AW Challenge - Bird Check list of Rietvlei Nature Reserve

[Amoli]

489. Red-throated Wryneck Jynx ruficollis

by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Amoli]

447. Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus

Identification
29 cm (36 cm incl streamers); sexes alike. Only roller with lilac throat and breast and blue belly. Long, straight outer tail streamers absent during moult (post-breeding).
Juvenile: Like adult but duller with brownish wash on crown and nape; tail streamers absent.

[Amoli]

424. Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus

by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Lisbeth]

297. Spotted Thick-knee (Spotted Dikkop) Burhinus capensis

Identification
43 cm; sexes alike. Overall spotted appearance, and large yellow eyes distinctive.
Likely only to be confused with Water Thick-knee, but lacks greyish wing panel and thin white wing bar.
Juvenile: Similar to ad but more streaked above.


by Lisbeth

by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Amoli]

266. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

Identification
20 cm; sexes alike.
Non-breeding adult: Profuse white spotting on lightish upperparts distinctive. Conspicuous white supercilium extends behind eye; legs yellowish.
Juvenile: Upperparts warmer brown, spotted buff.
Common non-br Palearctic migrant. Main arrivals from Aug, departure late Feb-May, some 1-year birds overwintering.

[Amoli]

764. Cape Glossy Starling (Glossy Starling) Lamprotornis nitens

Identification
23 cm; sexes alike. Sheen more blue than green and lacks darker ear coverts of other similar overlapping species. Eyes orange-yellow.
Juvenile: Duller than adult; eyes yellow.


by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Amoli]

Exotic - Wood Duck or Carolina Duck Aix sponsa

The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck (Aix sponsa) is a species of perching duck found in North America.
It is a medium-sized perching duck. A typical adult is from 47 to 54 cm in length with a wingspan of between 66 to 73 cm.
The adult male has distinctive multicoloured iridescent plumage and red eyes,with a distinctive white flare down the neck. The female, less colourful, has a white eye-ring and a whitish throat. Both adults have crested heads.


Male

[Amoli]

473. Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii

Identification
24 cm; sexes similar.
Male: Yellow face speckled with red, black crest and chest band make it easily identifiable. Largest barbet in the area and only one that is sexually dimorphic.
Female: Similar to if but less brightly coloured.
Juvenile: Resembles ad but browner on wings and has less red streaking below.

by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Amoli]

354. Cape Turtle-Dove Streptopelia capicola

Identification
27 cm; sexes aike. Grey, without bare red skin around eyes. Lacks chestnut colouring on upperparts; white outer tail feathers conspicuous in flight. Black collar on hindneck narrowly rimmed with white.
Juvenile: Lacks black hindneck collar; upperparts and breast fringed buff.

[Amoli]

355. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis

Identification
25 cm; sexes similar, female paler than male. Only dove in region with pinkish-grey head and rufous chest with black spotting; lacks black collar on hindneck. White outer tail feathers conspicuous in flight.
Juvenile: Breast grey, lacks black speckling. Overall paler and browner than adult.


by Amoli

by Flutterby