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Chilling In The Desert?
African Birdlife
|May - June 2020
Pygmy Falcons Polihierax semi-torquatus are among the world’s smallest raptors.
An ornithological highlight of any visit to the Kalahari, these charming little birds roost in the vast communal nests of Sociable Weavers Philetairus socius and have been the subject of a longstanding mystery among desert ornithologists. During the 1980s in the then Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, Colin Sapsford measured the body temperatures of Pygmy Falcons he carefully removed from their roost chambers before sunrise on cold winter mornings. The falcons’ body temperature was just 31 degrees Celsius, substantially lower than typical avian night-time values.
Denne historien er fra May - June 2020-utgaven av African Birdlife.
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FLERE HISTORIER FRA African Birdlife
African Birdlife
stories begin at EYE LEVEL
ALTHOUGH I HAVE been taking photographs since 1998, it wasn't until 2019 that my hobby evolved into a serious pursuit. That's when I began to see photography not just as a means of capturing a moment, but as a form of art - something that can stir emotion, spark wonder and tell a deeper story.
1 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
ALBERT the Wandering Albatross
Ahoy, shipmates, grab a pew and let me spin my yarn.
3 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
I'll be back...
Southern African populations of oxpeckers were hit by triple hammer blows during the late 19th century and much of the 20th.
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
BINDO and SABAP2
A match made in data science
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
PREDATORS of the pan
As regular visitors to Mabuasehube in the Botswanan sector of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, we have often seen vulture feathers lying in the area of the waterhole at Mpayathutlwa Pan and have frequently observed a pair of black-backed jackals in the vicinity.
1 min
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Jacana & the egg thief
While on a photo expedition in the Richtersveld National Park with my brother Peter, we were watching one particular African Jacana on the Gariep River.
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
A STRIPE FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE?
Uncovering the adaptive complexities of falcons' malar stripes
2 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
grassland GLADIATORS
The Secretarybird is a highly soughtafter species for most birders on their first visit to Africa. It looks so strange, like a cross between a stork and an eagle. Even though it is widespread, occurring in almost any suitable habitat (grassland, open savanna and Karoo shrubland), it's generally uncommon.
1 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
SECRETS SKY
Jessica Wilmot is the driving force behind BirdLife South Africa's Flyway and Migrants Project, working across borders to safeguard some of the planet's most threatened species and habitats. Supporting BirdLife International's East Atlantic Flyway Initiative, Jessica is at the heart of efforts to keep our skies alive with birds, particularly the enigmatic European Roller, which is her current focus and passion.
6 mins
July/August 2025
African Birdlife
Southern SIGHTINGS
Autumn is generally known to be quieter in terms of rarities across southern Africa, but the review period still had a few surprises for us, including a new species for the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
3 mins
July/August 2025
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