The last photos on South African birds until I get more from Christelle - or we go for a visit!

These are photos again taken by my friend, Christelle Miller, during 2018.

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

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

Red-headed finch (Amadina erythrocephala). The male has a red head while the female has a brown head.  I wonder if the bird at the back is a young male as there are tinges of red seen on the head.  It feeds on the ground, and on the wing, mainly feeding on invertebrates and seeds. It is monogamous unless its mate dies. They create a nest on the ground, laying between 2 to 5 eggs which are brown in colour. The preferred habitats are woodlands and arid areas including grasslands. You will normally see the Red-headed Finch in flocks.

Black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus) also known as the black-shouldered kite. It breeds in savannahs, semi-desert grasslands, steppes and cultivated plains with thickets. In dry areas, it needs the vicinity of the water. It perches on exposed places from which it hunts small rodents, birds, reptiles and large insects. It may hunt from a perch, but often by hovering in mid-air with skill and little effort. When a prey is selected, it drops silently onto it, feet-first, with wings in a high V position, generally hunting at dusk. They build the nest themselves, and they build a new nest each year in the same area, and even in the same tree. The nest is a small structure made with thin twigs. It is a flat and loose structure and is usually located in a large tree, often in a thorny one.  The nest is built by both adults. The male brings most of the material, and the female works it into the nest. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs, at intervals of 2-3 days. Incubation lasts about 25 to 28 days, mainly by the female, but the male feeds her on, or close to the nest during this period. Eggs hatch at 2-3 days intervals, that means that a complete brood may take a week or more to hatch. Despite the wide variation in the size, older chicks are rarely aggressive to the younger.  Young reach their plumage at about 3 weeks of age. They may fly at 30 to 35 days when food is abundant. Young return to the nest between their flights, and are fed by adults away from the nest.  If food resources are good they might breed twice during the year

Hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) for info see Post 14 and Blacksmith lapwing or blacksmith plover (Vanellus armatus). The Blacksmith feeds mainly on the ground feeding on Invertebrates and Aquatic life forms. The preferred habitats are grasslands.  You can expect to see them in flocks, pairs or as single birds. It creates its nest on the ground and the female lays eggs which are yellow in colour and number between 1 to 4.

Wire-tailed swallow (Hirundo smithii). The male and female have the same plumage and colours. It feeds on the ground mainly on invertebrates. The preferred habitats are woodlands and grasslands but it is also at home in wetland areas. You will normally see them in pairs. It is monogamous unless its mate dies.  They construct neat half-bowl nests placed on vertical surfaces near water, such as below the ledges of cliffs or man-made structures, such as buildings and bridges. They collect mud with their beaks to line their nests with. The average clutch consists of 3 - 4 eggs in Africa. Unlike many other swallow species, which nest in colonies - the Wire-tailed Swallows are solitary and territorial nesters.

Purple-crested turaco (Gallirex porphyreolophus). This bird is a fruit-eater. Its glossy and colourful plumage makes this bird very attractive for humans and has been hunted in the past for their beautiful red flight feathers. Both adults are similar. The juvenile is duller.  It feeds on fruits from numerous plant species picking the fruits by perching at the end of the branches. This bird does not feed on the ground, except in captivity. The small fruits are swallowed whole, whereas the larger items are cut into pieces with the bill. It takes both wild and cultivated fruits, and some buds. They are often seen singly or in pairs, and occasionally in small groups of 4-5 birds....

It is a poor flier, but it moves with great agility from tree to tree in the canopy, alternating flapping and gliding. It takes flight with a short downwards glides and some fast wingbeats to the next tree. Then, it climbs and clambers back to the canopy with short hops, leaps and bounds. The nest of the Purple-crested Turaco is often placed high in tree or shrub, about 20 metres above the ground. It is a flat structure made with sticks and twigs and usually flimsy. This platform is well concealed among the thick vegetation. The female lays 2-3 glossy white eggs. Both adults incubate for 22-23 days. At hatching, the chicks are covered in thick greyish-brown down. They are fed by regurgitation by their parents. The adults clean the nest regularly. At about three weeks of age, the young move out of the nest and climb about in the nesting-tree. They are able to fly at 38 days old.

Brown snake eagle (Circaetus cinereus). For more info see post no 16.

There are nine species of baobab tree in the world: one in mainland Africa, Adansonia digitata, (the species that can grow to the largest size and to the oldest age) Some of Africa’s oldest and biggest baobab trees have abruptly died, wholly or in part, in the past decade, according to researchers.

The trees, aged between 1,100 and 2,500 years and in some cases as wide as a bus is long, may have fallen victim to climate change, the team speculated. 

Note the African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) in the smaller tree on the left. For more info on the Fish Eagle see post no 18

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Wild Bird Wednesday

Post number 14 Birds from Southern Africa

As with the last post, this is a little different, as again these are photos taken by a 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.

 Martial Eagle (Polemaetus Bellicosus).... 

 They are the largest of the African eagles and incredibly powerful, capable of knocking an adult man off his feet. They reputedly have enough power in one foot to break a man's arm....

The Martial eagle weighs in at almost 14 pounds (6.5 Kg.) and has a wingspan of about 6 feet 4 inches. It is about 32 inches long.

Burchell's Coucal, (Centropus burchellii). Also known as the rain bird.  Their diet includes small mammals such as rabbits, field mice and other rodents. Rodents are usually taken from the ground and killed using the sharp claws.... 

The bird builds its nest on the ground with figs, straw and leaves. The nest is placed under a bush to protect the young from predators. Fairly common in South Africa.

Southern Pale chanting goshawk (Melierax canorus); they can be found throughout their range in arid habitats with less than 75 cm of rainfall per year. These habitats include the Namib Desert and other dry woodland, shrubland, and grassland areas. Pale chanting goshawks are often seen perching on trees and poles for power lines near the roads.  It sits upright on its long legs when perched on a tree. It is often seen walking about on the ground. It can run very fast when pursuing a prey. But it also hunts from a perch. When prey is selected, it dives and runs after it. It also performs agile aerial chases after birds or hares running on the ground.  It is found singly or in pairs. Pairs have a well-defined territory and usually stay in and around the same group of trees. When breeding season starts, the male performs some displays. It perches on the top of a tall tree and utters its melodious call, often for hours. Both mates can soar together, making circles at about 200 to 300 feet in the sky. They also perform an undulating flight display while calling.

The Hadada or Hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash). It has a distinctively loud, penetrating and recognisable haa-haa-haa-de-dah call that is often heard when the birds are flying or when startled, hence the name.  It feeds mainly on earthworms, using its long scimitar-like bill to probe soft soil. It also eats larger insects, such as the Parktown Prawn, as well as spiders and small lizards. These birds also favour snails and will feed in garden beds around residential homes. It nests in isolation, sometimes on telegraph poles instead of trees or bushes. Males display and eventually choose a mate. The pairs then engage in mutual bowing and display preening. Males usually gather nest materials, which they ritually offer to their mates. Both sexes incubate the three to six eggs and feed the young.

Southern red-billed hornbill (Tockus rufirostris). This bird forms flocks outside the breeding season. It feeds mainly on small insects such as beetles, ants, termites, flies and grasshoppers, but it also eats larger arthropods, birds' eggs and nestlings also small seeds and fruits. The Red-billed Hornbill does most of its foraging on the ground, rarely hawking prey aerially.

During the incubation (brooding of the eggs), the nest entrance is typically blocked off with a plaster of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. The purpose for this is to keep the nest, including the brooding female, eggs and young chicks protected from predators, usually 3-5 eggs. A narrow opening is left to allow the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. See Here.

Hornbills are unique in that their first two neck vertebrae have been fused to support their large bill.

Linking up to 

Wild Bird Wednesday 308

Post number 6 on the birds I saw in Southern Africa.

The ring-necked dove (Streptopelia capicola), also known as the Cape turtle dove or half-collared dove.  Botswana.

The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca). They were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians. Not the best photo but I think they are very pretty geese.  Botswana.

The hadada or hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash), It has a distinctively loud, penetrating and recognisable haa-haa-haa-de-dah call that is often heard when the birds are flying or when startled, hence the name.  South Africa, Mahikeng.

Hadeda in flight.

One of my favourite birds. The southern masked weaver or African masked weaver (Ploceus velatus)....

they are true artisans, creating distinct dome nests that hang suspended in trees. To build such an abode, the male selects a suitable branch, strips it of any leaves, then knots a long, thin blade of grass around it (no easy task when using just your beak and feet).

From this he weaves a sturdy hoop, continuing to thread, knot and plait until his construction resembles a neat oval dome. The whole process takes about five days, and the more experienced the weaver, the more intricate and attractive the results.

When he is finished, the male advertises the residence to potential mates with fluttering wings and song, but females are picky and select only the freshest, finest abodes. Indeed a male may have to build several before a partner is satisfied enough to move in, lining the nest herself before laying her eggs...

I could watch them for hours.  This one was seen working in a garden close to Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

The white-browed sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser mahali).  Botswana...

Monogamous, colonial cooperative breeder, living in groups (nests within a large nest) in which each bird has their own nest. However, there can only be one active breeding pair per group who are usually the largest in size, remaining dominant until their death, at which point another pair steps up to the plate. The group are highly territorial, vigorously defending their 50 metre long foraging territory, often chasing intruders out of the territory....

The nest (see behind this bird) is built by both breeders in about 5-30 days but maintained throughout the year, consisting of an untidy, retort-shaped structure made of dry grass, with two entrances one of which is closed by the breeding pair. It is typically wedged into the branches of a thorny tree, but it may also use telephone wires, power lines and fences.

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 Wild Bird Wednesday 300.