AW Challenge - Bird Check List for Pilanesberg

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008. Little Grebe (Dabchick) Tachybaptus ruficollis

Identification
20 cm. The Little Grebe is a small water bird with a pointed bill. The adult is unmistakable in summer, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous neck, cheeks and flanks, and pale gape-spot. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds. Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip, and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck as seen below. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles age, eventually turning black once in adulthood.

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by Amoli

by Toko

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203. Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris

Identification
53-58 cm. The Helmeted Guineafowl is a large bird with a round body and small head. They weigh about 1.3 kg. The body plumage is gray-black spotted with white. Like other guineafowl, this species has an unfeathered head, in this case decorated with a dull yellow or reddish bony knob, and red and blue patches of skin. The wings are short and rounded, and the tail is also short.

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by Amoli

by Toko

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764. Cape Glossy Starling (Glossy Starling) Lamprotornis nitens

Identification
23 cm. The sheen is more blue than green and lacks dark ear coverts of other similar species. Eyes are orange-yellow. Sexes are alike; juveniles are duller than adults and eyes are yellow.

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by Amoli

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583. Short-toed Rock-Thrush Monticola brevipes

Identification
16-18cm. A white crown and forehead, pale blue back and neck with rufuous underparts. In the male pretoriae race the very pale blue forehead, crown and nape are diagnostic. The female has a large white throat patch streaked with brown, and a rufous breast and belly. The juvenile is spotted with buff on the upperparts and with black below.

Male pretoriae race

[Amoli]

099. White-faced Duck Dendrocygna viduata

Identification
43-48 cm. A distinctive, long-necked duck with a diagnostic white face. Stands very erect and is highly gregarious. At time the white face can be a muddy brown. Sexes are alike; juvnile lacks the white face.

by Amoli

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[Amoli]

829. White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus

Identification
15-19 cm. he only widow in the region in which the male has white on the primary coverts. Breeding male can be distinguished from the Yellowbacked Widow by its shorter tail and white in the wings, and by the lack of yellow on the back. In non-breeding plumage it shows yellow shoulders and a white patch at the base of the primaries. Female is pale below, and is less streaked than the other widows. Juvenile resembles female.

Breeding Males
by Amoli

by Riley

[Amoli]

845. Violet-eared Waxbill Uraeginthus granatinus

Identification
15 cm. The red bill, violet cheeks, brilliant blue rump and black tail are diagnostic. Male has chestnut head and body plumage and a black chin. Female has biscuit-coloured head and body, and the violet on the cheeks is less extensive than on male. Juvenile resembles female but lacks the violet on the face.

Male
by Amoli
2011

Female
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[Amoli]

058. Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus

Identification
50-55 cm. A small, black cormorant with pale spotting on the back, and a long unmarked tail. In breeding plumage, adult has a yellow-orange face patch and throat, and a small crest on the forehead. Sexes are alike; juvenile and immature birds are dark brown above and white below.

by Amoli

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© Toko

[Amoli]

548. Pied Crow Corvus albus

Identification
46-50 cm. The only white-bellied crow in the region.
Sexes are alike; juvnile resembles adult but there is less contrast in black and white plumage.

by Amoli

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by Toko

[Amoli]

089. Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus

Identification
150-155 cm. The bird's huge size, unfeathered head and neck, and massive bill make it unmistakable. In flight, the black wings contrast with the white body, and the head is tucked into the shoulders.

by Amoli

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