Cape Batis – Batis capensis – Endemic – Male has broad black breast band and rufous flanks, female has rich rufous breast band and a large rufous patch on throat. A locally common resident. This beautiful bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris: -
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Cape Bunting - Emberiza capensis - Striped black and white head, rusty coloured wing, black and grey streaked back. Grey below. A fairly common resident. Can be seen on both the Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus - Black overall with white flank streaks and undertail coverts. Bill red with yellow tip. Legs yellowish green. A common resident. This bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris: -
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
African Darter - Anhinga rufa - Slender head and body with long thin s shaped neck. White streaks on neck and back. Foreneck chestnut. A common resident. This bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris: -
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
African Dusky Flycatcher - Muscicapa adusta - A dull grey/brown, streaks on the breast. Eye-ring buffy, feet black. A common resident.
This bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris: -
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Common Sandpiper – Actitis hypoleucos – White area around shoulder, dark robust bill, dull green legs. A common summer visitor, some over wintering. This sandpiper can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari.
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Orange-breasted Sunbird - Anthobaphes violacea - Endemic to the Western Cape - Metallic geen head, back and throat. Orange/yellow chest and belly. Elongated central tail feathers. A common resident. These beautiful birds can be seen on both Aves Western Cape Tour / Safariand Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
African Penguin - Spheniscus demersus - Endemic - Black and white facial pattern, white underparts, with white breast bar, rarely double bar. A donkey like call. A very common resident. Can be seen on both the Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Cape Shoveler - Anas smithii - Endemic - A brownish duck, with a large black spatulate bill, orange-yellow legs and dark green speculum. A common resident. Can be seen on both the Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Cape Sugarbird - Promerops cafer - Endemic to the Western Cape - Long ribbon like tail, undertail covert's bright yellow, decurved bills, drink nectar and catch insects. A common resident. These beautiful birds can be seen on both Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Southern Boubou - Laniarius ferrugineus - Endemic - Black above, white wing-bar, belly has cinnamon coloration which may extend with only the throat white. Heavy black bill. A common resident. Can be seen on both the Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Cape Spurfowl - Pternistis capensis - Endemic to the Western Cape - A large dark brown spurfowl, streaked underparts, bill and legs dull red and black tail. A abundant resident. Can be seen on both the Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Cape White-eye - Zosterops virens - Endemic - Small yellow green birds, with grey underparts in the Western Cape, White eye-ring made up of Stiff white feathers. A abundant resident. Can be seen on both the Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Hartlaub's Gull - Larus hartlaubii - Endemic - A small gull, dark eyes, breeding birds have dark red bills and legs and a faint grey head. White head non-breeding plumage. A very common resident. This Gull can be seen on the Aves Western Cape and West Coast Tours / Safaris.
Malachite Sunbird – Nectarinia famosa – Breeding males iridescent green except for black wings and tail. A large sunbird with elongated tail. A common resident. This beautiful Sunbird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Photographed by P. Sievers
White-fronted Plover - Charadrius marginatus - White forehead and white collar around the neck. Black stripe through the eye. A common resident. This plover can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Photographed by John Tinkler of Aperture Wild Photographic and Viewing Safaris.
Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis - A small grebe, neck sides chestnut, pale patch at bill base, dark eye and dull brown underparts. A common resident. This beautiful grebe can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour /Safari.
Pied Avocet – Recurvirostra avosetta – Pied plumage, long thin upturned black bill and grey legs. A common resident. This beautiful bird can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
Glossy Ibis – Plegadis falcinellus – Long decurved grey bill, bronze brown with iridescent green wings. A locally common resident. These striking birds can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
Bokmakerie - Telephorus zeylonus - Endemic - Back bright olive green, below bright yellow with black breastband. A common resident.
The Bokmakierie can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari.
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Karoo Korhaan – Eupodotis vigorsil – Endemic – Plain face, lack of facial markings, plain crown and black throat. Female has smaller black throat patch. A common resident. This korhaan can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
Cape Bulbul - Pycnonotus capensis - Endemic to Western Cape - A overall brown appearance with a white eye-ring and yellow vent. A common resident. Can be seen on both the Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari and Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.
Southern Double-collared Sunbird – Cinnyris chalybes – Endemic – Breeding male has a green head, back, throat and upper chest. Narrow red breast-band and pale greyish belly. Female is brownish grey. A common resident. This beautiful sunbird can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
Grey Plover – Pluvialis squatarola – A medium sized plover. A dark patch behind the eye. Upperparts mottled brownish grey and white. Breeding plumage the underparts and face are black. A common summer visitor, some overwinter. This robust plover can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris / Adventures: -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Glossy Ibis – Plegadis falcinellus – Long decurved grey bill, bronze brown with iridescent green wings. A locally common resident. These striking birds can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
Lesser Swamp-Warbler – Acrocephalus gracilirostris – A sparrow sized warbler, dark plain upperparts, pale underparts, dark brown legs and white eyebrow. A distinctive call, an inquisitive bird. A common resident. This warbler can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : - Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
The Cape Cormorant - Phalacrocorax capensis - Endemic to Southern Africa - is an almost entirely glossy black bird, though in breeding condition it has a purplish tinge and a few white plumes on head, neck, and cloacal areas. It has blue/greenish eyes and an orange - yellow bare patch on the base of the bill. The bill is black, with a blue-grey base and it has completely sealed nostrils.
The Cape cormorant is a marine bird, often seen flying in long lines low over the sea. It mainly eats fish, doing most of its foraging in flocks, taking schooling fish such as Anchovies and Pilchards. It catches prey by diving from the water surface and giving pursuit.
It breeds in enormous colonies on offshore islands, cliffs, rocks and artificial structures such as jetties, platforms and even moored fishing vessels and yachts. Egg-laying season is year round, peaking from August to February. A clutch of one to five eggs are laid. Both the male and female share the task of incubating the eggs for 22 to 28 days, and when the young hatch, both bring food to the young.
The IUCN now classifies the Cape Cormorant as "Near Threatened".
These cormorants can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
Cape Weaver
The Cape Weaver - Ploceus capensis - is Endemic to South Africa. This common species occurs in grassland, agricultural and fynbos habitats, often near rivers. A large weaver with a long, pointed black bill. Male less brilliant yellow than other ‘golden’ weavers. The face and throat has a brown to orange wash. Breeding male’s eye is pale. Females and non-breeding males are olive to olive-brown above and pale yellow below; juvenile and females have brown eyes.
The male call includes a harsh alarm “chack” a long sequence of chattering, swizzling, bubbly notes and a soft “chack” contact call.
The flight is fast and direct. These birds bathe frequently and are always found in flocks and form large roosts throughout the year.
Forages mostly on the ground where it will turn over stones, cow patties and search tree bark for insects. They feed on a wide variety of seeds, grain and insects. Nearly equal parts animal and vegetable matter. Also known to eat flowers and drink nectar.
It breeds in noisy colonies in trees and reed-beds. This weaver builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward facing entrance which is suspended from a branch or reed. A Male may have up to 7 female in one breeding season. Males build the nest and females will inspect it and will not solicit copulation until she has decided on a nest which she will then line with fine grass, down and feathers. The nest is an oblong kidney shape. The breeding season is from June to February, in summer rainfall areas, earlier from August to October in the Western Cape. Two to Five eggs are laid which only the female will incubate for between 13 to 14 days. Normally the female does most feeding of young, predominantly insects, however, some males may share almost equal feeding duties. On average nestling period lasts 17 days.
Conservation Status – Least Concern.
These large striking weavers can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.
The Cape White-eye - Zosterops pallidus, is Endemic to Southern Africa. Traditionally, the Cape White-eye and the Orange River White-eye have been treated as separate species. It is found in a wide range of densely to lightly wooded habitats. Most populations are resident, but some perform minor seasonal movements. This is a sociable species forming large flocks outside the breeding season.
This bird has a conspicuous ring of white feathers round the eye. The upperparts are green, the throat and vent are bright yellow, the breast and belly grey.
They are very vocal. The song consists of repeated long jerky phrases of sweet reedy notes, varying in pitch, volume and temp, usually starting off with teee teee or pirrup pirrup notes, then becoming a fast rambled jumble of notes, which may incorporate mimicked phrases of other birdcalls.
The breeding season is from September to December. Both sexes construct the nest in about 5 to 9 days. It is a small cup built of materials collected near the nest site. The nest is typically concealed in the foliage of a tree or bush, slung between a few branches and well hidden. The egg-laying season peaks from October to December. Two or four unspotted pale blue eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes. The eggs hatch between 11 and 13 days and the young fledge in another 12 to13 days. Both parents brood and feed the chicks that remain in the foliage surrounding the nest for some time. During this period they are very vulnerable to predator attacks.
The Cape White-eye feeds mainly on insects, but also soft fleshy flowers, nectar, fruit and small grains. It readily comes to bird feeders. It eats a variety of invertebrates (especially aphids), fruit and nectar, foraging in pairs or small parties year-round. It mainly gleans prey from leaves and branches, occasionally plucking an insect from the air or ground.
Not threatened, in fact it has benefited from the introduction of suburban gardens.
The Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs - is widespread and very familiar throughout Europe. It is the most common finch in Western Europe, and the second most common bird in the Britain. Its range extends into western Asia, northwestern Africa. It was introduced from Britain into a number of its overseas territories in the 18th and 19th centuries. In New Zealand it is a common species. In South Africa a very small breeding colony in the suburbs of Tokai, Constantia, Houtbay, Newlands and Rondebosch, is the only remnant of the introduction. It uses a range of habitats, but open woodland is favored, although it is common in gardens and on farmland. This bird is not migratory in the milder parts of its range, but vacates the colder regions in winter. In South Africa it almost exclusively occupies plantations, alien woodlands, parks and gardens, rarely moving into mountain fynbos.
Description
The Chaffinch's large double white wing bars, white tail edges and greenish rump easily identify this species. The breeding male is unmistakable; it has a pink breast and cheeks, blue-grey crown and nape, and chestnut brown back. In summer, its bill is grey-blue, turning to pale brown in the winter. The female has an olive-brown back, and grey-brown underparts becoming almost white towards the rump, which is greenish. The juveniles are similar to the female but lack the greenish rump. The bill is brown in both the female and juveniles.
Call
You'll usually hear chaffinches before you see them, with their loud song and varied calls. The song can be remembered by the phrase: "chip chip chip chooee chooee cheeoo". Males typically sing two or three different song types. The Chaffinch is well known for its "rain" call which is a repetitive short trill, and a loud "pink pink" call.
Food
The main food of the chaffinch is seeds, but unlike most finches, the young are fed extensively on insects, and adults also eat insects in the breeding season.
Breeding
It builds its nest in the fork of a tree or shrub and decorates the exterior with moss or lichen to make it less conspicuous. The female lays 3 to 6 eggs, which are greenish-blue with purple speckling. Incubation by the female for 13 to 16 days. The newly-hatched young are fed by both adults and fledge after 14 to 18 days. Breeding in the UK starts in April with 1 or 2 clutches per season. The egg-laying season is from September-November in South Africa.
Conservation Status –Least Concern
In Europe and the UK. In South Africa the range does not seem to be expanding.
Bird watching
These striking finches can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure
Aves West Coast Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure
Aves Day Tours In the Western Cape.
The Jackal Buzzard - Buteo rufofuscus - is a strikingly plumaged bird of prey. It is almost black above with a chestnut tail. The primary flight feathers are blackish and the secondaries off-white, both barred with black. Below the chin and around the throat is mainly white, and the rest of the underparts and the underwing coverts are rich rufous. The flight feathers from below are white, tipped with black to form a dark trailing edge to the wing.
It occurs in much of South Africa, South west Namibia and Botswana and generally prefers hilly or and mountainous areas with short vegetation.
Jackal Buzzards feed mainly on small ground mammals, supplemented with birds, snakes and lizards. They do most of the hunting in the air, once it spots prey it stoops to catch the prey on the ground, occasionally a bird flying. It also scavenges at carcasses, especially in winter if food is scarce.
A territorial solitary nester, building a large stick nest in a tree or on a crag, that is often reused and enlarged in subsequent breeding seasons. The nest is built by both male and female. Two creamy or bluish white eggs are laid and incubated by the female only. Food is brought to her on the nest by the male. The eggs hatch in about 40 days, and after a further 56–60 days they can attempt flight. At 70 days they become independent of the nest, but young birds may then be seen with the adult pair for some time.
This striking bird of prey can be seen on the following Aves Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Eastern Cape Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast Tour / Safari / Adventure.
The Swee Waxbill - Estrilda melanotis – is a Southern African Endemic. It is a common and tame bird typically seen in small parties, and does not form large flocks. It generally prefers edges of montane and coastal forest, wooded valleys in fynbos, bushy hillsides, grassy clearings in woodland, plantations and gardens.
Description
It has a grey head and breast, pale yellow belly, olive back and wings, red lower back and rump, and a black tail. The upper mandible is black and the lower red. The male has a black face, but the female's face is grey. Juveniles are much duller than the female and have an all-black bill.
Call
The contact call is a soft swee, swee. Song, a nasal, musical yet very soft whistled notes.
Food
They forage on ground or more often, directly from plants. It mainly eats seeds taken directly from grasses, supplemented with insects caught on the ground and in vegetation.
Breeding
The breeding season is from October to April. A monogamous, solitary nester. The nest is built by both sexes and normally placed in a tree, bush or creeper. Three to nine eggs are laid, which are incubated by both sexes for between 12 to 13 days. The young are fed by both parents, leaving the nest after about 19 to 22 days. They become fully independent in about 15 to 19 days.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. Not threatened, although illegal capture for cage-bird trade is cause for concern.
Birdwatching
Edges of Afromontane and coastal forest; also alien plantations, gardens, bushy hillsides, farmyards, thick streamside bush, wooded valleys in fynbos and grassy clearings in moist woodland [
Swee Waxbill Birding Hotspots
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Harold Porter Botanical Gardens
To see these beautiful waxbills contact Aves Birding Tours
The Red-winged Starling - Onychognathus morio - is endemic to eastern Africa, from Ethiopia to the Western Cape, South Africa. This species has a wide habitat tolerance. It generally prefers rocky outcrops and gorges in highland grasslands, occasionally visiting forests for fruit.It is now common in many urban areas, due to the similarity between the structure of tall buildings and houses as nest sites with the cliffs of its original habitat. It also nests in residential areas.
Description
The male has a mainly iridescent black plumage, with chestnut flight feathers, which are particularly noticeable in flight. The female has an ash-grey head and upper breast. The juvenile resembles the male, but is less glossy than the adults, and has brown rather than dark red eyes.
Call
This species has a number of whistled calls, but the most familiar is the contact call, cher-leeeoo.
Food
Red-winged Starling is an omnivore, taking a wide range of seeds, berries, nectar from plants and invertebrates. Fruit species that this species may feed on include figs, date palm fruit, berries from species such as wild olive and commercial fruit. In rural areas, Red-winged Starlings are often spotted perching on livestock and game and may take insects and ticks, much like Oxpeckers. It may take nestlings and adults of certain bird species and will also scavenge on carrion and human food scraps.
Breeding
They are territorial, aggressive and intolerant when nesting, and will attack other species, including domestic animals and humans. It is monogamous with pairs staying together for several years, possibly for life. When not breeding, Red-winged Starlings are highly gregarious and will associate with other members of their species in large flocks. This starling is a cliff nester, breeding on rocky cliffs, outcrops and gorges. It builds a lined nest of grass and twigs, and with a mud base, on a natural or structural ledge. The Egg-laying season is from September-March. It lays 2 to 5, usually three, blue eggs, spotted with red-brown. The female incubates the eggs for between 13 to 14 days to hatching. They fledge in another 22 to 28 days. It may be parasitized by the Great Spotted Cuckoo.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
They are not endangered and it can be a pest in some areas, raiding orchards and attacking people that wander too close to their nests.
Birdwatching
This striking Starling can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
The Red-faced Mousebird - Urocolius indicts - Occurs from southern Angola, Zambia and Malawi to southern Africa, where it is common in non-arid areas. It generally prefers Acacia savanna and thickets, gardens, woodland with nearby rivers, strandveld, gardens and orchards. This is a social bird outside the breeding season, feeding together in small groups, normally of about half a dozen birds, but sometimes up to 15 or more. It engages in mutual preening and roosts in groups at night. It is more wary than other mousebirds
Description
This bird has a long tail comprising approximately half the birds total length. The crested head and breast are pale cinnamon with a red bill and eye mask. The rest of the upperparts and tail are blue-grey apart from a paler grey rump. The belly is whitish. The sexes are similar, but juveniles lack the crest and have a green mask.
Call
The Red-faced Mousebird has a whistled tsee-tee-tee call.
Food
It is a frugivore. Its diet is dominated by fruit, supplemented with nectar, flowers and leaves. It typically forages in groups of 3-10, landing in trees and bushes to forage.
Breeding
These sedentary birds breed between June to February. The nest is a large untidy cup of plant material lined with material such as sheep wool, is built by both sexes. The breeding pair are assisted by helpers. Courtship involves preening and a "bouncing display", in which one bird bounces up and down on its perch, the tempo increasing as its mate gets closer. It is typically placed 2-8 metres above ground, in a tree or shrub. It lays 1 to 7 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes and sometimes helpers, for 10 to 15 days. The chicks are brooded for the first few days of their life, sometimes by both adults at once. They stay in the nest for 14 to 20 days, after which they become fully independent.
Conservation Status – Least concern
The population is not believed to be decreasing.
Birdwatching
The red-faced Mousebird is widespread and common. This striking mousebird can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Arid Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves Highlands/Tembe Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
The Cape Robin-Chat - Cossypha caffra - is a resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa. It is a common species at forest edges and in scrub, fynbos, Karoo, plantations, gardens and parks.
Description
The adult’s upper-parts are grey, and the face sides in front of and behind the eye are blackish, separated from the crown by a white supercilium. The chin, throat, central breast, rump, under-tail coverts and outer tail feathers are orange, and the central tail feathers are greyish-brown. The belly is pale grey. The black bill is short and straight, with a slightly down-curved upper mandible. The legs and feet are pinkish grey, and the eye is brown. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile is dark brown above and buff below, heavily marked with buff on the upperparts and grey-brown on the breast.
Call
Its song is a series of melodious phrases, usually starting with ‘cheroo-weet-weet-weeeet’ and also often mimics other birds.
Food
It mainly eats insects and other invertebrates, supplemented with fruit and seeds plucked from bushes, trees or the ground. It does a lot of its foraging in leaf litter, flicking through plant debris in search of food and occasionally aerially hawking an insect.
Breeding
The Cape Robin-Chat builds a cup-shaped nest of coarse vegetation, lined with animal hair, rootlets and other fine material. The egg-laying season is from about June-January, peaking around October - November. The nest is usually built solely by the female in about 1 to 14 days. The female lays 2 to 3 pale blue eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 14 to 19 days. They are fed by both parents, eventually leaving the nest at about 14 to 18 days, remaining dependent on their parents for about 5 to 7 weeks more.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
Not threatened, in fact it has adapted to well to the introduction of man-made habitats.
Bird watching
These beautiful birds can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Arid Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
The Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus – is the bird that has the longest legs. It is a widely distributed very long-legged wader. In southern Africa it is common across much of the region. It generally prefers inland and coastal wetlands, such as commercial salt pans, flooded fields, flood plains, papyrus swamps and sewage works.
Description
They have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are blackish above and white below, with a white head and neck with a varying amount of black. Males have a black back, often with greenish gloss. Females' backs have a brown hue, contrasting with the black remiges. Immature birds are grey instead of black and have a markedly sandy hue on the wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.
Call
Black-winged Stilts give a repeated high-pitched “Kek” call and a “Kee-ack” alarm call.
Food
It mainly eats insects, other invertebrates and fish, doing most of its foraging by locating prey visually before plucking them from the water surface, or by immersing its head in the water while locating prey with touch.
Breeding
The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a mound of mud usually with incorporated pieces of weed. It is typically placed on damp mud, mats of vegetation or some other structure at the edge of the waterline. Egg-laying season is year-round and the female lays 2 to 5 eggs, which are mainly incubated by the female for about 24 to 27 days. The chicks leave the nest and are capable of self-feeding with 24 hours of hatching. The young can fly in 28 to 32 days and become fully independent between 14 to 28 days later.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
The Black-winged Stilt has a very large range that includes scattered locations in southern and western Europe, central, eastern, and southern Asia, and a great deal of sub-Saharan Africa. Not threatened in Southern Africa.
Bird watching
These striking birds can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Arid Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
The Greater Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus - is the most widespread flamingo. It is found in Africa, Southern Asia and Southern Europe. The preferred habitat is mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons. It is the state bird of Gujarat, India.
Description
This is the largest species of flamingo. Most of the plumage is pinkish-white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. They have long, lean, curved necks and black-tipped bills with a distinctive downward bend.
The bill is pink and the legs are entirely pink. Their bent bills allow them to feed on small organisms—plankton, tiny fish, fly larvae, etc. In muddy flats or shallow water, they use their long legs and webbed feet to stir up the bottom. They then bury their bills, or even their entire heads, and suck up both mud and water to access the tasty morsels within. A flamingo's beak has a filter-like structure to remove food from the water before the liquid is expelled. Shrimplike crustaceans are responsible for the flamingo's pink color.
Call
Greater Flamingos have a loud, deep honking call that is similar to that of a goose. They call loudly during courtship but they have a quieter call while they are feeding.
Food
It mainly eats small invertebrates, such as brine shrimps (Artemia), brine flies (Ephydra), molluscs and diatoms, foraging by holding its bill upside down in waist-high water. Its large tongue pumps water in and out, while small filaments at the edge of its bill filter out food.
Breeding
Greater flamingos also breed while gathered in groups. Egg-laying season starts in November, peaking from January-February. Once mating is complete, a pair takes turns incubating their single chalky-white egg for roughly 27 to 31 days. The nest built mainly by the male is a mud mound. The chicks are brooded for the first 3 to 4 days of their lives, leaving the nest at 5 to 10 days old to join a crèche. They are fed by both parents with a glandular secretion and take first flight at about 75-80 days old. Young flamingos are born gray and white and do not turn pink for two years. In years when wetlands and pools are dry and food scarce, flamingoes may not breed.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
Not threatened globally, although Near-threatened in South Africa and Vulnerable in Namibia, largely due to lowering water tables at major breeding sites and collision with power lines.
Birdwatching
These striking birds can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.
The Blue Crane
The Blue Crane - Anthropoides paradiseus - is our national bird, yet it is threatened. Of the 15 species of crane, the Blue Crane has the most restricted distribution of all.
Description
Body plumage is silvery bluish grey becoming darker on the upper neck and the lower half of the head and nape. Blue Cranes have a long neck supporting a rather bulbous head, short pink bill and black legs. The primary feathers are black or slate grey. The tertial feathers of the wing are long, dark and dangle nearly to the ground, giving this crane an elegant appearance. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable. Juveniles are slightly lighter blue gray than adults, and lack the long wing tertials.
Call
It is usually quiet, but has a distinctive rattling croak, ‘kraaaarrrk’.
Food
The blue crane is primarily vegetarian and eats small bulbs, seeds and roots. They do, however, eat a variety of insects (locusts, termites, caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles, etc.), worms, crabs, fish, frogs, reptiles, and small mammals.
Breeding
A pair of blue cranes is said to mate for life and display a wonderful courtship dance which comprises of the two individuals jumping up and down with their wings extended. They usually lay two eggs with an incubation period of 30 to 33 days and both male and female incubate the eggs. Both chicks are frequently reared with each attempt and are fed on an initial diet of insect larvae and worms. The chicks are able to fly at about three to five months.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a tour for you or book on one of the following Aves scheduled tours: -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.
Little Crake
The Little Crake - Porzana parva – breeds in Europe, mainly Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It winters in north east Africa and parts of West Africa.
Description
Male has blue-grey face and underparts, with narrow white bars on rear flanks and black and white barring on undertail-coverts. Female has blue-grey replaced by buff except for pale ash grey lupercilium, lores and cheeks, and whitish chin and throat. They have a short straight yellow bill, with a red base. The legs are green with long toes, and a short tail which is barred black and white underneath. The chicks are downy black.
Call
Contact calls include soft, rhythmic tapping and a yapping kua call. Alarm call is a sharp "Tyicuk".
Food
Food consists mainly of insects, especially water beetles and also Hemiptera, Neuroptera, and adult and larval Diptera, and also seeds and aquatic plants, worms, gastropods, spiders and water mites.
Breeding
Breeds from May to August. Monogamous and territorial, pair-bond maintained only during breeding season. Nest a shallow, made of plant stems and leaves, placed in thick vegetation near or over water, often raised on tussock or platform of dead material. Between 4 and 9 eggs are laid. The incubation period is between 21 to 23 days.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
This species has a large range, with an estimated global population between 100,000-1,000,000 individuals.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a custom tour for you.
Southern Double-collared Sunbird or Lesser Double-collared Sunbird – Cinnyris chalybeus – Endemic – Breeding males have a green head, back, throat and upper chest. Narrow red breast-band and pale greyish belly. When displaying, yellow feather tufts can be seen on the shoulders. Females are brownish grey and the juvenile resembles the female.
It mainly feeds on nectar, supplemented with athropods,
gleaning prey from vegetation and spider webs and hawking insects aerially.
It is common in gardens, fynbos, forests and coastal scrub and breeds from April to December. The nest is built solely by the female in about 25-30 days and the closed oval nest is constructed from grass, lichen and other plant material, bound together with spider webs. It has a side entrance which sometimes has a porch, and is lined with wool, plant down and feathers. It lays 1to 3 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for between 13 to 16 days. The chicks are fed by both adults, leaving the nest after about 15-19 days, after which they continue to roost in the nest for about a week. The parents feed them until they are about 42-46 days old, at which point the young become fully independent.
A common resident.
This beautiful sunbird can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.
