AW Challenge - Bird Check List for Pilanesberg

[Riley]

428. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

Identification
25 cm; sexes similar. Only kingfisher in region with an all black and white plumage.
Male: Double breast. band.
Female: Easily separable with single breast band.
Juvenile: Breast band greyish black; feathers on face, throat and breast fringed buff.

Male
by Riley

by Toko


Female
by Amoli

by Flutterby

[Riley]

112. Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii

Identification
53 cm. Long black spatulate bill is distinctive. The plumage is finely speckled grey-brown and adults have dull orange legs. Male has a paler head, a pale blue forewing separated from the green speculum by a white border, and yellow eyes. Female has a darker head and brown eyes and a grey forewing. Juvenile is duller and paler than respective adults.

[Riley]

459. Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus leucomela

Identification
50 cm; sexes alike, male larger than female and with larger bill. Yellow bill and pink facial skin diagnostic. Eyes yellow.
Juvenile: Bill smaller and more dusky; eyes grey becoming brown.

by Riley

by Flutterby

by Amoli

by Toko

[Flutterby]

741. Brubru Nilaus afer

Identification
12-14 cm. The chequered back, broad white eyebrow stripe and russet flank stripe are diagnostic. Female is duller than male. Juvenile is mottled with buff and brown above and below.

[Flutterby]

149. Steppe Buzzard Buteo vulpinus

Identification
45-50 cm. The plumage varies from pale brown through to almost black. Yellow cere and legs. It is generally darker below than the Forest Buzzard. Unlike Forest Buzzards, the flanks are usually conspicuously barred. Sexes are alike. Juvenile resembles adult but has yellow (not brown) eyes and a narrower terminal tail bar.

by Flutterby

by Amoli

[Flutterby]

055. White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus

Identification
80-100 cm. The largest cormorant of the region. Adult is glossy black with a white throat and breast, and a bright yellow patch at the base of the bill. During the breeding season it has white flank patches. Sexes are alike. Juvenile and immature birds are dark brown with white underparts. Chick: Naked black, then with sooty black down.

by Flutterby

by Riley

by Amoli

by Toko
Breeding adult with chicks

[Flutterby]

300. Temminck's Courser Cursorius temminckii

Identification
19-21 cm. Smallest African courser. Close resemblance to Burchell's Courser but has broader black line extending behind the eye, and a rusty-brown (not grey) crown. Trailing flight feathers are completely black. Sexes are alike. Juvenile is duller, with slightly speckled underparts and scalloped upperparts.

© Flutterby
Near Mankwe

© Klipspringer
Moloto Drive

[Amoli]

373. Grey Go-away-bird (Grey Lourie) Corythaixoides concolor

Identification
49 cm. Very distinctive all-grey bird with a crest that is common in the bushveld. Sexes are alike. Juvenile paler than adult with shorter crest and buffy tinge to feathers.

by Amoli

by Flutterby

by Riley

by Toko

[Amoli]

429. Giant Kingfisher Ceryle maxima

Identification
44 cm. the male is easily recognisable by its large size, rufous upper breast, shaggy crest and speckled slaty throat and belly. The underwing and lower belly are white. Female underparts have reversed colour pattern with rufous on belly (not chest). Underwing and undertail coverts are rufous. Juvenile is similar to the adult but sides of chest are mottled black and chestnut.

Male
by Amoli

by Riley

Female
by Flutterby

[Amoli]

188. Coqui Francolin Francolinus coqui

Identification
24 cm. Smallest southern African francolin. In the male, the mustard-yellow head with a contrasting darker crown, and the neck pattern are distinctive, making identification easy. Females superficially resemble Shelley's Francolin but is overall paler, has a broader white eye-stripe and is smaller. Juvenile resembles the male adult but is paler above with rufous-buff mottling.

Male
by Amoli

by Flutterby

Female
by Flutterby