In a promising leap for endangered vulture species in South Africa, conservation organisation Vulpro has announced the hatching of twenty vulture chicks at Shamwari Private Game Reserve during its second breeding season at the new facility. Described as a “major milestone for vulture conservation in South Africa,” the success is evidence that the translocated birds are thriving following their relocation from...
Appeal to fishermen to not discard fishing line. The discovery of an entangled Water Thick-knee at the end of July 2025 on the beach at Mtunzini (KZN) has prompted me to once again appeal to fishermen to be careful and not to discard fishing line, or to at least pick up and remove any line that they may...
Ever wondered why flufftails are called ‘flufftails’? It’s somewhat of an odd name for a family group, because not all flufftails have wispy, decomposed, fluffy tail feathers! Admittedly though, as a family group, they do have much softer tail feathers than most non-passerines. Of the four species that occur in South Africa, Red-chested definitely wins...
Polyandry & male participation during chick rearing age Polyandry, a mating system where parental duties are role reversed (male incubates and rears the chicks), is very rare amongst the world’s bird species, and makes up less than one percent of the breeding species in South Africa. In this mating system, females take up territory and...
Co-published with GoBirding You have taken the figurative plunge, accepted the facts, and noticed the signs. Murmurs among friends, family, and colleagues all point toward the same prognosis: you have become a birder. What began as innocent curiosity, a quick glance out the kitchen window, and the casual “what bird is that?” remark whispered on...
Fiery-necked Nightjar At a guess I’d say that about three quarters of birders in the region, wouldn’t ID with certainty, a Fiery-necked Nightjar 20 – 30 m away – assuming no nightjars were calling of course. They are not entirely to blame for this! Nightjars are a tough group, and historically, illustrations in publications haven’t...
Until recently, only professional photographers were likely to have access to an 800mm lens, which delivers 16x magnification on a full-frame camera. The best that amateur birders might have aspired to were a 500mm or 600mm lens; the only 800mm lenses were massive prime lenses with an equally hefty price tag. Canon broke the mould...
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 Africa. But on our first trips to the Kruger National Park and Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park as...
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 is Vortex, and I was able to extensively field test their mid-range Viper 8X42 Viper...
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 guided birding adventure from 15 to 21 February 2026, courtesy of Rockjumper Worldwide Birding Adventures. This unforgettable journey...
