Post number 17 Birds from Southern Africa

These are photos again taken by my friend, Christelle Miller, while in the Kruger national park in May 2018.

Thanks go to Christelle for allowing me to use these photos on my blog.

I hope that my identification is correct, please let me know if there should be any mistakes.

Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis). They still-hunt by sitting very upright on a prominent perch, much like a shrike. They are usually solitary and form monogamous breeding pairs. They are aggressive and fearless, regularly mobbing or attacking much larger species, including birds of prey if their nest or young are threatened, or their territory is compromised. Two to four eggs are laid in a cup nest in a fork high in a tree.

Green-backed Heron (Butorides striata).  This bird has a specially adapted bill which helps it hunt for fish, crabs, shrimp and other aquatic animals in the water.  It also eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. It is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 2 to 6 eggs and they are coloured blue, green. The bird builds its nest above water as a means of protecting itself from predators and to be close to its main food source which includes fish, shrimp and frogs.

Natal Spurfowl (Pternistis natalensis). The Natal Spurfowl feeds on the ground and in foliage, mainly on Invertebrates, Fruits or Seeds. It is monogamous unless its mate dies. They create a nest on the ground laying between 2 to 7 eggs. The preferred habitats for Natal Spurfowl are woodlands, river areas and hilly regions.

Red-crested korhaan (Lophotis ruficrista). It is omnivorous, feeding on invertebrates, especially termites, beetles and grasshoppers, and plant matter, especially seeds and fruit, foraging on the ground, picking up food items with its bill. The male puts on a spectacular courtship display to multiple females, who solely incubate the eggs and raise the chicks. See also Part 10.

African White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus). They may be the most numerous of African vultures. It has gregarious feeding habits. It feeds mainly on carrion. It can be found in big numbers when food resources are abundant. These birds are adapted to feed on soft tissues, and cannot rip open large carcasses with thick skin.  It makes its nest in trees, and breeds in loose colonies. The nest is small in size, for these large vultures. It is located at the top of a tall tree in their territory and often along streams. It is a platform made of sticks, and the interior is lined with grass and green leaves. The female lays one single egg. Incubation lasts about 56 days, by both parents. Chicks are fed by both adults and may fledge at about 4 months.

African hawk-eagle (Aquila spilogaster). Both adults are similar in plumage, but the female is larger than male, and she is more heavily streaked on underparts than male.  They live in open woodlands and scrubs, where it can find rocky cliffs and wooded streams. is a secretive bird of prey, often seen alone, but also sometimes in pairs......  

 It searches for prey while flying, but also from a perch. It may catch prey taking it from the ground, or performing a dashing aerial manoeuvre.  The nest is located in a fork, in a tall tree, along wooded river banks. It is made of sticks.  The female lays one or two eggs. Incubation lasts about 43 to 44 days, shared by both parents. Only the strongest chick is reared if there is more of one egg.

Giant eagle-owl (Bubo lacteus). Africa’s largest eagle-owl, The female is substantially larger than the male and has a rounder facial disk.  It occupies a number of different habitats, including dry savanna, open woodland, open grassland, agricultural land and riparian habitat such as rivers, marshes and floodplains, but is largely absent from bare desert and dense woodland. Large trees are required for nesting, and nests are usually found in open woodland, adjacent to floodplains Due to the large size of the Eagle Owl, they need to consume larger types of prey than other species of owls. Their diet consists of rabbits, mongoose, and plenty of types of small game. They also consume rats and pigeons if they are readily available in their area of residence. These owls have a very long breeding season. It lasts from March until September. The females will usually have two eggs, but sometimes only one. They will incubate them for about 28 days. She will remain with the eggs from the time they leave her body until they hatch. It is the job of her mate to bring her back enough food for survival.   The first egg to hatch is the one that is the most likely to survive. The parents will feed this one immediately and continually. If they have enough food available they will feed both of the young. However, if food sources are scarce the second one will get no food at all. Sadly, it will die within a day or two. The young can fly when they are about 9 weeks of age.

Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) See also in Part 4. This particular hornbill species’ diet consists mainly of invertebrates that are readily found on the ground (including spiders), as well as lizards, snakes and amphibians.   It mates between September and December. The female will make her nest in a tree or a cliff hollow and will usually lay two eggs. Interestingly, she will lay the first egg about four days before the second, giving this chick the opportunity to be stronger than the other. Only one chick will survive to fledgling stage.  They are on the endangered list.

Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos). The lappet-faced vulture is one of the most aggressive of African birds. It possesses one of the strongest beaks, usually arriving last to the carcass due to its ability to tear off flesh (such as skin, tendons, and other coarse tissue) that is too tough for smaller scavengers. They have a wingspan of almost 3 metres....

It frequents steppes and deserts with isolated trees such as flat-topped acacias where it may build the nest.   It needs open and arid areas, including mountains and semi-desert.  It usually lives in a pair, but flocks of up to 50 vultures can be seen mixed with other raptors around carcasses or at water. It dominates all other birds of prey around the food, performing some displays such as bounding attacks, but it spends more time in these displays than feeding, and it returns later to the carcass.  Pairs nest solitary, and build a large, bulky, flat nest (about 2 metres of diameter), with small sticks on a thorny tree-top. The interior is lined with dry grasses. The female lays only one egg in the middle of the nest. The young fledge at 125-135 days after hatching.  They do not breed until they are about 6 years of age and they are on the endangered list.

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