SA Rare Bird News Report - 17 November 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, 17 November 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 BAIRD’S SANDPIPER was still at Macassar Sewage Works earlier today while the EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER was also still at Seeberg in the West Coast National Park this morning. Also on the west coast, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was found on the Berg River mudflats in Velddrif at -32.787, 18.174 yesterday while Kliphoek Salt Pans in Velddrif had at least one RED-NECKED PHALAROPE still present yesterday and 2 CASPIAN PLOVERS seen again there this morning (although they were not seen there throughout the weekend). Elsewhere, a GREY CUCKOOSHRIKE was reported on the outskirts of Kleinmond at -34.328, 19.044 on Saturday, the WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER was still present along the van der Stel Pass at -34.117, 19.236 on Saturday, at least 2 GREATER SAND PLOVERS were still at De Mond Nature Reserve near Arniston on Saturday and a SQUACCO HERON was seen at Central Beach in the Piesang River estuary in Plettenberg Bay on Saturday. | |||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Dean Boshoff | Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Elise Engelbrecht | ||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Philip Faure | Gull-billed Tern at Bot River Lagoon © Garret Skead | ||||||||
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Baird’s Sandpiper at Macassar Sewage Works © Etienne Hinrichsen | Greater Sand Plover at De Mond Nature Reserve © Renier Meyer | ||||||||
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Caspian Plover at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Robert Thomson | Red-necked Phalarope at Kliphoek Salt Pans © Michael Mason | ||||||||
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A very distant Pectoral Sandpiper in Velddrif © Trevor Hardaker | |||||||||
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Up in the Northern Cape, a GREATER PAINTED SNIPE was seen about 30kms south of Postmasburg on Thursday.
In the Eastern Cape, an AFRICAN CRAKE was reported along the dirt road leading towards Cefani Resort near Chintsa East at -32.805, 28.117 yesterday.
Kwazulu Natal held on to at least one RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON which was still on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park at -28.315, 32.437 yesterday. | |||||||||
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Greater Painted Snipe south of Postmasburg © Mike Kirby | Rufous-bellied Heron on the Eastern Shores © Christa Shortland | ||||||||
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Over in Mpumalanga, the Kruger National Park held on to the GREEN SANDPIPER still along the S3 at -24.989, 31.467 yesterday afternoon and 7 CASPIAN PLOVERS still along the S25 at -25.349, 31.879 this morning. Other lingerers included the 2 LESSER JACANAS still present at Otter Pan, south-east of Middelburg, at -25.917, 29.930 yesterday which have now also been confirmed as having actually bred there, and a couple of BLUE SWALLOWS still near God’s Window at -24.856, 30.884 on Saturday.
Into Limpopo where the COLLARED PALM THRUSH was still at Crooks Corner near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park on Friday. | |||||||||
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Green Sandpiper along the S3 road © Etienne Hinrichsen | Lesser Jacana at Otter Pan © Eduard Teichert | ||||||||
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Lesser Jacana at Otter Pan © Mark Wadley | Lesser Jacana at Otter Pan © Willem van Zyl | ||||||||
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Lesser Jacanas at Otter Pan © Elandré Scherman | |||||||||
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Up in Namibia, 2 BLACK HERONS were found near Sossusvlei at -24.729, 15.325 on Friday while other lingerers included at least 3 PALE-THROATED GREENBULS (aka YELLOW-THROATED LEAFLOVES) still in the gardens of Caprivi River Lodge in Katima Mulilo yesterday, the ROSS’S TURACO still at Taranga Safari Lodge, west of Rundu, yesterday and the mega NORTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER still in the Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony near Zambezi Mubala Lodge at -17.535, 24.542 this morning. | |||||||||
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Black Herons near Sossusvlei © Buzzy Joell | Black Herons near Sossusvlei © Felix Perez | ||||||||
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Ross’s Turaco at Taranga Safari Lodge © Andrew Brown | Pale-throated Greenbul at Caprivi River Lodge © Dayne Braine | ||||||||
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Northern Carmine Bee-eater near Zambezi Mubala Lodge © Anton Jooste | |||||||||
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Across in Zimbabwe, there was some local excitement when a BLACK-TAILED GODWIT was found along the Zambezi River at 3rd channel, Long Island, upstream of Victoria Falls, on Saturday.
And finally, in Mozambique, The Sanctuary on the San Sebastian Peninsula near Vilanculos continued to produce great birds with 38 CRAB PLOVERS, 9 EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHERS and 1 AFRICAN OYSTERCATCHER all present there yesterday. | |||||||||
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Eurasian and African Oystercatchers at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | Crab Plovers at The Sanctuary © Albert McLean | ||||||||
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Black-tailed Godwit along the Zambezi River © Vusi Sibanda | |||||||||
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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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