Cover image: Pale-winged Starling by Desire Darling – Erongo Wilderness lodge, Namibia

Starlings belong to the family STURNIDAE. All members of the family, which also includes Mynas, are collectively known as starlings. They are small to medium-sized passerine birds known for their often iridescent plumage, complex vocalisations, and their distinctive, swarming behaviour, known as murmurations. Most have strong bills of medium length that are arched on the culmen. They have moderately long and strong legs with large, strong feet. Wing and tail shape are variable.

Starlings are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as northern Australia and the islands of the tropical Pacific. Several European and Asian species have been widely introduced around the world. The family contains 125 species from 36 genera.

Identification

The Pale-winged Starling is a conspicuous and easily recognisable species of arid, mountainous environments.

The plumage is glossy black overall. The two most distinguishing features of the Pale-winged Starling are the bright orange eyes and the pale creamy-white patches in its primaries, which are very striking in flight. The outer edges of the primary feathers are more rufous-brown and this is visible as a rufous edge in the folded wing.

The sexes are alike. Juveniles have brown eyes and are duller than the adults.

The Pale-winged Starling is only likely to be mistaken for the Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio). The Red-winged Starling has dark red-brown eyes (not bright orange), rust-red (not creamy white) wing patches, and a longer tail. Female Red-winged starlings also have greyish heads. The distributions of the two species are largely allopatric, except for a broad area of overlap in the southern Free State, Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces. The Pale-winged Starling typically prefers drier environments than the Red-winged Starling.

Status and Distribution

The Pale-winged Starling is a locally common resident and nomad. It is near-endemic to southern Africa, extending beyond the sub-region only into south-western Angola. It is widespread in coastal and central Namibia, south to the Northern Cape and the interior of the Western Cape, and eastwards to the southern Free State and adjoining uplands of the Eastern Cape. It is very occasionally recorded in extreme south-western Botswana.

It is rather patchily distributed across its range, as evidenced in the distribution map above. This is due to its preference for rugged hilly and mountainous terrain and its general avoidance of vast, flat plains between suitable habitat.

There is no evidence to suggest any recent changes to its distribution. The Pale-winged Starling’s preferred habitat is subject to little human pressure. It is well represented in conservation areas and is not considered threatened.

Habitat

The Pale-winged Starling frequents rocky outcrops, hills, escarpments, and mountain ranges in arid regions. It is dependent on cliffs and rock-faces for breeding and roosting sites. It visits farmyards and orchards, and enters towns for food, but generally avoids man-modified areas.

Behaviour

The Pale-winged Starling is gregarious and almost always found in flocks or small groups. Roosts on cliffs, seldom roosting in trees or on buildings. In the morning flocks fly out to forage in surrounding areas. Occasionally forms mixed flocks with Red-winged and Wattled Starlings. It is shy and wary in its natural habitat but can become tame and confiding around human habitation.

It is both a resident and seasonal nomad and its movements are likely forced by scarce food resources in arid areas, particularly during winter.

Forages on the ground, or in trees and regularly hawks insects in flight. The Pale-winged Starling’s diet consists primarily of insects like grasshoppers, beetles, butterflies and termite alates. They are known to perch on Klipspringers (Oreotragus oreotragus), as well as other antelope and zebras in order to feed on ticks and other ectoparasites.

Pale-winged Starlings are attracted to flowering aloes for nectar and pollen. Fruit is also an important component of their diet and they are frequently drawn to fruiting trees such as wild figs (Ficus spp.) and Bluebush (Diospyros lycioides). They regularly visit picnic sites for food scraps like bread, cheese and maize pap, and they often pick bits of fat and meat off of braai grids. The Pale-winged Starling drinks and bathes regularly.

Breeding takes place from spring to late summer (October to April). Pale-winged Starlings are monogamous, semi-colonial nesters. Pairs defend small territories around the nest, but commonly breed near conspecifics on the same cliff. They are known to sometimes displace other species at nest sites like the Mocking Cliff-Chat (Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris) and Cape Rock Thrush (Monticola rupestris), but are subordinate to Red-winged Starlings (Onychognathus morio)

The nest is constructed by both sexes and consists of a bowl or cup made from grass, typically placed deep inside a crevice or recess in a rock face, and is then packed with sticks and dry grass stems. They very rarely build nests on buildings.

2 to 5 eggs are laid per clutch. The eggs are pale greenish in colour with brownish-red markings. The incubation period lasts for approximately 20 days and all incubation is done by the female. The male remains nearby. The newly hatched young are undescribed. Chicks are fed and cared for by both parents. Nestlings are ready to leave the nest from around 25 days after hatching. Pale-winged Starlings are sometimes double-brooded, breeding more than once in a season, especially during years of good rainfall. Broods are sometimes parasitised by the Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandularis) which specialises in parasitising the nests of various crows and starlings.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Alan Manson, Carel van der Merwe, Craig Peter, Desire Darling, Johan and Estelle van Rooyen, John Fincham, Lance Robinson, Philip Nieuwoudt and Tino Herselman is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Bleekvlerkspreeu (Afrikaans); Rufipenne nabouroup (French); Bergstar (German); Vaalvleugelspreeuw (Dutch); Estorninho-d’asa-pálida (Portuguese)

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2023/10/23/pale-winged-starling-onychognathus-nabouroup/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image: Namaqua Sandgrouse by Tino Herselman – Middelburg, Eastern Cape – BirdPix No. 264328

Identification

Sandgrous are short-legged terrestrial birds with attractive plumage patterns. They somewhat resemble pigeons but are more closely related to wading birds.

The Namaqua Sandgrouse is sexually dimorphic in terms of plumage colouration. Males have a plain yellow-brown, unmarked head and neck area, extending down to the lower breast. The face and throat have a buffy orange wash and there is a narrow, yellow ring of bare skin around the eye. There are two bands across the lower breast, the top band is white while the lower band is dark purplish-brown. The belly is dark greyish-brown and unmarked. The back and folded wings are dark brown with beautiful buffy-yellow and blue-grey spots.

Females are buffy-yellow overall with intricate black-brown barring, streaks and mottling over the whole body. The upper breast shows vertical streaking that changes to horizontal barring on the lower breast and belly.

Juveniles resemble females but are more rufous above with some white-tipped feathers.

In flight the Namaqua Sandgrouse shows a relatively long and narrow pointed tail. This is diagnostic as all other southern African sandgrouse species have shorter, more broadly pointed tails.

The Namaqua Sandgrouse may be mistaken for other sandgrouse species. The female lacks the chestnut belly of female Yellow-throated Sandgrouse (Pterocles gutturalis), and the female Double-banded Sandgrouse (Pterocles bicinctus) has barring (not streaks) on the upper breast. Males are best distinguished from the male Double-banded Sandgrouse by its plain yellowish-brown head which lacks the latter’s black crown streaks and black and white forehead bands.

Distribution

The Namaqua Sandgrouse is a common nomad and partial migrant. It is near-endemic to southern Africa and well adapted to life in arid regions. It occurs from extreme south-western Angola to Namibia, Botswana and western South Africa, from the west coast to the eastern Free State and Eastern Cape interior, and as far south as the wheatlands of the south Western Cape. It is a Vagrant to Zimbabwe, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape coastal regions. The Namaqua Sandgrouse has population centres in the Karoo, southern Kalahari and the Etosha depression in Namibia.

Habitat

The Namaqua Sandgrouse inhabits open stone and gravel desert and semi-desert with a sparse scattering of low shrubs or grass tufts. Often favours drainage lines where food is more abundant and shade may be found during the heat of the day. Sometimes also inhabits arid, sandy savanna with denser vegetation, but generally where the average rainfall is less than 300mm.

Behaviour

The Namaqua Sandgrouse is a gregarious species that is most often found in small flocks and in pairs during the breeding season.

Spends the majority of its time on the ground, moving about with a shuffling gait on short legs.

Forages mostly during early morning and late afternoon and rests up in the shade of a bush during the midday heat. Crouches when disturbed, flushing suddenly before flying fast and straight.

Drinks water daily with large aggregations forming at suitable water sources. Mostly visits water a couple hours after sunrise with smaller numbers arriving to drink in the late afternoon. Flocks may travel up to 60 km each day to visit water. They fly quite fast with an estimated cruising speed of 60-70 km/hr. They prefer exposed water holes with little surrounding vegetation, and are able to drink fairly saline water but prefer fresh water when available. Sandgrouse are equipped with a salt gland to remove excess salt from their bodies. They are unable to perch, so cannot drink from troughs or reservoirs, unless they are leaking.

Flocks roost in stony areas and at the roost site, each bird makes a shallow roosting scrape in which it spends the night. Roosting birds huddle tightly together in cold weather, with adjacent birds facing alternate directions. Dustbathes frequently, but never bathes in water.

Forages during daylight, singly, in pairs or in small groups. Walks slowly with a crouched posture and with the head bent low, making quick pecks at the ground. Does not scratch with the feet, but will flick sand with its bill. Feeds almost exclusively on seeds, mostly small, hard seeds of ephemeral plants, with occasional fresh leaves, flowers and small fruits. Prefers protein-rich legume seeds. Seldom consumes seeds of grasses and daisies. Gravel and pebbles are swallowed intentionally to assist in grinding up seeds in the gizzard.

Breeding is recorded in all months of the year except February with a peak during late winter and spring.

The nest is a simple scrape in the ground, usually exposed to the elements and placed close to a rock or grass tuft. 2 or 3 tawny coloured eggs with dark speckles are laid per clutch. Incubation duties are shared by both sexes and last for around 21 days. The strikingly patterned chicks usually hatch synchronously within 24 hours of each other. Hatchlings are precocial and are led away from the nest to feeding sites within 12 hours of the last chick hatching. Chicks self-feed within 24 hours, eating only seeds which are pointed out to them by the adults.

Sandgrouse have specially adapted feathers on the belly and lower breast that absorb and hold water. Males, and less often females, carry water in these soaked belly feathers, from which chicks drink daily for about 2 months.

Further Resources

This species text is adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Cobus Elstadt, Danny Kotze, Gerald Wingate, John Cox, Karis Daniel, Kyle Finn, Marius Meiring, Rick Nuttall, Tino Herselman and Zenobia van Dyk is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Kelkiewyn (Afrikaans); Lekotokobii (Tswana); Namaqua-zandhoen (Dutch); Ganga namaqua (French); Namaflughuhn (German); Cortiçol da Namáqua (Portuguese).

List of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available Online at https://thebdi.org/2023/10/20/namaqua-sandgrouse-pterocles-namaqua/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image: Rufous-eared Warbler by Lance Robinson – Biesiesvlei, Free State –  BirdPix No. 253422

Identification

The Rufous-eared Warbler is a small, Prinia-like species. It was formerly regarded as a Prinia, but is now accepted as being the only species in the genus Malcorus.

If seen clearly, it is difficult to misidentify. The face and ear coverts are bright chestnut-brown, the rest of the head and upperparts are buff-grey with black streaks. The underparts are white to off-white with buff-coloured flanks. The throat is a cleaner white with a narrow black collar separating the throat and breast. The tail is buff-brown and is long, slender and graduated.

The sexes closely resemble one another but males have a more clearly defined collar and a brighter facial patch. Juveniles are similar to adults but have a fainter, and less distinct throat collar.

Status and Distribution

The Rufous-eared Warbler is endemic to southern Africa and occurs from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State northwards into Namibia and southern Botswana. Its centre of abundance lies in the Nama Karoo. It is a common resident but may move locally in response to rain.

The Rufous-eared Warbler occurs in semi-arid vegetation which is unsuitable for agriculture and is unlikely to be impacted by present land-use practices. There is evidence of localised range contractions in parts of the Western Cape, however, the Rufous-eared Warbler is not considered threatened.

Habitat

The Rufous-eared Warbler occurs in arid and semi-arid shrubland on plains and on hill-sides, as well as shrubby vegetation in drainage lines. It also inhabits scrub around the edges of dry pans. It prefers areas of sparse scrub with grass and some taller bushes. The Rufous-eared Warbler is most frequent in Karoo and Kalahari vegetation types.

Behaviour

The Rufous-eared Warbler is an active species that moves around singly, in pairs or in loose family groups. They are conspicuous when calling from the top of bushes but can be difficult to locate when not vocalising, as they tend to forage low down or on the ground at the base of shrubs. When disturbed they bound away at ground-level to disappear between bushes and grass tufts. They move quickly over the ground and often appear quite rodent-like.

The Rufous-eared Warbler gleans stems and leaves for small insects and other invertebrates, often beginning at the base of a bush and making its way to the top before diving down to the base of the next shrub. The diet consists Eats mostly of invertebrates including many insects such as caterpillars, beetles, termites, bugs, ants and grasshoppers. They also take various small spiders and ticks. Some small fruits or berries are also consumed when available.

Breeding has been recorded in all months, but mainly September to December. Most breeding follows good rains, but breeding in the late winter and early summer period may occur regardless of rainfall.

The Rufous-eared Warbler is monogamous and territorial. During courtship display, the male sings while facing the female as he flutters his wings and jerks his body and tail.

The nest is oval-shaped and sits upright with a side-top entrance. It is rather untidy and is made of dry grass leaves and stems, or other similar fine plant fibres and is bound together with spider web and lined with fluffy plant seeds. The nest is placed around 50cm to a meter above ground in a spiny shrub or bush.

The female lays 2-7 plain white to pale bluish white eggs per clutch (It is thought that large clutches may be laid by two females). The incubation period lasts around two weeks but further details regarding incubation are unrecorded. The nestling or fledging period lasts for another two weeks during which time the young are fed and cared for by both parents.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by JC van Rensburg, Johan and Estelle van Rooyen, Lance Robinson, Philip Nieuwoudt and Tino Herselman is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Rooioorlangstertjie (Afrikaans); Prinia à joues rousses (French); Roodoorprinia (Dutch); Rotbackensänger (German); Felosa-de-faces-ruivas (Portuguese).

A list of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2023/10/10/rufous-eared-warbler-malcorus-pectoralis/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image of Cape Clapper Lark by Gerald Wingate – Near Mamre, Western Cape – BirdPix No. 87574

Identification

The Cape Clapper Lark is a fairly small, compact lark with rather beautiful yet cryptic plumage and the sexes are alike. Juveniles are less clearly barred than adults with a browner appearance and the feathers on the upperparts have pale margins, giving a scaly appearance.

In adults the upperparts (mantle and folded wings) are intricately patterned in chestnut with dark brown to black barring and broad grey trim. The chin and throat are off-white with dark brown speckling. The rest of the underparts are warm buffy-rufous with darker rufous streaking on the lower breast and some blackish streaks on the upper breast. The flight feathers are grey-brown (not rufous) and the rump and central tail feathers are barred.

The face is fairly plain buff with small, dark brown streaks. The bill is brownish-grey, paler at the base and is relatively small and slender.

The Cape Clapper Lark is only likely to be mistaken for the closely related Eastern Clapper Lark Mirafra fasciolata which is larger, with a paler, heavier bill, less conspicuous barring on the upperparts which are also more rufous, and with bright rufous (not grey-brown) flight feathers.

Status and Distribution

The Cape Clapper lark is a common resident and a southern African endemic.

Its range stretches from the western part of the Northern Cape (possibly also southern Namibia), extending south and east through Namaqualand, the western Great Karoo (around the edges of the winter rainfall zone) and the Western Cape to the vicinity of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Makhanda (Grahamstown), in the Eastern Cape. The range in the Eastern Cape may overlap slightly with that of the Eastern Clapper Lark but the extent of this is not yet fully understood.

There is no evidence that the distribution of the Cape Clapper Lark has recently changed. This species is not considered threatened.

Habitat

The Cape Clapper Lark prefers fairly tall and dense, scrubby vegetation, including mesic and arid fynbos, mountain fynbos, renosterveld and succulent Karoo. It is also present but uncommon in strandveld vegetation along the coast. This species has adapted to fallow fields, provided there is enough vegetative cover and occasionally also inhabits dense cereal crops that adjoin its natural habitat.

Behaviour

The Cape Clapper Lark is typically found solitarily or in pairs. It is a rather secretive bird and is most often seen during its distinctive display flight, or sometimes when it perches on top of a bush, rock, termite mound or fence post.

Spends much of its time on the ground and is reluctant to flush, preferring to run away from intruders. Once flushed, it usually drops back onto the ground, but occasionally lands on a bush or similar perch.

The Cape Clapper Lark forages on the ground especially around the base of shrubs or grass tufts. Primarily feeds on insects and the seeds of grasses and shrubs. They are also known to consume the occasional small fruit or berry when available.

The Cape Clapper Lark is a monogamous, solitary nester and is likely to be territorial, at least during the breeding season. Males become conspicuous at the onset of breeding, owing to their highly distinctive display flight. Displaying males take off from the ground or from a perch in a steep ascent while clapping the wings together below the body. The rate of clapping increases during this ascent and reaches an astonishing 25 beats per second before he whistles and then floats back down to the ground.

Very little is known about the breeding behaviour of the Cape Clapper Lark. The nest is a cup of grass, lined with fine plant material and sometimes bits of wool. The nest is built into a hollow in the ground at the base of a grass tuft tuft and is partly domed over from the back with grass.

Eggs are laid between August and November with a peak during September and October. The eggs are off-white or slightly green-grey with dense brown to purple blotches and spots. Two to three eggs are laid per clutch. Unfortunately further details regarding the incubation and nestling period are unrecorded.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Gerald Wingate, Keir Lynch, Rick Nuttall, Stuart Shearer, Tino Herselman and Zenobia van Dyk is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Kaapse klappertjie (Afrikaans); Alouette bateleuse (French); Kap-Grasklapperlerche (German); Klapperleeuwerik (Dutch); Cotovia-batedora (Portuguese).

A list of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Cape Clapper Lark (Mirafra apiata) Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2023/09/19/eastern-clapper-lark-mirafra-fasciolata/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image: Eastern Clapper Lark by Gregg Darling – Mountain Zebra National Park, Eastern Cape – BirdPix No. 5436

Identification

The Eastern Clapper Lark is a compact, medium-sized lark. This species has an overall rufous appearance across most of its range, but birds from northern Namibia and northern Botswana are far paler with greyish or sandy brown upperparts and pale sandy-grey underparts. All colour forms have rich rufous flight feathers.

The upperparts are beautifully mottled in shades of black, brown and grey. The underparts are plain with indistinct streaking on the breast. The bill is relatively short and stout.

The sexes are alike in plumage colouration but males are slightly larger than females. Juveniles resemble the adults but have pale tips to the feathers on the crown, back and wings.

This species has a distinctive wing-clapping flight display which can greatly assist with identification.

The Eastern Clapper Lark can be mistaken for a handful of other species. The closely related Cape Clapper Lark (Mirafra apiata) is smaller, with a darker, more slender bill. It is more heavily barred above with predominantly grey-brown (not rufous) flight feathers. The Rufous-naped Lark (Mirafra africana) is appreciably larger, with a more robust build , a longer, heavier bill and an erectile crest. The Flappet Lark (Mirafra rufocinnamomea) can be differentiated by its smaller size, more slender bill, streaked (not faintly barred) tertials and duller rufous wings.

Status and Distribution

The Eastern Clapper lark is a southern African near-endemic, reaching beyond the region only into south-western Zambia. Its centre of abundance extends from the Eastern Cape, Free State and the central and eastern parts of the Northern Cape, up through North West province into the Kalahari in Botswana. It is less numerous in western Mpumalanga, western KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, with scattered records from Namibia. It is a common resident throughout most of its range.

There is no evidence that the distribution of the Eastern Clapper Lark has recently changed. This species is not considered threatened.

Habitat

The Eastern Clapper Lark is mainly a grassland species but also inhabits open, grassy savanna and semi-arid plains provided there is enough grass cover. It prefers dry, and fairly sparse grassland, especially where the grass is tall and there are scattered bushes, termite mounds, boulders and patches of bare ground. It is most abundant in the grassy north-eastern parts of the Nama Karoo biome.

Behaviour

The Eastern Clapper Lark is usually encountered solitarily or sometimes in pairs.

Unobtrusive and easily overlooked unless displaying. They are reluctant to flush and prefer to run off quickly when approached. The Eastern Clapper Lark spends most of its time on the ground but can, on occasion, be seen perched on top of a bush, termite mound or fence post.

Forages by walking slowly on flexed legs, with its body close to the ground, pecking items off the floor. Searches at the base of grass tufts and around ants nests and termite mounds. They are known to sometimes follow Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer), investigating their diggings for termites. The diet consists predominantly of insects, including grasshoppers, Northern Harvester Termites (Hodotermes mossambicus), ants and beetles etc. They also consume seeds from various forbs and grasses.

The Eastern Clapper Lark becomes quite conspicuous during the breeding season when the males perform their distinctive flight displays. Males display mostly in the early morning and late afternoon. During display the male rises steeply from the ground or a low perch, clapping the wings together below the body, he then whistles at the top of the ascent before parachuting to the ground. Additionally, males will often cruises with fluttering wings at about 25 m above ground, displaying repeatedly. The rate of wing clapping is constant and does not accelerate as with the Cape Clapper Lark (Mirafra apiata), nor does it clap in bursts as with the Flappet Lark (Mirafra rufocinnamomea).

The Eastern Clapper Lark is a monogamous, solitary nester. Breeding takes place from late September to January, although this varies according to rainfall in drier regions.

The nest is cup-shaped with a partly or completely domed roof with a side entrance. The nest is placed on the ground, often between tufts of grass or stones. Two or three eggs are laid per clutch but details about the incubation period are unknown. The young leave the nest at 11 days old, before they are able to fly.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Ansie Dee Reis, Dawie De Swardt, Jorrie Jordaan, Rick Nuttall and Tino Herselman is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Hoëveldklappertjie (Afrikaans); Alouette fasciée (French); Grasklapperlerche (German)

A list of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Eastern Clapper Lark (Mirafra fasciolata) Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2023/09/19/eastern-clapper-lark-mirafra-fasciolata/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image: Grey-backed Sparrow-lark by Jorrie Jordaan – Aberdeen district, Eastern Cape – BirdPix No. 252498

Identification

The Grey-backed Sparrow-lark is a small, compact lark with marked sexual dimorphism.

Adult males are unmistakable and the only sparrow-larks in southern Africa with a grey back and strongly patterned black and white head.

Females are less distinctive than the males but still readily identifiable based on their overall pale grey-brown appearance, un-streaked flanks and black lower belly patch.

Immature birds resemble the females but are variably buff and white spotted above.

Grey-backed Sparrow-lark males are unlikely to be mistaken for another species. Females are similar to those of the Black-eared Sparrow-lark (Eremopterix australis) and the Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark (Eremopterix verticalis). Females of both the Black-eared and Chestnut-backed Sparrow-larks are darker, particularly on the upperparts, and have reddish brown (not sandy grey) upper wing coverts. They are also more boldly streaked on the breast as opposed to the light streaking on the breast of the female Grey-backed Sparrow-lark.

Status and Distribution

The Grey-backed Sparrow-lark is near-endemic to Southern Africa. It also occurs in south-western Zambia and neighbouring south-eastern Angola and also occurs along the coastal plain of Angola as far north as Luanda. It is distributed across central and western South Africa, and virtually throughout Namibia and Botswana. There are few records from Zimbabwe where the Grey-backed Sparrow-lark is mainly irruptive after good rains.

There is no evidence of changes in the recent past to the distribution of the Grey-backed Sparrow-lark. It remains a common and widespread species and is not threatened.

Habitat

A bird of semi-arid to arid habitats, the Grey-backed Sparrow-lark is present in a range of vegetation types, including Karoo scrub, arid grasslands with scattered shrubs and trees, and sparse Kalahari woodlands. It is frequently attracted to dry pans, burnt grassland, and fallow fields. Prefers flat, sandy or firm gravelly areas and generally avoids rocky and mountainous terrain.

The Grey-backed Sparrow-lark is most numerous in the Karoo and Kalahari vegetation types in the Northern Cape, Botswana and Namibia.

Behaviour

This species is gregarious, even when breeding. It is most often found in small groups but may also occur in flocks numbering in the thousands following good rainfall and grass growth.

The seasonal movements of this species are not well understood, but they appear to be nomadic, moving erratically in response to rainfall and food availability.

Forages in open places among shrubs and stones. Flushes readily in typically erratic flight while uttering a chirping flight call. Spends most of its time on the ground and seldom perches on bushes or fences.

Forages on the ground and feeds mostly on grass seeds, but also eats seeds from certain forbs and shrubs. Insects make up a smaller part of their diet, especially young locust hoppers and the workers and alates of Northern Harvester Termites (Hodotermes mossambicus). Drinks water regularly when available, but some flocks apparently survive without access to water.

The Grey-backed Sparrow-lark breeds opportunistically after rain. It is a monogamous, solitary nester, even though nests may only be a few meters apart.

In display flight, the singing male circles 15-30 m above ground in a series of undulations, often with the legs dangling.

Nest construction is mostly by the female, although the male may help. The nest is a cup composed of fine grass leaves, panicles, feathery awns and rootlets. The nest is placed into an excavated hollow, on a foundation of small stones. The nest rim is normally slightly raised and fringed with more small stones. or soil clods. The nest is usually situated at the base of a shrub or grass tuft and facing south or east for shade.

One to five (normally two or three) eggs are laid per clutch. Clutch size is linked to the amount of rainfall the breeding area has received. The eggs are white and finely speckled with yellowish-brown markings. Incubation begins after all the eggs have been laid or sometimes after the first egg has been laid. Incubation duties are shared with males doing most of the incubation during the day and females at night.

All eggs normally hatch within 24 hours and the nestling period lasts just 7 to 10 days. Parental duties are shared by both sexes. The young are fed exclusively on arthropods, particularly Harvester Termites, caterpillars and grasshoppers. The parents perform broken wing distraction displays when the eggs or young are threatened. When alarmed the male often flies around the nest site in bouncing flight while alarm calling.

Further Resources

Species text adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

Paper about Biometrics and moult of Grey-backed Sparrow-lark published in Biodiversity Observations, with all the data collected at a BDI bird ringing course; see here and here!

The use of photographs by Alan Collett, Gerald Wingate, Tino Herselman and Vaughan Jessnitz is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Grey-backed Finchlark (Alternative English name); Grysruglewerik (Afrikaans); Moinelette à dos gris (French); Nonnenlerche (German); Cotovia-pardal-de-dorso-cinzento (Portuguese); Grijsrug-vinkleeuwerik (Dutch).

List of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Grey-backed Sparrow-lark Eremopterix verticalis. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at http://thebdi.org/2023/09/11/grey-backed-sparrow-lark-eremopterix-verticalis/

Bird identification, birding

Cover image: Booted Eagle by Gregg Darling – Paarl mountain Reserve, Western Cape – BirdPix No. 6148

Identification

The Booted Eagle has a compact, stocky build and is the smallest brown eagle in southern Africa. The sexes are alike in plumage but they differ in size, females being substantially larger than males. Females weigh up to 975 g and can attain a wingspan of 1.35 m

The Booted Eagle is a variable species and can be found in three colour forms, a pale morph, a dark morph and the rare rufous morph. Pale morph birds make up roughly 80% of all individuals in Southern Africa.

Pale form birds have brown upperparts, including the head, and pale cream coloured underparts, with a variable amount of brown streaking on the chest. Dark morph birds are entirely dark brown with dark streaking below. The rufous morph is intermediate between the dark and pale morphs and has variable, rufous underparts. All colour morphs show a band of buff-tipped feathers on the folded wings.

At certain angles in flight, shows pale patches or ‘landing lights’ on the leading edge of the wings, close to the body. This is the most distinguishing feature of this species but is not clear from all angles and is less conspicuous on pale form individuals. Additionally, when seen flying from below, there is a distinctive pale wedge at the bend of the wing.

Juveniles resemble their respective adult morph but have buffy feathers on the upper wing coverts, secondaries and tail feathers.

The Booted Eagle could be mistaken for other similarly sized brown raptors such as Wahlberg’s Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi, Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina, Black Kite Milvus migrans and juvenile Ayre’s Hawk Eagle Hieraaetus ayresii.

The Black Kite lacks the white ‘landing lights’ and has a shallowly forked (not slightly rounded) tail. Wahlberg’s Eagle has longer, straighter wings and a narrow, rectangular tail, and also lacks the white ‘landing lights’. Juvenile Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle is more compact, with strong barring on the under wings and tail. The Lesser Spotted Eagle is larger with broader wings and a shorter, broader tail. It too lacks the diagnostic ‘landing lights’ of the Booted Eagle.

Status and Distribution

The Booted Eagle is a very widespread species, occurring across Africa, southern and eastern Europe, parts of western and central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

It is fairly common but localised throughout Southern Africa and is most numerous in the winter rainfall regions of South Africa.

There are three populations of Booted Eagles in southern Africa. The first comprises birds that breed in the winter rainfall region of the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape. These birds disperse into other parts of southern Africa after breeding. The second population is small and breeds on the Waterberg Plateau in Namibia. The third are non-breeding Palearctic migrants from Eurasia and North Africa. Local breeding birds are indistinguishable from Palearctic birds.

It is possible that the establishment of local breeding populations is a recent phenomenon and the species is perhaps undergoing an increase in numbers and breeding range.

Habitat

The Booted Eagle is restricted to breeding on cliffs in mountainous country but hunts in both hilly and flat terrain.

It is most common in the dwarf shrublands of the Karoo and in fynbos. Non-breeding migrants are found in a variety of non-forested habitats, including open woodland, grassland, desert and semi-desert. It avoids forested and densely wooded habitats.

Behaviour

The Booted Eagle is usually encountered solitarily or in pairs. It is inconspicuous when perched and is usually only seen when flying. Soars frequently, especially during the warmest part of the day.

The booted Eagle is fast and agile on the wing and most hunting is done in flight, either after a long, near vertical stoop dive or after a chase in level flight. Sometimes also hunts from a perch

The diet consists mainly of a wide range of bird species up to the size of francolins or guineafowl, but also takes lizards, rodents, and insects such as locusts and termite alates. They will drink water regularly during hot conditions.

In Southern Africa breeding birds nest on cliff faces, often at the base of a tree growing out of the rock face. Birds breed between August and January in South Africa with a peak between September and November. Namibian birds on the Waterberg plateau in winter with a peak in June.

Booted Eagles are monogamous and mate fidelity is high with pairs remaining together for successive seasons. They are territorial but are tolerant of conspecifics breeding nearby.

The nest is a surprisingly small platform of sticks and twigs, lined with fresh green leaves. It is constructed and repaired by both sexes and the nest is frequently re-used over many years.

Two mostly white eggs with feint reddish speckling are laid per clutch. Incubation is performed mostly by the female and the incubation period lasts for around 40 days. Both chicks are often raised but cainism sometimes occurs. The nestling period takes a further 50 to 54 days. During this time the chicks are fed predominantly by the female while the male does most of the hunting. Fledged juveniles remain near the nest for some time and remain dependent on the parents for up to 60 days or so.

Further Resources

This species text is adapted from the first Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997.

The use of photographs by Dave Rimmer, Eddie du Plessis, Gerald Wingate, Gregg Darling, Johan and Estelle van Rooyen, John Todd, Jon Blanco, Les Underhill, Pamela Kleiman, Stuart Shearer, Sybrand Venter, Tino Herselman and Zenobia van Dyk is acknowledged.

Virtual Museum (BirdPix > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name).

Other common names: Dwergarend (Afrikaans); Dwergarend (Dutch); Aigle botté (French); Zwergadler (German); Águia-calçada (Portuguese).

List of species available in this format.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2023. Booted Eagle Aquila pennatus. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at http://thebdi.org/2023/09/07/booted-eagle-aquila-pennatus/

Bird identification, birding