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?
At the beginning of December 2023, Andrew Jenkins and Anthony van Zyl set off on a quest to find,
observe and photograph two of Africa’s most elusive raptors: Taita Falcon and African Hobby
Jean Labuschagne is the manager of special
projects for African Parks, the NGO that rehabilitates
and administers Africa’s protected areas in
partnership with governments and communities.
We chatted with her about negotiating with
government in South Sudan, Zakouma’s birdlife,
desert marathons and Swedes.