Animals-and-Pets
African Birdlife
stories begin at EYE LEVEL
ALTHOUGH I HAVE been taking photographs since 1998, it wasn't until 2019 that my hobby evolved into a serious pursuit. That's when I began to see photography not just as a means of capturing a moment, but as a form of art - something that can stir emotion, spark wonder and tell a deeper story.
1 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
ALBERT the Wandering Albatross
Ahoy, shipmates, grab a pew and let me spin my yarn.
3 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
I'll be back...
Southern African populations of oxpeckers were hit by triple hammer blows during the late 19th century and much of the 20th.
2 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
BINDO and SABAP2
A match made in data science
2 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
PREDATORS of the pan
As regular visitors to Mabuasehube in the Botswanan sector of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, we have often seen vulture feathers lying in the area of the waterhole at Mpayathutlwa Pan and have frequently observed a pair of black-backed jackals in the vicinity.
1 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Jacana & the egg thief
While on a photo expedition in the Richtersveld National Park with my brother Peter, we were watching one particular African Jacana on the Gariep River.
2 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
A STRIPE FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE?
Uncovering the adaptive complexities of falcons' malar stripes
2 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
grassland GLADIATORS
The Secretarybird is a highly soughtafter species for most birders on their first visit to Africa. It looks so strange, like a cross between a stork and an eagle. Even though it is widespread, occurring in almost any suitable habitat (grassland, open savanna and Karoo shrubland), it's generally uncommon.
1 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
SECRETS SKY
Jessica Wilmot is the driving force behind BirdLife South Africa's Flyway and Migrants Project, working across borders to safeguard some of the planet's most threatened species and habitats. Supporting BirdLife International's East Atlantic Flyway Initiative, Jessica is at the heart of efforts to keep our skies alive with birds, particularly the enigmatic European Roller, which is her current focus and passion.
6 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Southern SIGHTINGS
Autumn is generally known to be quieter in terms of rarities across southern Africa, but the review period still had a few surprises for us, including a new species for the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
3 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
LOVEBIRDS in Gauteng
Parrots are not often seen in South Africa, and lovebirds even less often. Three lovebird species – Rosy-faced, Lilian's and Black-cheeked – occur in southern Africa, although you need a magnifying glass to find the distribution of Black-cheeked along the Chobe and Zambezi rivers.
6 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
WELCOMING NEW STAFF
BirdLife South Africa is pleased to extend a warm welcome to new team members
4 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
switching off saves lives
A particular focus for BirdLife South Africa's Birds and Renewable Energy Project is to encourage, in collaboration with industry, environmental practitioners and avifaunal specialists, the testing and implementation of measures to mitigate the impacts of wind energy facilities on birds, taking into account South Africa's unique socio-economic and environmental context.
1 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
CAPRIVI AWAKENING
The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, spanning five countries, is the world's largest cross-border conservation initiative. In this threepart series, we explore the distinctive character of some of its parks, reserves and community-managed areas, soaking up the rich birdlife along the way.
4 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
13 years on...
The Secretarybird tracking study
3 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
AVIAN FLU
reaches Marion Island
3 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Wattled Crane DOWNLISTED
A major conservation win
2 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
2024 update
BirdLife South Africa's List & Rarities Committee
4 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
what's in a name?
Common Ostrich
1 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
can fynbos birds KEEP THEIR COOL?
For the past 10 years, record-breaking temperatures have followed one another, culminating in 2024, the first full calendar year in which the rise in global temperatures surpassed the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
2 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
AN ENDURING LEGACY
Honouring Pamela Isdell
5 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Honey, I'm home
In search of rare nectar, Anton heads back to Grootbos, where the pollinators are winged, the flowers are wild and the birding gets personal.
6 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
brilliance IN bloom
In South Africa's Western Cape, many indigenous plants, including aloes and proteas, bloom in a blaze of colour during the winter months. These plants take advantage of the milder temperatures, rainfall and moisture to flower and produce seeds. In many cases, this not only helps them store resources for the dry months ahead, but also attracts pollinators and sunbirds in particular - in their droves.
1 min |
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
fun with FLAMINGOS
As we approached the Namibian coast after a long, dusty drive through the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the sight of clouds on the horizon was refreshing, even though heat still prevailed.
4 min |
May/June 2025
African Birdlife
Murder on the HIGH SEAS
The Cape Gannet, a rugged predator of sardines along South Africa's east coast, faces perils and predators of its own.
2 min |
May/June 2025
African Birdlife
Rhythms of Karue
From the lapping waters of the Kafue River to the chorus in the woodlands, Kafue National Park is a deep dive into an ecosystem where birds reign supreme.
6 min |
May/June 2025
African Birdlife
Southern SIGHTINGS
MID-JANUARY TO MID-MARCH 2025
4 min |
May/June 2025
African Birdlife
JURASSIC BIRDS
There is overwhelming evidence that modern birds are the direct descendants of the 'raptor' dinosaurs.
2 min |
May/June 2025
African Birdlife
marvellous MARABOUS
We emerged from a thicket into an open clearing with a shallow seasonal pan as the main feature.
5 min |
May/June 2025
African Birdlife
Winter's chosen few
When most bird species sensibly choose the warmer months to start their families, the Bearded Vulture, ever the contrarian, opts for winter, laying eggs in the frost-laced embrace of the high-altitude wilderness.
1 min |