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 of Ornithology, and the International Ornithologists’ Union, AviList brings together previously conflicting lists into a...
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 striking birds, has been severely affected by years of sewage pollution. What was once a...
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 the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA), the SGOTY Awards recognise excellence in field...
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 considered at lower risk, such as the Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird. The findings are...
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 up to protect some of the region’s most important bird habitats. And in doing so,...
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 species and habitats. Critical Habitat for the Blue Swallow Located next to the existing iMpendle Nature...
Pick up the May/June edition of African Birdlife magazine—available on shelves over the coming days—and explore a powerful season of change, exceptional photography, and bird conservation success stories. It’s a turning point for African Penguins. BirdLife South Africa has secured the protection of critical feeding grounds for six major penguin colonies—a significant conservation win. This milestone doesn’t...
How “Digital Trophies” Are Aiding Bird Conservation In the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean flyway, Lebanon should be a sanctuary for millions of migratory birds traveling between Europe and Africa. Instead, a sobering study reveals that this small nation has become a deadly trap—where social media has turned into a dark window into widespread illegal...
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,...
