{"id":59071,"date":"2020-06-15T16:24:12","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T14:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/the-goldfields-a-top-birding-destination-in-sa-20200615\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T17:48:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T15:48:16","slug":"the-goldfields-a-top-birding-destination-in-sa-20200615","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/the-goldfields-a-top-birding-destination-in-sa-20200615\/","title":{"rendered":"The Goldfields &#8211; a top birding destination in SA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"p\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Welkom can hold its own with a checklist of well over 250 species.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Secretary birds, blue and northern black korhaans, double-banded and Temminck\u2019s<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>&nbsp;a variety of larks \u2013 including the melodious, spike-heeled, pink-billed and eastern clapper<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Garden birds include:&nbsp;African paradise flycatchers, Burchell\u2019s coucal, Gabar goshawk and African harrier-hawk<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>12 of the 226 species spotted in the Goldfields \u2013 most of which are raptors or birds of prey \u2013 are classified as near-threatened or vulnerable<\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Images\" data-pos=\"left\" id=\"embed_93ce5c4f\">\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Secretary Bird\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/3d8ce66f75ac40b1b292a6bb490dfa21.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/9776bc1cfa194d2cb93f9b0da5b0bac4.jpg\" title=\"Secretary Bird\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Secretary Bird<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Black Shouldered Kite with prey\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/34ea50d95e064fcab6d180c5433fe959.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/82014bc12b6c4f54a661dc8688c78e9b.jpg\" title=\"Black Shouldered Kite with prey\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Black Shouldered Kite with prey<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Red Billed Teal\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/eb7853607ad64d93b9bd356fc3671411.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/3a1ed3bd2f4748f0be8bfa74c333a87f.jpg\" title=\"Red Billed Teal\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Red Billed Teal<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Scaly feathered weaver\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/108f3889e3934964baad6cc3202a8ee7.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/0677c2c189034b4eba867f308d89035a.jpg\" title=\"Scaly feathered weaver\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Scaly feathered weaver<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"European Bee Eater\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/fe1841d6b0eb407d9571e7770eefb06a.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/5f678d4aceab419e9311f939c1a66667.jpg\" title=\"European Bee Eater\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">European Bee Eater<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"African Paradise Flycatcher\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/f10d1e6fcd40404981f34199506c6314.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/932a2affe1274fcc9eeb28cbef7047db.jpg\" title=\"African Paradise Flycatcher\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">African Paradise Flycatcher<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Crested Barbet\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/f0f287765b224e119281957bb9317874.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/18ea870cb61a4c3a8b3303e3a2f7de37.jpg\" title=\"Crested Barbet\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Crested Barbet<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Eastern Clapper Lark\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/eabeb3a74cb44cdd80f15e0e3a7b60ae.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/78e1dc582ac54edbae94fceb9ab50d46.jpg\" title=\"Eastern Clapper Lark\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Eastern Clapper Lark<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gabar Goshawk\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/dbc8ae4e5e23403d8ce94f53ba53f30d.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/32477b123d2549499063e00aadfc94ab.jpg\" title=\"Gabar Goshawk\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Gabar Goshawk<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\">Vista<\/span> <span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When one thinks of birding destinations in South Africa, it would be fair to say that the Welkom area does not immediately spring to mind.<\/p>\n<p>But perhaps that should change, as Welkom can hold its own with a checklist of well over 250 species.<\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">\n<div class=\"p\">The general countryside is typical highveld Free State \u2013 flat grasslands with some belts of acacia bush and a sprinkling of ephemeral pans, all of which attract their own set of bird life. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">Secretary birds, blue and northern black korhaans, double-banded and Temminck\u2019s coursers and a variety of larks \u2013 including the melodious, spike-heeled, pink-billed and eastern clapper \u2013 come to mind.<\/div>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Blockquote\" data-pos=\"left\" id=\"embed_ab45aa62\">\n<div class=\"text\">There are some beautiful garden birds including crested barbet, Karoo thrush and the speckled- and red-faced mousebirds. Occasionally the Burchell\u2019s coucal, or \u201crainbird\u201d as some may know them, make an appearance in lush or green gardens. From the Orange-river white-eye to the more common \u201cmossie\u201d, there is enough birdlife in the Goldfields\u2019 gardens to entertain even the novice birder.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"p\">\n<div class=\"p\">These can all be found adjacent to the many dirt and tarred roads that transect the area. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">\u201cWithin the city of Welkom, the gardens and parks attract their own set of birds. Apart from the usual culprits, visitors might be rewarded with sightings of African paradise flycatchers, Burchell\u2019s coucal, Gabar goshawk and African harrier-hawk,\u201d says Andy Harrison, one of Welkom\u2019s dedicated bird-watchers and a member of the St Andrew\u2019s Visual Arts Society (Savas) local photographic society. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">Welkom has a number of permanent wetlands and pans, fed by mine and municipal waste water. These areas attract numerous waders, egrets, herons and other water-loving birds.<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">Patient birders may be rewarded by sightings of goliath and squacco herons, little bitterns, black crakes and African rails, to name but a few, and always the possibility of a few inland rarities like the white-fronted plover.<\/div>\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Blockquote\" data-pos=\"Middle\" id=\"embed_ffe3ba95\">\n<div class=\"text\">Welkom can hold its own with a checklist of well over 250 species.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"p\">\n<div class=\"p\">And famously, gatherings of several thousand greater and lesser flamingos can make for a beautiful pink sunset.<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">Neil Venter, another Welkom birder and member of SAVAS, says he has only taken an interest in birding since buying his DSLR camera at the end of 2015. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">Since then, he has spent countless hours patrolling the Goldfields in search of different bird species. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">Venter has compiled a list of 226 birds seen personally in the Goldfields area and a national list of 451 species found in South Africa.<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">According to him, 12 of the 226 species he has spotted in the Goldfields \u2013 most of which are raptors or birds of prey \u2013 are classified as near-threatened or vulnerable.<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">The greater and lesser flamingos which often forage at the Goldfields pans are also listed as near-threatened.<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">\u201cEarlier this year, we saw large numbers of lesser flamingos congregate at the Flamingo Pan, many of which were juvenile or immature birds. This was a good sign, especially after the recent drought at the Kamfers Dam at Kimberley, which is one of only four breeding grounds for the lesser flamingo in South Africa,\u201d says Venter. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">There are some beautiful garden birds in the city itself. These include the crested barbet, Karoo thrush and the speckled- and red-faced mousebirds. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">Occasionally the Burchell\u2019s coucal, or \u201crainbird\u201d as some may know them, make an appearance in lush or green gardens. <p><\/p>\n<div class=\"p\">From the Orange-river white-eye to the more common \u201cmossie\u201d, there is enough birdlife in the Goldfields\u2019 gardens to entertain even the novice birder.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When one thinks of birding destinations in South Africa, it would be fair to say that the Welkom area does not immediately spring to mind. <\/p>\n<p>But perhaps that should change, as Welkom can hold its own with a checklist of well over 250 species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"b242284c-54f5-4d43-8525-65c87d295e93","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_priv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This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Goldfields - a top birding destination in SA | Vista<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/the-goldfields-a-top-birding-destination-in-sa-20200615\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Goldfields - a top birding destination in SA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When one thinks of birding destinations in South Africa, it would be fair to say that the Welkom area does not immediately spring to mind.  But perhaps that should change, as Welkom can hold its own with a checklist of well over 250 species.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vistanews\/the-goldfields-a-top-birding-destination-in-sa-20200615\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Vista\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VistaNewsNuus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-06-15T14:24:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-20T15:48:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/10267\/3d8ce66f75ac40b1b292a6bb490dfa21.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marti Will\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Vista\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/the-goldfields-a-top-birding-destination-in-sa-20200615\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/the-goldfields-a-top-birding-destination-in-sa-20200615\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Vista\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/vistanews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/21061a6ffd102003447c400f78cc5bfe\"},\"headline\":\"The Goldfields &#8211; 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