Crested Barbet - Trachyphonus vailantii - Largest barbet in Southern Africa. Head and upperparts mottled red and black. Common resident.
The Crested Barbet can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Black Crake - Amauromis flavirostris - Black plumage, bright yellow bill, red legs. A common resident.
The Black Crake 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.
Brown-hooded Kingfisher – Halcyon albiventris – Streaked Brown head, red bill, streaked buffy breast and flanks, female has brown wings and shoulders. A common resident. This kingfisher 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.
Photographed by P. Sievers
Sabota Lark - Calendulauda sabota - Back and chest boldly marked,conspicuous white eyebrow, upperparts reddish brown, throat white, underparts buffy white. A common resident. This bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris: -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Blue Waxbill – Uraeginthus angolensis – Brown upperparts, powder blue face, chest and flanks. Bill black, legs pinkish brown. A very common resident. This beautiful bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Photographed by P. Sievers
European Roller – Coracias garrulus – Blue under-parts, head, tail, rump and wings. Back brown with square tail. A common summer visitor. This striking bird 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.
Photographed by P. Sievers
Southern Boubou – Laniarius ferrugineus – Endemic – Cinnamon belly, white breast and neck. White wing-bar. A common resident. . This striking 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.
Photographed by P. Sievers
Southern Pied Babbler – Turdoides bicolor – Endemic - Entirely white bird except for black wings and tail. A common resident. This striking babbler can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Photographed by P. Sievers
Bronze-winged Courser – Rhinoptilus chalcopterus – Distinctive head markings, red eye-ring, red legs, and plain upperparts. An uncommon visitor and resident. This beautiful courser can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Photographed by P. Sievers
Ant-eating Chat – Myrmecocichla formicivora – Endemic – A dull brown chat with white windows in wings in flight. Males may have a white shoulder patch. Erect stance. A common resident. This chat can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid 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.
Photographed by P. Sievers
Bateleur – Terathopius ecaudatus – Red legs and facial skin, chestnut brown back, tawny wing covert’s. Short tail. A common resident in conservation areas. This striking bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Arid Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
Photographed by P. Sievers
Kurrichane Thrush – Turdus libonyanus – Orange bill, black and white throat markings, white belly and orange flanks. A common resident. This beautiful thrush can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.
Aves KZN Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Tour / Safari.
White-fronted Bee-eater – Merops bullockoides – White forehead and chin, red lower throat and dark blue vent. Cinnamon brown underparts. A common resident. This beautiful bee-eater can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Photographed by P. Sievers
White-faced Duck – Dendrocygna viduata – White face with black head, rufous neck, scaled upperparts and barred flanks. A common resident. This beautiful duck 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.
Grey-headed Kingfisher – Halcyon leucocephala – Grey head and mantle with bright red bill and chestnut belly. Uncommon to locally common resident. This beautiful kingfisher can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
White-fronted Bee-eater – Merops bullockoides – White forehead and upper throat, red lower throat, cinnamon-brown underparts and a dark blue vent. Back green. A common resident. This beautiful bee-eater can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Karoo Thrush – Turdus smithi – Endemic – Common Garden Bird in Gauteng. Plain orange/yellow bill, orange eye-ring, lower belly orange and vent greyish. A common resident. This thrush can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Little Bee-eater – Merops pusillus – A small bee-eater, yellow throat, black collar, yellow-brown underparts and a square tail. A common resident. This beautiful small bee-eater can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari.
Laughing Dove – Streptopelia senegalensis – A medium sized dove with pinkish head, cinnamon neck with black spots, rusty coloured back. White outer tail feathers. A common to abundant resident. This dove can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris / Adventures: -
Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari / Adventures.
The Hamerkop - Scopus umbretta - is the sole member of its family and
is so different that it is one of the really iconic species of Africa south of the Sahara. In terms of taxonomic uniqueness the Hamerkop is equal in rank to the Shoebill! The shape of its head with a black, long, flat, and slightly hooked bill, a crest at the back of the head is reminiscent of a hammer. Its plumage is a drab brown with purple iridescence on the back. Its tail is short and its wings are big, wide, and round-tipped.
The Hamerkop occurs in Africa south of the Sahara, Madagascar and coastal southwest Arabia in wetland habitats, including irrigated land, as well as in savannas and forests. Most Hamerkop remain sedentary in their territories.
Vocalizations include cackles and a shrill call given in flight. Hamerkops are mostly silent except when in groups.
Hamerkop feed during the day and normally feed alone. They feed mainly on amphibians such as Platanna frogs and other frogs. Other food consists of small fish, shrimp, rodents and insects. Hamerkop use a variety of foraging techniques, such as wading through the water and stabbing/grabbing prey, still-hunting at the water's edge or pouncing on prey from the air.
The Hamerkop's behavior is unlike any other bird. One unusual feature is that up to ten birds join in "ceremonies" in which they run circles around each other, all calling loudly, raising their crests, fluttering their wings. Another is "false mounting", in which one bird stands on top of another and appears to mount it, but they may not be mates and do not copulate.
There are many legends about the Hamerkop. It is known in some cultures as the lightening bird, and the Bushman believe that being hit by lightning resulted from trying to rob a Hamerkop's nest. They also believe that the inimical god Khauna would not like anyone to kill a Hamerkop. According to an old Malagasy belief, anyone who destroys its nest will get Leprosy and a Malagasy poem calls it an "evil bird". Such beliefs have given the bird some protection.
The strangest aspect of Hamerkop behavior is the huge nest it builds. When possible, they build the nest in the fork of a tree, often over water. A pair starts by making a platform of sticks held together with mud, then builds walls and a domed roof. A mud-plastered entrance 13 to 18 cm wide in the bottom leads through a tunnel up to 60 cm long to a nesting chamber big enough for the parents and young. The nest is usually built by both sexes, with construction taking anything from 40-43 days to several months. Other animals often usurp the nest of the Hamerkop, such as bees, reptiles and other birds, including Owls and Egyptian Geese.
These birds are compulsive nest builders, constructing 3 to 5 nests per year whether they are breeding or not. At the finished nest, a pair gives displays similar to those of the group ceremonies and mates, often on top of the nest.
The breeding season is almost year-round, peaking from July to January in South Africa. The clutch consists of 3 to 7 white eggs and are incubated for between 26 and 30 days by both sexes. Both parents feed the young, often leaving them alone for long periods. The young hatch covered with gray down. By 17 days after hatching, their head and crest plumage is developed, and in a month, their body plumage. They leave the nest at 44 to 50 days but roost in it at night until about two months after hatching.
The status of the Hamerkop has changed dramatically in the past two decades, and is now a species of real conservation concern.
These Iconic 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 Common Swift - Apus apus - is special in many ways, the body is the perfect development for flying in the air. It does everything in the air, except breeding. It finds its prey there and feeds on the wing. It preens and plays in the air. It sleeps there most of the time. It mates and collects nesting material on the wing. It drinks while flying or takes showers when its bill dives and splashes water.
The Common Swift is blackish-brown except for a small white or pale grey patch on the chin. They have a short forked tail and very long swept-back wings. These birds have very short legs which they use only for clinging to vertical surfaces.
Common Swifts are migratory and in midsummer they are found in the UK and Europe and winter in Southern Africa. These swifts have been known to live for as long as 21 years and can survive bad weather by entering what is called torpor, a coma-like condition in which its metabolism slows to almost nothing.
The call is a loud scream in two different tone pitches, of which the higher one is from the female and the lower one from the male. They often form 'screaming parties' during summer evenings where about 10-15 gather and fly around in circles calling.
Common Swifts spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their beaks. It feeds exclusively on arthropods, especially insects, foraging at much higher altitudes than local-breeding swifts, often reaching heights of 1500-3000 m above ground. It usually flies at 36-90 km/hr, but it has been known to reach 216 km/hr in certain conditions! If it is cold and wet it descends lower, often feeding on termite alate emergences. Interestingly, it is permanently airborne in its non-breeding grounds, roosting on the wing.
Common Swifts fly at least 560 miles per day during the nesting season.
It is faithful to its breeding place arriving around the 1st May in Central Europe. It's the last to arrive at its northern breeding grounds and the first to leave. They build their nests in all suitable hollows in buildings, under window sills, in the corner rafters of wooden buildings, in chimneys, and in smokestacks. They also breed in holes of caves or hollows of trees. Nowadays they mostly use holes in walls or a free space under the eves of houses. They accept nest boxes too and don't fear humans. A swift will return to the same nesting site year after year, rebuilding its nest when necessary. Swifts lay 2-3 eggs and incubate and hatch the chicks together. Young swifts in the nest can drop their body temperature and become torpid if bad weather prevents their parents from catching insects nearby. At the end of July the young will leave the nest. Around the 1st of August the parents will leave Central Europe for Africa.
Common Swift nests commonly support populations of the Chewing Louse and the Louse fly.
Conservation Status: - Least concern.
Not threatened, in fact has a stable estimated population of 25 million individuals.
These very special birds can be seen in the southern summer months 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.
Barn Owl – Tyto alba – A medium sized owl, pale/whitish underparts, pale brown patches in upperparts and a white shaped facial disc. A common resident. This slim built owl 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.
The Common Waxbill - Estrilda astrild - is native to sub Saharan Africa. It has been introduced to many parts of the world. Common Waxbills inhabit open country with long grass and rank vegetation. They are often found near water in marshes and among reeds... They can become tame and will enter gardens, parks and farmland.
Description
It is a small bird, with a slender body, short rounded wings and a long graduated tail. The bright red bill of the adult gives the bird its name. The plumage is mostly grey-brown, finely barred with dark brown. There is a red stripe through the eye and the cheeks and throat are whitish. There is often a pinkish flush to the underparts and a reddish stripe along the centre of the belly. The rump is brown and the tail and vent are dark/black. Black undertail coverts, with black legs and feet. Females are similar to the males but are paler with less red on the belly. Juveniles are duller with little or no red on the belly, fainter dark barring and a black bill.
Call
The Common Waxbill has a variety of twittering and buzzing calls and a distinctive high-pitched flight-call. Only the cock sings. Two low, harsh notes followed by a "throaty bubbling" note with a rising inflection.
Food
The diet consists mainly of grass seeds but insects are also eaten on occasions, especially during the breeding season when more protein is needed. These waxbills typically forage in flocks. They usually feed by clinging to the stems with their long, spindly claws and picking from the flower heads but they will also search for fallen seeds on the ground. They need to drink regularly as the seeds contain little water.
Breeding
The nest is a large ball of criss-crossed grass stems with a long downward-pointing entrance tube on one side. The nest is built the male, consisting of a horizontal pear-shaped structure with a tubular entrance tunnel, made of stems and inflorescences of green grass, while the egg chamber is lined by the female with fine grass and feathers. Additionally a partially enclosed cup may be built on top of the main structure, possibly to confuse predators. It is typically placed on the ground, with the entrance overlooking a small patch of bare soil, although it may also be concealed in thick vegetation about 1-3 metres above ground. The egg-laying season is year round, peaking from September-October in the Western Cape. Four to seven white eggs are laid. They are incubated for 11 to 13 days and the young birds fledge 17 to 21 days after hatching. Both parents take part in incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
Not threatened. This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The species is widespread and common.
Bird watching
These beautiful little 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 African Jacana - Actophilornis Africana – are conspicuous and unmistakable birds and are found in sub-Saharan Africa. In Southern Africa it is locally abundant in northern Botswana, the Caprivi Strip, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and eastern South Africa, while more scarce elsewhere in Namibia and South Africa.
Description
Females are larger than the males. They have chestnut upperparts with black wingtips, rear neck and eye stripe. The underparts are white, with a chestnut belly patch in adult birds. The blue bill extends up as a Coot-like head shield and the legs and very long toes are grey.
Call
Jacanas are quite vocal, the call being a screeching “kooworr” as well as a variety of other sounds.
Food
It mainly eats insects, doing most of its foraging on floating vegetation, walking or running with its large feet while plucking prey from plants and the water surface.
Breeding
Sequentially polyandrous, meaning that one female mates with multiple males over the course of one breeding season. It is highly territorial, as males fight each other for control of prime breeding territory, displaying and calling from a calling post made by pulling a few plant stems together. Egg-laying season is year-round, peaking from November-March. The female lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. The male alone cares for the chicks. The male African Jacana has the ability to pick up and carry his chicks underneath his wings as well, a remarkable adaptation for parental care.
Conservation status – Least Concern
Not threatened, as its distribution has remained largely unchanged for the past century.
Bird watching
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.
The African Fish Eagle - Haliaeetus vocifer- is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They are found wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. The African Fish Eagle is usually seen in pairs and they evenly share the kills. It is the national bird of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Description
The African Fish Eagle is a large bird, and the female is larger than the male. The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body and large, powerful, black wings. The head, breast, and tail of African Fish Eagles are snow white, with the exception of the featherless face, which is yellow. The eyes are dark brown in colour. The hook-shaped beak, ideal for a carnivorous lifestyle, is yellow with a black tip. The plumage of the juvenile is brown and the eyes are paler compared to the adult. The feet have rough soles and are equipped with powerful talons in order to enable the eagle to grasp slippery aquatic prey.
Call
Its distinctive cry has become synonymous with the sound of Africa. It has two distinct calls - in flight or perched, the sound is something like the American Bald Eagle. When near the nest, its call is more of a 'quock' sound - the female is a little shriller and less mellow than the male. The call is a weee-ah, hyo-hyo or a heee-ah, heeah-heeah.
Food
The African Fish Eagle feeds mainly on fish. It is an opportunistic feeder and may take a wider variety of prey such as water-birds, reptiles and carrion. They may also raid colonies of nesting waterbirds for young and eggs.
Breeding
Breeding season for African Fish Eagles is during the dry season when water levels are low. African Fish Eagles are believed to mate for life. Pairs will often maintain two or more nests, which they will frequently re-use.
The female lays 1 to 3 eggs, which are primarily white with a few reddish speckles. Incubation is mostly done by the female, but the male will incubate when the female leaves to hunt. Incubation lasts for 42 to 45 days before the chicks hatch. The eggs will often hatch a few days apart, and the eldest chick will usually kill any younger chicks. Fledging lasts for 70 to 75 days and after about 8 weeks the chick is capable of feeding itself and will usually begin to venture outside of the nest 2 weeks later.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
The estimated population size is about 300,000 individuals
Bird watching
Widespread in Southern Africa, its habitat is usually limited to larger rivers, lakes, pans and dams, with enough large trees for it to perch on. These eagles are also found near coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is most frequently seen sitting high in a tall tree from where it has a good view of the stretch of river, lakeshore or coastline, which is its territory.
To see these magnificent birds of prey book on one of these 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.
Magpie Shrike
The Magpie Shrike - Corvinella melanoleuca - is found in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It favours open savanna woodland with short grass clumps and bare ground, also occurring in broad-leaved woodland and disturbed areas with Acacia tree stands, such as in suburban gardens and town parks.
Description
The adult male has black and white plumage with very long, graduated tail. Head and mantle are glossy black. The scapulars are white. The rump is V-shaped and greyish-white, conspicuous in flight. On the black upperwing, tertials, secondaries, some primaries and the greater upperwing-coverts are black with white tips. In flight, the white patch near the primary bases is well visible. The long tail is black. The bill, legs and feet are black, the eyes are brown. The female is very similar, but she has white patches on flanks. The immature is browner and duller, with rather buffy-white areas than pure white. The underparts are dark brown with white-tipped feathers.
Call
It utters loud, melancholy whistles “kee-oo, kee-oo” as territorial calls. The alarm call is a scolding “chack” or “tchzzrrr”. A breeding pair often calls in duet, “teeloo” by the male, and a higher-pitched “tleeu” by the female.
Food
It mainly eats insects, spiders, ticks and small reptiles. It often perches in a prominent position, searching for a food item. Once it spots something it dives to the ground and catches it. It also gleans prey from leaves and branches, and sometimes searches for them at ground level.
Breeding
A cooperative breeder. The nest is constructed by both sexes and consists of an untidy cup made of twigs, grass stems and roots, typically placed in the upper branches of an Acacia tree. The breeding season peaks from October to January with the female laying 2 to 6 eggs. They are incubated solely by the female for about 16 days, the male and group members providing her with food. The chicks are cared for both parents and group members, leaving the nest after about 15 to 19 days.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
This species is not threatened. It has an extremely large range and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as uncommon to locally common.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create an Aves custom tour for you or book on one of the following Aves scheduled tours: -
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.
Short-clawed Lark
The Short-clawed Lark - Certhilauda chuana - is endemic to Southern Africa, occurring from south-eastern Botswana to the North-west Province, Free State and Limpopo Province. It prefers open habitat, sparsely vegetated with short grass and scattered trees or bushes, particularly where grass has been severely grazed.
Description
The head is cream while the bill is black. It has a white throat, brown legs and a brown coloured back. The eyes are brown. The long, broad, creamy eyebrow is conspicuous. It has buff-fringed feathers on its back with broad blackish centres.
Call
The call is a loud descending peeeeuuuu.
Food
Food consists of insects, mainly termites and ants.
Breeding
The nest is built solely by the female, consisting of open cup built of grass and lined with finer plant material. It is typically placed in a scrape in the ground beneath a grass tuft or small shrub. The egg-laying season is between September and March, with 2 to 3 eggs in a clutch. They are incubated by the female for between 14 to 16 days. They are fed by both parents, leaving the nest after about 11 to 12 days. They remain dependent on their parents for food up to about 4 weeks of age, only dispersing about another 4-12 weeks later.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
It has two disjunct populations. The one on the Pietersburg Plateau in the Limpopo Province,South Africa, and a larger population in south-eastern Botswana and the North-west Province, South Africa. The South African population numbers 500 to 5,000 individuals, and there may be over 20,000 pairs in Botswana. The species currently appears to be stable.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create an Aves custom tour for you or book on one of the following scheduled Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -
Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.
Black-chested Snake-Eagle
The Black-chested Snake-Eagle - Circaetus pectoralis - is an African bird of prey found in Africa from Ethiopia and southern DRC to South Africa. It inhabits different habitats, ranging from semi desert and open grassland to Karoo scrub and closed deciduous woodland.
Description
The main identification character of this bird is its dark brown head and chest, to which it owes its name. In flight the dark head contrasts with the underparts and underwings, which are white apart from dark barring on the flight feathers and tail. The upperparts are dark brown, and the eye is yellow.
The female is similar to, but larger than the male, and the juvenile is rufous.
Call
The call is a whistled kwo kwo kwo kweeoo.
Food
They feed mostly on snakes, but will also prey on lizards, small mammals and frogs.
Breeding
A territorial solitary nester, the nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a saucer-shaped structure of sticks, lined with green leaves and placed in the canopy of a flat-topped Acacia. The egg-laying season in South Africa is from June-August. The female will lay only one egg per clutch, which is incubated for between 50 to 52 days, mainly by the female. The chick is brooded and fed by the female, with food provided by the male. It eventually leaves the nest at between 90 to 113 days and usually fully independent six months later.
Conservation Status – Least Concern
Due to its wide distribution this species is not endangered.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a tour for you or book on one of the following Aves Birding Tour/Safaris/Adventures see these magnificent eagles: -
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.
Photographed by Peter Sievers
