Martial eagle catches a helmeted guineafowl but loses it to a black-backed jackal
Martial eagle catches a helmeted guineafowl but loses it to a black-backed jackal During October, 2022, I was lucky enough to spend 4 days in
12 BILL DESIGNS IN BIRDS
Birds’ bills have evolved to serve various functions beside the procurement of food. Bills are also used for carrying nesting material when building a nest
The eagle and the bats
A Walberg’s eagle was photographed catching bats in the air at near dark in Letaba, Kruger National Park, South Africa.
The wood kingfishers
The wood kingfishers: jewels of the bushveld Visitors from Europe are often surprised when visiting this part of the world when they learn that we
A leaf warbler fly-by
The leaf warblers form the only genus belonging to the family Phylloscopidae, introduced in 2006, prior to which it was placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae that has undergone much revision of the past couple of decades. The Phylloscopidae contains 81 species of tree-loving warblers that occur primarily in Eurasia and Africa, with one species making it as far east as Alaska.
Helmetshrikes: characters of the bushveld
Helmetshrikes: characters of the bushveld The helmetshrikes comprise one of the most distinctive groups of birds that you find in the Hoedspruit area where I
Oxpeckers and mammals – a relationship only found in Africa
Oxpeckers and mammals – a relationship only found in Africa Everyone knows oxpeckers, those strange birds that hang around on mammals and make their living
8 different types of birds’ nests
Birds’ nests are so diverse. The tiniest birds can build the most intricately woven nests that are well concealed and camouflaged and yet the large
A family of specialised nest parasites
A family of specialised nest parasites Most people are familiar with the nest parasitism – or brood parasitism – that is shown by our cuckoos,
Swifts and Swallows: Convergent Evolution in Action
Swifts and Swallows: Convergent Evolution in Action I live in the Hoedspruit area of Limpopo province of South Africa, and every summer, our skies are
Stierling’s wren-warbler in South Africa
There is a loud, high-pitched, monotonous warbling sound that is heard throughout the bushveld in the Hoedspruit area in summer, particularly in areas with decent size trees. The Robert’s app describes the sound as a piercing biririt, biririt, biririt, biririt. It can be hard to locate the bird as it is small and typically calls from up in the tree. This is the call of the Stierling’s wren-warbler
How does the diederik cuckoo ‘know’ what colour egg to lay
How does the diederik cuckoo ‘know’ what colour egg to lay? It is summer now, and the “die die diederik” call of the onomatopoeic diederik