SA Rare Bird News Report - 18 September 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, 18 September 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, a SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS and 2 NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSSES were seen on a pelagic trip out of Hout Bay yesterday. Elsewhere, both a SQUACCO HERON and a GOLIATH HERON were reported at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve yesterday, at least one AUSTRALASIAN GANNET was still at Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay yesterday and a CAPE VULTURE was also reported just outside Lutzville yesterday. | |||||||||
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Southern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | Northern Royal Albatross on pelagic trip © Trevor Hardaker | ||||||||
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Goliath Heron at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Candice van Dam | Squacco Heron at Rietvlei Wetland Reserve © Benjamin van der Merwe | ||||||||
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Into Kwazulu Natal where the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still near Amazibu hide on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.214, 32.437 yesterday while the other RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was also still at Umbogavango Nature Reserve in Amanzimtoti this morning. Both the DAMARA TERN and a CHESTNUT-BANDED PLOVER were reported again this morning at the St Lucia estuary while, also of interest, 2 SOOTY TERNS, a BRIDLED TERN and a WHITE-HEADED PETREL were reported from a ship just over 80 nautical miles offshore of Richard’s Bay earlier today as well. | |||||||||
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Rufous-bellied Heron on the Eastern Shores © Victor Roberts | Rufous-bellied Heron at Umbogavango Nature Reserve © David Allan | ||||||||
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Mpumalanga held on to the 3 AFRICAN SKIMMERS which were still at Malelane bridge in the Kruger National Park yesterday.
In Gauteng, the SLATY EGRET was still at Gnu Valley farm earlier today.
And finally, in Namibia, a KURRICHANE THRUSH was found at Parliament Gardens in Windhoek yesterday, possibly the same individual that was seen at Farm Windhoek on the eastern side of Avis Dam in September last year while a TIBETAN (LESSER) SAND PLOVER was seen again this morning at Lovers Hill in Walvis Bay. | |||||||||
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African Skimmer at Malelane bridge © Edwin Polden | African Skimmer at Malelane bridge © Estelle Smalberger | ||||||||
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Slaty Egret at Gnu Valley farm © Ivan Putter | Kurrichane Thrush at Parliament Gardens © Jacob Henry | ||||||||
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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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