In the Kruger Park’s remote north, the landscapes and special birds of Pafuri make a compelling case for unfinished business. Text & photographs by Anton Crone. How Bongs spotted the bird – confidence, experience, sheer certainty of its location – I couldn’t tell. However he’d done it, by then I had learnt to keep my...
Finding presence, healing, and community in the skies above the Garden Route By Stephan van Wyk As birders, we are intimately familiar with the thrill of the chase. We willingly drag ourselves out of bed at ungodly hours, pack our optics, and take on challenging terrain just to catch a fleeting glimpse of a localised...
How a quest for one bird can open up entire worlds. Text Anton Crone Our goal was the Rosy-throated Longclaw, a species found nowhere else in South Africa save for the north-eastern corner of KwaZulu-Natal. It’s an ‘uncommon resident in moist grassland surrounding open areas of fresh water’, according to Sasol eBirds, so our Thonga...
Rediscovering the joy of watching birds in northern KwaZulu-Natal Text & Photographs by Anton Crone About halfway through my field notes from a recent trip is the headline “Birds I saw after I dropped my phone in the drink”, followed by a small list. Despite many fine moments, this blunder proved to be the crux of...
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...
BirdLife South Africa will be taking intrepid birders and naturalists on three exciting adventures to St Helena Island in early 2026. This remarkable island boasts a globally significant natural environment – both on land and at sea – with strikingly contrasting landscapes and extraordinary biodiversity. The Wirebird, St Helena’s last remaining endemic land bird, is...
After completing one of the world’s toughest mountain bike races, Chanan Weiss sought recovery in one of Earth’s richest wetland ecosystems—the Okavango Delta, where two bird species became the stars of the show. I’d just completed the Absa Cape Epic – an 8-day, over-600 km mountain bike race in conditions that varied from mid-40 degrees Celsius temperatures...
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...
