200 different Animals for a Non-birder on a Winter Trip?
-
Lisbeth
- Site Admin
- Posts: 65973
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
- Country: Switzerland
- Location: Lugano
- Contact:
Re: 200 different Animals for a Non-birder on a Winter Trip?
Dinner with elephant
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
271. White-headed Vulture
White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis
Kruger National Park, 26 August 2014
Identification: Size medium; mainly black with white belly; secondaries white in ♀, dark grey in ♂, conspicuous both at rest and in flight; head whitish, triangular in shape; bill red with blue cere; in flight white line on underwing between coverts and remiges. Immature: Browner on head than adult, but triangular head, red bill and blue cere diagnostic; secondaries brown; line on underwing whitish. Chick: Downy white with black crop patch.
Distribution: Most of Africa S of Sahara, except forests and desert; in South Africa absent from S of about latitude 29 ES.
Habitats: Woodland to semidesert scrub.
Habits: Solitary or in pairs. Roosts in trees at night, solitarily or a pair together; flies out early to forage within restricted area. Usually arrives first at carcass, but cannot compete with larger vultures as they arrive; later pirates chunks from them.
Food: Carrion; also smaller prey down to size of hares (possibly kills for itself at times), flying termites, lizards, guineafowls; kills nestling flamingoes and eats flamingo eggs.
Breeding: Season: May to August (peak in June, 40% of nests). Nest: Large platform of sticks, 1,5-1,7 m diameter, 50 cm thick; lined with grass; on top of Baobab, Terminalia, Acacia or other flat-topped tree; solitary. Clutch: 1 egg. Incubation: About 55 days by both sexes. Nestling: About 110 days.
This species has been uplisted to Critically Endangered by IUCN.
Kruger National Park, 26 August 2014
Identification: Size medium; mainly black with white belly; secondaries white in ♀, dark grey in ♂, conspicuous both at rest and in flight; head whitish, triangular in shape; bill red with blue cere; in flight white line on underwing between coverts and remiges. Immature: Browner on head than adult, but triangular head, red bill and blue cere diagnostic; secondaries brown; line on underwing whitish. Chick: Downy white with black crop patch.
Distribution: Most of Africa S of Sahara, except forests and desert; in South Africa absent from S of about latitude 29 ES.
Habitats: Woodland to semidesert scrub.
Habits: Solitary or in pairs. Roosts in trees at night, solitarily or a pair together; flies out early to forage within restricted area. Usually arrives first at carcass, but cannot compete with larger vultures as they arrive; later pirates chunks from them.
Food: Carrion; also smaller prey down to size of hares (possibly kills for itself at times), flying termites, lizards, guineafowls; kills nestling flamingoes and eats flamingo eggs.
Breeding: Season: May to August (peak in June, 40% of nests). Nest: Large platform of sticks, 1,5-1,7 m diameter, 50 cm thick; lined with grass; on top of Baobab, Terminalia, Acacia or other flat-topped tree; solitary. Clutch: 1 egg. Incubation: About 55 days by both sexes. Nestling: About 110 days.
This species has been uplisted to Critically Endangered by IUCN.
272. Wahlberg’s Eagle
A rather smelly Nyala carcass 
lions had pulled it into a shady spot on the third day 
to keep it fresh.
Wahlberg’s Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi
Tembe Elephant Park, 4 September 2014
Identification: Size medium to largish; usually uniform dark brown; rare almost white form with dark brown wings occurs; some birds lighter brown; eye always dark; slim build; face small and pointed; in flight leading and trailing edges of wings straight and parallel; tail longish, square, often folded in flight; flight pattern cross-shaped; feathered tarsus somewhat baggy; no pale areas on wing as in dark form Booted Eagle; pale form has pale head. Flight pattern diagnostic in all plumages. Immature: Resembles adult. Chick: Downy dark chocolate brown.
Distribution: Africa S of Sahara; in South Africa mainly in E and N.
Status: Common intra-African breeding migrant, August to April; absent in winter, migrating to tropical Africa, probably to Guinea Savanna N of Rwanda from late April to late July; passes southward through Zambia mainly in August, northward peak in March; arrives Burundi in August and leaves again in March-April.
Habitats: Woodland and savanna; also in cultivated areas if enough woodland available.
Habits: Usually solitary, unobtrusive and easily overlooked. Perches in leafy trees. Soars often to great heights. Hunts by stooping in flight, or by parachuting vertically with extended legs. Attracted to veld fires.
Food: Reptiles, birds (up to size of francolin or guineafowl), mammals (up to size of hare), insects.
Breeding: Season: Mainly September to October; rarely earlier or later. Nest: Smallish platform of sticks, 60-70 cm diameter, 30-40 cm thick with leaf-lined bowl 20-27 cm diameter; in tree, below canopy, usually in shade. Clutch: Usually 1 egg (only 4% of 127 clutches had 2 eggs). Incubation: 44-46 days, mostly by ♀, seldom by ♂. Nestling: 70-75 days, fed usually by ♀ only on food brought by ♂ (later ♀ brings food too); dependent on adults for several weeks after first flight.
lions had pulled it into a shady spot on the third day to keep it fresh.Wahlberg’s Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi
Tembe Elephant Park, 4 September 2014
Identification: Size medium to largish; usually uniform dark brown; rare almost white form with dark brown wings occurs; some birds lighter brown; eye always dark; slim build; face small and pointed; in flight leading and trailing edges of wings straight and parallel; tail longish, square, often folded in flight; flight pattern cross-shaped; feathered tarsus somewhat baggy; no pale areas on wing as in dark form Booted Eagle; pale form has pale head. Flight pattern diagnostic in all plumages. Immature: Resembles adult. Chick: Downy dark chocolate brown.
Distribution: Africa S of Sahara; in South Africa mainly in E and N.
Status: Common intra-African breeding migrant, August to April; absent in winter, migrating to tropical Africa, probably to Guinea Savanna N of Rwanda from late April to late July; passes southward through Zambia mainly in August, northward peak in March; arrives Burundi in August and leaves again in March-April.
Habitats: Woodland and savanna; also in cultivated areas if enough woodland available.
Habits: Usually solitary, unobtrusive and easily overlooked. Perches in leafy trees. Soars often to great heights. Hunts by stooping in flight, or by parachuting vertically with extended legs. Attracted to veld fires.
Food: Reptiles, birds (up to size of francolin or guineafowl), mammals (up to size of hare), insects.
Breeding: Season: Mainly September to October; rarely earlier or later. Nest: Smallish platform of sticks, 60-70 cm diameter, 30-40 cm thick with leaf-lined bowl 20-27 cm diameter; in tree, below canopy, usually in shade. Clutch: Usually 1 egg (only 4% of 127 clutches had 2 eggs). Incubation: 44-46 days, mostly by ♀, seldom by ♂. Nestling: 70-75 days, fed usually by ♀ only on food brought by ♂ (later ♀ brings food too); dependent on adults for several weeks after first flight.
-
Lisbeth
- Site Admin
- Posts: 65973
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
- Country: Switzerland
- Location: Lugano
- Contact:
Re: 200 different Animals for a Non-birder on a Winter Trip?
It should have asked the elephant to put it into your fridge
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
Re: 200 different Animals for a Non-birder on a Winter Trip?
Large freezer available at the Mapungbwe wilderness camp but Tembe is not as good with freezers 
but Tembe is not as good with freezers 273. White-crowned Lapwing
White-crowned Lapwing Vanellus albiceps
Kruger National Park, 29 August 2014
Identification: Size medium; broad white stripe between brownish back and black wing diagnostic at rest; head grey with broad white crown stripe (bordered narrowly with black in ♂); underparts white; wings look mostly white in flight. Iris greenish white or pale greenish yellow; bill yellow, tip black; lappets yellow, base tinged greenish, loral streak black; legs and feet pale greenish yellow.
Distribution: South Africa to E Africa; in South Africa confined to larger tropical rivers Limpopo, Sabi, Lundi, Nuanetsi, Zambezi and larger tributaries.
Habitats: Mud and sandbanks on large rivers; also shores and gravel bars of Lake Kariba.
Habits: Usually singly or in pairs; non-breedingeeding birds in small groups. Shy and wary, readily flying up calling when alarmed. Flight slow and buoyant. Forages like typical Vanellus species, mainly on shoreline near water.
Food: Insects, fish, frogs.
Breeding: Season: July to November (mainly August-October) when river levels low. Nest: Scrape in gravel or sand of open shoreline or sandbank. Clutch: 2-4 eggs (usually 4). Incubation: Unrecorded; incubating birds soak belly feathers before returning to nest in hot weather.
Kruger National Park, 29 August 2014
Identification: Size medium; broad white stripe between brownish back and black wing diagnostic at rest; head grey with broad white crown stripe (bordered narrowly with black in ♂); underparts white; wings look mostly white in flight. Iris greenish white or pale greenish yellow; bill yellow, tip black; lappets yellow, base tinged greenish, loral streak black; legs and feet pale greenish yellow.
Distribution: South Africa to E Africa; in South Africa confined to larger tropical rivers Limpopo, Sabi, Lundi, Nuanetsi, Zambezi and larger tributaries.
Habitats: Mud and sandbanks on large rivers; also shores and gravel bars of Lake Kariba.
Habits: Usually singly or in pairs; non-breedingeeding birds in small groups. Shy and wary, readily flying up calling when alarmed. Flight slow and buoyant. Forages like typical Vanellus species, mainly on shoreline near water.
Food: Insects, fish, frogs.
Breeding: Season: July to November (mainly August-October) when river levels low. Nest: Scrape in gravel or sand of open shoreline or sandbank. Clutch: 2-4 eggs (usually 4). Incubation: Unrecorded; incubating birds soak belly feathers before returning to nest in hot weather.
274. Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
This birdie poses very decoratively against the blue sky framed by spreading Baobab branches which look like air roots
Red-billed Buffalo Weaver Bubalornis niger
Mapungubwe National Park, 21 August 2014
Identification: Large (about size and shape of starling, but bill conical, bright orange). Male: Black, lightly mottled white on flanks; white wingpatch conspicuous in flight. Female: More brownish black than ♂, otherwise similar; throat, breast and undertail mottled with white. Iris dark brown; bill coral red to orange; legs and feet pinkish brown to pale orange. Immature: Below white, streaked dark brown. Subadult: Similar to adult ♀, but more mottled with white below; bill horn.
Distribution: South Africa to NE Africa; in South Africa discontinuously from S Mozambique and Kruger National Park to Limpopo Valley, SE and W Zimbabwe, E and N Botswana and N Namibia; vagrant to N KwaZulu-Natal.
Status: Locally common; mostly resident, but summer visitor to edges of range; in Gauteng lowveld present mainly October to April, males arriving shortly before females.
Habitats: Semi-arid savanna to dry bushveld, especially with large trees like Baobabs; in W Zimbabwe associated with Camelthorn Acacia erioloba.
Habits: Usually in small flocks, often with Greater Blue-eared and Wattled Starlings. Forages on ground by walking or hopping. Roosts communally in large stick nests in trees, dispersing by day and assembling again at night. Highly vocal.
Food: Insects, seeds, fruit.
Breeding: Season: October to April in Gauteng, September to April (mainly January-February) in Zimbabwe. Nest: Large untidy communally built mass of thorny twigs and sticks, each mass with 2 or more vertical entrance tunnels each leading to nest chamber lined with grass, roots and leaves; on branch of large tree, or on windmill; ♂ builds stick shell, ♀ lines chamber. Clutch: 2-4 eggs (usually 3-4). Incubation: 11 days by ♀ only, starting with first egg. Nestling: 20-23 days; fed by ♀ only.
Red-billed Buffalo Weaver Bubalornis niger
Mapungubwe National Park, 21 August 2014
Identification: Large (about size and shape of starling, but bill conical, bright orange). Male: Black, lightly mottled white on flanks; white wingpatch conspicuous in flight. Female: More brownish black than ♂, otherwise similar; throat, breast and undertail mottled with white. Iris dark brown; bill coral red to orange; legs and feet pinkish brown to pale orange. Immature: Below white, streaked dark brown. Subadult: Similar to adult ♀, but more mottled with white below; bill horn.
Distribution: South Africa to NE Africa; in South Africa discontinuously from S Mozambique and Kruger National Park to Limpopo Valley, SE and W Zimbabwe, E and N Botswana and N Namibia; vagrant to N KwaZulu-Natal.
Status: Locally common; mostly resident, but summer visitor to edges of range; in Gauteng lowveld present mainly October to April, males arriving shortly before females.
Habitats: Semi-arid savanna to dry bushveld, especially with large trees like Baobabs; in W Zimbabwe associated with Camelthorn Acacia erioloba.
Habits: Usually in small flocks, often with Greater Blue-eared and Wattled Starlings. Forages on ground by walking or hopping. Roosts communally in large stick nests in trees, dispersing by day and assembling again at night. Highly vocal.
Food: Insects, seeds, fruit.
Breeding: Season: October to April in Gauteng, September to April (mainly January-February) in Zimbabwe. Nest: Large untidy communally built mass of thorny twigs and sticks, each mass with 2 or more vertical entrance tunnels each leading to nest chamber lined with grass, roots and leaves; on branch of large tree, or on windmill; ♂ builds stick shell, ♀ lines chamber. Clutch: 2-4 eggs (usually 3-4). Incubation: 11 days by ♀ only, starting with first egg. Nestling: 20-23 days; fed by ♀ only.
-
Lisbeth
- Site Admin
- Posts: 65973
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
- Country: Switzerland
- Location: Lugano
- Contact:
Re: 200 different Animals for a Non-birder on a Winter Trip?
Only a pity that the bird could be almost anything
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
275. White-browed Sparrow-weaver
White-browed Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser mahali
Mapungubwe National Park, 22 August 2014
Identification: Size medium; crown and face blackish brown; sides of head and back brown; broad eyebrow, rump and underparts white (diagnostic; rump conspicuous in flight); wings and tail blackish brown, edged white. Iris reddish brown; bill black (♂) or horn (♀); legs and feet light brown. Immature: Similar to adult; bill pinkish brown.
Distribution: South Africa to NE Africa; widespread in South Africa, except extreme arid W Namibia, W and S Cape, and moister E regions.
Status: Mostly very common resident; often somewhat local.
Habitats: Acacia savanna, Mopane woodland, bushy hillsides, farmyards with clumps of trees in open grassveld.
Habits: Usually in pairs or small groups of up to 9 birds (mean 4,2 birds/group in South Africa) consisting of one dominant ♂ and ♀ and 1-7 helpers; pair or group occupies one tree or several adjacent trees with several nests, each with 2 entrances, one more horizontal, one facing more downwards from rounded chamber; nests tend to be on W side of tree. Forages on ground, usually not far from nesting tree, often in overgrazed or bare disturbed areas along roads, around kraals or windmills; walks, runs or bounds. When disturbed flies into tree. Highly vocal. Roosts singly in nests at night.
Food: Insects, seeds.
Breeding: Season: May to February (mainly October-December) in Gauteng, November to May in Botswana (opportunistically after rain), August to April (mainly September-February) in Orange Free State and Zimbabwe; up to 4 broods/season. Nest: Bulky untidy oval of grass stems (looks like bunch of straw), about 23 cm long, 15 cm wide, 18 cm high, with entrance up to 30 cm long, 7 cm diameter; second entrance from chamber closed up in one nest/colony; chamber thickly lined with soft grass, feathers and woolly material; 2-8 m above ground in outer branches of tree, rarely also on telephone pole in treeless areas; nests built by all members of group. Clutch: 1-3 eggs. Incubation: 14 days by dominant ♀ only. Nestling: 21-23 days; fed by all members of group, more by females than by males.
Mapungubwe National Park, 22 August 2014
Identification: Size medium; crown and face blackish brown; sides of head and back brown; broad eyebrow, rump and underparts white (diagnostic; rump conspicuous in flight); wings and tail blackish brown, edged white. Iris reddish brown; bill black (♂) or horn (♀); legs and feet light brown. Immature: Similar to adult; bill pinkish brown.
Distribution: South Africa to NE Africa; widespread in South Africa, except extreme arid W Namibia, W and S Cape, and moister E regions.
Status: Mostly very common resident; often somewhat local.
Habitats: Acacia savanna, Mopane woodland, bushy hillsides, farmyards with clumps of trees in open grassveld.
Habits: Usually in pairs or small groups of up to 9 birds (mean 4,2 birds/group in South Africa) consisting of one dominant ♂ and ♀ and 1-7 helpers; pair or group occupies one tree or several adjacent trees with several nests, each with 2 entrances, one more horizontal, one facing more downwards from rounded chamber; nests tend to be on W side of tree. Forages on ground, usually not far from nesting tree, often in overgrazed or bare disturbed areas along roads, around kraals or windmills; walks, runs or bounds. When disturbed flies into tree. Highly vocal. Roosts singly in nests at night.
Food: Insects, seeds.
Breeding: Season: May to February (mainly October-December) in Gauteng, November to May in Botswana (opportunistically after rain), August to April (mainly September-February) in Orange Free State and Zimbabwe; up to 4 broods/season. Nest: Bulky untidy oval of grass stems (looks like bunch of straw), about 23 cm long, 15 cm wide, 18 cm high, with entrance up to 30 cm long, 7 cm diameter; second entrance from chamber closed up in one nest/colony; chamber thickly lined with soft grass, feathers and woolly material; 2-8 m above ground in outer branches of tree, rarely also on telephone pole in treeless areas; nests built by all members of group. Clutch: 1-3 eggs. Incubation: 14 days by dominant ♀ only. Nestling: 21-23 days; fed by all members of group, more by females than by males.