Can you spot the phezukomkhono? (that’s Zulu for red-chested cuckoo)

A 10-year project to name all of South Africa’s birds in the evocative isiZulu language is finally giving a voice to Indigenous communities

Until recently, a Zulu speaker who spotted an iCape gannet would have no choice but to refer to the majestic seabird by its unedifying “zulufied” name. But now the gannet, which can plunge into the ocean at speeds of up to 120km/h when hunting sardines, finally has a Zulu name that does it justice: isicibamanzi (the spear into the water).

After years of research and work with Indigenous communities, a list of isiZulu vernacular names for all 878 birds found in South Africa has recently been put together.