10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on my home patch of Cape Town, South Africa. 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.

South Africa 256

South Africa Penguins Africa Birds 256

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Marabous occur throughout tropical and subtropical Africa from Zululand in northern South Africa 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.

Africa 249

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 249

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

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, South Africa.

Endangered Species 218

Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 218

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

The Crested Barbet (Kruger Park, South Africa) looks a bit like a pointillist painting gone wrong. Lucia, South Africa) 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.

South Africa 242

South Africa Africa India China 242

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2024

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.

Squirrels 233

Squirrels South Africa Germany Ducks 233

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2013

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 South Africa and southern Mozambique. Great White Pelicans showing the pink flush of breeding plumage. Photo by Adam Riley.

Africa 237

Africa Somalia Mozambique Pelicans 237

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

But they are believed to have previously occurred over a much wider area, including coastal West Africa and much of the wetlands of South Africa. In fact, in South Africa they occurred in wetlands all the way to Cape Town at the southern tip of the continent.

Botswana 173

Botswana South Africa Africa Ethiopia 173

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2024

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 South Africa around 10 years ago which I’m still 99.9%

Sri Lanka 240

Sri Lanka South Africa Transported Africa 240

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2019

Our first Day In South Africa, 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.

2018 188

2018 Costa Rica South Africa New Zealand 188

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

Growing up within an hour of one of the world’s premier shorebird destinations -- West Coast National Park in South Africa -- 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.

Florida 218

Florida South Africa 2011 Africa 218

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2011

.’ These were found in Cape Town, South Africa 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.

South Africa 188

South Africa Pedigree Africa New York 188

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2021

I did that with Peacocks & Picathartes – Reflections on Africa’s birdlife (published by Penguin Random House South Africa ). In case you didn’t know, yes, there is an indigenous peacock living in Africa, the Congo Peafowl.

Congo 264

Congo Africa Madagascar South Africa 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2012

mi (almost exactly the same size as Indiana), it is one of the smaller provinces of South Africa, but is the second most densely populated with over 10 million inhabitants. They discovered Gurney’s Sugarbird during their time in South Africa. I live in a city called Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu-Natal province.

Mozambique 210

Mozambique South Africa Africa Collecting 210

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

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.).

Penguins 279

Penguins Georgia Albatross New Zealand 279

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. South Africa (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.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2012

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.

New Zealand 160

New Zealand Albatross South Africa Brazil 160

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2016

A couple of years ago Adam posted a story on this site that so entranced me that when I went to South Africa 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.

South Africa 106

South Africa Africa Family Groups 106

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2014

Four teams with renowned birders from United States, South Africa and United Kingdom will travel through the diverse and endemic bird rich region of Northern Peru, from May 12 thought May 20, 2014.

Peru 160

Peru United Kingdom South Africa 2013 160

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

Finally, South Africa 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.

Africa 236

Africa Kenya Tanzania Uganda 236

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 14, 2012

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 South Africa). Flocks of cheerful birds frequent caves and cliffs where they breed. They are particularly common around Lalibela where I took this image.

Eritrea 275

Eritrea Ethiopia Africa Mammals 275

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2019

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 South Africa, I get a huge feeling of accomplishment. I guess they don’t like staring into the sun, and more than we do!

Owls 179

Owls Arizona Tucson South Africa 179

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2013

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.

Science 230

Science Transported Shelters South Africa 230

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2017

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.;

Ecuador 188

Ecuador Wildlife Reptiles Mammals 188

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

.” 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.

South Africa 147

South Africa Mice Niger Nigeria 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

In this epic post, Patrick depicts just how dynamic the pelagic birding is off Cape Point in South Africa. 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.

Albatross 203

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 203

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2020

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 South Africa. Andrew’s laconic answer was ‘No, I don’t think so.

Botswana 222

Botswana Africa 2001 Monkeys 222

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

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 South Africa – Alex Lamoreaux, The Nemesis Bird. The California Condor has a story well-known by anyone with an interest in birds.

California Condor 207

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 207

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

So, it sometimes comes to South Africa 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’ (South Africa), ‘ti-twit tee-twit’ (Gabon), ‘zi’zk’zk’ (Tanzania).”

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Benin South Africa Birds 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

With a trip to South Africa 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.

Brunei 189

Brunei Asia Birds China 189

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2022

While the species is listed as Least Concern, there are some papers suggesting it may not be as common as assumed, at least in South Africa. The helper birds play an important role in the survival of the chicks as well as assisting in excavating a suitable cavity for the breeding pair. This was an unpleasant surprise for a Ph.D.

Ostriches 147

Ostriches Parrots Eggs Africa 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2015

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.

Africa 187

Africa Wolves Goats Sheep 187

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

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 South Africa, their big rivals in the Tri-Nations).

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Fur 157

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

However I was invited to take a last minute space on a pelagic birding trip off Durban, South Africa (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!!!

2013 168

2013 Costa Rica Birds India 168

4 The Love Of Animals

MAY 8, 2011

Soon people from South Africa 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.

San Diego 100

San Diego Kittens Emotional Cats 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2013

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 South Africa by Adam Riley.

Papua New Guinea 257

Papua New Guinea South Africa Africa Zimbabwe 257

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

Before that, while you all know what South Africa 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), South Africa , Lesotho and Eswatini ( Swaziland ).

Africa 264

Africa South Africa Swaziland Lesotho 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2012

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 South Africa. Photo taken by Adam Riley in Ghana.

Tanzania 248

Tanzania Buffalo Kenya Namibia 248