St Lucia Birding update: April '23

Livingstone's turaco, St Lucia

April is the month in St Lucia where the big 'shift change' happens. All of our summer visitors have finally left whereas the first of our winter migrants have started to show.  In the forest we have started to see Spotted ground thrush, White-starred robin, Olive bush-shrike and Dusky flycatcher whilst in the grasslands Jackal buzzard, Fiscal flycatcher and Common stonechat are regular sights. Eagerly awaiting the arrival of the rest of our winter visitors such as Mangrove kingfisher, Chorister robin-chat, Grey cuckooshrike, Bronze-naped pigeon etc.


The wetlands in the Eastern shores section of the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park are teeming with Lesser moorhen at the moment. It has been interesting to observe them lingering around a decaying hippo carcass- feasting on the maggots. Birds seen in the wetlands and wetland edge close to St Lucia include White-backed duck, African pygmy goose, Spurwinged goose, Intermediate egret, Striated heron, Red-chested flufftail, Red-billed teal, White-faced whistling duck, Little grebe, Great white egret, Rufous-winged cisticola, Yellow-throated longclaw, Croaking cisticola, Brimstone canary, Black-headed heron and Malachite kingfisher. 

The estuary mouth is holding good numbers of Lesser crested tern at the moment as well as Greater crested, Sandwich, Common, Little and Caspian tern. The Palm-nut vulture has been seen more sporadically (probably due to less rainfall and a weaker outflow into the ocean- meaning less fish). The mouth has also produced Goliath heron, Greater flamingo, Western Osprey, African black oystercatcher, Yellowbilled stork, Sanderling, Kelp gull, Eurasian whimbrel. Unfortunately the 3 African skimmer have not been seen at the estuary mouth since the middle of the month.

Birding in the forest has been great with nice sightings of Green malkoha, Woodward’s batis, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher, Rudd’s apalis, Buff-spotted flufftail, Narina trogon, Green twinspot, Livingstone’s turaco, Black-throated wattle-eye, Black cuckooshrike, Black saw-wing, Ashy flycatcher, Olive bush-shrike, White-starred robin. On one memorable morning I observed 3 seperate Buff-spotted flufftail cross the trail path!

Raptor-viewing in the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park has been fantastic as always with Black sparrowhawk, African goshawk, Southern banded snake eagle, martial eagle, Jackal buzzard, African harrier hawk, Crowned eagle, African fish eagle, long crested eagle, Secretary bird.


Also of interest, African finfoot have been seen quite regularly on estuary boat cruises this month.

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