Post number 8 on the birds I saw in Southern Africa.

Pied Crow (Corvus albus). KwaZulu-Natal.

The Pied Crow is omnivorous, feeding on various insects and molluscs. It also takes small vertebrates such as amphibians and lizards, rodents, small birds and fish. It may sometimes catch insects, birds and bats in flight. It takes roadside kills and frequents the rubbish dumps with raptors and marabou storks.

The Pied Crow is known to raid bird’s nests, taking eggs and nestlings. It follows the bushfires for insects and the plough for invertebrates. It has been reported that it can break eggs of an Ostrich dropping stones from a height!

Steppe Buzzard (Buteo vulpinus). KwaZulu-Natal.

The Steppe Buzzard is a common summer visitor to South Africa. They prey mostly on small mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates, and will scavenge from carcasses.

The Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) in the foreground, with a Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus)in the background.

The Pelican in an enormous waterbird, mostly white with short legs and a massive, broad and very long azure blue bill which has a central red stripe and ends in a small, red hook. The mostly white bird has contrasting black flight feathers on the wings. In the breeding season, the Pelican takes on a pinkish flush and there is usually a yellow wash on the breast.

The Great White Pelicans with Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) in the background.

Yellow-billed Kite (Milvus parasitus).

As above.

Urban areas suit this bird well, as it is incredibly opportunistic in its behaviour. Diet is varied, and it will feed on any prey small enough to be caught and eaten, such as small mammals, reptiles, birds, and insects. Carrion is regularly eaten, as well as human leftovers and scraps. It is not uncommon for yellow-billed kites to swoop down and steal food from under the nose of humans.

As above.

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Wild Bird Wednesday 302