SA Rare Bird News Report - 02 June 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 Monday, 02 June 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 GOLIATH HERON was reported flying over Peninsula Road in Zeekoevlei yesterday afternoon while the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park this morning. Further east, a male BATELEUR was seen along the road between the N2 and Still Bay, about 14km outside Still Bay, yesterday and there were also still a large number of ROSEATE TERNS at The Point in Mossel Bay at -34.187, 22.161 earlier today as well. | |||||||||
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Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Andre Demblon | Eurasian Oystercatcher at Seeberg © Regard van Dyk | ||||||||
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Bateleur near Still Bay © Derick Oosthuizen | Roseate Terns at The Point © Amanda Walden | ||||||||
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In the Eastern Cape, an AFRICAN CRAKE flew into a window at the Berea Foundation in the centre of East London yesterday and stunned itself while 2 GREEN-WINGED PYTILIAS were reported just west of Aberdeen at -32.493, 24.016 on Saturday.
Moving up the coast into Kwazulu Natal, there was some local excitement when a juvenile AFRICAN HAWK EAGLE was seen in a garden in Westville at -29.819, 30.908 on Saturday. A number of locals managed to twitch the bird and it was still present in the same general area for most of today. Elsewhere, an AFRICAN CRAKE was noted at Zini River Estate in Mtunzini this morning, another AFRICAN CRAKE was reported at the Wattled Crane hide in the Karkloof Conservancy yesterday, a LESSER MOORHEN was seen west of Howick at -29.561, 30.117 yesterday and a THICK-BILLED CUCKOO was found in Ndumo Game Reserve Main Rest Camp on Saturday and was still there yesterday. | |||||||||
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African Crake at the Berea Foundation © John Pillans | African Hawk Eagle in Westville © Nathan Sewpersad | ||||||||
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African Hawk Eagle in Westville © Elton-John Bartlett | African Hawk Eagle in Westville © Rowan Bartlett | ||||||||
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African Hawk Eagle in Westville © Dave Rimmer | Thick-billed Cuckoo in Ndumo Game Reserve © Rob McLennan-Smith | ||||||||
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Across in Mpumalanga, 2 juvenile LESSER FLAMINGOS were seen this morning at Shitlave Dam in the Kruger National Park.
In the Free State, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was found on private property at South Bay on the Vaal Dam near Deneysville yesterday.
Up in Limpopo, the RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON was still at Vogelfontein at -24.617, 28.696 yesterday while a single GREAT WHITE PELICAN was reported at a pan in the Fever Tree forest near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park yesterday and was still there this morning as well. | |||||||||
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Lesser Black-backed Gull on the Vaal Dam © Andre Taljaard | Rufous-bellied Heron at Vogelfontein © Etienne Hinrichsen | ||||||||
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And finally, in Namibia, an AFRICAN CRAKE was found walking around the parking area at Eros Shopping Centre in Windhoek on Saturday while an immature EGYPTIAN VULTURE was seen at Leeubron Waterhole in Etosha National Park at -19.069, 15.817 on Wednesday. | |||||||||
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African Crake at Eros Shopping Centre © Adri Bruwer | Egyptian Vulture at Leeubron Waterhole © Kirby Mackintosh | ||||||||
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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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