Created by Alberto Vaccari and Lily Bickerstaffe, Birdle is a fun, educational game designed to spark curiosity about birds and conservation. It has taken off in the birding community, often cited as the first thing people do in the morning! Inspired by the viral success of Wordle, Birdle challenges players to identify a new bird...
11 April 2025 – South Africa’s critically endangered vultures are under severe threat from expanding energy infrastructure, with collisions and electrocutions from powerlines and wind turbines driving sharp population declines. Vulpro, the country’s leading vulture conservation organisation, has recorded 191 vulture deaths or injuries between 2020 and 2025 due to powerline-related incidents. “In the past month alone,...
Court orders Sol Plaatje Municipality to fix sewerage crisis Kimberley, 11 April 2025 — A High Court ruling has offered long-overdue hope for the waterbirds of Kamfers Dam, once home to South Africa’s only breeding colony of Lesser Flamingos. Judge Stanton, delivering judgment in the Northern Cape Division of the High Court, ordered Sol Plaatje Municipality...
A small group ventured beyond the Limpopo into Mozambique’s wilder Pafuri region. Drawn by the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl, they discover an untouched landscape teeming with birdlife, and moments that offered a deeper connection to the wild. By Marc Freeman The sun beat down as we crossed the border, leaving behind the renowned Kruger National...
BirdLife South Africa has sounded the alarm over the growing threat wind energy infrastructure poses to birdlife, calling for urgent measures to reduce the impact on vulnerable species. A new report, based on bird monitoring at 33 wind farms across three provinces from 2015 to 2024, reveals that 202 bird species have been recorded as...
Update 6 April 2025 • Bird #26 has reached Dar es Salaam, having flown over 3,200 km in just six days—a remarkable feat.• Bird #24 has arrived in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania after travelling 2,500 km in six days.• Bird #23 remains just south of the Mozambique–Tanzania border, seemingly enjoying a well-deserved pause...
The Wattled Crane, one of Africa’s most endangered bird species, has been downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered in South Africa—an important milestone for conservation. This achievement is the result of decades of dedicated efforts by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in partnership with the International Crane Foundation, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife (EKZNW), farmers, landowners, and other conservation organisations. A...
During a trip to Kruger National Park in 2024, my wife and I spotted a Common Myna feeding what appeared to be a Great Spotted Cuckoo. We were so surprised we forgot to take a photo. I was reminded about the concern that this alien species invading KNP. I thought at least cuckoos were helping...
The male African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus) is a remarkable example of dedicated paternal care. Unlike many other bird species where females take on most of the parental duties, the male African Jacana is solely responsible for raising the chicks once they hatch. This wader, often called the “lily trotter” due to its ability to walk...
