Bird list of Goegap Nature Reserve 1/5/2007 Bird List of Goegap Nature Reserve Goegap is a 15.000 hectare big Nature Reserve that is located in the middle of Namaqualand, South Africa. This region is famous for its beautiful flowers at springtime, but its fauna is also very interesting. If you are lucky, you may see Springbok, Gemsbok or Jackal straight after you passed the gate of Goegap. But there are also many other animals, which are not that conspicuous at the first time, but it is quite hard not to hear them. I’m talking about birds. On Goegap about 84 species are recorded, another 100 species may occur in this region. The most sought-after birds of Namaqualand are: Ludwig’s Bustard, Black- headed Canary, Fairy Flycatcher, Barlow’s Lark, Cape Long-billed Lark, Karoo Lark, Cape Eagle Owl, Dusky Sunbird, Southern Grey Tit, Layard´s Titbabbler, Cinnamon-breast Warbler. To see all of these and much more species you need much time and be patient, have to go out early in the morning or late in the afternoon – best at sunrise – and go to different landscapes/habitats. Additionally, birding is best in spring and winter. Notice that breeding males and immatures may look different to nonbreeding males and adults. This is a list of birds I saw on Goegap Nature Reserve from 16.August to 10.Oktober 2003. I do not name immatures as breeding time just started and they are quite difficult to identify. Index to English names Bee-eater, European 11 Mousebird, Whitebacked 10 Barbet, Pied 11 Ostrich 4 Bokmakierie 20 Owl, Eagle, Spotted 8 Bulbul, Cape 13 Pigeon, Rock 8 Bunting, Cape 27 Robin, Karoo 17 Buzzard, Jackal 5 Sandgrouse, Namaqua 7 Canary, Whitethroated 26 Shelduck, South African 3 Chat, Anteating 16 Shrike, Fiscal 19 Chat, Familiar 15 Sparrow, Cape 24 Chat, Karoo 16 Sparrow, House 23 Chat, Mountain 14 Starling, Glossy, Cape 21 Crombec, Longbilled 17 Starling, Palewinged 20 Crow, Pied 13 Sunbird, Doublecollared, Lesser 22 Dove, Turtle, Cape 7 Sunbird, Malachite 21 Eagle, Black 4 Thrush, Olive 14 Flycatcher, Fairy 18 Wagtail, Cape 12 Goshawk, Chanting, Pale 6 Warbler, Rufouseared 18 Heron, Blackheaded 3 Weaver, Cape 25 Kite, Blackshouldered 6 Weaver, Masked 26 Martin, Brownthroated 9 Wheatear, Capped 15 Martin, Rock 9 Woodpecker, Ground 12 - 1 - Bird list of Goegap Nature Reserve 1/5/2007 Topography of bird Crown Forehead (Front) Ear coverts Chin Nape Throat Mantle Breast Back Flank Rump Belly Rectrices (Tail Feathers) Upper wing plan Secondaries Primaries These plans are only schemata. For more details of the topography please have a look in one of the many bird guides. - 2 - Bird list of Goegap Nature Reserve 1/5/2007 Water birds Blackheaded Heron Ardea melanocephala Schwarzkopfreiher swartkopreier Identification: build slender; head black above, white below; neck long, black on hindneck, white on foreneck; in flight underwing white in front, black behind; iris yellow (red in early courtship); bill black above, yellow to greenish below and at base; lores yellow and green; legs and feet black; 97cm Habitat: open grassland, fallow fields, edges of inland waters, forest clearings Behavior: solitary when feeding, either standing and waiting for prey, or stalking slowly; roosts colonially in trees, reedbeds and on islands up to 30km from breeding grounds; flight slow, about 143 wingbeats/minute Food: frogs, fish, crabs, insects, rodents, birds (up to size of Laughing Dove), small reptiles, worms, spiders, scorpions, snails, golden moles Nest: large platform of sticks, lined with finer plant material, hair and wool; in tree, reeds and on cliff ledges; colonial, often in company with other waterbirds Where seen: field side, stayed for a few days South African Shelduck Tadorna cana Graukopfrostgans kopereend Identification: bright chestnut (brighter when breeding); head and upper neck all gray in male, gray with white face in female; in flight wings white with black primaries and green trailing edge; breast of nonbreeding male dull buff, becoming bright creamy yellow before breeding; iris dark brown; bill, legs and feet black; 64cm Habitat: most inland waters, dams, coastal lakes, rivers, estuaries; breeds only near freshwater bodies, mostly farm dams Behavior: highly gregarious when not breeding, otherwise in pairs; moulting flocks may number thousands of birds; males flightless for about 32 days, females for 26 days; feeds by dabbling in shallows or on mud flats, or by grazing on grasslands; feeds on dry land mainly around sunrise and sunset; spends much of day loafing on shoreline; courtship by female (not by males as in most ducks), hence white head; males selects mate Food: in winter mainly crop seeds and algae; in summer also insects and crustaceans - 3 - Bird list of Goegap Nature Reserve 1/5/2007 Nest: scrape thickly lined with light gray down; in ground chamber at end of mammal burrow (Aardvark, Springhare, Porcupine) up to 9m from entrance; up to 1,7km from water Where seen: flying over field side in the morning and afternoon, migrants to large bodies of water when not breeding, some birds probably resident Large terrestrial birds Ostrich Struthio camelus Strauss volstruis Identification: male mostly black with white wings and white, buff or rufous tail; female brownish gray; neck and legs very long; neck nearly naked, bristly; iris hazel; bill horn; legs lead gray, front scales red in breeding male; c. 2m Habitat: bushveld to desert Behavior: occurs in flock of 30-40 birds when not breeding; adults and young of 1 month old or more can run at speeds of at least 50-60 km/h, sometimes with wings held out for balance; flightless; male may perform elaborate display in courtship and distraction when breeding Food: adults eat exclusively plant material, mostly soft annual herbs, grass, young shoots, seeds; chicks up to about 2 months old also eat live insects Nest: scrape about 3m diameter in sandy soil; breeding unit: average is 1 male to 3 female in drier years, otherwise more nearly monogamous Where seen: at the Gate of Nature Reserve, common resident Raptors Black Eagle Aquila verreauxii Felsenadler witkruisarend Identification: black except for white lower back and white V on upper back; in flight has characteristic narrow-based wings with white `flashes` at the base of primaries; iris light brown; bill leaden horn; cere, eyelids and feet yellow; legs feathered to toes; 84cm; Immatures: rich rufous on crown and mantle; rest of underparts streaked brown and white; base of tail black; below light brown with black chest and cheeks; fully mature at 5 years - 4 - Bird list of Goegap Nature Reserve 1/5/2007 Habitat: rocky hills, mountains and gorges, especially where Rock Dassie (Hyrax) Procavia cupensis and Yellowspotted Dassie Hetero hyrax brucei plentiful Behavior: usually see gliding swiftly along rock faces, or soaring on thermals, sometimes to great heights; may spend hours perched on crag or shady ledge; almost invariably in pairs, or pair with juvenile; pair occupies homerange of about 9-65 square km depends on region; hunts by surprise attack on prey as it swoops around corners of cliff Food: about 90% dassies; also hares, monkes, small antelopes, squirrels and other mammals, doves and other birds, less often reptiles Nest: huge platform of sticks 1,5-2m diameter, lined with green leaves; on cliff ledge Where seen: hillside, only seen once Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus Felsenbussard rooiborsjakkalsvoel Identification: upperparts, head and throat slate gray (blackish at distance); breast dark rufous to chestnut (very rarely black or white), bordered above by irregular white band; belly black, lightly blotched with white; tail plain rufous; in flight short, wide tail conspicuous, and wing blackish with broad white band; iris dark brown; bill black; cere, legs and feet yellow; 44-53cm Habitat: mostly mountainous and hilly country Behavior: solitary or in pairs; usually seen in flight; characteristically broad- winged, soaring over valleys and mountainsides; perches on rock or telephone poles along roads; often hovers un updraught Food: small mammals, birds, reptiles (including poisonous snakes like Puffadder); also insects, road-kills Nest: bulky pile of sticks, 60-70 diameter, up to 35cm deep, usually on ledge 9- 60m above foot of cliff; also in trees, especially pines Where seen: flying over field side, common resident - 5 - Bird list of Goegap Nature Reserve 1/5/2007 Blackshouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Gleitaar blouvalk Identification: above pale gray; below white; black patches on upperwing at wrist; in flight looks whitish with black wingtips gull-like appearance and flight; iris ruby red to orange-red; bill black; cere, legs and feet yellow; 30cm Habitat: varied; mainly grassland and farmland; also woodland, savanna, semi- arid scrub Behavior: usually solitary or in pairs by day; roosts communally at night when not breeding, sometimes in flocks of over 100 birds, from 10-35 minutes after sunset; hunts from perch (tree, telephone pole), or by hovering for periods of five to 20 seconds in flight over open grassland; drops onto prey with legs extended; wags tail exaggeratedly up and down while watching the ground and in threat; frequently hunts at dusk; flight graceful and buoyant; normally silent; Food: rodents (up to 98% of diet: mainly Otomys, Praomysand, Rhabdomys), small birds, reptiles and insects Nest: small platform of sticks, about 30cm diameter, lined with grass; in fork 2-20m above ground, near top of tree (thorntree if available), accessible from above; built by both sexes Where seen: mountains, only seen