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was found at the Gamtoos River estuary at -33.962, 25.033 yesterday and a PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER (and possibly more than one individual) was also found close by at -33.962, 25.037 as well. Elsewhere, the AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was still at St Francis Bay Sewage Works yesterday and the LESSER MOORHEN was still there until at least Saturday, while a YELLOW-BILLED STORK was also reported flying in an easterly direction between Alexandria and the tam’jozi farm stall yesterday and the long-staying GROUNDSCRAPER THRUSH in Kenton-on-Sea was reported again earlier today in the garden of the nursery school at the junction of William Way and Kariega Road. | |||||||||
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Long-toed Lapwing at Polentswa waterhole © Debbie Crawford | American Golden Plover at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Edward Scholtz | ||||||||
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American Golden Plover at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Andre Strydom | American Golden Plover at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Bert Ophoff | ||||||||
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American Golden Plover at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Patrick Kilian | American Golden Plover at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Tom Soboil | ||||||||
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Lesser Moorhen at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Andre Strydom | Lesser Moorhen at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Bert Ophoff | ||||||||
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Lesser Moorhen at St Francis Bay Sewage Works © Patrick Kilian | Groundscraper Thrush in Kenton-on-Sea © Alex Hutton | ||||||||
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American Golden Plover at the Gamtoos River estuary © Peter Thompson | Pacific Golden Plover at the Gamtoos River estuary © Peter Thompson | ||||||||
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Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Umdloti Lagoon yesterday while there was also some local excitement when a DUSKY LARK was found in Everton at -29.768, 30.797 on Saturday and was still there yesterday (but not seen at all today). Other records of interest included an unconfirmed sighting of a THICK-BILLED CUCKOO reported in a Westville garden on Saturday, a CAPPED WHEATEAR seen in the southern section of Phinda Private Game Reserve yesterday, a LESSER MOORHEN reported at the Wattled Crane hide in the Karkloof Conservancy this morning and another LESSER MOORHEN reported from Broad Acres farm in Bergville earlier today as well. | |||||||||
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Dusky Lark in Everton © Adam Cruickshank | Dusky Lark in Everton © Gavin Walter | ||||||||
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Dusky Lark in Everton © Dave Rimmer | Dusky Lark in Everton © Hennie Jordaan | ||||||||
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Dusky Lark in Everton © Tristan Silver | |||||||||
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Dusky Lark in Everton © Craig Sagar | Dusky Lark in Everton © Hugo Voigts | ||||||||
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Dusky Lark in Everton © Roger Hogg | Eurasian Oystercatcher at Umdloti Lagoon © Ronnie Herr | ||||||||
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Dusky Lark twitchers in Everton © Roger Hogg | |||||||||
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Across in the Free State, there was also some local excitement with the discovery of a provincial mega in the form of a WOOLLY-NECKED STORK found along the N1, north-east of Bloemfontein, at -28.967, 26.340 yesterday which was still there this morning while other records of interest included a KNOB-BILLED DUCK near Hoopstad at -27.754, 25.990 on Saturday and 2 MARABOU STORKS also near Hoopstad at -27.719, 25.962 on Saturday as well. | |||||||||
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Marabou Stork near Hoopstad © Johan van Niekerk | Woolly-necked Stork near Bloemfontein © Sarette Coetzee | ||||||||
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Woolly-necked Stork near Bloemfontein © Piet Moolman | Woolly-necked Stork near Bloemfontein © Johan van Niekerk | ||||||||
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Into Mpumalanga where the mega WHINCHAT continued to behave well and was still just north of Wakkerstroom at -27.320, 30.136 until late on Saturday afternoon. However, yesterday, it was missing in action and has not been reported again since then. Elsewhere, no fewer than 4 BLUE SWALLOWS were still near God’s Window at -24.854, 30.886 on Friday and at least one LESSER JACANA was still at Otter Pan at -25.917, 29.930 on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Greg Pretorius | Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Dave Snow | ||||||||
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Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Wesley Hendriks | Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Danny Hitge | ||||||||
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Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Keegan Steward | Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Gerben van de Wetering | ||||||||
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Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Philip Yiannakou | Whinchat near Wakkerstroom © Rolf Wiesler | ||||||||
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Gauteng held on to the long-staying SLATY EGRET which was still at Gnu Valley farm on Saturday.
Into Limpopo where a CASPIAN PLOVER was reported along the Dipeni Road in the Kruger National Park at -23.501, 31.484 on Friday.
Namibia was not to be outdone and chimed in with an absolute stonker when a WHITE WAGTAIL was found in the Mahango section of Bwabwata National Park at -18.173, 21.705 this morning. This is only the 3rd record for the entire Southern African subregion, and the first for Namibia, following our first record at Rooisand Nature Reserve in the Western Cape in January 2018 and our second record at the Sappi wetlands in Stanger in Kwazulu Natal in November 2022. Elsewhere, as many as 15 CASPIAN PLOVERS were also reported at Springbokhaar Dam near Nomtsas on Friday.
And finally, in Botswana, a single SANDERLING was reported at Kasane Hot Spring on Friday. | |||||||||
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White Wagtail in Mahango © Errol de Beer | White Wagtail in Mahango © Errol de Beer | ||||||||
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Caspian Plovers at Springbokhaar Dam © Albert Voigts von Schütz | |||||||||
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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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