St Lucia Birding Update: Nov '24

Blue-cheeked bee-eater are back and abundant around St Lucia

It has been a predominantly hot and dry month in St Lucia! The Wetlands surrounding St Lucia have receded alot as a result  and the Lake St Lucia estuary mouth remains closed for the time being. More Summer-visiting birds have arrived throughout the course of the month. The Blue-cheeked bee-eater are pleasantly common again and calling Diedericks, Red-chested and Klaas' cuckoo are a common sound throughout St Lucia. Many Common Buzzard can be seen perched conspicuously on small trees in the grasslands.  

Common buzzard, St Lucia

The wetlands have continued to produce some great birds during the course of the month with the highlights being sightings of Allen's gallinule, Lesser moorhen and Rufous-bellied heron. Other birds regularly seen on the wetlands include African pygmy-goose, Intermediate and Great white egret, White-backed duck, White-faced whistling duck, Black crake, Malachite kingfisher, African marsh-harrier, Saddle-billed stork, African jacana and Purple heron to name a few. 

Allen's gallinule in wetlands close to St Lucia

Grasslands on the Eastern shores have produced regular sightings of Senegal lapwing and Collared pratincole during the course of the month. The calls of displaying Croaking cisticola are a common sound in the grasslands along with the other cisticola's (Rattling, Zitting and Rufous-winged).

Senegal lapwing on the Eastern shores, Isimangaliso Wetlands Park

The estuary and surrounding beaches have turned up some interesting birds this month, the biggest discovery being that of a Saunders's tern (the second consecutive year it has visited St Lucia). Other rarities at the mouth have included a Greater sand plover and Bar-tailed godwit. The tern roost has grown in numbers and diversity with Summer terns such as the Lesser crested, Common and Little terns returning again along with the  Greater crested, Sandwich and Caspian terns. Other species present at the mouth have included Ruddy turnstone, Sanderling, Common ringed plover, Eurasian whimbrel, Grey plover, Common sandpiper, Common greenshank, Western osprey and Palm-nut vulture.

Tern roost at the estuary mouth

The reedbeds lining the estuary narrows are still busy with nesting Southern brown-throated, Eastern golden, Lesser-masked and Thick-billed weavers which are usually spied on by their nest parasite- the Diederick's cuckoo.

Southern brown-throated weaver, Estuary narrows, St Lucia.

In the forest we enjoyed a couple more great sightings of African broadbill during the course of the month.

African broadbill, St Lucia

Other forest birds regularly seen during the course of the month included Narina trogon, Green malkoha, Livingstone's turaco, Woodward's batis, Rudd's apalis. African emerald cuckoo, Scaly-throated honeyguide, Blue-mantled crested flycatcher and Brown scrub-robin to name a few. We also enjoyed a few good sightings of Buff-spotted flufftail during the month. 

Livingstone's turaco, St Lucia

Lastly, nocturnal birding has been great with consistent sightings of Swamp nightjar, Fiery-necked nightjar and African wood-owl. 

Swamp nightjar