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Tuesday 5 June 2018

Post number 12 on birds seen in Southern Africa


Black-collared Barbet (Lybius torquatus). The photo was taken by my friend Christelle in her garden in Mahikeng. Thanks Christelle for allowing me to publish your photos....



The Black-collared Barbet is a smallish bird but somewhat larger than a house sparrow. The height of the bird is about 20 cms and its weight is about 58 gms.   The male and female have the same plumage and colours...


It eats invertebrates, fruits, and nectar. It is monogamous unless its mate dies when it will seek out a new mate. The nesting habit of the bird is to create a nest in a hole in a tree trunk. It lays between 2 to 5 eggs which are white in colour.


The Spotted Eagle Owl (Bubo Africanus)....

It hunts mainly at night, but will also eat carrion, and is therefore frequently encountered by roadsides scavenging road kill. Hunting, it either snatches prey up in its talons or pursues it on foot along the ground. Airborne prey, such as bats, birds and insects may also be skilfully chased and caught on the wing.

The bond between breeding pairs of spotted eagle-owls is strong, and they may stay together for life.

Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus).  One of the smaller vultures and the female is slightly bigger than the male.  As with many vultures, this is another one endangered and on the red list.  KwaZulu-Natal.

White-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis).  A medium size vulture and yet another one on the endangered list.  KwaZulu-Natal.


Linking to 
Wild Bird Wednesday 306

22 comments:

  1. The colours on that Barbet are incredible!

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    1. They are very pretty birds, Christelle is lucky to have them nesting in their garden. Hope all is well Diane

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  2. What magnificent colours in their coats. You really got a close up on the last one!

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    1. What would I do without a telscopic lens :-) It has changed my life. Cheers Diane

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  3. Amazing birds Diane! The vultures are extraordinary. I do love all your photos Diane, thanks so much for sharing them.

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    1. Denise, vultures are really not pretty birds but they do a great job of cleaning up the countryside. It is sad that numbers are in decline, they are necessary for keeping the world clear of rotting and smelly bodies! Keep well Diane

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  4. Hi Diane. Stunning photos as always. It is fantastic to see the birds that I often see at a distance, so close up. All their handsome features are brought to life. Thank you. x

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    1. You really are lucky, wish I was there taking photos. Maybe again sooner than planned if we are lucky. Take care Diane

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    1. Thanks very much for the comment. Cheers Diane

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  6. Love the owl shots, but that last vulture shot is awesome!

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    1. Ha ha great facial expression. Have a good day Diane

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  7. Your photos are truly amazing and so, of course, are the birds!

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    1. Thanks Beth and for taking the time out to comment, Cheers Diane

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  8. I'm not sure I can take more excitement in one evening, Diane. The Spotted Eagle Owl has to be my favourite, but that Barbet comes a close second! Fabulous images.

    I hope your weather has improved and you are able to get on with the decorationd. Take good care - - - Richard

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    1. Sorry Richard my reply has taken a while and now there are no emails coming in I tend to get behind!!

      The weather is hopeless, too wet to do much work in the garden and too dark to finish decorating the house!!

      Hope you are feeling better. Take care Diane

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  9. Fine, fine pictures again Diane. I fell in love with the barbet family in Africa - such a lovely, colourful and interesting family. We don't have any barbets of course.

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    1. Hi Phil, sorry about late reply, trying hard to catch up!! I alo really like the barbets, but my love is mainly the birds of prey which I struggle to take photos of here in Europe. So much easier in Southern Africa I found as they hang around longer for the photographer!!
      Have a good week Diane

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  10. Yes. I still like that Black-collared Barbet best of all. Simply stunning.

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    1. Thanks Phil, catching up with comments at last. Keep well Diane

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  11. Great pictures - I managed to see, but not photograph, a different species of Barbet in my hotel garden in Indonesia last year. The birds of prey are great.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  12. Incroyable images Diane, the Spotted Eagle Owl shots are 'I wish I'd taken them shots' .. fabulous!

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