MARCH An exploded map of north-eastern Lesotho, the focus of the 2026 Lesotho atlas bash, before the bash took place (5 February 2026). The pentad colours are ‘legacy’: green is the minimum requirement for statistical inference from data collected therein; yellow and orange (empty pentads) were the main focus of the bash. Credit David Ehlers…
FEBRUARY Learners were pleased to receive a copy of BirdLife South Africa’s recently published children’s storybooks, Run Until You Can Fly and Piffy and Zenzy Go Birding, with bookmarks linked to the audio books. Credit Kurt Martin The White-winged Flufftail is an engaging and charismatic species that helps learners understand and appreciate how wetlands are…
A team of CapeNature rangers at Witfontein Nature Reserve put their bird identification skills to the test in friendly competition to log more species for SABAP2 than the other teams. Credit Natalie Baker The CapeNature rangers were briefed about bird species in the reserve’s habitats and given training in reporting sightings to SABAP2 via BirdLasser.…
A team of CapeNature rangers at Witfontein Nature Reserve put their bird identification skills to the test in friendly competition to log more species for SABAP2 than the other teams. Credit Natalie Baker The CapeNature rangers were briefed about bird species in the reserve’s habitats and given training in reporting sightings to SABAP2 via BirdLasser.…
A team of CapeNature rangers at Witfontein Nature Reserve put their bird identification skills to the test in friendly competition to log more species for SABAP2 than the other teams. Credit Natalie Baker The CapeNature rangers were briefed about bird species in the reserve’s habitats and given training in reporting sightings to SABAP2 via BirdLasser.…
Workshop attendees at the SETAC conference held in Johannesburg. Birds and Agrochemicals on the global stage From 29 September to 3 October, the combined 9th World Congress of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and the 12th Biennial Meeting of SETAC Africa was hosted in Johannesburg. Delegates from 42 countries attended the congress,…
September Newsletter 2025 © Odette Curtis-Scott The newly acquired Goereesoe section forms part of the Haarwegskloof Reserve Cluster. Dr Odette Curtis-Scott with Chuana, a tagged Black Harrier whose movements are providing crucial data to guide conservation actions and safeguard the future of this endangered species. A race against time for Black Harriers With fewer than…
Phindile Ntshangase is a familiar presence around St Lucia, a popular KwaZulu-Natal birding hotspot. Dolly Khanye spends most of her time birding around Memel in the Free State, where she loves visiting Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve and its surroundings. Birding on the Dlinza Forest Aerial Boardwalk is always rewarding, especially in the company of BirdLife South…
July Newsletter 2025 Rory in full breeding plumage in Xinjiang, a striking contrast to the colours we see in South Africa. Credit Ma Ming From Limpopo to China: a European Roller’s migration The Flyway and Migrants Project is thrilled to announce a new milestone in migratory bird research: confirmation that European Rollers migrate between South…
June Newsletter 2025 Wind turbines and birds BirdLife South Africa recognises the value of renewable energy as part of South Africa’s green transition. However, while renewable technologies are relatively benign compared to thermal generation, they can have negative impacts on birdlife. At wind farms, bird collisions with turbine blades are of particular concern. Large soaring…