Birding update for St Lucia: January 2026

Martial eagle on the Eastern shores of Isimangaliso Wetlands Park

It has been a relatively wet month in St Lucia with about 116mm rainfall but we did not receive any of the heavy rains or flooding experienced in the lowveld area. The bush is however, lush and green again and bursting with life! 

The bush is beautiful and lush and green after the Summer rains have commenced

The grassland/wetland mosaic on the Eastern and Western shores is full of Blue-cheeked and European bee-eaters at the moment, along with a higher-than-usual number of European rollers. We have also enjoyed regular sightings of both Broad-billed and Lilac-breasted roller too this month (Lilac-breasted is quite uncommon to the St Lucia area). The grasslands and wetlands are very busy with displaying cisticolas (Rattling, Croaking, Zitting and Rufous-winged), with the croaking being the loudest and most conspicuous of the bunch with its loud, frog-like calls. Other grassland species commonly seen this month include Black-bellied bustard, Fan-tailed widowbird, Yellow-throated longclaw, Banded martin, Red-breasted swallow, Common buzzard and African Marsh harrier to name a few.

Blue-cheeked bee-eater are abundant over the grassland/wetland mosaic and beaches surrounding St Lucia

Regular sightings in the wetlands have included White-backed duck, African pygmy-goose, African jacana, Black crake, Intermediate egret, Malachite kingfisher, White-faced whistling duck, Spur-winged goose and the occassional Lesser jacana. 

Spurwinged goose in the Wetlands

We have continued to enjoy great sightings of Narina trogon throughout the month with floating leks persisting until the middle part of the month. The past few weeks they have become noticeably quieter as breeding season is reaching its final stages.

We enjoyed many great sightings of Narina trogon during the month

Activity in the forest has been centred around blossoming Dune thorn Acacias and Pigeonwoods- the blossoms attracting a large amount of insects for the insectivorous bird species such as Square-tailed drongo, Rudd's apalis, Black-backed puffback, Orange-breasted bush-shrike, Green malkoha, Ashy flycatcher.

Flowering Dune thorn Acacia's with Lake Bhangazi in the distance

Flowering Crossberry's are attracting a nice variety of sunbirds including Purple-banded sunbird, Collared sunbird, Olive sunbird and Grey sunbird. 

Crossberry flower

Fruiting Large-leaved figs have been attracting a nice variety of frugivorous bird species such as Trumpeter hornbill, African green pigeon, White-eared barbet, Purple-crested turaco, Livingstone's turaco, Yellow-bellied greenbul, Black-bellied starling and Yellow-rumped tinkerbird with Black-throated wattle-eye and Ashy flycatcher also often encountered in the vicinity feeding on the fruit flies attracted to the fermenting figs.

Black-throated wattle-eye. Photo credit: Warrick Ross

On the forest floor, we have had good sightings of Lemon dove, Tambourine dove, Terrestrial brownbul, Red-capped robin-chat and Brown scrub-robin. The Buff-spotted flufftail have been very erratic (quite normal for December/January) but we have nevertheless had some cracking views and brief glimpses of these 'masters of hiding'.

Tambourine dove, Igwalagwala trail

At forest edge we have enjoyed good sightings of African pygmy-kingfisher, Violet-backed starling, 

African pygmy-kingfisher at forest edge

The tern roost at the estuary has consistently held 5 or 6 species of tern during the month including: Greater crested, Lesser crested, Little, Common, Caspian and Sandwich. A Sooty tern was reported at the mouth on the 3rd of January but has not returned to the roost subsequently 

St Lucia tern roost consisting of Greater crested, Lesser crested, Common and Little terns

Good numbers of Collared pratincole are still present at the mouth, with many sub-adult fledglings hiding amongst the washed up beach debris.

Collared pratincole sub-adult

There have been good numbers of waders on the mudflats bordering the estuary mouth. Regular species seen during the month include: Common-ringed plover, Curlew sandpiper, Little stint, White-fronted plover, Grey plover, Common sandpiper, Eurasian curlew, Common greenshank and the occasional Bar-tailed godwit. 

Grey plover. Photo credit: Warrick Ross

Other great news is that African skimmer have returned to the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth for the 4th consecutive summer with 2 individuals present. Like previous years they are spending much of their time in the tern roost amongst the various other tern species.

African skimmer at the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth amongst the terns.