Wilkinson's World

Common waxbills have plumage that is mainly grey, with upper parts barred finely with dark brown. They have a red stripe through the eye and throats that are light grey or white. Their bellies are flushed with pink and their tails and vents are dark. They have a bright red bill, said to be the colour of sealing wax, which is the origin of the bird’s common name. Eyes are dark brown; legs and feet are pinkish-brown. The females are similar to the males, but may have less pink on the belly.

Common waxbills are widespread throughout the southern African region, absent only from the Central Kalahari in Botswana. Their preferred habitat is the vegetation along the edges of rivers, streams and dams, but they are also found in agricultural fields and gardens. Their call is a harsh “di-di-di-chee”.

 Common waxbills are sociable birds and they may gather in large flocks, especially when feeding. They feed mainly on the ground, but also in trees and on grass stems, feeding predominantly on grass seeds but also on insects which they may catch while in flight.

Common waxbills are monogamous and build a ball-shaped nest of grass that is usually placed on the ground. A rudimentary “cock’s nest” may be built on top of the actual nest, in which the male bird may sleep. The nests are sometimes parasitized by the Pin-tailed whydah (Vidua macroura), for which the Common waxbill is the main host. The female lays a clutch of between four and seven creamy-white eggs that hatch after an incubation period of about 12 days.

The scientific binomial for the Common waxbill is Estrilda astrild; Estrilda from the Latin for “starred”, and astrild for the Latin for “a star”. Thus, being nothing if not consistent, we have a starred star.

The Rock martin is a small bird, with a length of about 15 cm. The sexes are alike in both size and plumage colouration. They are brown overall, with the under parts being paler than the upper parts; they have pinkish-cinnamon throats and white windows are visible in the tail during flight. They have black bills; dark brown eyes and dusky brown legs and feet,

Rock martins are widespread throughout most of the southern African region, being absent only from the dry areas of Botswana. Their preferred habitats are rocky hillsides and mountainous areas, but they are also to be found around buildings where they grow accustomed to the presence of humans.

They are mainly aerial feeders, catching insects as they fly over open rocky terrain. They may also feed on insects attracted to lights at night.

Rock martins are usually silent, but have a soft twittering call. They are monogamous and build a cup-shaped nest of mud pellets lined with feathers that is usually placed under a rocky overhang or under a bridge or the eaves of a convenient building. The females lay a clutch of two or three white eggs that are lightly speckled with black or grey spots. They hatch after an incubation period of about 20 days.

The scientific binomial for the Rock martin is Hirundo fuligula; Hirundo from the Latin for a “swallow”, and fuligula from the Latin for “dull brown”.  Thus the name describes a dull brown swallow, which I guess is accurate enough.

The Hartlaub’s gull had adjusted well, perhaps too well, to the presence of humans and it is considered a nuisance within the Cape Town area. It becomes very tame and quite bold, but the main nuisance results from its raucous call and from the fouling of buildings. More serious is its presence at some airports where it can provide a risk to aircraft.

It is omnivorous and a common visitor to waste tips where it scavenges for any scraps of food. It also feeds on fish, mollusks and a wide range of small invertebrates which it often hunts while wading in shallow water. It is a very gregarious species and gathers in large numbers when feeding and when roosting overnight.

A very noisy bird, the Hartlaub’s gull has a raucous call that is not unlike that of a crow, “kwaarr”.

The Hartlaub’s gull is monogamous. A colonial breeder, it makes a nest of loosely woven sticks on rocky ground or, particularly in the Swakopmund-Walvis Bay area of Namibia, in a convenient reed bed. It will also commonly nest on man-made structures such as guano platforms and buildings. The female lays a clutch of between one and three blotched, light-brown or green eggs that hatch after an incubation period of approximately 25 days.

The scientific binomial for the Hartlaub’s gull is Larus hartlaubii; Larus from the Latin for a “gluttonous seabird”, hartlaubii after the German ornithologist and author Karl Hartlaub (1814 – 1900).

The South African shelduck is endemic to the southern African region and their preferred habitat is inland dams and rivers, especially in the more arid areas in the south and east of the region. Their distribution and range may be influenced through their preference for nesting in the abandoned holes made by aardvarks or other mammals.

The first part of the English name “shelduck”, “sheld” means “pied”, and elsewhere in the world members of the same family are called sheldrakes or, in the case of larger species, sheldgeese.

When they are in the water, South African shelducks feed on algae and crustaceans and when on land they feed mainly on grain such as maize and wheat.

South African shelducks often call in duet, particularly when in flight, with the male calling a loud “honk” and the female responding “hunk”.

South African shelducks are monogamous and build a nest in an abandoned burrow in the ground, usually that of an aardvark, although burrows of springhares and porcupines may also be used. These burrows provide a cool nesting area in the otherwise hot environment often favoured by the shelducks. The female lays a clutch of between six and ten eggs which hatch after an incubation period of approximately 30 days.

The scientific binomial for the South African shelduck is Tadorna cana; Tadorna from the French for “a shelduck”, and cana from the Latin for ”grey”, referring to the head of the drake. Thus the name describes a shelduck with a grey head. Can’t say clearer than that.

The Pin-tailed whydah is a fairly small bird, with a length of approximately 13 cm. During the breeding season the males and females are very different in plumage, and the breeding male grows a tail that adds 20cm or so to his length. During this time the male has a black crown and back and the long tail is also black. The wings are black with white patches and the under parts, including the throat, are white. The eyes are dark brown; legs and feet are dark grey and the bill is bright red. The females and non-breeding males are similar, rather nondescript with streaked brown upperparts and white to buff under parts.

The call of the Pin-tailed whydah is a high-pitched, sustained series of “swirt swee swirt” and similar sounds. They feed mainly on grass seeds and grain, for which they forage on the ground, and also on termites.

Pin-tailed whydahs are both polygynous and promiscuous. The males are aggressively territorial, and each make has a small group of females in his territory, but these females will also mate with other males who may venture into the territory while the main man is otherwise engaged. The males mating display involves a great deal of hovering in front of the female in order to display his tail, and only about one in ten of these displays will result in mating.

They are brood parasites, and do not build a nest of their own. They parasitize mainly Common waxbills (Estrilda astrild), and the female whydah may destroy one of the waxbill’s eggs before laying one or two of her own. The eggs hatch after an incubation period of about eleven days and the gape of the newborn whydah will be similar to that of the host bird.

The scientific binomial for the Pin-tailed whydah is Vidua macroura; Vidua from the Latin for a widow, referring to the black plumage and the long black tail; and macroura from the Greek for a large tail. Thus the name describes a widow with a large tail, which does nothing to capture the essence of this beautiful little bird!

I managed to get some excellent photographs of Whydahs courting.   Read :  Courtship Routine of Hormone Driven Pin-tailed Whydahs