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...
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...
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. The discovery marks a breakthrough in understanding one of the world’s most elusive intercontinental migrants....
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 decay. Juveniles searching for food remains at a decaying zebra carcass. As long as there...
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...
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 a wonderful opportunity for the JVBBF Trust (John Voelcker Bird Book Fund) to support a...
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 Hooded Vultures, and a rare adult male White-headed Vulture — most of them breeding adults....
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. But this vital ecosystem, like many estuaries in the Western Cape, is under increasing pressure...
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 detection system, which triggered an alert at 06:05 on 6 May 2025, flagging suspicious activity...
Cape Vultures once soared in abundance across the skies of the Karoo, forming a vital part of the region’s natural heritage. Now, thanks to an ambitious collaboration between conservationists, farmers, and national parks, they may be on their way to reclaiming that legacy. The Karoo Vulture Safe Zone, launched in 2019 through a partnership with the...
