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Archive for the ‘Birding’ Category

Bird of the week – Week 35 : Abdim’s stork

August 29th, 2010 |

Author: Rob |

Posted in Bird of the week, Birding |

Let’s be honest. The Abdim’s stork is not a beautiful bird. Not as immediately repulsive as the Marabou stork, perhaps, but still not a beautiful bird. It is quite graceful in flight, but on the ground it looks quite clumsy and its red eye patch set into blue cheeks gives the impression that its eyes are terribly bloodshot. But perhaps I’m just being unkind. In some African countries it is considered to bring good luck, especially in the form of rain, which is not surprising really, as its migratory pattern follows the rains. Rather usefully (from the stork’s point of view), superstition requires that the bird is left undisturbed.

The Abdim’s stork is a visitor to Southern Africa, most arriving from its breeding grounds in East and West Africa during November and departing again in April. They are gregarious birds, usually found in large flocks, especially where there are plenty of insects. They are quite large birds, although they are the smallest of the storks, about 75 cm in length, and are mainly black, with a purple sheen to their feathers. The belly and rump are white and the bare skin on their cheeks is blue, although this is somewhat duller when they are not breeding. There is a red patch in front of the eyes. The bill and legs are olive green and their toes and knees are red. Sexes are similar, although the males are a little larger than the females.

During the months that they spend in Southern Africa, the Abdim’s storks remain in the more Northerly parts of the region, restricting themselves to the highveld grasslands and parts of the Kalahari. During this time they are largely silent although there is some bill clattering that takes place.

Abdim’s storks feed mainly on insects, lizards, frogs, and army worms. They seem to be especially fond of locusts, grasshoppers and crickets and for this reason in some areas they are known as “grasshopper birds”. Like several other stork species, Abdim’s Storks defecate on their legs to assist with cooling in the hot weather.

The scientific name for the Absdim’s stork is Ciconia abdimii; Ciconia from the Latin for a stork and abdimii being derived from the name of the governor of Wadi Halfa in the Sudan, Bey El-Arnaut Abdim(1780-1827).

Tags: "grasshopper birds", Abdims stork, Bey El-Arnaut, Ciconia abdimii, Sudan, Wadi Halfa |

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Bird of the week – Week 34 : Rosy-faced lovebird

August 22nd, 2010 |

Author: Rob |

Posted in Bird of the week, Birding |

I think that many people will agree that the Rosy-faced lovebird is one of the most beautiful birds to be found in Namibia. Unfortunately, as with many small birds, their beauty has resulted in them becoming very popular cage birds. It is a fairly small bird, about 15 cm in length, and is very colourful. It is largely bright green, with a face, throat and breast that is rose-pink. The forehead and eyebrow are bright red and the rump is bright blue; legs and feet are grey; the bill yellowish and the eyes brown. It has a short tail, which adds to its dumpy appearance. Sexes are alike, although the red on the head of the males is brighter than that on the females.

It is classified as a “near-endemic” in the Southern African region, and its range lies almost totally within Namibia, overflowing a little in the north into Southern Angola and a little in the south into the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. They are locally common, preferring dry woodland areas and the woodlands that follow the watercourses in the dry countryside.

Lovebirds are very gregarious and occur in small flocks. Their flight is fast and for a reason that I can’t explain they remind me of a Spitfire! They drink regularly and several of the photos shown here were taken near waterholes.

Their diet consists of seeds and berries, and they can often be seen foraging through trees seeking out berries and even flowers. They are quite noisy birds that are often heard before they are seen as they fly past, screeching a shrill “shreek” that is quite distinctive.

Rosy-faced lovebirds are monogamous and are colonial breeders, building a cup-nest out of leaves and grass. Unlike most other birds, the female lovebird does not carry the material to build the nest in her bill, but tucks it into her rump feathers for the flight. Nests are built in rock crevices or in the chambers of a Sociable weaver’s nest (cheeky!). The female lays four to six dull white eggs and the chicks hatch after an incubation period of about 23 days.

The scientific name for the Rosy-faced lovebird is Agapornis roseicollis; Agapornis from the Greek for a lovebird and roseicollis from the Latin for a rose-coloured neck. Hence a lovebird with a rose-coloured neck. Well, it is the face that is red rather than the neck, but I suppose that is close enough.

Tags: Agapornis roseicollis, rose-coloured neck, Rosy-faced lovebird |

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Bird of the week – Week 33 : Laughing dove

August 15th, 2010 |

Author: Rob |

Posted in Bird of the week, Birding |

The first bird that I photographed when I got a new camera was a Laughing dove. This is not unusual as the Laughing dove is extremely common and this particular specimen was visiting a water bowl at our home. What was perhaps unusual was that when I looked at the first photograph, was that I noticed a mosquito sitting on the bird’s underside. This can be seen in the photo below.

Laughing doves are fairly small as doves go, being about 25 cms in length. The sexes are similar in plumage, the female being slightly paler than the male. They are pinkish grey in colour, and are the only doves in the Southern African region that have pinkish-grey heads, rufous breasts spotted with black and that lack the black collar on the back of the neck. The Afrikaans name for this bird is “Rooiborsduifie” or “Red-chested little dove” which fits its description pretty well. The bird’s belly is white, fading into the pale rufous of the breast. Legs and feet are purplish, the bill is black and the eyes are brown.

The Laughing dove is very widespread, being found throughout Southern Africa and northwards through the rest of Africa as well as parts of Central Asia. It may occur in pairs or small flocks, although solitary birds are not uncommon. It adapts well to the presence of people and is found in most towns and built up areas, where it frequently visits bird feeders. When it forages on the ground it adopts a hunched posture and bobs its bead frequently as it walks with forward with small steps. It feeds mainly on seeds and fallen grain, but will also take insects and snails.

Its bubbling call gives the bird its common name, as the multiple notes “koo-koo-kuRUkuku-koo”, has a distinctive laughing quality about it.

Laughing doves are monogamous and the nest that they build is a small platform of twigs in the fork of a tree or bush. The female lays a clutch of two white eggs that hatch after an incubation period of about 14 days.

The scientific name of the Laughing dove is Streptopelia senegalensis; Streptopelia from the Greek words for “collar” and “dove”, and senegalensis from the African country of Senegal. Thus a collared dove from Senegal, which is not apt at all as the Laughing dove does not have a collar.

Tags: dove, Laughing dove, Laughing doves, Red-chested little dove, Rooiborsduifie, Streptopelia senegalensis |

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Walvis Bay – A Ramsar Birding Site

August 11th, 2010 |

Author: Jane |

Posted in Birding, Wetlands |

Walvis Bay is a rather shabby, depressing-looking harbour city about thirty kilometers from Swakopmund on the west coast of Namibia. On entering the city from either side, one is greeted by waving palm trees, but these soon fade out and you are left with the somewhat drab houses and buildings that immediately make you wonder why it’s on your list of places to visit. But don’t be fooled by appearances, especially if you are a birder. Walvis Bay has significant wetland areas that have received recognition by Birdlife International and been declared one of the “areas of global significance for bird conservation.”

Make your way down to the lagoon and you can immediately see why this area received Ramsar Site status in 1995. (Wikipedia definies a Ramsar Site as follows : “The Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognising the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. It is named after the town of Ramsar in Iran.”)

Stretching for about seven kilometers, the shallow waters of the lagoon are filled with palaearctic (migratory) birds of every description. Depending on the tide, one gets to see both the waders and the shoreline birds feeding vigorously in the rich waters.

The incredibly beautiful Greater Flamingoes live on a diet of invertebrates, whilst the Lesser Flamingoes can be seen shuffling their feet to shift the algae on the sea bed. Other key species are shown on the photograph below – click on the photo to enlarge it.

At any given time, the lagoon hosts a minimum of about 20 000 birds, but this figure rises during spring and summer to anything up to 250 000, influenced also by the rains inland. (Walvis Bay is one of the driest cities in the world, receiving less than 10mm of rainfall per annum.)

The wetland area extends beyond the lagoon to the mudflats and the nearby salt refinery, and different birds frequent these areas for the food that they offer.

It’s magical spot, and if you choose to dine at The Raft restaurant in the lagoon (where the food is excellent), you can watch scores of birds flying past as you eat. Look out too for the different jellyfish that are found in the water – all shapes, colours and sizes.

For non-birders, Walvis Bay bay offers Dune 7 – a marvelous dune climbing experience; boat trips for fishing, seal and dolphin viewing; kayaking; quad-biking and trips into the desert. Plenty for everyone really but a real delight for twitchers!

Tags: area of global significance for bird conservation, Greater Flamingoes, Lesser Flamingoes, migratory, mudflats, named after Ramsar in Iran, palaearctic birds, Ramsar Convention, RAMSAR site, recognition by Birdlife International, salt refinery, shoreline birds, The Raft restaurant, waders, Walvis Bay, Wetlands |

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Bird of the week – Week 32: Blue-cheeked bee-eater

August 8th, 2010 |

Author: Rob |

Posted in Bird of the week, Birding |

It was a rather strange sight to see. A group of Blue-cheeked bee-eaters sitting on a very sandy stretch of road in northern Namibia, and scratching in the sand so like puppies. They didn’t appear to be looking for food as they kicked the sand up behind them, so why they were doing it is a bit of a mystery.

As bee-eaters go, the Blue-cheeked bee-eater is farily large, being about 30 cm in length, the male being slightly larger than the female. The sexes are alike in plumage, being mainly green with light blue eyebrow and brown throat that fades into yellow under the chin. The blue cheeks that give the bird its name become faded as the plumage becomes worn and may not be very noticeable in the field. Legs and feet are brownish in colour and the long, slightly decurved bill is black; the eyes are bright red.

The Blue-cheeked bee-eater is a non-breeding visitor to Southern Africa, where it is limited to the more northerly areas. The birds usually arrive from West or North Africa, where they breed, in mid-October and depart again in April. They are gregarious birds and are often found in large flocks. The roost in groups, shoulder to shoulder along branches in thorny trees or along convenient telephone wires. They prefer moist woodlands, or the edges of lakes, pans, vleis and rivers and are not found in the more arid regions.

These birds feed mainly on insects such as dragonflies, bees and wasps which they hunt over open areas. They often perch on telephone or other wires and swoop down on their prey that the catch in flight, with great success.
The call is a musical “chirirup” that is often made while the birds are in flight.

The scientific binomial for the Blue-cheeked bee-eater is Merops persicus; Merops from the Latin for a bee-eater, and persicus from the Latin for Persia (which is now Iran). Hence a bee-eater from Iran. As the birds breed in the Middle East (among other places) this would seem to be quite appropriate.

Tags: blue cheeks, Blue-cheeked bee-eater, decurved bill, Merops persicus |

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