Africa Wild

803. Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus (Gewone Mossie)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Passeridae

Identification
Length 14-16 cm.
Adult male: Head black with broad white semicircles from behind eyes to side of throat. Nape and mantle greyish, merging into rufous or chestnut back and rump.
Adult female: Similar to the male, but with a grey and white head.

by Toko
Male. Twee Rivieren.

by Toko
Female. Twee Rivieren.

by Mel
Young Cape sparrow, around the 13th / 14th loops, March 2010

by Tina
Male, Grootkolk, September 2012

by ExFmem
Oct. 2010 Grootkolk

by nan
Female sharing at Grootkolk - 20.9.2012

by nan
Male and female, 24.3.2013 - between Nossob and Kij Kij (can't remember the name of the waterhole )

by Michele Nel
Twee Rivieren - Dec 2012
by Lisbeth - Male
by Lisbeth - Female - Nov. 2017
by Dindingwe

760. Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea

Identification
21cm. A medium-sized, greyish starling. Grey body, white rump, black flight feathers and tail.
Breeding male with white shoulder patch, unfeathered yellow skin and black forehad and throat wattles.
Non-breeding males with feathered head and a small yellow patch behind the eye, no wattles and a black moustachial stripe.
Females and juveniles are similar to non-breeding males but the flight feathers and the tail are brown.



by Mel
Female, April 2011

by nan
Breeding male

by Michele Nel
13th or 14th Borehole - Feb 2011

by ExFmem
Dalkeith
by Dindingwe

186. Pygmy Falcon Polihierax semitorquatus

Identification:
As a small falcon, only 19 to 20 cm long, it preys on insects, small reptiles, and small mammals. Adult Pygmy Falcons are white below and on the face, grey above, and females having a chestnut back. There are white "eye spots" on the nape. Juveniles have a brown back, duller than adult females, and a rufous wash on the breast. The flight feathers of the wings are spotted black and white (more black above, more white below); the tail is barred black and white.

by Lisbeth
A dune road, December 2010

by Mel
Female, Southern Auob, March 2013

by Tina
Near Kwang, October 2013

by ExFmem
Dertiende, October

(c) nan
Mating pair, 11.9.2009 - Auob river
since this day... I saw each time these Falcons

by Michele Nel
Auob Riverbed - Dec 2013
by Dindingwe

845. Violet-eared Waxbill Uraeginthus granatinus

Identification
Length 14 cm. Size medium; tail longish, graduated, black, conspicuous in flight.
Male: Mostly rich chestnut brown; forehead and rump bright blue; face violet; throat, centre of belly and undertail black. Female: Light rusty buff where ♂ chestnut; forehead and rump blue; face pale violet; no black on throat or underparts. Immature: Similar to adult ♀, but without violet on face; rump only slightly blue; eye red (♂) or brown (♀). Chick: Blackish with long whitish down; palate orange with 5 black spots; tongue orange or yellow with black band; gape tubercles blue; black V on lower jaw.


Female. Auob river bed, 13th Borgaat, August 2010

by Mel
Female, Grootkolk, October 2012

by Tina
Female, Grootkolk, September 2012

by nan
Female

by ExFmem
Male, Oct. 2010 Craig Lockhart

by Michele Nel
Melkvlei - Jan 2016
by Lisbeth - Mata Mata, Nov. 2017

621. Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler (Tit-Babbler) Parisoma subcaeruleum

Identification
14-15 cm. Grey brown upperparts, black tail with a broad white band at its tip, white eye ring, grey throat is with heavy dark streaking, grey breast and belly, and the vent area is bright chestnut. Black legs and grey eyes. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile has an unstreaked throat.


Kamqua, August 2011

by Mel
Grootkolk, October 2012

by nan

by Tina

by Michele Nel
Mata Mata - Jan 2016
by Lisbeth - Kielie Krankie, Nov. 2017
by Dindingwe

345. Burchell's Sandgrouse Pterocles burchelli

Identification
Length 25 cm. A plump bird with a small head and short legs. The white-spotted cinnamon breast and belly, combined with the white-spotted back and wing coverts, render this small sandgrouse unmistakable.
Males larger than females. Males with grey faces and females yellowish. Females lack the blue-grey throat and are drabber in coloration.
Juvenile is similar to female with duller white spots.


Samevloeiing, August 2011

by Mel
Cubitjie Quap, March 2013

byTina
Female, Cubitje Quap, October 2013

by ExFmem
Oct. 2013 Cubitjie Quap

by nan
28.1.2012 - North of Nossob

by Michele Nel
Auob Riverbed - June 2013
by Dindingwe

834. Green-winged Pytilia (Melba Finch) Pytilia melba

Identification
13 cm; 15 g.
Male: Forehead, cheek, chin and throat red, lores and rest of head grey; upperparts and upperwing yellowish-green.
Female: Key features olive green wings and dark grey and white barring below.
Juvenile: Head and throat olive; plain greyish below, bill black.

by nan
Male. March 2013 - KTC, from the terrace

by ExFmem
Female. Craig Lockhart, October

by Michele Nel
Craig Lockhart Dec 2012

by Mel
Urikaruus, 14th October 2016

146. Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus

Identification
Adult: The Bateleur's head, neck, breast, greater upperwing-coverts and belly are black, lesser wing-coverts tend toward brown with whitish edges. Its back, undertail-coverts and tail are a chestnut colour, while the underwing-coverts are white. The bateleur's brown eyes are surrounded by facial skin that is a strikingly bright red, and devoid of feathers. As if to give a sense of artistic balance, the legs are the same brilliant red as the face.
Identification of sexes: In flight there is a broad black trailing edge under the wings of the male, whereas the female shows a narrow black trailing edge. When perched, the male's secondaries are black,those of the female are a very light greyish colour.
In flight: Notice the short tail, shorter in adult than in juvenile/immature birds. Furthermore, the Bateleur has 25 secondaries, much more than some of the confusing species. Immature birds show greyish remiges with blackish fingers and a dark subterminal band at the trailing edge of the wing and the greater upperwing coverts form a dark band across the wing
Juvenile: generally brown plumage and lack red on the bare facial skin.


Craig Lockhart, Aug. 2011

by Mel
Almost adult, Nossob Area, October 2011

by Tina
Male, Kwang October 2013

by ExFmem
Nov. 2013 Polentswa

by nan

by Michele Nel
Liejersdraai Jan. 2017
by Lisbeth - Nov. 2017
by Peter Betts

587. Capped Wheatear - Oenanthe Pileata

Identification
17 cm; 25 g. Sexes alike. Bold broad black chest band and sides to face, with white eyebrow and throat very distinctive.
Juvenile: Brown above, spotted buff; off-white below with brown mottling on breast.


Male, 11.3.2013 - around KTC

by Mel
Kannaguass, 29/03/2015

by Michele Nel
Langklaas Waterhole - Jan 2016

by ExFmem by Dindingwe

349. Speckled Pigeon (Rock Pigeon) Columba guinea

Identification
41 cm. Rufous back. White-spotted wings. Bluish-grey upper and underparts. Grey head. Red eye patches. Brown neck, streaked white
Sexes similar; immatures browner.


Nossob waterhole, August 2010

© Mel
Auchterlonie, October 2013

© Tina
TR - 23.09.2014

© Nan
Twee Rivieren 11.11.2014

by ExFmem