DOCSLIB.ORG

Bird of the Year 2019 – Secretarybird – Hunting Factsheet 2

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Bird of the Year 2019 – Secretarybird – Hunting Factsheet 2 BIRD OF THE YEAR 2019 HUNTING BEHAVIOUR & DIET WINGS EXTENDED FOR BALANCE Deadly Strike ANGLE HEAD TO SEE PREY WELL BEFORE STRIKING A team of scientists has studied the hunting technique of Secretarybirds BINOCULAR VISION FROM HIGH HEIGHT and discovered the birds can kick a TO SPOT PREY & MEASURE DISTANCE TO heck of a punch at 195 Newton. That PREY FOR ACCURATE STRIKE is the same as five times their own body weight! This is made even more HIGH LEVEL OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE VISUAL, BRAIN & MUSCLES deadly with the extraordinary speed of the strike itself. The contact time STRIKE HAS TO BE FAST AND ACCURATE between the bird’s feet and the prey is WITH POISONOUS SNAKES OTHERWISE IT less than 1/10th of the time it takes to CAN BE DEADLY TO BIRD blink an eye. DEADLY STRIKE FROM A LEGS ARE TWICE AS LONG AS OTHER They also found the birds pre-plan the GROUND BIRDS OF SIMILAR BODY MASS STATIC STANDING POSITION strike and, once they kick, they cannot USING ONLY THE LEG MUSCLES PEAK FORCE OF STRIKE IS VERY HIGH change the direction of the strike & FAST TAKING LESS THAN 15 MS even if it is off-target. If they miss, they have to recalculate and do it KICKS AT SNAKES HEAD UNTIL IT IS DEAD again. Hunting Behaviour Prey of Choice Secretarybirds hunt on the ground, alone or in pairs, taking Secretarybirds have large gapes and steady long strides as they scan the long grass for movement swallow most small prey whole, so of prey. This can go on for hours in the heat of the day as their no time is lost tearing up prey which hunting territory is usually large, in some cases 20km2. This is they might lose to other piratical not a problem, as they are able to soar to cover large distances. species like Tawny Eagles or They will stomp on thick tuffs of grass or dung heaps to flush Bateleurs. Large prey is held down out prey. When prey is spotted, they quicken their pace to with their claws and torn up with achieve the element of surprise. Sometimes the birds will their bill. chase after it, flapping their wings untill they catch it. With large A study done in 1978 in Kruger National Park gives us a little prey, they will stomp down with their feet to kill the prey. With bit more insight as to what food the Secretarybird eats: snakes particularly, they will strike the snake behind the head, breaking its neck. Small prey is simply picked up with the bill, no ARTHROPODS stomping needed. Large prey is sometimes hidden under a (INSECTS, SPIDERS, bush for eating later. 87% BEETLES) HEAD DOWN, SCANNING THE GRASS FOR PREY LIZARDS WALKS 120 STEPS/MINUTE AT 2.5 - 3 KM/HOUR 3.9% RODENTS WALKS 20 - 30 KM/DAY 3.3% BIRDS GRASS < 0.5 M TALL OTHER 1.8% 1% (LIKE SNAKES) LONG LEGS & MODIFIED FEET ARE PERFECT FOR TAKING MEASURED STEPS ACROSS THE GRASSY LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION OF DIET IN PERCENTAGES Seasonal differences will affect what prey are available. Content and Illustrations: Chrissie Cloete @ChrissieCanDraw I Sources: Steyn, P. 1983. Birds of prey of southern Africa. Tanager Books, Dover NH. I Dean, WRJ, Ryan PG (eds) Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa (VIIth Ed) Cape Town: The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. I Kemp M.I. and Kemp A.C. 1978. Bucorvusa and Safittarius: two modes of terrestrial predation. Proc. Symp. African Predatory Birds, pp. 13-16. Pretoria: Northern Transvaal Ornithological Society. I Steven J. Portugal, Campbell P. Murn, Emily L. Sparkes, and Monica A. Daley. The fast and forceful kicking strike of the secretary bird. Current Biology 26, R47–R59, January 25, 2016. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Secretary Bird
    Secretary Birds are Raptors, or Birds of Prey, they are distantly related to vultures and hawks! They have all of the features of a bird of prey too, including forward facing eyes for hunting, strong talons to grab their prey, and a large hooked beak for eating! Secretary Birds do fly, but they spend of most of their day hunting by walking on the ground. Their long legs are perfect to help them see over the tall grass of their Savanna habitat. Deadly Stomp Secretary Birds have two hunting strategies. They either strike with their powerful beak or they stomp the prey with their feet! They hunt small birds, mammals, and reptiles like snakes and lizards. They are even known to hunt venomous snakes! The Little Rock Zoo works with the Secretary Bird Species Survival Plan, which helps to protect this amazing species in zoos and in the wild! Want to Learn more? Check out these links and activities! Nat Geo Wild: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQckuAwNbFs Nat Geo Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7itwHJiNRz4 Kruger National Park (South Africa): http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_secretary_bird.html Edge of Existence (ZSL): http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/secretarybird/ San Diego Zoo: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/index.php/animals/secretary-bird Secretary Birds are amazing Birds of Prey that spend most of their time on the ground rather than flying to find their food! Cut out the puzzle pieces to make your very own Secretary Bird Puzzle! Photo by Karen Caster .
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity Observations
    Biodiversity Observations http://bo.adu.org.za An electronic journal published by the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town The scope of Biodiversity Observations consists of papers describing observations about biodiversity in general, including animals, plants, algae and fungi. This includes observations of behaviour, breeding and flowering patterns, distributions and range extensions, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and colouration/plumage variations. Biotic interactions such as pollination, fruit dispersal, herbivory and predation fall within the scope, as well as the use of indigenous and exotic species by humans. Observations of naturalised plants and animals will also be considered. Biodiversity Observations will also publish a variety of other interesting or relevant biodiversity material: reports of projects and conferences, annotated checklists for a site or region, specialist bibliographies, book reviews and any other appropriate material. Further details and guidelines to authors are on this website. Lead Editor: Arnold van der Westhuizen – Paper Editor: Amour McCarthy and Les G Underhill INTERNET SEARCHING OF BIRD–BIRD ASSOCIATIONS: A CASE OF BEE-EATERS HITCHHIKING LARGE AFRICAN BIRDS Peter Mikula & Piotr Tryjanowski Recommended citation format: Mikula P, Tryjanowski P. 2016. Internet searching of bird–bird associations: A case of bee-eaters hitchhiking large African birds. Biodiversity Observations 7.80: 1–6. URL: http://bo.adu.org.za/content.php?id=273 Published online: 17 November 2016 –
    [Show full text]
  • Identifying a Bird Species from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari
    The secretarybird dilemma: identifying a bird species from the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari Abstract: Known from a few representations in Predynastic Egyp- tian art, the secretarybird has otherwise been elusive, in the art of Pharaonic Egypt as well as the scientific discourse on icono- graphic imagery of birds in ancient Egypt. The author’s studies of the animal decoration at the Temple for her doctoral dissertation identified three images of birds belonging most likely to the same species, depicted in the context of the expedition of Hatshepsut shown in the Portico of Punt. The zoological identification of the species as the secretarybird (another possibility is the African harrier-hawk) derives from an in-depth analysis of the bird’s sys- tematics, appearance, distribution and habitat, as well as behavior, which are essential for proper species recognition and instrumen- tal for understanding the rationale behind bringing this particular bird from the “God’s Land”. Iconographic features contesting this identification and suggesting a different species, that is, the African harrier-hawk, are discussed based on a combination of theoretical background, material analysis, on-site interviews with experts and the author’s personal experience with the species. Keywords: African animals, birds in Ancient Egypt, secretarybird, African harrier-hawk, temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahari, Hat- shepsut Punt expedition, temple decoration A bird depicted in possibly three separate scenes from the Southern Middle Portico of the Temple of Hat- shepsut in Deir el-Bahari, documented in 2012 by the author as part of her extended study of animals in the decoration of this Eighteenth Dynasty sanctuary [Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Secretarybird, Sagittarius Serpentarius
    Secretarybird, Sagittarius serpentarius Compiler: Bernard Amakobe Contributors: Dr Kariuki Ndang’ang’a, Dr Mwangi Githiru, Dr Claudia Gray, Dr Nisha Owen, Ms. Olivia Couchman Suggested citation: Amakobe, B et al (2019). A survival blueprint for the Secretarybird, Sagittarius serpentarius, an output from Wildlife Works, Kenya and an EDGE of Existence fellowship, Zoological Society of London, London, UK. 1. STATUS REVIEW 1.1 Taxonomy: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Order: Accipitriformes Family: Sagittariidae R. Grandori and L. Grandori, 1935 Genus: Sagittarius Hermann, 1783 Species: Sagittarius serpentarius 1.2 Distribution and population status: 1.2.1 Global distribution: Whilst the Secretarybird occurs throughout Sub- Saharan Africa, the survival blueprint on the species focuses on Kenya and not the whole range of the species. Country Population estimate Distribution Population trend Notes (plus, references) (plus, references) Sub-Saharan 6700 – 67000, Africa Decreasing, Africa (Kenya; http://www.birdlife.org http://www.birdlife.org Senegal; The Gambia; Guinea Bissau; Mali; Burkina Faso; Ghana; Togo; Benin; Niger; Chad; Sudan; South Sudan; Nigeria; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Ethiopia; Somalia; D R Congo; Uganda; Mauritania; Tanzania; Angola; Zambia; Malawi; Mozambique; South Africa) 1.2.2 Local distribution: Country Region / Site Level of Population Reference(s) Notes province Protection size Kenya South Kenya NA protected Unknown (Kenya by the Wildlife Bills, Kenya 2015; Wildlife Act McClure et 2015 al., 2018) West Kenya NA protected Unknown by the Kenya Wildlife Act 2015 North & East NA Protected Unknown Kenya by the Kenya Wildlife Act 2015 1.3 Protection status: Protected by the Kenya Wildlife Act 2015, which protects it from any form of trade or consumption.
    [Show full text]
  • Leptosomiformes ~ Trogoniformes ~ Bucerotiformes ~ Piciformes
    Birds of the World part 6 Afroaves The core landbirds originating in Africa TELLURAVES: AFROAVES – core landbirds originating in Africa (8 orders) • ORDER ACCIPITRIFORMES – hawks and allies (4 families, 265 species) – Family Cathartidae – New World vultures (7 species) – Family Sagittariidae – secretarybird (1 species) – Family Pandionidae – ospreys (2 species) – Family Accipitridae – kites, hawks, and eagles (255 species) • ORDER STRIGIFORMES – owls (2 families, 241 species) – Family Tytonidae – barn owls (19 species) – Family Strigidae – owls (222 species) • ORDER COLIIFORMES (1 family, 6 species) – Family Coliidae – mousebirds (6 species) • ORDER LEPTOSOMIFORMES (1 family, 1 species) – Family Leptosomidae – cuckoo-roller (1 species) • ORDER TROGONIFORMES (1 family, 43 species) – Family Trogonidae – trogons (43 species) • ORDER BUCEROTIFORMES – hornbills and hoopoes (4 families, 74 species) – Family Upupidae – hoopoes (4 species) – Family Phoeniculidae – wood hoopoes (9 species) – Family Bucorvidae – ground hornbills (2 species) – Family Bucerotidae – hornbills (59 species) • ORDER PICIFORMES – woodpeckers and allies (9 families, 443 species) – Family Galbulidae – jacamars (18 species) – Family Bucconidae – puffbirds (37 species) – Family Capitonidae – New World barbets (15 species) – Family Semnornithidae – toucan barbets (2 species) – Family Ramphastidae – toucans (46 species) – Family Megalaimidae – Asian barbets (32 species) – Family Lybiidae – African barbets (42 species) – Family Indicatoridae – honeyguides (17 species) – Family
    [Show full text]
  • Birds of Marakele National Park
    BIRDS OF MARAKELE NATIONAL PARK English (Roberts 6) Old SA No. Rob No. English (Roberts 7) Global Names Names 1 1 Common Ostrich Ostrich 2 6 Great Crested Grebe Great Crested Grebe 3 8 Little Grebe Dabchick 4 50 Pinkbacked Pelican Pinkbacked Pelican 5 55 Whitebreasted Cormorant Whitebreasted Cormorant 6 58 Reed Cormorant Reed Cormorant 7 60 African Darter Darter 8 62 Grey Heron Grey Heron 9 63 Blackheaded Heron Blackheaded Heron 10 64 Goliath Heron Goliath Heron 11 65 Purple Heron Purple Heron 12 66 Great Egret Great White Egret 13 67 Little Egret Little Egret 14 68 Yellowbilled Egret Yellowbilled Egret 15 69 Black Heron Black Egret 16 71 Cattle Egret Cattle Egret 17 72 Squacco Heron Squacco Heron 18 74 Greenbacked Heron Greenbacked Heron 19 76 Blackcrowned Night-Heron Blackcrowned Night Heron 20 77 Whitebacked Night-Heron Whitebacked Night Heron 21 78 Little Bittern Little Bittern 22 79 Dwarf Bittern Dwarf Bittern 23 81 Hamerkop Hamerkop 24 83 White Stork White Stork 25 84 Black Stork Black Stork 26 85 Abdim's Stork Abdim's Stork 27 89 Marabou Stork Marabou Stork 28 90 Yellowbilled Stork Yellowbilled Stork 29 91 African Sacred Ibis Sacred Ibis 30 93 Glossy Ibis Glossy Ibis 31 94 Hadeda Ibis Hadeda Ibis 32 95 African Spoonbill African Spoonbill 33 96 Greater Flamingo Greater Flamingo 34 97 Lesser Flamingo Lesser Flamingo 35 99 Whitefaced Duck Whitefaced Duck 36 100 Fulvous Duck Fulvous Duck 37 101 Whitebacked Duck Whitebacked Duck 38 102 Egyptian Goose Egyptian Goose 39 103 South African Shelduck South African Shelduck 40 104 Yellowbilled
    [Show full text]
  • Common Birds of Namibia and Botswana 1 Josh Engel
    Common Birds of Namibia and Botswana 1 Josh Engel Photos: Josh Engel, [[email protected]] Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History and Tropical Birding Tours [www.tropicalbirding.com] Produced by: Tyana Wachter, R. Foster and J. Philipp, with the support of Connie Keller and the Mellon Foundation. © Science and Education, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA. [[email protected]] [fieldguides.fieldmuseum.org/guides] Rapid Color Guide #584 version 1 01/2015 1 Struthio camelus 2 Pelecanus onocrotalus 3 Phalacocorax capensis 4 Microcarbo coronatus STRUTHIONIDAE PELECANIDAE PHALACROCORACIDAE PHALACROCORACIDAE Ostrich Great white pelican Cape cormorant Crowned cormorant 5 Anhinga rufa 6 Ardea cinerea 7 Ardea goliath 8 Ardea pupurea ANIHINGIDAE ARDEIDAE ARDEIDAE ARDEIDAE African darter Grey heron Goliath heron Purple heron 9 Butorides striata 10 Scopus umbretta 11 Mycteria ibis 12 Leptoptilos crumentiferus ARDEIDAE SCOPIDAE CICONIIDAE CICONIIDAE Striated heron Hamerkop (nest) Yellow-billed stork Marabou stork 13 Bostrychia hagedash 14 Phoenicopterus roseus & P. minor 15 Phoenicopterus minor 16 Aviceda cuculoides THRESKIORNITHIDAE PHOENICOPTERIDAE PHOENICOPTERIDAE ACCIPITRIDAE Hadada ibis Greater and Lesser Flamingos Lesser Flamingo African cuckoo hawk Common Birds of Namibia and Botswana 2 Josh Engel Photos: Josh Engel, [[email protected]] Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History and Tropical Birding Tours [www.tropicalbirding.com] Produced by: Tyana Wachter, R. Foster and J. Philipp,
    [Show full text]
  • David Toews Lab: Biodiversity Room 060 Office: Biodiversity Room 116
    BIOL 427 Specimen Lab - 3 “Raptors, Rails and Shorebirds!” David Toews Lab: BioDiversity Room 060 Office: BioDiversity Room 116 [email protected] Faconiformes vs. Accipitriformes Early Bird Tree “Shakes Up” Avian Tree of Life (HackeN et al. 2008) Hawks Falcons Parrots and Passerines This Week: Falconiformes Accipitriformes (Hacke' et al. 2008) Falconiformes - Falcons and Merlins diurnal birds of prey have long wings which are bent at “wrist” have notched bill used to “sever the spinal column” of their prey Peregrine’s can dive over 300km/hr Accipitriformes - Hawks and Eagles also diurnal birds of prey hooked bills and strong, curved talons osprey has reversible outer toe; sharp spicules for holding fish Secretarybird from Africa females usually larger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68BPPVVpN7s than males red-tailed cooper’s Buteo Accipiter Gruiformes - Cranes and Rails Sandhill crane Virginia rail American coot rails are extremely secreVve American coots usually seen with ducks; have lobed toes Cranes have feathers that “droop” over their rump and fly with necks outstretched, which (1) Sunbiern (2) Gray Crowned Crane (3) Water Rail disVnguishes them from herons (4) Gray-winged Trumpeter (5) Great Bustard Charadriiformes - Shorebirds and Gulls gull’s are opportunisVc feeders; can be challenging to disVnguish sandpipers and plovers “slender, probing bill with long legs” “winnowing” of Wilson’s snipe (tail feathers) (1) Pheasant-tailed Jacana (2) Snowy Sheathbill Alcidae; superficially similar to (3) Eurasian Woodcock (4) Atlantic Puffin (5)
    [Show full text]
  • Wind Energy's Impacts on Birds in South Africa
    OCCASIONAL REPORT SERIES: 2 Wind energy’s impacts on birds in South Africa: A preliminary review of the results of operational monitoring at the first wind farms of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in South Africa 1 • BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA OCCASIONAL REPORT SERIES BirdLife South Africa, Private Bag X5000, Parklands, 2121, South Africa Website: www.birdlife.org.za • E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: +27 11 789 1122 • Fax: +27 11 789 5188 Recommended citation: Ralston Paton, S., Smallie J., Pearson A., and Ramalho R. 2017. Wind energy’s impacts on birds in South Africa: A preliminary review of the results of operational monitoring at the first wind farms of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in South Africa. BirdLife South Africa Occasional Report Series No. 2. BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa Copyright: © 2017 BirdLife South Africa The intellectual property rights of this publication belong to BirdLife South Africa. All rights reserved. Copyright for the images remains with the indi- vidual photographers. Author: Samantha Ralston-Paton (BirdLife South Africa)1, Jon Smallie (WildSkies Ecological Services), Andrew Pearson (Arcus Consult- ing), and Ricardo Ramalho (Biosinight). 1 Corresponding author, email: [email protected]. Design: Bryony van Wyk Acknowledgements: This document was peer reviewed by the Birds and Renewable Energy Specialist Group (Andrew Jenkins, Andrew Pearson, Alvaro Camiña, Birgit Erni, Chris van Rooyen, Craig Whittington-Jones, David Allan, Hanneline Smit-Robinson, Jon Smallie, Kevin Shaw, Lourens Leeuwner, Michael Brooks, Phoebe Barnard, Peter Ryan, Theoni Photo- poulou and Vonica Perold). The input and advice of this group is greatly valued and appreciated.
    [Show full text]
  • The Avifauna of Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa
    Page 1 of 5 Checklist The avifauna of Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa Authors: A protected area since 1999, Kwandwe Private Game Reserve incorporates several former Adrian J.F.K. Craig1 Charlene Bissett1,2 farms, for which past records of bird occurrences are available. No bird species appear to have Mark D. Galpin2 been lost from the area. Between 2001 and 2005, a group of observers conducted systematic Bryan Olver2,3 bird surveys in most months, which allowed the status (resident, migrant or irregular visitor) 1 Pat E. Hulley of most bird species to be determined. At least three species have established breeding Affiliations: populations in the reserve over the past 10 years. Of 302 species reliably recorded to date, 182 1Department of Zoology (60.3%) appear to be resident, 46 (15.2%) are seasonal migrants and 74 (24.5%) are vagrant and Entomology, Rhodes visitors. Eight vulnerable and eight near-threatened bird species have been recorded; Blue University, South Africa Crane, Kori Bustard and African Crowned Eagle have bred in the reserve. Together with other 2Kwandwe Private Game state-owned and private protected areas in this region, this reserve holds a significant portion Reserve, Grahamstown, of the inland bird species recorded from the Eastern Cape. South Africa Conservation implications: The varied thicket vegetation types of the Great Fish River Valley 3Phinda Private Game Reserve, Hluhluwe, support a considerable diversity of bird species. If these habitats are managed for biodiversity South Africa conservation, they can support a large component of the terrestrial avifauna of the Eastern Cape region.
    [Show full text]
  • How the Secretarybird Sagittarius Serpentarius Got Its Names (Mostly Wrong)
    Ostrich Journal of African Ornithology ISSN: 0030-6525 (Print) 1727-947X (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tost20 Shoot the Messager? How the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius got its names (mostly wrong) Ian Glenn To cite this article: Ian Glenn (2018) Shoot the Messager? How the Secretarybird Sagittariusserpentarius got its names (mostly wrong), Ostrich, 89:3, 287-290, DOI: 10.2989/00306525.2018.1499561 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2018.1499561 Published online: 07 Sep 2018. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 5 View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tost20 Ostrich 2018, 89(3): 287–290 Copyright © NISC (Pty) Ltd Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved OSTRICH ISSN 0030–6525 EISSN 1727-947X https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2018.1499561 Short Note Shoot the Messager? How the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius got its names (mostly wrong) Ian Glenn Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa Email: [email protected] Research into the etymology of various names for the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius reveals a comedy of errors from Vosmaer, his French translator, Buffon, Sonnerat, and Miller to Fry. The research suggests that the name Sagittarius resulted from a misunderstanding in Holland and that Buffon introduced the name Messager in error. The Arabic root proposed for the name by Fry in 1977 is historically implausible and linguistically illogical. Tire sur le Messager? D’où le Messager sagittaire Sagittarius serpentarius tient il ses noms (en grande partie erronés) Des recherches à propos de l’étymologie des différents noms accordés au Messager sagittaire Sagittarius serpentarius révèlent un enchainement malencontreux d’erreurs depuis Vosmaer, son traducteur français, Buffon, Sonnerat, Miller et jusqu’à Fry.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa – Cape & Kruger III Trip Report 4Th to 14Th December 2015
    Best of South Africa – Cape & Kruger III Trip Report 4th to 14th December 2015 Lion by Wayne Jones Trip report by tour leader Wayne Jones RBT Trip Report Best of SA – Cape & Kruger III 2015 2 In the first week of the last month of the year, we began our 10-day exploration of South Africa’s most popular destinations, the Western Cape and Kruger National Park. Everyone had arrived the day before, which afforded us an extra morning – an opportunity we couldn’t pass up! After a scrumptious breakfast overlooking False Bay we followed the coast south along the Cape Peninsula until we reached Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (Cape Point). We had hardly entered the park when a splendid male Cape Sugarbird grabbed our attention as he sat feeding on big orange “pincushions” and a male Orange- breasted Sunbird sat nicely for pictures before realising he needed another nectar fix. Cape Siskin and Common Buzzard also gave good views nearby, along with a number of spiky, pitch- coloured Black Girdled Lizards. After turning towards Olifantsbos we happened upon four (Cape) Mountain Zebra right alongside the road. This species is not common in the park so we Mountain Zebra by Wayne Jones were very fortunate to have such excellent views of these beauties. Equally beautiful and scarce were the Blesbok (Bontebok) we found closer to the beach. But back to the birds, which were surprisingly plentiful and easy to see, probably thanks to the lack of strong winds that one is normally blasted away by, in the area! Grey-backed and Levaillant’s Cisticolas, Cape Grassbird, Cape Bulbul, Fiscal Flycatcher, Alpine Swift, Rock Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, White-necked Raven, Karoo Prinia, Malachite Sunbird and Yellow Bishop showed well in the fynbos areas while African Oystercatcher, Greater Crested, Common and Sandwich Terns, Kelp and Hartlaub’s Gulls, Egyptian Goose, White-breasted Cormorant and Sacred Ibis were found along the shoreline.
    [Show full text]