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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
Settlement secures biologically meaningful foraging areas for African Penguins for next decade to help bring the species back from the brink of extinction. 18 March 2025 – BirdLife South Africa and SANCCOB today secured a historic victory for South Africa’s Critically Endangered African Penguin when the Pretoria High Court issued an order of court after...
A new report documenting the economic value of ecosystem services provided by vultures in Southern Africa has been launched by BirdLife International, marking a significant milestone in understanding the role of vultures in the ecosystem. According to the report, which focused on Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, vultures provide ecosystem services including bequest values, sanitation and...
They say love is forever, but for African Penguins, “mating for life” might soon be a thing of the past, both romantically and literally. African Penguins are famous for their lifelong bonds, but their love stories are at risk. With fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs left in the wild, these charismatic seabirds face extinction within...
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently escalated the status of the African Penguin to Critically Endangered, underscoring the species’ alarming risk of extinction. With a staggering 97% decline in population, this unique penguin could disappear in under 4,000 days without immediate intervention. Competing for Survival in a Changing Environment A key factor...
