9 April 2026 Velddrif, Western Cape, South Africa – A ground-breaking research initiative by BirdLife South Africa is set to uncover the remarkable journeys of migratory shorebirds by deploying tracking devices on these species – a first for the country. The project focuses on tagging, colour-ringing, and monitoring species such as Curlew Sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea)...

Into the Blue is a powerful short documentary by Richard Flack that traces the fragile future of one of South Africa’s rarest birds, the Blue Swallow. What began as a simple day of filming at Roselands Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal evolved into an 18-month, no-budget project driven by passion, persistence and a shared urgency to tell...

Image by MANFRED SUTER, text by FAYE KNIGHT March has quickly snuck up on us which means the bird of the month is here! The Pennant-Winged Nightjar, a jewel in the crown for SA birders, is the featured bird for the month of March in Birdlife’s calendar photographed by Manfred Suter.  The pennant-winged nightjar acquires its name...

By John Kinghorn, Avitourism Project Manager, BirdLife South AfricaFor many people, birding and tracking seem to belong to two entirely different worlds. Birders are often imagined by others with binoculars pointed skyward, scanning treetops for flashes of movement and bright colours, so fixated on their target that they seemingly disconnect from their surroundings entirely. Trackers,...

When you next see a European Bee-eater, don’t assume that it’s from western or central Europe or if it speaks French or Spanish, because it probably doesn’t! Some  interesting results were  posted on Facebook presenting migratory patterns. The birds that breed in western Europe migrate to West Africa and those that migrate to eastern southern African,...

3 March – Little Egret, by Gouadjelia Tarek. 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 of the birding community we usually do! Got a snap that’s so good it might...

27 February – As I write this, the waters have subsided in Kruger National Park after double the seasonal average rainfall caused widespread infrastructure damage and the temporary closure of several camps. Among them was Return Africa’s Pafuri Camp, set on the banks of the Luvuvhu River. Thankfully they will reopen on 1 June after...

By Tarryn Havemann, Mouse-Free Marion Project Development Officer 26 February – The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project has secured a transformational pledge of US$10 million from a Swiss-based international foundation. This commitment represents the largest contribution received to date and marks a major milestone in the journey towards restoring Marion Island to its former ecological condition....

Image by HINESH PATEL, text by FAYE KNIGHT African Birdlife is back with the bird of the month from our annual calendar! February features the nectar-loving bird renowned for their brilliant metallic-green plumage, the Malachite Sunbird. Now, keeping to the question from January’s featured bird, “what makes this bird so special?” Besides catching sight of...

By Anton Crone, 11 February – Across Africa’s sweeping landscapes, birds are constantly singing, calling and chattering in a glorious chorus of sound. Yet despite the continent’s extraordinary avian diversity, Africa remains under-represented in global bird sound libraries. The Big Year of African Sounds sets out to change that by mobilising birders across the continent...