Black-necked Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis - Head, neck and back black, white below, yellow/golden tufts behind the eyes. Uncommon nomad.

Can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris : -

Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.

Aves North East Tour / Safari.

Aves North West Tour / Safari.

Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.

Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.

Kelp Gull - Larus dominicanus - Underparts and tail white. Back and upper wing parts black. Eyes dark. Bill yellow with red spot, legs grey. A common resident and partial migrant. This handsome gull 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.

Cape Sparrow [Female]- Passer melanurus - Head and breast black, with white C on sides of head, Back and rump chestnut, wingbar and belly white. A ver common resident. This 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.

Red-billed Teal - Anas erythrophyncha - Dark cap, pinkish-red bill, white cheeks and spotted body. A very common resident. This beautiful duck can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -

Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari.

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.

Reed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus - A black cormorant with long tail, Males with a small crest, grey/brown speckled wings, red eyes and orange/yellow face. A common resident. This small cormorant can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -

Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari.

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.

Cape Shoveler - Anas smithii - Endemic - Spatulate black bill, orange/yellow legs, mottled dark brown body. A common resident. 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.

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 the following Aves Tours / Safaris: -

Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.

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.

Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.

African Spoonbill - Platalea alba -  A long pink spoon shaped bill, red face and pink legs. Large white bird. A common resident.

This striking large white bird 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.

Black-headed Heron - Ardea melanocephala - Black crown and hind neck, white neck and grey body. A common resident.

The Black-headed Heron 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. These bulbul's can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris: -

Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari.

Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari.

Caspian Tern – Hydroprogne caspia-  Largest tern in Southern Africa with a massive red bill. Black cap in breeding plumage and streaked white non breeding. Rump, tail underparts and underwing white, upperparts grey. A common resident. This very large tern 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.

Cape Rock-Thrush – Monticola rupestris – Endemic – The male has a blue/grey head, rich orange upper breast and mottled brown upperparts. A common resident. This striking Rock-thrush 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.

Southern Double-collared Sunbird – Cinnyris chalybes – Endemic – Breeding males have a green head, back, throat and upper chest. Narrow red breast-band and pale greyish belly. Females are 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.

Streaky-headed Seedeater - Crithagra gularis - Streaked Crown, Pale Eyebrow, grey/brown cheeks and plain underparts. A common resident.

This seedeater 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.

Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis – A small white egret, breeding birds have buff plumes to the head, chest and back, yellow bill and legs. Bill orange/red, and reddish legs during courtship. A very common resident. This small white egret can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -

Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari.

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.

Little Egret – Egretta garzetta – Plumes on back of head, pointed slender black bill, black legs with yellow feet. A fairly common resident. This small to medium white egret can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -

Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari.

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.

African Goshawk – Accipiter tachiro – A medium sized hawk, upperparts slate grey in male and brown in female. Female much larger than male. Fine rufous bars on underparts in male, broadly barred in female. Eyes and legs yellow with cere grey. A common resident.  This medium sized goshawk 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.

Brown-throated Martin – Riparia paludicola – A slender brown martin, which occurs in a white bellied form and a completely brown form. A common resident. This beautiful martin can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris : -

Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari.

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.

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.

African Snipe – Gallinago nigripennis – Long straight bill, shortish yellow legs, white belly, uppertail feathers rufous, dark brown eye. A common resident. This strking snipe can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris / 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.

Malachite Kingfisher – Alcedo cristata – A small aquatic kingfisher with blue upperparts, orange-brown underparts, white throats and red legs. Adults have red bills, immature’s have black bills. A common resident. This strikingly beautiful kingfisher can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours / Safaris / 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 Cape Penduline Tit - Anthoscopus minutus - is a Near Endemic in Southern Africa. It is a small bird, has a height of 10 cms and weighs about 8 gms. The head is black and white, eyes yellow, bill and legs black and the back is brown.

Its prefered habitat is dry Acacia Savanna, tropical and subtropical shrubland and Fynbos of the Western Cape, South Africa.

It is locally common across the western half of South Africa, extending east into the North-West Province, Limpopo Province and Gauteng.

Food consists of insects and is supplemented with small fruits. Family groups forage together, gleaning prey from leaves and bark, often searching spider webs for invertebrates.

The breeding season is almost all year, peaking in the summer months. The breeding pair are occasionally assisted by helpers and they usually produces two broods per breeding season. Male and Female build the nest, which is an oval-shaped bag built from plant down, wool , fur of hares or Angora goats, and other woolly material. A collapsible entrance spout is placed near the top and the birds open the entrance spout with one foot. The top and bottom of the nest are usually attached to branches of a thorn tree or bush. Four to seven eggs are laid and are incubated by both sexes for approximately 13 to 15 days. The chicks are fed by both the parents and the helpers. They leave the nest after 16 to 22 days, only becoming independent towards the end of the breeding season.

The Cape Penduline Tit can be seen on the following Aves Tours/Safaris/Adventures : -

Aves Arid Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves North West Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves Western Cape Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves West Coast Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Photographed by John Tinkler of Aperture Wild.

The White-backed Mousebird - Colius colius - is distributed in western and central regions of Southern Africa.

This bird has a long tail, with the tail comprising approximately half the length of the bird. The upperparts, head, prominent crest and breast are grey apart from a black-bordered white back stripe and a dark red spot at the base of the tail. The white back stripe is not visible unless the wings are at least partly open. The belly is buff in colour, the bill bluish white with a black tip, and the legs and feet are red.

This mousebird prefers scrubby dry habitats, such as thornveld, semi-desert and Fynbos.

The White-backed Mousebird feeds on fruits, buds, seeds and nectar. Its feeding habits make it very unpopular with fruit farmers and domestic gardeners, which might be why it is very shy as a rule.

It roosts in groups at night. Its perching habits are amusingly parrot-like. It often almost hangs from its legs rather than squatting on them like most birds, and commonly with each leg gripping a different upright branch.

These sedentary birds may breed at any time of the year when conditions are favourable. The nest is a large cup well hidden in a thicket. Nestlings are fed by both parents and also by helpers.

The White-backed Mousebird 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 North West Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves Western Cape Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves West Coast Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Photographed By John Tinkler of Aperture Wild.

Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk - Meierax canorus - Mostly light grey, rump broadly white, belly finely barredgreyand white. Cere and legs red, underwing plain white. A very common resident. This bird can be seen on the following Aves Tours / Safaris: -

Aves Arid Tour / Safari.

Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour / Safari.

Aves North West Tour / Safari.

Aves Western Cape Tour / Safari.

Aves West Coast Tour / Safari.

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 White-throated Swallow - Hirundo albigularis,  is common species, found in southern Africa, which has benefited from the increased nesting opportunities presented by the construction of bridges and dams.

It has glossy dark blue upperparts and a bright chestnut crown. A dark blue-black breast band separates the white throat from the greyish white underparts and underwing coverts. The upper wings, underwing flight feathers and forked tail are blackish-blue, but the undertail has white patches near the feather tips. The white throat and blackish breast band are distinctions from the Barn Swallow. The outer feathers are slightly longer in the male than the female. Juveniles are duller than the adult, with shorter outer tail feathers and a browner crown.

This is a bird of open country and grassland, with a preference for highlands and nearby water. It is often found around man-made structures.

It exclusively eats airborne insects, doing most of its foraging close to the ground, hawking prey aerially.

This swallow breeds in Southern Africa. It  builds a bowl-shaped mud nest with a soft lining of grass or hair. It is usually near or over water, and is built on a ledge under an overhang on a rock face or on a man-made structure such as a building, dam wall, culvert or bridge. Uninhabited buildings are preferred to houses. The nest may be reused for subsequent broods or in later years. It is a monogamous, solitary nester, with one breeding pair producing multiple broods in a single breeding season.

The egg-laying season is from August to March, peaking between October and December. They lay 2 to 5, white with brown and blue blotched eggs, usually 3 eggs which are incubated by the female for 15 to 18 days. The young are fed by both parents. The chicks fledge between 18 and25 days, but roost in the nest for at least 2 weeks.

Not threatened, in fact its range and population have increased in the Western Cape due to the increasing availability of man-made nest sites.

The Arctic Tern - Sterna paradisaea - has a worldwide, circumpolar breeding distribution which is continuous and there are no recognized subspecies. Arctic Terns are long-lived birds, with many reaching thirty years of age.

Migration

The Arctic Tern is famous for its migration. It flies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again each year. It can be found in coastal regions in cooler temperate parts of North America and Eurasia during the northern summer. While wintering during the southern summer, it can be found at sea, reaching the southern edge of the Antarctic ice. The species' range encompasses an area of approximately ten million square kilometers. Research using tracking devices attached to the birds was published in January 2010 and showed that the above examples are in fact not unusual for the species. Eleven Arctic Terns that bred in Greenland or Iceland each covered 70,900 km on average in a year, with a maximum of 81,600 km. The difference from previous estimates was because the birds were found to take a meandering course to take advantage of prevailing winds.

Plumage

The adult plumage is grey above, with a black nape and crown and white cheeks. The upperwings are pale grey, with the area near the wingtip being translucent. The tail is white, and the underparts pale grey. Both sexes are similar in appearance. The winter plumage is similar, but the crown is whiter and the bills are darker. Juveniles differ from adults in their black bill and legs, "scaly" appearing wings, and mantle with dark feather tips, dark carpal wing bar, and short tail streamers.

Calls

The species has a variety of calls. The two most common being the alarm call, made when possible predators enter the colonies, and the advertising call.

Food

The diet of the Arctic Tern varies depending on location. They eat mainly fish and small marine invertebrates. In the northern breeding grounds they eat insects.

Breeding

Breeding begins around the third or fourth year. They mate for life, and in most cases, return to the same colony each year. Courtship is elaborate and begins with a so-called "high flight", where a female will chase the male to a high altitude and then slowly descend. This display is followed by "fish flights", where the male will offer fish to the female. Courtship on the ground involves strutting with a raised tail and lowered wings. After this, both birds will usually fly and circle each other. The nest is usually a depression in the ground and the eggs are mottled and camouflaged. Both sexes share incubation duties. The young hatch after 22 to 27 days and fledge after 21 to 24 days. They nest once every one to three years (depending on its mating cycle); once it has finished nesting it takes to the sky for another long southern migration.

Conservation status – Least Concern

Arctic Terns are considered threatened or species of concern in certain parts of their range. At the southern part of their range, the Arctic Tern has been reducing in numbers. Much of this is due to lack of food. However, most of these birds' range is extremely remote, with no apparent trend in the species as a whole. The species is abundant, with an estimated one million individuals.

Birdwatching

These beautiful birds can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -

Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour/Adventure.

Aves KZN Birding Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves Western Cape Birding 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 African Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone viridis - is a common resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It occurs across sub-Saharan Africa, absent only from very arid areas. In southern Africa, it is common from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana to large areas of South Africa. This species is usually found in open forests and savannah habitats.

Description

The adult male African Paradise Flycatcher has very long tail streamers. It has a black head, neck and underparts, and chestnut wings and tail. There is a prominent white wingbar. The female has a browner tint to the underparts and lacks the wingbar and tail streamers. Young birds are similar to the female but duller.

Call

The song is a loud “twee-tiddly-te-te.”  Territorial song of male can vary between individuals and especially geographically. Call a simple “zeet-zwayt.”  Alarm call, “zwayt,” shorter, higher pitched and raspier than call note

Food

It mainly eats invertebrates, such as moths, termite alates, beetles and flies, occasionally eating small berries. It uses a variety of foraging techniques, catching most of its prey on the wing.

Breeding

The nest is built by both sexes. It consists of a small cup of twigs and bark held together with spider web, decorated with lichen and often a "trail" of spider web and leaves dangling from its base. The breeding season peaks between October and December.

They lay 1 to 4 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for between 11 to 19 days. The female often does most of the incubating at night. The chicks leave the nest at about 10 to 16 days. They stay in a family group with their parents until another clutch of eggs is laid, at which point they become fully independent.

Conservation Status – Least Concern

Not threatened, in fact common in large areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Birdwatching

The paradise-flycatchers inhabit a range of habitat types, from rainforest to montane forest, woodlands, savanna, mangroves, riparian forest, deciduous forests and bamboo groves, some species will also move into gardens and cultivated habitat.

The Cape Gannet, - Morus capensis - is a large seabird with black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck. This bird is a Southern Africa Breeding Endemic. They are restricted to the coast of Africa and generally sticks fairly close to the coastline. They are found in waters off the Western Sahara, around Cape Agulhas to the Gulf of Zanzibar, Tanzania and occasionally to Mombasa, Kenya. The world population was estimated in 1996 to number about 340,000 birds, with 12% in Namibia and 88% in South Africa. The largest colony of this bird, with over 140,000 birds, is found on Malgas Island, South Africa.

Description

When seen in flight the snow-white body with the black tail, primaries and secondaries, and dark bill makes them easy to identify. At closer range the distinctive golden crown and nape, which gradually becomes white on the neck, is noticeable. There are also distinctive black lines around the beak and on the face. The powerful, pale blue bill is pointed with fine serrations near the tip, and the large feet are webbed between each toe Juveniles and Immatures are dark brown with a pale bill, The pale blue bill is pointed with fine serrations near the tip.

Call

A noisy “warrra-warra-warra” at breeding colonies and when feeding at sea.

Food

They are fish-eating birds that plunge-dive from considerable height. Depending on the height they hit the water at speeds of between 40 and 120 kilometers per hour. Food consists of Anchovy, Pelagic goby, Hake, Snoek, Mackerel, Sardine, Herring and Chokka squid.

Breeding

The breeding range of Cape Gannet is restricted to Southern Africa. They breed on three islands off the Namibian Coast and three islands off the South African coast. These birds nest in large and dense colonies on flat islands. The world population was estimated in 1996 to number about 340,000 birds, with 12% in Namibia and 88% in South Africa. The largest colony of this bird, with over 140,000 birds, is found on Malgas Island, South Africa.

Conservation Status – Vulnerable

Its population has decreased by at least 20% in three generations, and is especially in trouble in Namibia. Numbers at the Namibian islands have declined considerably between 1956 and 2000 from 114,600 to 18,200 breeding pairs respectively, an 84% decrease in less than fifty years. This is largely due to the collapse of Sardine (Sardinops sagax) and other fish stock, as well as occasional oil spills which cause hundreds of deaths. This contrasts with the trends at the South African islands where numbers have increased about 4.3 times during the same period, from 34,400 to 148,000 breeding pairs. All breeding colonies of the Cape Gannet are under some form of protection.

Birdwatching

Public access to Bird Island, Lambert's Bay where visitors are able to view the fenced off colony from state-of-the-art observation facilities and Malgas Island, to which guided tours organized by the West Coast National Park and Pelagic Trips from Simonstown and Houtbay.

Gannet Hotspots

Bird Island, Lamberts Bay

Malgas Island, West Coast Park.

Pelagic Trips from Simonstown and Houtbay

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 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 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.

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.