Wilkinson's World

Previously called the Melba finch, the Green-winged pytilia is a popular cage bird.

The males and females are similar in size, but are quite different in their plumage. The male has a red forehead, throat and cheeks; grey head, face and nape of the neck. The rump is red; the tail brown with red edging; the breast is a greeny-gold colour and the balance of the under-parts are white barred with black, The female lacks the red on the head, the entire head being grey, and the throat and breast are white barred with black. Both sexes have orange-red bills and grey-brown legs and feet.

Green-winged pytilias feed mainly on seeds and insects, particularly termites. They generally forage on fairly open ground or in low vegetation, in pairs or in small groups. They are quite shy and retiring by nature and in spite of their bright colouring are often overlooked.

Green-winged pytilias are monogamous and build a nest that is an untidy ball of dry grass with a side entrance, and is generally located in a thorny bush just one to two metres above the ground. The females usually lay a clutch of four or five white eggs that hatch after an incubation period of about 14 days. The nest may be parasitized by the Long-tailed paradise whydah (Vidua paradisaea).

The scientific binomial for the Green-winged pytilia is Pytilia melba; Pytilia from the Greek for the diminutive form of the grosbeak genus Pitylus; and melba which was the name used by Linnaeus, apparently without explanation and the derivation of which is unknown.

The flightless Common ostrich is a member of the same large family as other flightless birds such as the kiwi and the emu. It is able to run faster than any other bird, with a top speed approaching 95 km per hour. The males are slightly larger than the females, and the sexes differ in plumage, with the males having predominantly black feathers, with some white on the wings and tail. The females are a drab grey. Both sexes have bare legs and necks. Bills are broad and flat.

The Common ostrich is one of the very few species of birds that is farmed on a large scale; for its feathers that are used in fashion and also for feather dusters, for its meat and for its skin which is used for a variety of leather goods. The feathers differ from those of most other birds in that they lack the tiny hooks that lock them together, and so the feathers of the Common ostrich are quite fluffy.

Although Common ostriches are generally fairly common, the wild population is quite small, and is limited to the arid regions of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. They are quite nomadic, and form flocks of up to fifty or more birds as they move through the drier areas of southern Africa, feeding mainly on vegetable matter, but also on insects and other invertebrates, If threatened they will usually run away, but if cornered they can defend themselves very ably with powerful kicks.

Common ostriches are polygamous and make a nest that is just a scraped hollow in the ground. Several females may lay their eggs in the same nest, until the clutch reaches twenty or more eggs. The eggs are the largest eggs of any bird, and they hatch after an incubation period of approximately 40 days. They make good use of their dimorphic colouring as camouflage during incubation, with the grey females incubating the eggs during the day and the black males during the night.

The scientific binomial for the Common ostrich is Struthio camelus; Struthio from the Latin for an “ostrich”; and camelus from the Latin for “pertaining to a camel”. So “Struthio” makes sense, but I have no idea about “pertaining to a camel”!

The Mountain wheatear is a fairly small bird, with a length of approximately 20 cm; the males and females are the same size. Although there are several colour morphs to be found, most of the male birds in the southern African region have black upperparts with white shoulder patches and grey crowns. The belly and vent are white. Some birds lack the grey crown, and some birds are largely grey instead of black. Females are quite dissimilar to the males in plumage, being largely dull black to brown in colour. They lack the shoulder patches and grey crowns but share the distinctive white rump. The pointed bills are black; legs and feet are black and eyes are brown.

The Mountain wheatears is considered a near-endemic to the southern African region, with a range that extends out of the region into southern Angola. Their preferred habitat is fairly open, rocky areas, particularly boulder strewn hillsides.

The Mountain wheatear feeds mainly on invertebrates, usually foraging on the ground for insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, but will also eat spiders and centipedes. They will sometimes forage from a perch, and hawk for insects in the air.

The song of the Mountain wheatear is a clear, rather melodious trill or whistle.

The nest of the Mountain wheatear, which is monogamous, is a shallow cup that is constructed on top of a platform of grass, woody twigs and/or moss, and the nest is usually located close to a rock or in a crevice. They will also make use of nesting boxes if available. The female lays a clutch of two to four eggs that hatch after an incubation period of approximately fourteen days. The nest may be parasitized by the Diderick cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius).

The scientific binomial for the Mountain wheatear is Oenanthe monticola; Oenanthe from the Greek for a “wheatear”, but originating from the Greek words for “wine flower”, apparently in reference to the bird appearing at the time the grapes are ripening; and monticola from the Latin for “living in the mountains”. Thus a Mountain wheatear; can’t say clearer than that!

In the southern African region the range of the Dark-capped bulbul is restricted to the wetter east and north. In northern Namibia, along the Kunene River, its range overlaps that of the Red-eyed bulbul and hybrids of the two are known to occur. They are common throughout most of their range and frequent almost all areas, including suburban parks and gardens.

The Dark-capped bulbul has predominantly grayish-brown upper parts and white under parts, with its head being darker and the breast also being grayish-brown. Its vent is bright yellow; eyes are dark brown; the short bill, legs and feet are black. The sexes are alike in plumage colouration and the males are slightly larger than the females, with a length of approximately 20 cm.

Dark-capped bulbuls feed mainly on fruit, but also on insects, which they may catch while in flight, and nectar. They are usually found in pairs or in small groups. They are quite conspicuous birds and are often to be seen perched atop a small bush or post.

Dark-capped bulbuls are monogamous and build a neat cup nest of dried grass and twigs which they usually conceal very well in thick foliage. The female lays a clutch of two or three brown-speckled eggs that hatch after an incubation period of approximately 15 days. Their nests are sometimes parasitized by the Jacobin cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus).

The scientific binomial for the Dark-capped bulbul is Pycnonotus tricolor; Pycnonotus from the Greek for “thick back”, apparently a reference to the thickly feathered backs of these birds; and tricolor from the Latin for “three colours”. Thus a bird in three colours with a thickly feathered back, which can really only be a useful description if you have the bird in hand.

The males and females have similar plumage colouration, with the males being slightly larger than the females and having the longer tail. They are predominantly chestnut, with dark, bluish-black heads and necks and blue eye-rings. Bills are blue; legs and feet are bluish-grey. Their legs are relatively short and when perched  they have quite an upright stance.

African paradise-flycatchers are fairly common in the southern African region, and migrate to warmer parts of the continent, including the north-east coast of South Africa, during the cold winter months. In summer (from Sept/Oct to Mar/Apr) they are found singly or in pairs throughout the region with the exception of the very dry areas. Their favourite habitat is open woodland, riparian forests and orchards and gardens with plenty of trees.

As their name suggests, the African paradise flycatchers feed mainly on insects, which they usually catch while in flight, but will also eat caterpillars, spiders and some berries and fruit. They are very noisy birds and can be difficult to photograph as they seem to be constantly on the move as they weave their way through the tangled branches beneath the canopy, where the light is patchy and of poor quality.

African paradise flycatchers are monogamous and build a small cup-shaped nest, often on an exposed branch, and often camouflaged with lichen. Camouflaged the nest may be, but when the male is incubating the eggs his impressive tail hangs well clear of the nest and his presence may be quite obvious to passers-by! The female lays a clutch of two or three white eggs that hatch after an incubation period of approximately 15 days.

The scientific binomial for the African paradise flycatcher is Terpsiphone viridis; Terpsiphone from the Greek for “a delightful voice”; and viridis from the Latin for “green”, perhaps a reference to the greeny-blue tinge to the bird’s head. Thus the name describes a green bird (or perhaps a bird wiuth a green head?) that has a delightful voice. Well, I think that both the delightful voice and the green plumage are really a stretch!!