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Home , African jacana, African pied wagtail, Cape gannet, Chinspot batis, Colinus, Common bulbul

NATURAL VEGETATION ZONES WATERBIRDS AND NEARSHORE

Dabchick Great Crested Tachyboptus ruficollis To 30 cm (12 in.) cristalUs Also called . To 50 cm (20 in.) Jackass Spheniscus demersus To 70 cm (28 in.) Breeds on islands off south and west coast.

Red-billed Teal Anas erythrarhyncha Spur-winged To 50 cm (20 in.) The similar Plectrapterus has a gray head. gambensis To 1 m (40 in.) White-faced Note pinkish knob Dendracygna viduata on forehead. To 50 cm (20 in.)

Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata To 58 cm (23 in.) Broadleaf Forest African Pygmy Note dark saddle on yellow bill. Mediterranean Red-cheeked Goose Nettapus auritus Egyptian Goose Grassland Cordon Bleu To 33 cm (13 in.) Alopochen aegyptiacus Savannah and/or Scrub Woodland To 75 cm (30 in.) Note reddish patch Semi- Grasses and Shrubs around orange eye. Desert Grasses and Shrubs Undifferentiated River Valley Vegetation Undifferentiated Mountain Vegetation No Vegetation Great There are about 2900 of birds found in . This guide provides a Phalacrocorax carbo simplified introduction to species that are familiar, widespread and/or unique to To 1 m (40 in.) Africa. Most illustrations show the adult male in breeding coloration. Colors and Common in northern Africa. markings may be duller or absent during different seasons. Measurements refer to Phalacrocorax africanus the length from bill to tip and are approximate. Illustrations are not to scale. To 50 cm (20 in.) White-breasted Waterford Pressproduces reference guides that introduce novices to travel, Note long tail languages, science and nature. For a catalog, write to Waterford PressLtd., and red eye. Cormorant PO Box 4739, Blaine WA 9B231-4739. Publisher information and hundreds Phalacrocorax carbo To 1 m (40 in.) of free educational games can be downloaded from our website at: Red-billed www.waterfordpress.com Firefinch Text and illustrationscopyright e 2000 by Waterford PressLtd. ISBN 158355033- X $5.95 $7.95 Cdn All rights reserved. To , call (800) 434-2555 5 0 5 9 5 Calidris alba For permissions, or to share comments, To 20 cm (8 in.) e-mail: [email protected] Runs in and out with waves along shorelines. For information on custom-published Common products, call (360) 332-7301. Arenaria interpres Gallinago gallinago To 25 cm (10 in.) To 30 cm (12 in.) 9 781583 550335 Printed in China 001279 10 9 8 r 6 5 • 3 2 1 WATERBIRDS AND NEARSHORE BIRDS WATERBIRDS AND NEARSHORE BIRDS WATERBIRDS AND NEARSHORE BIRDS

Great White Pelecanus onocro/alus Caspian To 1.7 m (5.5 ft.) African Sterna caspia The similar pink-backed Amaurornis flavirostris To 60 cm (24 in.) pelican is smaller and To 20 cm (8 in.) African Great Note stout bill and africana Greater has a pinkish bill. Note red legs and Egret large size. To 30 cm (12 in.) Egretta garzetta Ardea alba Phoenicopterus ruber Balaeniceps rex yellow bill. Bubulcus Long-toed To 65 cm (26 in.) To 95 cm (38 in.) To 1.5 m (5 ft.) To 1.2 m (4 ft.) To 60 cm (24 in.) walks on the floating Note black bill Bill is black during Note pink bill. The Inhabits of of waterplants. and yellow feet. breeding season. smaller east and central Africa. has a dark red bill.

Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopica Cape To 90 cm (3 ft.) Common Morus capensis Gal/inula chloropus To 1 m (40 in.) To 35 cm (14 in.) The similar northern Gray Hadeda Ibis Note white stripe on flank. gannet occurs along Ardea cinerea northern coasts. Sterna hirundo African Bostrychia hagedash To 3B cm (15 in.) To 95 cm (38 in.) Ardeola ral/oides To 90 cm (3 ft.) To 40 cm (16 in.) Platalea alba Note black cap and Ardea goliath To 90 cm (3 ft.) Note red mark on bill and forked tail. Orange White wings are white facial crescent. Call conspicuous in flight. To 1.3 m (52 in.) Bill has a spoon- bill is black-tipped. shaped tip. is a loud - ha-de-dah. flavirostris To 38 cm (15 in.) Blue Feeds by flying Anthropoides paradisea with its lower bill To 1.1 m (42 in.) Gray-headed cutting the water's surface. Gray-crowned National bird of Larus cirrocephalus Crane . To 45 cm (18 in.) regulorum To 1.1 m (42 in.) , , ETC. Black-crowned Black-headed Night-Heron Heron Hammerkop Marabou Nycticorax nycticorax Ardea melanocephala Scopus umbretta Leptoptilas crumeniferus To 70 cm (28 in.) To 1 m (40 in.) To 55 cm (22 in.) To 1.5 m (5 ft.) Head is hammer-shaped. Scavenging bird Ciconio ciconia competes with To 1.2 m (4 ft.) vultures for carrion.

Black-capped African rufa To 90 cm (3 ft.) Blacksmith Recuavosettarvirostra Found on inland 1) Vanel/us armatus To 45 cm (18 in.) JP Helmeted Red-necked and waterways. To 30 cm (12 in.) Francolinus afer Three-banded To 35 cm (14 in.) Crowned Plover Named for its call - klink, Numida meleagris Note red on Ostrich Vanel/us coronatus Plover klink - which sounds like To 55 cm (22 in.) To 30 cm (12 in.) Charadrius tricol/aris a hammer hitting an anvil. throat and face. Struthio camelus Black cap is encircled To 20 cm (8 in.) To 2.7 m (9 ft.) in height by a white ring. Note red eye ring. Is the largest and heaviest bird on earth. Kori Choriotis kori Red-knobbed Saddle-billed Stork To 1.3 m (52 in.) Common Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis Fulica cristata One of the world's heaviest Quail Crocodilebird To 1.5 m (5 ft.) To 45 cm (18 in.) flying birds. The smaller Coturnix coturnix Pluvianus aegyptius Bill has a yellow saddle. Two red forehead knobs black bustard has a black To 18 cm (7 in.) To 20 cm (8 in.) are prominent during Black-winged head, neck and undersides Note streaked Rumored to clean the breeding season. Himantopus himantopus and a white ear patch. pattern on face. teeth of . To 38 cm (15 in.) BIRDS OF PREY &: VULTURES BIRDS OF PREY &: VULTURES DOVES, , ETe.

Pied Malachite Tawny .;I: Bataleur Afcedo cristata Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti Aquifa rapox Terathopius ecaudatus Neophron percnopterus White-headed To 15 cm (6 in.) Ceryle rudis Ta 18 cm (7 in.) To 75 cm (30 in.) To 60 cm (24 in.) Polemaetus be/ficosus Necrosyrtes monachus To 65 cm (26 in.) Vulture To 25 cm (10 in.) Note short tail. To 80 cm (32 in.) on legs and To 75 cm (30 in.) Tool-using bird breaks open Aegypius occipitalis The similar giant underparts is is shaggy. Underwings are white ostrich with rocks. To 80 cm (32 in.) kinqtisher is much larger 1'6 with a black trailing Note red and blue bill. and has a rufous breast. edge.

Namaqua Dove Oena capensis ~.f To 30 cm (12 in.) Note long tail White-backed African Fish-Eagle Sagittarius serpentarius Columba livia Spuaetus coronatus Haliaeetus vocifer To 1.3 m (52 in.) lappet-faced Vulture Vulture To 35 cm (14 in.) To 1.5 m (5 ft.) To 80 cm (32 in.) Hunts along the ground Torgos tracheliotus Gyps africanus The common Black Eagle Note head crest. and often kills prey by To 1 m (40 in.) To 95 cm (38 in.) urban 'pigeon'. Aquila verreauxii stamping it with its feet. Heavy-billed vulture The similar To 85 cm (34 in.) dominates other birds inhabits mountainous Rock Pigeon at carcasses. regions of . Columba To 30 cm (12 in.) Also called speckled DOVES, CUCKOOS, ETC. pigeon. Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola To 30 cm (12 in.) Call is a continuous - African Eagle Black work-HARD-er. Hieraaetus spilogaster Streptopelia senegalensis Milvus migrans To 65 cm (26 in.) To 25 cm (10 in.) To 55 cm (22 in.) White breast is Note spots on neck. Several variants exist. heavily streaked. Notched tail is key field mark. Great Blue Diederik Chrysococcyx caprinus Corythaeola cristata To 18 cm (7 in.) To 75 cm (30 in.) Call is a clear - Narina Inhabits tropical forests Yellow-fronted Speckled dee-dee-deederik. Apoloderma narina in west and central Africa. Tinkerbird To 30 cm (12 in.) Pogoniulus chrysoconus Forest bird draws striotus White-bellied To 13 cm (5 in.) To 35 cm (14 in.) attention to itself The similar red-fronted Alpine GO-Away-Bird with its loud call - Bill is black above, tinkerbird has a red Tachymarptis melba Corythaixoides leucogaster hoot-hoot. ... hoot-hoot. white below. Black-shouldered Kite forehead patch. Call is a To 23 cm (9 in.) To 50 cm (20 in.) Efanus caeruleus clinking - poop-poop. To 35 cm (14 in.) Named for it sheep-like Buteo augur Note all-white tail. bleating call - go-wayeer. To 1.3 m (52 in.) Note reddish tail.

Giant Eagle- BUDo lacteus To 65 cm Red-billed (26 in.) Wood- Call is a pig- Crested Hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus Bearded like grunt. Gray To 38 cm (15 in.) Upupa epops To 30 cm (12 in.) Psittacus erithacus Travels in small flocks vaiffantii Thripias namaquus Tyto alba To 33 cm (13 in.) through savanna To 25 cm (10 in.) To 45 cm (18 in.) Head crest is erect when To 25 cm (10 in.) alarmed. Call is a soft Tropical species common woodlands. Otus seneqatensis Face is heart-shaped. Call is a loud - To 20 cm (8 in.) repeated - hoop-hoop. in west and central Africa. wicka-wicko-wkko. , BEE-EATERS, ETC. PERCHING BIRDS PERCHING BIRDS

Black-crowned Red-billed Black-eyed Tchagra Red-headed Weaver Tchagra senegala (Common) Rufous-naped Anaplectes rubriceps Tockus erythrorhynchus barbatus To 45 cm (18 in.) To 23 cm (9 in.) Miralra alricana To 15 cm (6 in.) To 23 cm (9 in.) To 18 cm (7 in.) The similar yellow-billed Weavers create pendulous Note yellow undertail Call is a mournful - horn bill has a yellow bill. nests that dangle from . tseep-tseeoo. tree branches.

Gray-headed Greater Trumpeter Common Spot-backed Weaver Bush Ploceus cucul/atus Gray-headed Indicator indicator Hornbill Fiscal Shrike To 20 cm (8 in.) Malaconotus blanchoti To 15 cm (6 in.) Red Bishop Sparrow Ceratogymna bucinator Lanius collatis Euplectes orix Guides and other Southern Ground To 25 cm (lOin.) The similar masked weaver Passer griseus To 65 cm (26 in.) To 23 cm (9 in.) To 13 cm (5 in.) to bee nests. Call is a mournful - lacks spots on nape. To 15 cm (6 in.) One of 23 horn bill species Hornbill Wing bars form a The similar golden Bucorvus caler hooooooooooo. Note white wing bar. found in sub-saharan Africa. white 'V' on its back bishop has black and To 1.1 m (42 in.) when perching. yellow plumage. PERCHING BIRDS

Chinspot Batis molitor Yellow-billed To 13 cm (5 in.) White House Sparrow Females have a chestnut Helmetshrike Passer domesticus breast band and chin patch. Buphagus africanus To 15 cm (6 in.) Superb Prionops plumatus Spreo supetbus Stonechat To 23 cm (9 in.) The similar cape To 20 cm (8 in.) To 18 cm (7 in.) Saxicola torquata Feeds on the parasites of sparrow has a black Yellow wattles Undertail feathers and To 13 cm (5 in.) large grazing mammals. and white head. encircle the eye. breast band are white.

Sand Martin Riparia riparia To 15 cm (6 in.) Malachite lesser Stri ped Red-winged Has a dark breast band. Nectarinia lamosa Starling Hirundo abyssinica To 25 cm (lOin.) Onycognathus morio To 15 cm (6 in.) To 28 cm (11 in.) Underparts are Chestnut primaries heavily streaked. Yellow-eyed Canary are conspicuous in Serinus mozambicus flight. To 13 cm (5 in.) Red-billed Quelea The similar Qealea quealea lacks dark facial markings. To 13 cm (5 in.) Creatophora cinerea Note red bill To 23 cm (9 in.) and black mask.

Yellow Motacil/a flava To 15 cm (6 in.) Head may be black, gray or all-yellow. Wags tail when Motacil/a aguimp foraging on the ground. - Collared Sunbird White-necked To 20 cm (8 in.) Anthreptes col/aris African Yellow To 10 cm (4 in.) White-eye Common albicollis The most widely Zosterops seneqoiensis Waxbill Red-billed Firefinch To 55 cm (22 in.) distributed of 81 Lagonosticta senegala To 10 cm (4 in.) Estrilda astrild Note massive species of To 10 cm (4 in.) The similar cape Pied To 13 cm (5 in.) white-tipped bill. African . The only firefinch white-eye has a Corvus albus with a red bill. grayish breast. To 50 cm (20 in.)