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But for now, I still have the hornbills I saw in SouthAfrica a few years ago. When breeding, the female finds a cavity in a tree and seals the entrance. As the female similarly relies on the male to feed it during incubation (being locked in a cavity), the death of the male is a major reason for breeding failure.
And so, I went on the American Birding Association Safari to SouthAfrica. That was easily fixed by adding a post-Safari trip to Eastern SouthAfrica, led by dashing Rockjumper guide Clayton Burne, to my itinerary. The small group was a good counterpart to the large, convivial ABA Safari group of 98 birders.
Ndumo Game Reserve lies in the Easternmost part of SouthAfrica, close to the border of Mozambique and Eswatini. I am sure it has some value, but would I really want to spend a few months or even years on “Ticks on Crested Francolins and on the vegetation on a farm in Limpopo Province, SouthAfrica “ ?
My home country of SouthAfrica can only be described as a birding paradise! The Cape Rockjumper (here a female) is best sought at Rooiels, on the east coast of SouthAfrica, north of Cape Town. Males of this species are more brightly colored in their non-breeding winter plumage.
Birdlife SouthAfrica has previously done two of these types of trips before, previously called Flock to Sea – Namibia in 2013 and Flock to Nowhere in 2017, in partnership with MSC Cruises. About half of all breeding Wandering Albatross nest on the Prince Edward Islands. Which makes it a haven for seabirds….and and seabirders.
I grew up in one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Cape Town, SouthAfrica. In fact, there is no other region in Africa that offers such a fantastic level of endemism in such an accessible location. It is when they are breeding that African Penguins are at their most endearing.
Carmine bee-eaters occur throughout most of Subsaharan Africa, and many populations migrate widely post breeding. After breeding they also disperse over the rainforests and savannas of West and Central Africa, where they hunt for aerial insects. Two populations exist, the westernmost breeds in the western Sahara (e.g.
I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on my home patch of Cape Town, SouthAfrica. The little seaside village of Rooiels is famed for being a wonderful location to pick up some choice South African endemics but it is also one of the most beautiful spots in the Cape.
Image by Adam Riley Of the 115 African species now listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, nearly half occur on the islands surrounding Africa or are non-breeding migrants to Africa. An African Penguins strolls along Boulders Beach, Simonstown, SouthAfrica.
Marabous occur throughout tropical and subtropical Africa from Zululand in northern SouthAfrica right up to the arid Sahel region fringing the Sahara Desert, avoiding the closed canopy rainforest zones of central and west Africa. The Saddle-billed Stork has a similar Africa-wide distribution as the Marabou.
The Crested Barbet (Kruger Park, SouthAfrica) looks a bit like a pointillist painting gone wrong. Lucia, SouthAfrica) will be your favorite. Unfortunately, I have so far seen only a few of them, and none of the ones in the Americas … but here are ten that I have seen and got halfway decent photos of.
Jacob suggested the Wagbachniederung, a well-known wetland that is particularly popular amongst photographers for being one of the few locations in Germany where Purple Herons breed. The highlight however was a Black-necked Grebe in full breeding plumage at short distance – easily my best sighting of this very attractive bird.
This species is a southern African endemic, restricted to, but fortunately not uncommon, in dry woodland and sand forest habitats of northern Zululand, Swaziland, scattered pockets of north-eastern SouthAfrica and southern Mozambique. Great White Pelicans showing the pink flush of breeding plumage. Photo by Adam Riley.
But they are believed to have previously occurred over a much wider area, including coastal West Africa and much of the wetlands of SouthAfrica. In fact, in SouthAfrica they occurred in wetlands all the way to Cape Town at the southern tip of the continent.
.’ These were found in Cape Town, SouthAfrica and appeared oblivious to the excitement that their cousin was causing in New York. This one has not yet taken the grey head of the breeding bird.
Black-headed Gulls were also breeding in the wetlands in large numbers, becoming very agitated when a Western Marsh-Harrier quartered low over the reeds. Then I remembered a sighting that still haunts me from time to time: the glimpse of a bird near my home in SouthAfrica around 10 years ago which I’m still 99.9%
Growing up within an hour of one of the world’s premier shorebird destinations -- West Coast National Park in SouthAfrica -- helped for sure. This is an endemic breeding bird in North America and much is now being done by various federal and non-profit groups to ensure and foster its conservation.
Our first Day In SouthAfrica, I spotted the Burchell’s Courcal, as it flew across the road in front of us we entered Kruger National Park. The birds are now breeding in the area, but are quite happy to keep coming to the daily feeding station in groups of over 100 birds. I present to you, my favorite birds of 2018.
mi (almost exactly the same size as Indiana), it is one of the smaller provinces of SouthAfrica, but is the second most densely populated with over 10 million inhabitants. They discovered Gurney’s Sugarbird during their time in SouthAfrica. I live in a city called Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal province.
I did that with Peacocks & Picathartes – Reflections on Africa’s birdlife (published by Penguin Random House SouthAfrica ). In case you didn’t know, yes, there is an indigenous peacock living in Africa, the Congo Peafowl.
The goal of Around the World For Penguins is simple: Describe the 18 species of penguin and their breeding grounds “from the perspective of a traveller.” When we come to Gentoo Penguin again in the South Georgia chapter, for example, we’re referred back to its first appearance in Antarctica, utilizing the outline numbers.).
They have a circumpolar distribution, breeding in vast numbers in the islands around Antarctica, as well as on Antarctica itself. Smaller numbers breed on sub-Antarctic islands as far north as the Chathams in New Zealand.
This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. SouthAfrica (755 / 842). It makes me think what is the meaning of life, the universe and everything? Why am I here? And where all those birds are? Map by BirdLife International. The Neotropics.
A couple of years ago Adam posted a story on this site that so entranced me that when I went to SouthAfrica a bit over a year ago the location he described was top of my bucket list. They are closely related to the oddball Rockfowl of Western Africa, and live in family groups, led by a breeding pair, in Southern Africa.
Finally, SouthAfrica has three 400+ hotspots, namely 1 Mkhuze Game Reserve 458 sp. I will not bother you with the entire list, but rather choose some of the essential birding areas for each of the three bird-richest countries of East Africa (having a choice, we’ll stay within the 500+ reserves). 3 Lake Manyara NP 573 sp.
Four teams with renowned birders from United States, SouthAfrica and United Kingdom will travel through the diverse and endemic bird rich region of Northern Peru, from May 12 thought May 20, 2014.
I have to agree with her, as every time I chance upon an owl, be it something as common as a Great Horned Owl, or something extremely special like Australia’s Powerful Owl , or the Verreaux’s Eagle-owl from SouthAfrica, I get a huge feeling of accomplishment. I guess they don’t like staring into the sun, and more than we do!
In this epic post, Patrick depicts just how dynamic the pelagic birding is off Cape Point in SouthAfrica. Here one is close to the scenically impressive Cape of Good Hope National Park as well as the Boulder’s Coastal Park, home to hundreds of breeding African Penguins.
There are also dry areas but this great diversity has resulted in an incredible bird list of over 900 species including Africa’s 2nd highest count of endemics (after SouthAfrica). Flocks of cheerful birds frequent caves and cliffs where they breed. They are particularly common around Lalibela where I took this image.
Also from BirdLife International: In general it prefers areas where vegetation, boulders or other landscape features at ground level provide tunnels in which to shelter and to breed. Wim Van der Schot was kind enough to grant 10,000 Birds permission to use the photographs below.
The Species Accounts tell us the birds’ stories, and a lot of information is packed into these paragraphs: appearance; age and gender differences in appearance; how the species differs from similar birds; interesting behavior or nesting notes; whether it is common or uncommon or rare; migratory or resident, breeding or nonbreeding in Kruger N.P.;
.” Another study cited in “Wired” states that “For The Green Wood Hoopoe , Middle-Aged Motherhood Is Best”, providing the rationale that “females that attempt to start breeding early in life have a very high mortality rate.” Thanks for pointing it out though. 300 birds (HBW). This is one of them.
Before it joins waters with the Matabele’s iliMphopho, the river of rapid rising and falling, known to the rest of the world as the ‘great, grey, green, greasy Limpopo’ of Rudyard Kipling’s writings, the Ngotwane River marks the boundary line between Botswana and SouthAfrica. Andrew’s laconic answer was ‘No, I don’t think so.
In the 70s, with the survival of the species in jeopardy, the entire wild population was captured and brought into a captive breeding program in southern California. Cape Vultures in SouthAfrica – Alex Lamoreaux, The Nemesis Bird. The California Condor has a story well-known by anyone with an interest in birds.
With a trip to SouthAfrica on the horizon at the time, I thought I could handle it. This is evident in the introductory material, which includes sections on The Origin and Evolution of Borneo’s Birds, Conservation in Action, Vegetation and Bird Life in Borneo, Climate, Rainfall and Bird Breeding Seasons, and Bird Migration.
So, it sometimes comes to SouthAfrica to relax and enjoy relative anonymity. Interestingly, the HBW gives different contact calls depending on the country in which the flycatcher lives: “Contact call a simple ‘zeet, zwayt’ (SouthAfrica), ‘ti-twit tee-twit’ (Gabon), ‘zi’zk’zk’ (Tanzania).”
The crest on the back becomes erect during breeding displays. It isn’t just tourists and game hunters that like them though; Painted Wolves are also big fans, as they are easier to bring down than the larger species but have more meat to eat than a small duiker.
This makes it a particularly exciting time in New Zealand as the Rugby World Cup begins in two days, and the competition is being held right here in New Zealand (I would imagine they might be more excited if they hadn’t just lost two matches to Australia and SouthAfrica, their big rivals in the Tri-Nations).
However I was invited to take a last minute space on a pelagic birding trip off Durban, SouthAfrica (near to my home town) in late November and not being a great sailor, I reluctantly accepted. Not only did I survive unscathed but the trip also produced my undisputed BBOTY – and a lifer to boot, almost in my own backyard!!!
Soon people from SouthAfrica to Japan heard about what was happening, and wrote to share their stories, their challenges, and their curiosity about what Henry was learning. Born with only two legs as a result of irresponsible breeding, Tink’s spirit is irrepressible as she races about on a custom set of wheels.
Once the breeding season is over these impressively adorned males lose not only their tails but also all their black plumage, and most of their other colors, in order to blend into the brown winter grasslands they inhabit. A male Long-tailed Widowbird in heavy flapping display flight low over the grassland in SouthAfrica by Adam Riley.
Before that, while you all know what SouthAfrica is, what exactly is Southern Africa? And so, back to political entities, this field guide covers Namibia , Botswana , Zimbabwe , the southern half of Mozambique (south of the Zambezi River), SouthAfrica , Lesotho and Eswatini ( Swaziland ).
Each male builds numerous nests, most of which are rejected by the female, who will eventually select a nest she is happy with, allow the proud architect who usually hangs under his masterpiece to mate with her and then begins the breeding process. Photo taken by Adam Riley in SouthAfrica. Photo taken by Adam Riley in Ghana.
I got to see a beautiful female and owlet on a trip to a secret nest location near Howard Prairie Lake (human-made nest structures have enhanced local breeding for these huge owls whose nest success is boosted to 83% on artificial platforms vs. 66% at natural sites). I also blogged about that dreamy day. Travel is good for the birding soul.
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