It’s true, we are cat-crazy. Lion photos make us drool, leopard sightings get the pulse racing, and cheetahs are enough to send us over the edge; but when all is quiet and the sun spreads its lava-like warmth over the silent bushveld, the first thing you hear is the chiming, twittering melody of birds announcing that morning has broken. As much as we are mad about the Ross pride and the Trilogy boys, we are also bonkers about birds.
These 3 colourful birds are rollers. Named for their flight pattern, which involves a daredevil-like tumble through the air from a height, all in the name of showing off for courtship or territory. The powder-blue roller with cinnamon-dusted wings is the European roller, who breeds in Europe and migrates to Africa for the summer. Beautiful posers, these birds are confident enough to stay put on its perch even as a vehicle approaches.
Our multi-colourful lilac-breasted roller is a favourite among many. Incredibly striking, yet ever so common, these birds can be observed swooping down from their exposed perches and snatching up tasty insects. The purple roller is a sophisticated mauve colour, flecked with white darts on its breast plumage. Not the most magnificent of the roller family, but there is no room for bird discrimination in this blog!
Three species of vulture spotted at 3 of our camps in the Klaserie: Africa on Foot, nThambo Tree Camp and nDzuti Safari Camp. One of the smallest of this bird-carnivore family is the hooded vulture. Their faces are hairless and vary from white to pink in colour, and they are usually seen hanging back from a carcass when bigger scavengers are around and snatch up the scraps that are flung astray in the feeding frenzy.
The white-backed vulture is frequently seen at kill sites, on the ground and looming in trees; however, this is not a representation of this vulture’s population status. Sadly, these huge birds – essential in the process of decomposition – are poisoned both deliberately and inadvertently, and masses of them are dying at a time all over Africa.
Last in this trio is the lappet-faced vulture, which is one of the largest in its range. A powerful beak and an aggressive temperament, these guys rule the roost, so to speak. They are the only ones strong enough to break through skin and tendons of a carcass, therefore they take first claim to the kill, but they do open up the carcass for others to feed.
Bee-eaters are some of the most delightful birds in the bush. Well, insects wouldn’t agree because they are subject to the unfortunate impalement by these colourful birds. Stabbing their prey with their strong, sharp beaks, bee-eaters will consistently knock their prey against a hard surface in order to extract both sting and venom before consuming.
Carmine bee-eaters nest in colonies and are famously seen gliding alongside large groups of herbivores or moving vehicles. This is a suitable hunting style for them as they only really hunt from the air. They swoop in and gobble up any flying grasshoppers or other insects which fly to get out of the way of the animal or vehicle. Little bee-eaters are indeed, little. Bright green with yellow, blue, and black detail, these striking birds are the smallest of the African bee-eater family. Unlike their carmine cousins, they nest alone or in pairs, not colonies.
Birds of prey! These guys are the usual suspects – they look like birds of prey, they act like birds of prey, therefore they are birds of prey. Equipped with talons that curl around their perching branches and latch easily onto the unsuspecting rodents, reptiles, small mammals, and birds. These featured hunter-birds are by no means the only ones of their nature – check out Killer Birds, which is dedicated to the grey-headed bush shrike and the sadde-billed stork; 2 unlikely, yet skilled hunters in their own right.
The African harrier hawk (also known as a gymnogene) is a special sight to see. It is easily identifiable because there is nothing else that looks quite like it, plus, you will find it in strange positions like in the featured picture! The bald face is white, yellow, or red, and long legs are double-jointed, which is unique to this bird, enabling it to climb vertical branches with the help of their outstretched wings, and prey on nests in difficult to reach places.
Second in line is the tawny eagle (a familiar face in the African bush), which exhibits dark and pale colour morphs, as well as the traditional ‘tawny’. It is very large, and rather a bully, as it is known to steal prey from a less intimidating bird when it is not feasting on fresh carrion.
Then there are the owls. The giant eagle owl, which is immediately identified by its huge size (biggest owl in Africa), pointy ear tufts and pink eyelids, is more modernly known as Verreaux’s eagle owl. Surprisingly, this king bird is an apex predator, as it has little to no natural predators; however the bird itself is not shy to feast on a wide variety of mammals and reptiles, hunted mostly at night. One of the smallest of the owl family is the pearl-spotted owlet, seen here at Ezulwini Game Lodges in the Greater Kruger. A mere ball of fluffy feathers in comparison to the godfather of owls mentioned above, this frequently seen little predator is a day-hunter and wears its defence on the nape of its neck. Just like butterflies have on their wings, pearl-spotted owlets have intimidating ‘false eyes’ painted into their feathers on the back of their heads.
Now for a collection of interesting creatures of flight, which are either frequently seen or heard around Umkumbe Safari Lodge in the Sabi Sand.
Brown-headed parrots fly in noisy flocks of up to 40 individuals. They feed on seeds and nectar and have a bright, almost metallic green plumage with characteristic brown heads. These small birds, which are often tamed and caged as pets, add an element of exoticness to the African bush and should really be left to live wild. The bearded woodpecker is endemic to the Kruger Park – common in some areas, while not seen at all in others. Woodpeckers are well equipped to absorb the impact of its habit of drumming its beak into wood: strong neck muscles, sturdy skull, straight and powerful beak that is constantly regrowing. Woodpeckers also have unusually long tongues, which are full of sticky saliva and extend deep into crevices of tree bark to lap up insect larvae.
The bright turquoise plumage of the woodlands kingfisher paired with its unmistakable call are a clear sign of summer arriving in the lowveld. They are migratory birds, and when they arrive in Africa for the summer months, they are difficult to miss! Plenty of kingfisher species occur in the Greater Kruger, but when the woodlands is around, one might forget any other bird exists in the bush! Finally, the fork-tailed drongo. This is that medium-sized black bird you see on every other branch during game drive, but as often as it is seen, its call is somewhat more of a challenge to identify. This is because the clever and cunning fork-tailed drongo mimics the calls of a number of other birds in the bush, much to the delight of their female counterparts who choose their mates by their ability to mimic.
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