Photo of the day

16 July 2025. Red-billed Oxpecker, by Deon Kuntz. Each day we scour Birdlife South Africa’s social media community, and submissions from photographers, to find the Photo of the Day. Sometimes we don’t find a winner, but thanks to the talent...

How (and why) to become a birder in 12 easy steps

By someone who’s made every birding blunder so you don’t have to. I started birding because my wife, Sarah, kept looking up while I was looking down. We’re both nature lovers and often find ourselves in wild places across southern...

Vortex Viper 8X42 HD Review

Binoculars are indispensable to birdwatching and a good pair even more so in revealing fine detail. Typically these come with a high price tag but luckily there are some great choices that are easier on the wallet. One such brand...

WIN a birding adventure for two to Ecuador!

Stand a chance to win a birding trip of a lifetime to the spectacular Eastern Andes of Ecuador – worth R150,000! BirdLife South Africa’s popular Jackpot Birding Raffle is back! One lucky winner and their travel companion will jet off on a 7-day/6-night...

Rory the Roller Found After Epic Journey from South Africa to China

2 July 2025 — Gurbantünggüt Desert, Xinjiang A satellite-tagged European Roller, named Rory by the late BirdLife patron Pamela Isdell, has been successfully located and photographed by Chinese researchers after completing a staggering 15,300 km migration from South Africa to northern China....

White-winged Flufftail Downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered

2 July 2025, Johannesburg — In a rare conservation success story, the White-winged Flufftail, one of Africa’s most elusive and threatened birds, has been downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered in South Africa, thanks to over a decade of innovative research and fieldwork led by...

Why don’t vultures get sick from eating rotten flesh?    

Vultures don’t always have the luxury of feeding on freshly killed carcasses! During the hot summer months, carcasses tend to decompose very rapidly which means that these birds have to contend with a meal that is in the state of...

Education Effort Sparks Hope for Endangered Vultures

Blouberg Nature Reserve, Limpopo – July 2025 An education initiative led by vulture conservation organisation Vulpro is showing promising signs of success in curbing the illegal killing of vultures for traditional medicine practices around Blouberg Nature Reserve in Limpopo. The...

Flock to St Helena – 2026

BirdLife South Africa will be taking intrepid birders and naturalists on three exciting adventures to St Helena Island in early 2026. This remarkable island boasts a globally significant natural environment – both on land and at sea – with strikingly...

In the July/August issue of African Birdlife…

…we’ve trained our lenses on birds behaving badly and beautifully. The latest African Birdlife magazine is out on Friday 20 June, and it’s ruffled more than a few feathers—in the best way. We’ve packed this issue with top-tier photography that gets you...

Birds vs. Wind Turbines: New Research Aims to Prevent Deaths

Window collisions and cats kill more birds than wind farms do, but ornithologists say turbine impacts must be taken seriously. Scientists are testing a range of technologies to reduce bird strikes — from painting stripes to using artificial intelligence —...

Rwandan youth tap into mobile tech to aid bird conservation

A group of innovative young Rwandan naturalists—led by 19-year-old tourism graduate Joseph Desiré Dufitumukiza—has harnessed a free mobile app to record bird sounds and monitor species across the country. Since launching the Rugezi Ornithology Center in 2022, Dufitumukiza and his...

AviList launch: One global bird list to unite them all

A major breakthrough in global bird taxonomy has been announced with the launch of AviList, a unified checklist Containing 11,131 species, 19,879 subspecies, 2,376 genera, 252 families and 46 orders. Developed by leading institutions including BirdLife International, the Cornell Lab...
Kamfers dam Lesser Flamingos

Lesser Flamingos in Peril as Kamfers Dam Turns Toxic

Lesser flamingos, already under pressure due to limited breeding grounds, have lost one of their only four breeding sites in Africa. Kamfers Dam, situated 6km north of Kimberly in South Africa, once a haven for tens of thousands of these...

Excellence in the Wild: Safari Guide of the Year Awards Honour Southern Africa’s Finest

Southern Africa’s most outstanding field guides are set to be celebrated at the 2025 Safari Guide of the Year (SGOTY) Awards, with five top finalists announced for this year’s prestigious event. Founded in 2011 by Mike Karantonis in partnership with...

Birding in Dullstroom, South Africa’s Fly-Fishing Capital

Positioned on the edge of a pristine farm dam with a warm cup of coffee in hand, the gentle whistling of an overzealous Olive Thrush pierces the dawn’s repose. A chilling breeze carries a low-lying mist that envelops all in...

2025 Red Data Book Released Online

Over three years, more than 137 ornithologists, conservationists, and citizen scientists compiled 193 detailed assessments to quantify extinction risk for the region’s birds. The new online Red Data Book (RDB-online) now includes an additional 70 endemic and near-endemic species still...

Urban Hawk Outsmarts the City: A Lesson in Avian Ingenuity

In a quiet suburb of New Jersey, USA, an unexpected example of avian intelligence has caught the attention of birders and scientists alike. An immature Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) has been observed using an urban pedestrian crossing to aid its...
Community-led conservation in Senegal

How Communities in Senegal Are Protecting Critical Bird Sites and Boosting Their Livelihoods

A ground-breaking Community-led conservation project in Senegal is empowering local people to protect vital habitats for migratory birds. Along the East Atlantic Flyway—a key migratory route for millions of birds from Europe to southern Africa—local communities in Senegal are stepping...

Bird Book Baptism: How a Harbour Mishap Raised R15,000 for Marion Island

Close to 2,000 bird enthusiasts descended on Durban Harbour, excitement at fever pitch as they prepared to embark on a voyage to Marion Island — all eager to witness the magnificent albatrosses in their wild ocean domain. This voyage presented...
vulture poisoning

Vultures Under Attack: Another 100 poisoned in Mpumalanga

18 May 2025 – Mpumalanga, South Africa — In a devastating blow to vulture conservation, over 100 critically endangered vultures have been found dead from poisoning in Lionspruit Game Reserve, near Marloth Park, Mpumalanga. The victims include 92 White-backed Vultures, 9...

Berg River Estuary: A Lifeline for Migrant Birds

10 May, World Migratory Bird Day -The Berg River Estuary, a shimmering ribbon of life on South Africa’s west coast, is more than just a scenic wetland—it’s a lifeline for thousands of migratory birds and a critical engine for biodiversity....

123 Vultures Poisoned, 84 Rescued in Kruger National Park

In one of the largest poisoning incidents in Kruger National Park, a total of 116 vultures were found dead in the Mahlangeni Section of the Park. the devastating event was detected by the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) wildlife poisoning surveillance and...
Zoë Lunau-Johns

Rising Star Interview: Zoë Lunau-Johns

At just 18, Zoë Lunau-Johns is a rising star in South African birding. A dedicated citizen scientist and mentor, she has inspired a new generation of young birders. From leading Cape Bird Club outings to contributing vital data to the...
Blue Swallow

New iNkonjane Nature Reserve Aims to Protect Blue Swallow in KZN

KwaZulu-Natal has announced the declaration of the iNkonjane Nature Reserve, a newly protected area named after the Critically Endangered Blue Swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea). Officially proclaimed by MEC Rev. Musa Zondi, the 181.7-hectare reserve potentially strengthens South Africa’s efforts to protect its most threatened...