AW Challenge - Bird Check List for Pilanesberg

[Riley]

431. Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata

Identification
13-14 cm. Bright blue upperparts. Turquoise and black barred crown extending below the eye (The crest is not usually raised). White streak on sides of neck. Orange-chestnut underparts and face. Red bill.
Juveniles have a black bill.

by Riley

by Flutterby

by Amoli

[Amoli]

446. European Roller Coracias garrulus

Identification
31 cm; sexes alike. Blue head, square tail with no tail streamers and light brown back distinguish it from Lilac-breasted roller. Distinct demarcation between blue nape and brown mantle. In flight, bright azure blue underwing contrasts with blackish primaries.
Juvenile is duller than adult, more olivaceous green than blue, and throat brownish.

[Amoli]

743. Brown-crowned Tchagra (Three-streaked Tchagra) Tchagra australis

Identification
17-18 cm. Combination of brown crown and buff or grey-buff underparts separates it from other tchagras. Bold white eyebrow flanked on either side by conspicuous black stripes. Bill may be dark, horn brown or black. Sexes are alike. Juvenile has a grey or horn coloured bill, terminal tail spots are buff and wings are less rufous.

[Amoli]

062. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Identification
94 cm; sexes alike, male larger than female. White head and hindneck, with black eyebrow and plumes, separate it from Black-headed Heron, which has a black crown and hindneck. In flight entire underwing appears uniform dark grey. Bill becomes bright orange and legs pinkish red at onset of breading.
JJuvenile has a paler grey body, with grey on forehead and crown. Separated from juvenile Black-headed Heron by white ear coverts and yellowish (not black) legs.

by Amoli

by Riley

by Flutterby

by Toko

[Amoli]

541. Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis

Identification
25 cm; sexes alike, female larger than male. and with less deeply forked tail. Most likely to be confused with South­ern Black Flycatcher but larger; deeply forked tail, more robust bill and red (not brown) eye diagnostic. Tail often appears double-forked during moult. In flight wings are pale and trans­lucent. Mobs large raptors; aggressive towards other large bird species.
Juveniles is dark grey below, with buff and grey-tipped feathers. Yellow gape visible, but not prominent.

by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Amoli]

814. Southern Masked-weaver (Masked Weaver) Ploceus velatus

Identification
The Southern Masked Weaver male in breeding plumage is bright yellow with a black mask and red eye. The black mask extends to the forehead, and down towards the throat. It has brown legs. In non-breeding plumage it resembles the dull-coloured female, but retains a reddish eye. The female has striked upperparts and usually has a brown eye but about 29% of breeding females have a reddish eye.

© Amoli
Breeding male

© Toko
Juvenile male

043.JPG (120.45 KiB) Viewed 258 times

© Flutterby

[Riley]

392. Western Barn Owl Tyto alba

Identification
32 cm. Similar to African Grass-owl but paler and with greyish back. Sexes are alike, but female is often slightly darker. Juvenile is like adult.

by Riley

by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Riley]

127. Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus

Identification
30 cm; sexes alike, female larger than male. Distinctive smallish grey and white raptor with black shoulder patch and bright red eyes. Frequerltly hovers in search of prey.
Juvenile: Eyes yellow, turning orange, then red. Mottled brownish above and with rusty neck and breast.

by Riley

by Flutterby

by Amoli

by Toko

© Klipspringer
Moloto Drive

[Riley]

520. White-throated Swallow Hirundo albigularis

Identification
16 cm, streamers = 2cm. Blue-black breast band (narrowest at centre, or sometimes incomplete) and white throat are distinctive. Rufous on forecorwn limited to region in front of eyes. Female has a shallower tail fork. Juvenile is duller than adult and lacks rufous forecrown and the breast band is brownish.

by Riley

by Flutterby

by Amoli

[Riley]

451. African Hoopoe Upupa africana

Identification
26 cm; sexes similar, male larger than female. Conspicuous and unlikely to be confused with any other species. Crest usually held flattened, forming a long point behind the crown, and only raised when bird lands, in display or when alarmed. Female is duller rufous than male and slightly greyer on face and breast.
Juvenile: Like female, but duller and with shorter crest. Bill initially shorter and less decurved.

by Riley

by Flutterby

by Amoli