Animals-and-Pets
African Birdlife
Aloes In The Eastern Cape
A dry-season bonanza for nectar-feeding birds
7 min |
July - August 2016
African Birdlife
The Evil Of Two Lessers
The two adult Lesser Jacanas circle one another, preparing for battle.
2 min |
January/February 2017
African Birdlife
Keeping It Steady
As far as bird photography is concerned, we are very fortunate. Companies such as Sigma and Tamron have recently released lenses that zoom to 600 millimetres, giving photographers more choice when it comes to long lenses. Canon and Nikon, in addition to making their own long lenses, are producing camera bodies with increasingly higher resolution, which also benefits bird photo­ graphers. However, as focal length and resolution increase, so too does the need for a steady platform from which to shoot.
5 min |
January/February 2017
African Birdlife
Lily Livery
Allen’s Gallinule
2 min |
July/August 2018
African Birdlife
Nectar Quandary
Surviving the suburbs
4 min |
July/August 2018
African Birdlife
Zen Goes Local
South Africa is known for its cultural diversity and this is mirrored in the increasing number of requests for variety in garden designs.
3 min |
July/August 2018
African Birdlife
Clean-Up Crew
The Lappet-faced Vulture is the no-nonsense foreman of Africa’s vulturine clean-up crew.
3 min |
March - April 2017
African Birdlife
To The Edge And Back
FLOCK AT SEA 2017 promises to be the largest ever group of people birding together over a period of several days. Peter Ryan considers what attracts thousands of birders from all corners of South Africa and beyond to gather for the mother of all pelagic birding trips.
4 min |
March - April 2017
African Birdlife
Breakneck Exploits
Drinking techniques of Pink-backed Pelican
5 min |
November - December 2016
African Birdlife
Net Gains
The value of ringing
7 min |
November - December 2016
African Birdlife
Keeper of Ugandan Time - Woodland Kingfisher
If you’re looking for kingfisher stories in Africa, you will encounter people as well as birds. When I began my search, Derek Pomeroy, emeritus professor at Makerere University in Kampala and also an expert ornithologist, advised me, ‘As written sources are few or non-existent, you have to make do with conversations with hunters, farmers and fishermen.’ Often it’s not the birders who can tell you the story behind a bird, but the people who work in the field or know the local culture. Sometimes different stories about the same bird are told in different African cultures. So in the world of bird myths and folklore, both the bird and the storyteller are important. There is no story that stands alone.
4 min |
May - June 2017
African Birdlife
Rare Pale Form of Juvenile - Lesser Spotted Eagle
Pale juvenile forms of the Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina are rarely documented and to date nowhere mentioned in southern African literature. On a visit to the Kruger National Park in February 2017 we spent a couple of days in an area east of Satara photographing as many different colour forms of this species as possible. Good summer rains resulted in vast breeding flocks of Red-billed Queleas and these migrant raptors were gorging themselves on both nestlings and fledglings.
1 min |
May - June 2017
African Birdlife
Shining Light - Samson Mulaudzi
Born and raised in Venda, one of the premier birding destinations in South Africa, it might seem a no-brainer that Samson Mulaudzi would make an aspect of birding his career. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing and it is only through his passion and dedication and his very likeable character that he has become one of the shining lights of birding in the region.
2 min |
May - June 2017
African Birdlife
Land of the little Brown Jobs
When one thinks of the Karoo landscape one imagines the dry, dusty interior of South Africa, supposedly devoid of life when compared to other parts of our beautiful country. This could not be further from the truth, as this incredible place is home to not one, but two global biodiversity hotspots, recognised for having remarkably high levels of plant diversity and endemism. The Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo are these hotspots, which we proudly list as part of South Africa’s natural heritage. But it’s not only the plants that warrant attention in this landscape, as the region also hosts many threatened and endemic bird species, as well as a plethora of ‘little brown jobs’ waiting to give even the most experienced birders a run for their money!
2 min |
May - June 2017
African Birdlife
Toyota Driving Bird Conservation
BirdLife South Africa is extremely pleased to have recently received fantastic support from Toyota International and Toyota South Africa in the form of a donation of two brand-new vehicles. In 2016 BirdLife International notified us that we had been selected as one of six BirdLife Partners worldwide to receive a vehicle from Toyota International. A Toyota Hilux bakkie was subsequently delivered to the Western Cape Regional Conservation Programme, which freed up another vehicle in this programme, and the organisation at large, and thus ensured maximum gain from the donation.
1 min |
May - June 2017
African Birdlife
Risky Beachfront Property
Risky Beachfront Property
2 min |
March/April 2018
African Birdlife
Mid-Air Turbulence
It is not uncommon to see African Skimmers chasing each other in aerial display, especially during the breeding season when the birds gather in large groups.
1 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
Maximising A Small Space
In recent years, many homeowners in South Africa have, for various reasons, down-sized from expansive properties to smaller, more manageable homes in secure complexes.
4 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
A New Protected Area
The end, they say, is just another beginning in disguise.
2 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
Too Close For Comfort
As birders, we often look for species such as the White-fronted Plover, African Black Oystercatcher and Kelp Gull when we visit the magnificent beaches along our coastline.
2 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
Let's Get The Party Started
Out-birding the birds of the miombo
4 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
Check Your Mate
King Penguins breed en masse at sub-Antarctic islands, with most pairs occurring in vast, sprawling colonies.
2 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
Boom, Cackle& Whine
Birds make themselves heard above wind farm noise
2 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
Duck, Down
White-backed Duck diving behaviour
2 min |
May/June 2018
African Birdlife
Alien Invasions
Mapping movements of alien bird species.
2 min |
March - April 2017
African Birdlife
Nest And Nuptial Bower - Eastern Clapper Lark
One of the intriguing things about lark biology is that some species build domed nests while others nest in open cups.
2 min |
March - April 2017
African Birdlife
New Breeding Record - African Skimmer
The year 2016 was one in which we all came to expect the unexpected.
2 min |
March - April 2017
African Birdlife
Short-Tailed Shear Waters In The Atlantic Ocean
Short-Tailed Shear Waters In The Atlantic Ocean
3 min |
Sep/oct 2017
African Birdlife
Chestnut Weavers' - Mass Market
The Chestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosus is a seasonal nomad of arid regions – and a species that I have long wanted to observe and photograph at the nest. Finally, in the summer of 2017, my wish was granted in Namibia’s Erongo Conservancy.
3 min |
Sep/oct 2017
African Birdlife
Tawny Tantrum
Tawny Tantrum
1 min |