Animals-and-Pets
African Birdlife
DAVID MAPHISA surveys his mountain kingdom (without binoculars)
When I asked David Sishozonke Maphisa if I could write an article about him after our atlasing expedition to Lesotho he replied, ‘Only if you don’t talk about your terrible driving!’
5 min |
September/October 2023
African Birdlife
the art of birds
it is believed that birds were first depicted in cave art more than 17 000 years ago, but it was only when the Lascaux caves were first discovered in France in 1940 that their emergence as subjects for prehistoric painters gripped the public imagination.
5 min |
September/October 2023
African Birdlife
Common TRUTHS
Birders love to find rare birds; few things match the excitement of coming across something completely unexpected. But the obsession with rarities can result in population changes in more common birds being overlooked. Breeding bird surveys in Europe, Asia and North America show that many bird populations are in flux, but what do we know about the status of common birds in South Africa?
7 min |
September/October 2023
African Birdlife
THE FITZPATRICK REPORT
THANKS TO YOU, CITIZEN SCIENTISTS
2 min |
September/October 2023
African Birdlife
REVIEW: Guide to Seabirds of Southern Africa (New edition)
Charles Darwin once said, ‘I believe it has been shown that the pelagic birds, or those which are found in the open sea, are more peculiar in their habits than any other family of birds in the world.’
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
SHIRLEY the Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Hi there, I’m Shirley Ncube from Hwange National Park, Republic of Zimbabwe, Africa
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
protect a parrot protect a forest
Cape Parrot, isiKhwenene, Woudpapegaai… Call it what you will as South Africa’s only endemic parrot, this bird is one of a kind
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
birding in a gated estate
There is nothing more satisfying than waking to the pre-dawn chorus as the sun rises and the world slowly wakes up
4 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
Ntsikeni: of cattle and cranes
Ntsikeni Vlei Nature Reserve takes its name from its most prominent peak, which pierces the sky above the rolling grasslands
3 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
Joining the team...
BirdLife South Africa is pleased to welcome new members to its staff
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
three new birding routes for Mpumalanga
The Steenkampsberg in the highlands of Mpumalanga is dominated by extensive wetland systems, rocky outcrops, escarpment forest and near-pristine grassland
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
let's atlas Lesotho's birds
Lesotho, that small, landlocked country nestled within the majestic mountain ranges of southern Africa, is home to a fascinating array of bird species
4 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
'I got CHILLS, they're multiplying'
Summer is typically the breeding season for birds, but why do some of our raptors choose to lay their eggs in winter?
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
Southern SIGHTINGS
Autumn and early winter, although not known as a great time for rarities, managed to produce a list of mouth-watering birds and had many twitchers rushing around trying to catch up with as many of the good birds as possible
3 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
REVIEW: Vortex Viper HD 8x42
Binoculars are indispensable to birdwatching and a good pair even more so if you want to make out fine detail
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
perilous pipits
Buffy Pipit is one of a quartet of widespread and common South African pipit species whose identification local birders need to master if they want to progress through the twitching ranks
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
fussy eater or deadly dinner?
I observed an interesting scene at KwaMaritane camp in Pilanesberg, North-West Province. A Grey-headed Bush-shrike had caught a large caterpillar and wedged it between a small branch and the trunk of a tree
2 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
in praise of PARADISE
Mozambique's San Sebastian Peninsula hosts a diverse array of wild creatures and rich ecosystems, a conservation success story worth celebrating
5 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
A day at the museum with DAWIE DE SWARDT
Anyone who is in the habit of reading ornithological literature is likely to link the name Dawie de Swardt with species such as Gurney’s Sugarbird, African Rock Pipit and Karoo and Drakensberg prinias, all of which he’s studied in depth and written about
3 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
Revelations in northern Kruger
Taking paths less travelled and biding your time reveals hidden wonder in this birding mecca.
7 min |
July/August 2023
African Birdlife
WOMXN FOR WILD IN MTUNZINI
A travel collective that organises trips for women in southern Africa, Womxn for Wild is aware that travelling alone as a woman can be stressful, even dangerous, in one of the global hotspots of gender-based violence.
1 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
Welcome tO our new editor
Anton Crone, the new editor of African Birdlife, says he feels both honoured and slightly intimidated to be taking over from the remarkable Eve Gracie, who has been at the helm since the magazine's inception in 2012.
1 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
75 years and counting!
The Cape Bird Club celebrates a milestone birthday with a Big Year
2 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
Where does it begin?
Have you ever wondered how a forest begins?
3 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
GERTIE the Guineafowl
The first of a series where we get to know the characters that add the most colour to our skies.
2 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
cutting-edge science
Helps South Africa's only endemic parrot
2 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
twitter feed
GARDEN WATCH
3 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
Climbing Karoo koppies
Known for its endless plains and occasional hills, or koppies, the Karoo is an arid ecosystem inhabited by plants and animals adapted to unpredictable desert conditions.
2 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
on the right path
Lace up your boots, we're going birding on Magoebaskloof's Louis Changuion trail.
4 min |
May/June 2023
African Birdlife
Tuning in to DAVID LÉTSOALO
BirdLife South Africa’s 2022 Conservation Hero, renowned bird guide David Letsoalo, talks birds, pizzas, perfect tunes and making friends in Manhattan’s Central Park.
4 min |