Posts belonging to Category 'African Birds'
June 13, 2011 | Posted by Safari Guide
I don’t pretend that I know everything about bird and wildlife photography, far from it. But as an enthusiastic amateur and as someone who has spent a lot of time in the African bush taking both wildlife and bird photos, I think at least some of my experience should be useful to those looking to [...]
Categories: African Birds, Safari Cameras, Safari Equipment, Tripods | 
Tags: African Birds, Bird Photography, Birds, Photography, Photography Equipment, Wildlife Photography, Wildlife Photography Tips | 
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May 5, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
Of all African kingfishers the most beautiful is the brilliantly-coloured and aptly named Malachite Kingfisher (Alcedo cristata). This tiny, agile bird is widely distributed throughout southern Africa on streams, lakes and even small pools where it stands out like a small blue jewel in the surrounding vegetation. You wil often see many species of kingfisher [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Alcedo cristata, Birds, Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher | No Comments »
April 23, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
The Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) is a splendid creature, its imposing appearance and challenging call symbolic of the African wetlands. Not that it is confined to the wilderness: indeed it sometimes makes it home close to large cities. African Fish Eagles are a common sight on many African lakes and Dams, including one of my [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, African Fish Eagle, Fish Eagle, Goliath Heron, Haliaeetus vocifer, Raptor | No Comments »
April 15, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
As its many common names ‘Lily-trotter’, ‘Lotus Birds’, ‘Jesus Birds’ indicate, the African Jacana (Actophilornis africana) is highly specialised for life on floating vegetation, and despite its extraordinarily long toes it has a certain grace. The large splayed feet which effectively distribute the bird’s weight over a wide area are excellently adapted to running over [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: Actophilornis africana, African Birds, African Jacana, Birds | No Comments »
April 9, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
At first glance the Fiscal Flycatcher (Sigelus silens) might be mistaken for a Common Fiscal (Lanius collaris), not only because both have a habit of perching conspicuously on telephone poles. But to confuse the birds would do an injustice to the Flycatcher for it does not share the Fiscal Shrike’s notorious habits of preying upon [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Birds, Clamator jacobinus, Common Fiscal, Cossypha caffra, Cuculus solitarius, Fiscal Flycatcher, Fiskaalvlieëvanger, Lanius collaris, Sigelus silens | No Comments »
April 8, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
The Common Fiscal (Lanius collaris) has many names – Butcherbird, Jacky Hangman and Fiscal Shrike – all indicate something of the unpopularity of this small predator whose methods of dealing with victims bear a close resemblance to those of the fiskaal – an official or taxman of the Dutch East India company. This civil servant [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Birds, Butcher Bird, Common Fiscal, Fiscal Shrike, Lanius collaris, Shrike | No Comments »
April 6, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
Arrow-marked Babblers are highly gregarious birds, small parties foraging in the undergrowth. They poke about among dead leaves and debris in search of crickets, cockroaches and spiders, hopping vigorously to flush out their victims. Their flight is interspersed with short glides and, when disturbed, they quickly rise into the trees. Hidden from one another by [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Arrow-marked Babbler, Babbler, Babblers, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Birds, Black-faced Babbler, Clamator levaillantii, Cuckoo, Levaillant's Cuckoo, Southern Pied Babbler, Turdoides jardineii | No Comments »
April 2, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
Rhinopomastus cyanomelas is also known as the Scimitar-billed wood-hoopoe in some parts of Africa, or Itaki’ Bafazi translated as ‘laughing women’ – is the Xhosa name for the Common Scimitarbil Wood Hoopoe which makes an incessant chattering sound, usually started by a single bird and then taken up by the entire flock. It is essentially [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Birds, Common Scimitarbill, Hoopoe, Rhinopomastus cyanomelas, Scimitar-billed wood-hoopoe, wood-hoopoe | No Comments »
April 1, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
The Kurrichane Thrush (Turdus libonyanus), a relative of the European Blackbird, finds much of its food while it forages swiftly on foot on the forest floor. It was named by the Scottish doctor, explorer and naturalist Andrew Smith who first discovered it in the late 19th century near Kurrichane, the capital of an African tribe [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Birds, Kurrichane Thrush, Thrush, Turdus libonyanus | No Comments »
March 31, 2010 | Posted by Safari Guide
The Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), is common sight on safari in Southern Africa. It is an insect eating bird, and is often seen perched on the telegraph wire, or on a bare projecting branch that affords a good view of the countryside. From his airy perch the Drongo watches for insects and enemies. Any flickering wing [...]
Categories: African Birds, African Wildlife | Tags: African Birds, Birds, Dicrurus adsimilis, Drongo, Fork-tailed Drongo | No Comments »
