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Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)

Posted on 22/07/2024 by Ryan Tippett

Cover image of Cape Vulture by Pamela Kleiman – Underberg district, KwaZulu-Natal – BirdPix No. 274705

Vultures belong to the Family: ACCIPITRIDAE. This family also includes eagles, hawks, buzzards, kites etc. Members are all carnivorous, and most are medium to very large birds with strongly hooked bills.

Identification

The Cape Vulture is a very large species, weighing up to 10.8 kg and can attain a wingspan up to 2.6 m. The sexes are alike but females are slightly larger.

Adult Cape Vultures have bluish-grey heads, covered in short, white, hair-like feathers. The face is bare and can turn reddish when they are excited. The neck is long and bluish-grey, with a collar of fluffy white feathers around the base. A crop patch is present below the neck with short, dark brown feathers. It is flanked by two bare, light blue ‘breast-patches’, but these are not always visible. The overall body colouration varies from creamy off-white to buff-coloured and the back feathers are mottled with broad streaks. Perched birds show a diagnostic row of dark spots on the wing, just above the black flight feathers. The short tail is blackish brown. The bill and cere are black and the eyes are dull yellow. The legs and feet are black.

Adults in flight appear pale from below. The primaries are blackish and the secondaries are pale with a distinct, dark terminal bar.

Cape Vulture in flight — Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*) Adult
Mabula Game Reserve, Limpopo
Photo by Lance Robinson

Juvenile and immature birds go through a gradual transition into adult plumage that takes several years. Both are darker overall than the adults with dark buff streaks, which are especially noticeable on the underparts. The head is covered with woolly white down and the bare skin on the hind neck has a pinkish tint. The ‘breast-patches’ are reddish. They also have lance-shaped ruff feathers that eventually turn fluffy as they reach adulthood. Young birds slowly become paler as they mature and the streaked undersides are the last juvenile feature to be lost. The eyes are brown, only turning yellow in their fifth or sixth year. The skin on their necks is dark with pink tinges.

Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*)
Vulpro, Gauteng
Photo by Anthony Paton

Juveniles, when seen in flight from below, show blackish primaries and dark secondaries with grey-brown tips. If seen from above, the greater covert tips form a diagnostic narrow white stripe across the wing. Soaring immatures resemble the adults but generally have darker secondaries and show a row of black spots along the coverts near the base of the flight feathers.

Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*) juvenile
Ingula Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Lance Robinson

Status and Distribution

The Cape Vulture is essentially endemic to southern Africa, with occasional vagrants reaching southern Zambia. It is a locally common resident in the core of its range but is scarce to rare elsewhere. The Cape Vulture is listed globally as endangered.

SABAPw2 distribution map Cape Vulture — SABAP2 distribution map for **Cape Vulture** (*Gyps coprotheres*) – July 2024. Details for map interpretation can be found here.

It is fairly widely distributed in southern Africa. The Cape Vulture is most widespread in South Africa, particularly in the east and north with a small, isolated population in the south-Western Cape. It also occurs in central and northern Namibia, south-eastern Botswana, western and southern Zimbabwe, south-western Mozambique, and eSwatini (Swaziland). Sadly, both the range and population of the Cape Vulture have decreased significantly over the last 100 years, and the Cape Vulture is now extinct as a breeding species in Namibia, Zimbabwe, eSwatini (Swaziland) and probably also Mozambique.

The remaining breeding colonies are located in two, now mostly disjunct, regions. The first includes colonies in eastern Botswana and the Limpopo, North West and Gauteng provinces. The second is centred around the Drakensberg Mountain range in the Lesotho highlands, western KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Additionally, a remnant and isolated colony persists in the south-Western Cape.

The current distribution of the Cape Vulture shows that it has become greatly reduced or extinct in many areas away from its core range. This is most obvious in commercial, small-stock farming regions in the Karoo, Fynbos and Grassland biomes. The now fragmented range of the Cape Vulture is evident in the latest distribution map (see above).

Cape Vulture in flighjt — Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*)
Near Hekpoort, Gauteng
Photo by Andrew Keys

The Cape Vulture faces many threats to its continued survival. The greatest threat is from poisoning, which comes in two forms, either direct or indirect poisoning.

Indirect poisoning is largely due to irresponsible farmers who prepare and place poisoned baits to control live-stock predators such as jackals.
Direct poisoning occurs when vultures are deliberately poisoned by poachers to prevent the birds from alerting authorities when they circle over recent kills. They are also directly poisoned to harvest and sell their body parts for belief-based use.

Other major threats to the Cape Vulture include:

Collisions with energy infrastructures such as wind farms
Electrocutions on electricity lines and pylons
Reduced availability of food sources
Loss of breeding and foraging habitat
Human disturbance at breeding colonies

Electrocuted Cape Vulture — This young Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*) was electrocuted on overhead powerlines.
Near Elliot, Eastern Cape
Photo by Walter Neser

Habitat

The Cape Vulture is reliant on tall cliffs for breeding, but they wander widely into other habitats when searching for food. Cape Vultures forage over a range of open habitats like grassland, scrub and savanna. The Cape Vulture is scarce in dense woodlands. Its current distribution is closely associated with subsistence communal-grazing areas, characterised by high stock losses and low use of poisons. They also scavenge in large conservation areas such as the greater Kruger National Park and game reserves in north-eastern Kwazulu-Natal, but do not breed in these reserves.

The Cape Vulture occurs and breeds from near sea level in the Western Cape up to 3100 m above sea level in the Lesotho highlands.

Behaviour

The Cape Vulture is usually seen in groups of up to 100, but foraging birds may be seen in twos and threes. Small groups of Cape Vultures roost at night on trees and electricity pylons while larger groups roost on cliffs. They frequently gather at water to bathe and drink. They lie or stand with their wings outstretched after bathing to dry off, followed by preening.

Cape Vultures are generally resident but can be somewhat nomadic when not breeding. Birds have been recorded wandering up to 1200km during the non-breeding season, especially immatures prior to their first nesting attempt.

Gyps coprotheres in flight — Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*)
Queenstown district, Eastern Cape
Photo by Craig Peter

They range widely when searching for food. Cape Vultures forage in flight and carrion is identified by sight alone. They mostly search for medium-sized to very large mammal carcasses. Foraging birds soar high above open habitats. They spread out, scanning for signs of food by watching each other, and also the activities of other avian and mammalian scavengers.

Cape Vultures in flight — Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*)
Near Hekpoort, Gauteng
Photo by Andrew Keys

Once a carcass has been spotted, Cape Vultures will dive and descend rapidly. They arrive promptly at a carcass, and often in large numbers. At first, they will perch in nearby trees or stand around assessing the surroundings. Once it is deemed safe they will move in to feed. The Cape Vulture dominates most other vultures at a carcass, except adult Lappet-faced Vultures (Torgos tracheliotos), and they will occasionally attempt to steal food from other vulture species. They often have to wait for Lappet-faced Vultures or mammalian scavengers to open large, thick-skinned carcasses.

Cape Vultures feed mostly by reaching deep inside a carcass, slicing off flesh with the sharp edges of the upper mandible. They eat rapidly, aided by grooves and serrations on the tongue. The crop can be filled within 5 minutes, which is enough food to sustain them for 3 days! They consume muscle tissue, organs, intestines and bone fragments and mostly avoid tougher material like thick skin and ligaments.

The Cape Vulture is monogamous and probably pairs for life. They nest colonially on tall cliffs. Colonies can number up to 1 000 pairs, but these days few colonies support more than 100 pairs. They are not territorial.

Cape Vulture colony — Cape Vulture (*Gyps coprotheres*)
Oribi Vulture Hide, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Lia Steen

The nest is placed on a cliff ledge and is a fairly sparse, platform of sticks with a shallow bowl, lined with leaves and grass. The outside diameter of the nest can reach 1m across. It is built entirely by the female although the male gathers most of the nesting material. Pairs often re-use the same nest site in subsequent breeding seasons.

Cape Vultures breed from March to July. A single off-white egg is laid per clutch. Incubation is shared almost equally by both sexes. The incubating bird’s shift lasts for 1 or 2 days at a time, while its mate is away foraging. The incubation period last for up to 58 days.

Once the egg hatches the young nestling is brooded continuously for up to 72 days. The nestling is fed on regurgitated food by both parents. Calcium rich bone fragments are very important in the nestlings diet. The nestling period lasts for up to 170 days before fledging. Fully fledged juveniles remain dependant on their parents for up to 221 days. The parents will then chase away the the immature bird before the start of the next egg-laying season. Young Cape Vultures take 4 to 6 years to reach sexual maturity.

Further Resources

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

The use of photographs by Andrew Keys, Anthony Paton, Craig Peter, Erena Neubert, Johan van Rensburg, Jorrie Jordaan, Lance Robinson, Lia Steen, Pamela Kleiman, Richard Johnstone, Vaughan Jessnitz and Walter Neser is acknowledged.

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

Other common names: Cape Griffon (Alt. English); Kransaasvoël (Afrikaans); iNqe (Zulu); lxhalanga (Xhosa); Diswaane, Lenông (Tswana); Kaapse Gier (Dutch); Vautour chassefiente (French); Kapgeier (German); Grifo do Cabo (Portuguese)

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

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2024. Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2024/07/22/cape-vulture-gyps-coprotheres/

Bird identification, birding

Archive/Bird identification/Birding/Birds

Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)

Posted on 15/07/2024 by Ryan Tippett

Cover image: Fork-tailed Drongo by Desire Darling – Komdomo, Eastern Cape – BirdPix No. 28186

Drongos belong to the Family: DICRURIDAE. All drongos are placed in a single genus, Dicrurus with 28 known species. Drongos are mostly black or dark grey, short-legged birds, with an upright stance when perched. They have forked tails and some have elaborate tail decorations. They are widely distributed in the old world tropics from Africa and tropical Asia, to Australasia and the Solomon Islands.

Identification

The Fork-tailed Drongo is a bold and conspicuous species. It is entirely black overall with a glossy blue or purplish sheen. It has a longish, deeply forked tail. During moult the tail often has a double fork until the feathers have fully grown out. The eyes are dark red and are an important identification feature. The legs and feet are black. The bill is fairly short and sturdy with a small hooked tip. The Fork-tailed Drongo has prominent rictal bristles at the base of the bill. In flight the wings appear pale to almost translucent. The sexes are very similar but females have less deeply forked tails.

Fork-tailed Drongo (*Dicrurus adsimilis*)
Swartvlei Mouth, Western Cape
Photo by David Kennedy

Immatures resemble the adults but are dusky grey below with dense pale grey speckles.

Juvenile Fort-tailed Drongo — An immature Fork-tailed Drongo (*Dicrurus adsimilis*)
Shellybeach, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Lia Steen

The Fork-tailed Drongo is most likely to be mistaken for the Square-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus ludwigii) and the Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina). The Square-tailed Drongo is smaller with a square or slightly notched (not forked) tail. The two species also differ in their choice of habitat with the Square-tailed Drongo inhabiting forests rather than open woodland, ensuring they are largely ecologically separated. However, they can co-occur in certain areas, such as north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. The Southern Black Flycatcher is also similar but is smaller with a more slender build. It also has a less robust bill that lacks the hooked tip, and blackish (not dark red) eyes.

Status and Distribution

The Fork-tailed Drongo occurs throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, except for very arid and otherwise treeless regions. In southern Africa it mostly avoids highveld grassland areas, the central and western Karoo, Namaqualand, the west coast lowlands of South Africa and the Namib desert of Namibia.

The Fork-tailed Drongo is a common resident, with some short-distance local movements in winter related to food availability.

SABAP2 distribution map for Fort-tailked Drongo — SABAP2 distribution map for **Fork-tailed Drongo** (*Dicrurus adsimilis*) – July 2024.
Details for map interpretation can be found here.

The Fork-tailed Drongo has expanded its range slightly further into the south-western Cape in recent decades and is not considered threatened.

Habitat

The Fork-tailed Drongo is primarily a woodland species. It inhabits a range of woodland types, including denser, moist woodland and open arid savanna, including the Kalahari. The Fork-tailed Drongo is also found in riverine woodland, exotic plantations, gardens, parks and farmyards. Its presence in grassland is dependant on the availability of perches like copses of alien trees or fence posts and telephone poles. It regularly occurs along forest edges but avoids the forest interior.

Behaviour

The Fork-tailed Drongo is conspicuous owing to its bold and aggressive behaviour and harsh, scolding calls. It is usually found solitarily or in pairs, but sometimes also in larger groups where food is abundant such as flowering aloes or termile alate emergences. Typically perches in the open on a branch or post. As it is an aggressive species, the Fork-tailed Drongo will readily mob snakes and larger birds like raptors, owls, hornbills or crows, and also small mammals like the Slender Mongoose. It is particularly aggressive at the nest, and will even attack humans that get too close.

Bathes by plunge-diving from the air or perch and will also bathe in the rain by spreading its wings and tail, and raising the back feathers. The flight is buoyant, undulating and agile with a swift turn of speed when needed, allowing the Fork-tailed Drongo to evade fast-flying raptors such as goshawks.

It forages by hawking prey aerially from a perch but also catches prey on the ground. The Fork-tailed Drongo is primarily an insectivore but consumes a wide variety of food. Most insect prey is captured in flight, including dragonflies, butterflies, moths, termite alates and flies. It seems to be especially fond of stinging insects like bees and wasps. The stiff rictal bristles around the base of the bill are thought to help protect its face and eyes from stings and are also likely to provide a sensory function.

The Fork-tailed Drongo will also snatch prey like caterpillars and spiders from the surface of vegetation. It consumes nestlings and small adult birds like mannikins and canaries and has even been recorded to catch small fish from the the water surface. Larger prey is held down with one foot and eaten. The Fork-tailed Drongo also eats ticks which they remove from cattle and game animals, and they readily consume nectar, especially from large Aloe species.

The Fork-tailed Drongo is an intelligent and adaptable species with many interesting behavioural traits and interactions…

It regularly joins mixed-species foraging flocks where it is often kleptoparasitic, stealing food from other birds. If it spots another bird that had found food it may sound a ‘false alarm’ call, causing that bird to drop the morsel and flee towards cover. The drongo then swoops in to grab the dropped food.

Similarly, in the Kalahari, the Fork-tailed Drongo, perches above foraging Meerkats/Suricates (Suricata suricatta) and, when a meerkat has found food, swoops down, giving an alarm call. The meerkats then usually scatter, leaving the food, which the drongo then takes.

Fork-tailed Drongo stealing food from African Hoopoe — Fork-tailed Drongo (*Dicrurus adsimilis*) attempting to steal food from an African Hoopoe (*Upupa africana*)
Near Hartebeespoort, North West
Photo by Andrew Keys

It forages at lights at dusk and dawn, where it feeds on flying insects attracted by the light. There is even a record of feeding in floodlights at a game lodge during the night.

The Fork-tailed Drongo is an accomplished voice-mimic and often imitates the calls of predatory birds like the Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) or African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro). This is thought to deter other birds that may compete with the drongo from entering its territory.

It perches on, or close to beehives, hawking bees that leave or return to the hive.

It associates with walking humans and and perches on large mammals to catch flushed prey or to glean ticks.

It is attracted to veld fires, where it forages downwind from the flames in an attempt to catch fleeing insects.

The Fork-tailed Drongo is recorded to breed virtually throughout the year in southern Africa, with a peak during late spring and summer (September to November). It is a monogamous, solitary nester and is strongly territorial.

The nest is a tightly woven, shallow cup. The floor and sides of the nest are thin and woven out of pliable plant stems, rootlets, tendrils and twigs. The nest is neatly bound with spider web and is usually placed in the horizontal fork of an outermost tree branch. The nest is firmly secured to the branch with additional spider web. Both sexes help to construct the nest which takes around four days to complete.

The clutch size varies from two to five eggs and the egg colouration is highly variable. The base colour may be white, pink or cream, and the eggs may be plain or speckled and blotched with with dark pink, reddish brown or brown markings.

Incubation starts once the full clutch has been laid. The incubation period usually lasts for 16 days and is performed by both sexes. The newly hatched young are altricial and are fed and brooded by both parents. The nestling period lasts for 17 to 18 days. The Fork-tailed Drongo is usually single brooded but pairs may lay a replacement clutch after an early failure.

The Fork-tailed Drongo is the only known host of the African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) and is occasionally also parasitised by the Jacobin Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus).

Further Resources

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

The use of photographs by Alan Collett, Andrew Keys, Colin Summersgill, David Kennedy, Derek Solomon, Desire Darling, Gert Myburgh, Gregg Darling, Lia Steen, Mike Nyenes, Neels Putter and Trevor Hardaker is acknowledged.

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

Other common names: Mikstertbyvanger (Afrikaans); iNtengu (Zulu); Intengu (Xhosa); Kuamosi (Tswana); Drongo brillant (French); Fluweeldrongo (Dutch); Trauerdrongo, Gabelschwanzdrongo (German); Drongo-de-cauda-forcada (Portuguese).

List of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2024. Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2024/07/15/fork-tailed-drongo-dicrurus-adsimilis/

Bird identification, birding

Archive/Bird identification/Birding/Birds

Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis)

Posted on 09/07/2024 by Ryan Tippett

Cover image of Spotted Thick-Knee by Kevin Lavery – Klipriversberg Nature Reserve, Gauteng – BirdPix No. 220757

Thick-knees belong to the Family: BURHINIDAE. This family also includes Stone-Curlews. They are medium-to large sized, terrestrial waders. They are generally found in semi-arid to arid, open areas and only a few species are associated with water.

Identification

The Spotted Thick-knee is a large, long-legged wader, with strikingly large eyes. The combination of long legs, overall spotted appearance and large yellow eyes is distinctive.

The forehead, crown, nape, ear coverts and hind neck are buff-coloured with darker brown streaks. The white supercilium is short and broad. A conspicuous white stripe is present below the eye, reaching from the gape or frons to the cheek.

Spotted Thick-knee (*Burhinus capensis*)
Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng
Photo by Werner Van Goethem

The upper parts and tail are mostly buff-coloured with bold dark brown to black spots and blotches. The tail is fairly long and extends well beyond the wing tips at rest. The throat is white and the underparts, from the neck to the lower breast are pale buff with fine dark streaks. The belly and under tail coverts are white with scattered dark streaks.

Spotted Thick-knee (*Burhinus capensis*)
Hanover district, Northern Cape
Photo by Ryan Tippett

In flight the Spotted Thick-knee appears long-winged and long-tailed. The flight feathers are black with white patches at the base of the primaries. The bill is black with a yellow base and the legs and feet are dull yellow. The large eyes are rich yellow. The sexes are alike.

Juveniles resemble the adults but are more heavily streaked on the upperparts and have a less blotched appearance. They also have finer streaking on the fore-neck and breast.

The Spotted Thick-knee is only likely to be confused with the slightly smaller Water Thick-knee (Burhinus vermiculatus), but lacks that species greyish wing panel and thin white wing bar. The two species frequently co-occur, although their preferred habitats differ.

Status and Distribution

The Spotted Thick-knee is generally a fairly common resident with some local movement in the non-breeding season.

SABAP2 distribution map for Spotted Thick-knee — SABAP2 distribution map for **Spotted Thick-knee** (*Burhinus capensis*) – June 2024. Details for map interpretation can be found here.

The Spotted Thick-knee is found across most of sub-Saharan Africa but is absent from the tropical forest zone, and the driest parts of East Africa. There are also isolated populations in the south-west of the Arabian Peninsula. It is widespread throughout southern Africa but avoids the most arid parts of the Namib Desert, the high Drakensberg and the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe.

The Spotted Thick-knee is not threatened in southern Africa due to its adaptability to man-modified habitats. As a result its historical range and abundance have probably not changed much.

The clearing of bush and forest has helped the Spotted Thick-knee to extend its range into formerly unsuitable areas. On the other hand, the species is no longer found in Lesotho and the former Transkei in the Eastern Cape. These regions have become uninhabitable to the Spotted Thick-knee due to the constant presence of people and livestock (especially free-range pigs) making breeding virtually impossible. Under less extreme conditions the Spotted Thick-Knee adapts well to habitats modified by human activity.

The Spotted Thick-knee does face a few threats: It was hunted historically but is no longer regarded as a gamebird. They are sometimes shot at airports due to a risk of collision with aircraft. Additionally, in southern Africa large numbers may be killed on roads at night.

Habitat

The Spotted Thick-knee prefers open habitats with sparse ground cover and patches of bare soil, especially on stony ground. It inhabits open grassland and savanna, also woodland edges, fynbos, semi-arid Karoo scrub and low stony hills, but avoids true desert. The Spotted Thick-knee requires some nearby cover to rest up in during the day such as bushes, long grass or under low hanging tree branches etc. They are often encountered on gravel roads at night and sometimes occur on beaches, especially in the Eastern Cape.

The Spotted Thick-knee has adapted well to man-modified habitats like cultivated and overgrazed lands. It commonly occurs and breeds in urban environments in South Africa, even close to city centres. Urban habitats include large lawns, playing fields, gardens, parks and cemeteries. Interestingly, the Spotted Thick-Knee is absent from suburban gardens in Botswana.

Behaviour

The Spotted Thick-knee is normally encountered solitarily or in pairs when breeding, otherwise often gregarious, forming loose daytime roosts of up to 70 birds. The Spotted Thick-knee is most vocal at night and can be rather noisy at times. They also call on overcast days, especially after rain.

The Spotted Thick-knee is largely crepuscular and nocturnal. It roosts by day, standing or crouching in the shade of a bush or tree, often in the cover of grass or weedy growth. Sleeps by crouching with the legs covered by the breast and with the neck and head resting on the ground. On hot days they may lie down with both legs stretched out behind the body to aid in cooling.

When disturbed the Spotted Thick-knee usually runs off with its head held low and flies strongly with shallow, stiff wing-beats. Birds will often hold their wings out momentarily upon landing and usually crouch or stand still until the perceived danger has passed.

The Spotted Thick-knee forages in a plover-like manner, running several steps forward before pausing, followed by a quick peck at its prey. Eats mainly arthropods, especially insects. Beetles and termites are preferred but also takes locusts, earwigs, bugs, caterpillars, moths, crickets, bees and ants etc. Also consumes spiders, solifuges, scorpions, snails and worms. On rare occasions may eat small mammals, amphibians and thread snakes. Stomach contents of the Spotted Thick-knee usually contain substantial amounts of grit to aid in digestion.

The Spotted Thick-knee is a monogamous, solitary nester. They are usually territorial, but loosely colonial breeding has been observed. Pairs are believed to maintain long-term bonds.

The nest is simply a shallow scrape on the ground, usually in the open among grass tufts or next to a stone or shrub. The nest is normally placed at a site with good all round visibility. The nest scrape may be lined or ringed with twigs, antelope droppings, leaves or stones but is sometimes left unlined.

Eggs are mainly laid from September to December in southern Africa. Most pairs lay two eggs per clutch. The egg colour is variable ranging from dull tawny to yellowish grey and heavily blotched in dark yellowish-brown with grey. The Spotted Thick-knee will usually lay a replacement clutch if the eggs are lost, with up to 4 clutches laid per season.

Incubation begins around 24 hours after the full clutch has been laid. Both sexes share incubation duties, but females spend the most time on the eggs. The incubation period can last for up to 30 days. The non-incubating parent usually remains nearby.

The eggs hatch synchronously and the empty shell fragments are eaten by the adults. Newly hatched young are precocial and are well camouflaged. Chicks leave the nest within a day and are fed by both parents.

Chicks crouch in response to danger, lying flat with their heads outstretched. Adults are known to use broken-wing, broken-back and broken-leg displays to draw predators away from the eggs and chicks. The fledging period takes up to 8 weeks.

Further Resources

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

The use of photographs by Anthony Paton, Bryan Groom, Corrie du Toit, Gregg Darling, Kevin Lavery, Les Underhill, Mark Stanton, Terry Terblanche, Tony Archer and Werner Van Goethem is acknowledged.

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

Other common names: Spotted Dikkop (Alt. English); Gewone dikkop (Afrikaans); umBangaqhwa, umJenjana (Zulu); Ingqangqoto (Xhosa); Kgoadirê, Mongwangwa, Tswangtswang (Tswana); Kaapse Griel (Dutch); Oedicnème tachard (French); Kaptriel, Bändertriel (German); Alcaravão do Cabo (Portuguese)

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

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2024. Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2024/07/09/spotted-thick-knee-burhinus-capensis/

Bird identification, birding

Archive/Biodiversity/Birding/BirdPix/Birds/Citizen Science/Industrial biodiversity/Site report/Virtual Museum

Industrial biodiversity 2 continued : Black River in Paarden Island : stormwater drain

Posted on 04/07/2024 by Les Underhill

In October 2019, the piece of the Black River between the N1 and Section Street in the City of Cape Town looked like this:

It was described in a 2019 blog as a novel ecosystem. A place that has been changed out of all recognition, but where biodiversity is doing its best to recover what is feasible. The 2019 blog had photos of a variety of waterbird species breeding, and it listed an interesting diversity of species, including Pied Kingfisher. The old blog is worth a read.

In July 2024, this piece of the river looked like this. Every scrap of vegetation has gone. It is a plantless and sterile habitat. For all practical purposes, it has been transformed into a desert. A wet desert, but nonetheless a desert!

But why? The photo below explains …

... the Black River just after heavy rain in 2024

… the sole purpose of this “river” is now to act as a mega stormwater drain.The area of hard surface (roads, roofs and paving) in the catchment of this river is ever increasing. None of the rain that falls on these surfaces can soak in. All of it instantly becomes reclassified as “stormwater”. It drains off our roofs into our gutters, down the drainpipes, and out into the street where it joins the rain that has fallen on the roads, along the gutters in the streets, down the stormwater drains, and into the underground pipes that discharge the water into the nearest river. It needs to be drained away as fast as possible, otherwise there are floods. It all rapidly ends up in rivers, like this. No impediments to flow can be countenanced! As fast as possible, the stormwater must reach the sea.

The stormwater from a vast part of the suburbs of Cape Town drains to the sea along this section of river. The green line is the boundary of the catchment; the total area is 214 square kilometres. In the northeast, the Elsieskraal River starts in the Tygerberg Hills, drains most of the Northern Suburbs and a large fraction of the Cape Flats, as far east as Cape Town International Airport. All the suburbs on the western edge of Table Mountain (eg Newlands, Rondebosch) drain into the Black River via the Liesbeek River.

The same view at 15h00 on 9 July 2024! There was a cloudburst over the 214-square kilometre catchment for several hours just before this photo was taken! The stormwater drain is being challenged to its limits! The water level is getting close to the N1 bridge, the low bridge for the main highway of the N1 between Cape Town and Paarl. The elevated bridges are for the N1 to M5 interchange,

… and below is the view from the other side of the Section Street bridge towards the ocean, a kilometre away, 15h00, 9 July 2024.

… and on a smaller scale …

This photograph was in the 2019 blog. This was part of the east bank of the river, taken from the Section Street bridge. This “garden” has an abstract beauty of its own, a un-designed kaleidoscope of colours. It was attractive to a pair of Levaillant’s Cisticolas. Spot them on the reeds in the foreground.

Section of the bank of the Black River in 2019

… but the imperatives of getting stormwater to the sea as fast as possible resulted in the transformation below…

Every scrap of vegetation within the river, or hanging over the edge, has gone!

The same view, 15h00 on 9 July 2024. The stormwater drain was just big enough. If any of that vegetation had remained, there would have been a flood!

… but some birds persist, against all the odds …

In spite of the transformation back to concrete, there were a few birds making a living on this section of the Black River.

Hartlaub's Gulls — … some Hartlaub’s Gulls (curated for posterity in the BirdPix section of the Virtual Museum as record 283191)

… this was one of a pair of Cape Wagtails hunting along the water’s edge (BirdPix 283187)

… hard to grasp what these Egyptian Geese were finding below the surface (BirdPix 283192)

Blacksmith Lapwing between the road sigtns — There was a pair of Blacksmith Lapwings living on the adjacent area of grass and occasionally visiting the water’s edge (BirdPix 283191)

Blacksmith Lapwing in flight over the Black River — There was a pair of Blacksmith Lapwings living on the adjacent area of grass and occasionally visiting the water’s edge (BirdPix 283191)

Common Starling (283190), Pied Crow (283194), Kelp Gull (283194) and Cattle Egret (283196) were around, but were not associated strictly with the river

Common Starling (283190), Pied Crow (283194), Kelp Gull (283194) and Cattle Egret (283196) were around, but were not associated strictly with the river

Even after the storm of 9 July 2024, there were birds around:

On the left, the Black-headed Heron flying overhead was unexpected. The two tone underwings, and the black top to the head can be seen, in spite of the poor light conditions. That makes it a good enough for the BirdPix section of the Virtual Museum (record 283861. On the right, the Hartlaub’s Gull (record 283862) is showing us how little space there is between the N1 bridge and the river.

… so …

… so the City’s obligation to prevent floods overrides all other considerations. For a very long time the fundamental orientation of city planners, everywhere, has been to get rid of stormwater as rapidly as possible. What can be done to change this? The trick is to slow the flow. Can we find ways of storing the stormwater for a while, and then letting it drain steadily into the rivers? The total volume of water is the same, but it flows over a longer period, and therefore not so fiercely.

The strategy being used is to build flood detention dams. These come in multiple forms, but the main objective is the same. Hold the water back, and let it leave more slowly then it arrives.

GoogleMap of the section of the Black River between the N1 and Section Street in Paarden Island — The N1 is at the bottom and Section Street is at the top. The photos in this blog were all taken from the Section Street bridge. The road spaghetti, bottom right, is the N1 to M3 interchange. On the left is the eastern edge of Paarden Island. North is towards the top.

Useful background reading

Rivers and wetlands of Cape Town: caring for our rich aquatic heritage.

Salt River hydrological study.

Archive/Bird identification/Birding/Birds

Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus)

Posted on 02/07/2024 by Ryan Tippett

Cover image of Jackal Buzzard by Gregg Darling – Near St. Francis Bay, Eastern Cape – BirdPix No. 8247

Buzzards belong to the Family ACCIPITRIDAE along with Eagles, Kites, Vultures and Hawks etc. They are mostly medium to very large birds with females usually being larger than males. They have relatively short, strongly hooked bills and powerful legs and feet with strong claws.

Identification

The Jackal Buzzard is a fairly large, stocky and conspicuous raptor. The sexes are alike in terms of plumage coloration but females are distinctly larger than males. Females can weigh up to 1.6 kg with males weighing up to 1.08 kg (average 960g). Jackal Buzzards can attain a wingspan of 1.44 m.

All adult birds have have blackish-grey upperparts and a blackish head with scattered fine, pale streaks. The rump and upper tail coverts are black. The upper tail is rufous, and often (but not always) with a black terminal band.

The colour of the underparts is variable with 3 basic colour forms. There is an uncommon white-breasted Morph with a white breast and sometimes also a white belly. A rare dark morph can also be found with almost completely black underparts. The vast majority of individuals have rufous breasts, separated from the blackish head by an untidy white band. The rest of the underparts are dark grey with variable white mottling.

In flight the Jackal Buzzard is characteristically Broad winged. When seen in flight from below, the adult Jackal Buzzard shows white flight feathers with black tips forming a broad black terminal band. The underwing coverts are black. All colour forms have pale rufous under tail feathers. The bill is dark grey, the eyes are brown and the legs, feet and cere are yellow.

A juvenile Jackal Buzzard (*Buteo rufofuscus*)
Underberg district, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Pamela Kleiman

Young birds start off in juvenile plumage with rich brown heads and upperparts while the underparts are either plain rufous, buff or whitish, with darker central streaks. Juvenile birds have longer tails than the adults.

Slightly older immature birds show a patchy combination of juvenile and adult plumage. They also have bright rufous central upper tail feathers. Adult plumage is acquired at 2 to 3 years of age.

Typical form adults are distinctively plumaged and not likely to be mistaken for another species. However, in flight they can be confused with the Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) but that species is much larger and shorter tailed with a distinctive flight profile. White-breasted morph Jackal Buzzards are frequently mistaken for the Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur), which is a closely related species. The Augur Buzzard differs from most white-breasted Jackal Buzzards in having white (not black) underwing coverts, and a white (not dark grey) belly and thighs.

Juvenile Jackal Buzzards are more problematic to identify. They can be mistaken for juvenile Augur Buzzard but that species is usually paler with creamy brown underparts and with more extensive barring on the underwings and tail. Additionally, both adult and juvenile Augur Buzzards show a black carpal comma on the underwing.

Jackal Buzzard juveniles can also be mistaken for Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), but the latter is smaller and with proportionally longer, narrower wings. The Common Buzzard also has blotched or barred underparts and the underwing coverts are usually streaked or barred dark brown.

Status and Distribution

The Jackal Buzzard is endemic to Southern Africa where it is a fairly common resident.

SABAP2 distribution map for Jackall Buzzard — SABAP2 distribution map for **Jackal Buzzard** (*Buteo rufofuscus*) – June 2024. Details for map interpretation can be found here.

The Jackal Buzzard is widespread across South Africa but is is patchily distributed in the north-central region and absent from most of the north-eastern lowveld and the low-lying plains of the ‘Great Karoo’. The Jackal Buzzard’s main strongholds are in the Eastern Cape Province, Lesotho and the Drakensberg and Midlands regions of KwaZulu-Natal. It is also numerous in the central and north-western Karoo, and along the south-eastern and southern littoral. The Jackal Buzzard is marginal in south-eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe and extreme southern Mozambique.

There is no evidence to suggest that either the distribution or overall numbers have changed in historical times. The Jackal Buzzard remains common, even where large scale afforestation has occurred. The Jackal Buzzard is not considered threatened

Habitat

The Jackal Buzzard prefers mountainous and hilly terrain, especially where covered by short vegetation like grassland, Karoo scrub or fynbos. It also occurs in open woodland in hilly areas and arid coastal habitats in Namibia.

Non-breeding birds and juveniles often wander seasonally into flat regions. The majority of nest sites are on cliffs but many birds also nest in trees (especially in alien Eucalypts and Pines) away from cliffs.

This buzzard is found from the coast to over 3 000 m above sea level.

Behaviour

The Jackal Buzzard is most often encountered solitarily or in pairs and rarely in small groups at a rich food source such as termite alate emergences or at carrion. It is not known to undertake any regular seasonal migrations. Any movements are more likely to be nomadic in response to food availability and the dispersal of immature birds.

It often perches prominently on an exposed tree branch, fence post, telephone pole or rock, but is perhaps most often seen in flight. Spends long periods in flight, soaring over valleys and along mountainsides. The Jackal Buzzard often hovers on updrafts in windy conditions, and is able to hang motionless for several minutes. The very broad wings are an adaptation to make specific use of updrafts. In calm conditions, the Jackal Buzzard can hover for short periods while flapping.

Hunts mainly in flight, but also from a prominent perch. Prey is rarely attacked in the air with most prey being captured on the ground after a stoop dive or dropping down from a perch.

The bulk of the diet is made up of small mammals such as rodents, but the Jackal Buzzard is capable of catching larger prey up to the size of hares and young Rock Hyrax. A variety of ground-feeding birds are also taken. Francolins, doves and pigeons are most commonly captured but they can kill birds up to the size of adult korhaans. The Jackal Buzzard also feeds on reptiles like lizards and snakes (including venomous species), and also large insects and spiders.

They are frequent scavengers at carcasses and often consume roadkill, also scavenges sheep placentae during the lambing season. Jackal Buzzards are also known to pirate food from smaller raptors like the Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleua.

The Jackal Buzzard is territorial year-round. It breeds from late winter to early summer throughout its range with most clutches started during August and September.

It is a solitary nester and is generally monogamous, but the population in Lesotho is frequently polyandrous, perhaps due to high population densities. Polyandry has not been recorded elsewhere within the Jackal Buzzard’s range. In polyandrous groups, two males will copulate with one female. They stay together, helping to build the nest and provide the female with food. They also defend the nest from predators and chase off conspecific rivals.

Jackal Buzzard at nest — Jackal Buzzard (*Buteo rufofuscus*)
Paarl Bird Sanctuary, Western Cape
Photo by John Fincham

The nest is built or repaired by both sexes and is a bulky platform of sticks up to 2.5 m in diameter. The bowl of the nest is fairly shallow and is mostly lined with leaves, but also with bits of grass and lichen etc. Nests are most often placed on an open cliff ledge and less frequently in trees, and very rarely on man-made structures like pylons or telephone poles. Nests are often used repeatedly for up to five years, or pairs may alternate between different nests, having up to three nests per territory.

Clutches consist of one to three (usually two) eggs. Egg colouration is variable from chalky white and unmarked to heavily blotched, even within a single clutch. The incubation period lasts up to 40 days and is performed by both sexes, but most incubation is done is by the female with the male providing her with food.

Buteo rufofuscus at nest — Jackal Buzzard (*Buteo rufofuscus*)
Paarl Bird Sanctuary, Western Cape
Photo by John Fincham

The eggs hatch asynchronously, two to three days apart. This results in large size differences between siblings. The youngest chick may be killed by its larger sibling or gets out-competed and usually dies. The young are fully fledged at around 52 days old but remain dependent on their parents for several more weeks. Adults are often aggressive in defence of the nest, especially the female.

Further Resources

The species text from the First Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1), 1997, is here.

The use of photographs by Andries de Vries, Attie van Aarde, Dave Rimmer, Desire Darling, Gregg Darling, John Fincham, John Todd, Lance Robinson, Malcolm Robinson and Pamela Kleiman is acknowledged.

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

Other common names: Rooiborsjakkalsvoël (Afrikaans); iNhlandlokazi, isiKhobotho (Zulu); Indlandlokazi (Xhosa); Jakhalsbuizerd (Dutch); Buse rounoir (French); Felsenbussard (German); Bútio-de-cauda-vermelha (Portuguese).

List of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2024. Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus). Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2024/07/02/jackal-buzzard-buteo-rufofuscus/

Bird identification, birding

Archive/Birding/Birds

Commercial biodiversity 1 : birds at Northgate Business Park

Posted on 29/06/2024 by Les Underhill

We tend to be dismissive of the idea that “development” can be any good for “biodiversity”. Northgate Business Park was clearly designed to be an attractive space to work in, with trees and gardens. One corner of the property has a flood retention dam which holds the run-off of stormwater from the roofs and roads when it rains. A by-product of the investment that has been made in the space outside of the buildings is that it attracts a non-trivial variety of biodiversity. Our interest is primarily in birds, and that is where this blog will mainly focus.

Dieter Oschadleus and I spent an hour wandering around this development looking at the birds at Northgate Business Park. Our one-hour midwinter species list on the morning of 29 June 2024 contained 27 species. A summer list would be longer; it would certainly include, for example, a few swallows. The actual list is near the end of this blog

Habitats

There are three main habitats. The stormwater retention dam, the shrubs on the boundaries and the trees along the roads.

Stormwater retention dam

To find the stormwater retention dam, turn left just inside the entrance, and stop near the picnic table. There is a broad grassy path into this wetland.

Boundary shrubs

The perimeter of the business park farthest from the entrance consist of these shrub-clad embankments.

Look especially for Cape Bulbul, Cape Robin-chat, Cape White-eye, mousebirds

Tree-lined roads

The third main habitat consists of the trees along the roads. The best roads are the ones opposite the shrubs along the boundaries:

Fever trees at Northgate Business Park — These fever trees are not indigenous to the region. But they are preferred above all others by the weavers and sparrows to construct their nests.

Bird gallery

Here are a few photos of the birds!

Common Moorhen at Northgate Business Park — These are typical views of Common Moorhen. The photo on the left shows the tail of the moorhen as it walks away from you. It is like a vertical flag with three stripes, white-black-white, which gets flicked up and down. It is seldom out in the open; you most often see it through vegetation, like the photo on the right. Archived in the BirdPix secton of the Virtual Museum, record 283177

These are typical views of Common Moorhen. The photo on the left shows the tail of the moorhen as it walks away from you. It is like a vertical flag with three stripes, white-black-white, which gets flicked up and down. It is seldom out in the open; you most often see it through vegetation, like the photo on the right. Archived in the BirdPix secton of the Virtual Museum, record 283177

At the Northgate Business Park, the Cape Sparrow, top two photos, is far more abundant than the House Sparrow. The photos are evidence of this. There were lots of Cape Sparrow photos to choose from, but there was only one of the House Sparrow, and it was just at the edge of a second-class photo! In most developments of this nature, it is the alien and introduced House Sparrow which is the more common of the two sparrows. These photos are archived in BirdPix, records 283172 and 283173

White-backed Mousebird at Northgate Business Park — This White-backed Mousebird is enjoying the early morning sun. From this angle, the diagnostic feature which makes this a White-backed Mousebird is the white bill with a black tip. It also has legs which are slightly on the pink side of bright red. and the white back is conspicuous when the bird is flying away from you. BirdPix record *283082*

Cape Weavers preferentially use the fever trees to build their nests at Northgate Business Park. The top left photo shows that this nest is close to the window of someone’s office! The brightly coloured male top right is excitedly displaying, flapping his wings trying to attract a female to inspect his newly constructed nest. The bottom left photo shows that he had success. That is a female Cape Weaver doing her nest inspection. These photos are curated in the section of the Virtual Museum called PHOWN (PHOtos of Weaver Nests). It is record PHOWN 31397

These are two of the species that you can find in the perimeter shrubs. On the left is a Cape Robin-Chat (record 283081 in BirdPix) and on the right is a Cape White-eye (record 283084). It takes time and patience to see these species which spend a lot of their time deep inside the shrubs, rather than on the outside!

These are two of the species that you can find in the perimeter shrubs. On the left is a Cape Robin-Chat (record 283081 in BirdPix) and on the right is a Cape White-eye (record 283084). It takes time and patience to see these species which spend a lot of their time deep inside the shrubs, rather than on the outside!

Bird List

Here is our list of 27 species of birds at Northgate Business Park. It is in alphabetical order. It is certainly not exhaustive; if we had spent more time compiling it, we would have seen more species. But the purpose here is to have a list of the common, more-or-less easy to see species. Most of the species have links which take you to the BDI descriptions of them. These species texts have headings Identification, Habitat, Distribution, Breeding, etc.

Blacksmith Lapwing – at the wetland, we saw one pair
Cape Bulbul – anywhere, on the shrubs
Cape Canary – anywhere
Cape Robin-Chat – anywhere, on the shrubs
Cape Sparrow – anywhere, common
Cape Spurfowl – often near the entrance to the wetland
Cape Wagtail – at the wetland, and in and around the gardens
Cape Weaver – anywhere, nests in the fever trees
Cape White-eye – anywhere, on the shrubs
Common Moorhen – in the wetland, mainly on the edges of vegetation
Common Starling – anywhere
Hadada Ibis – anywhere, often fly over
Hartlaub’s Gull – anywhere. many fly over
House Sparrow – on the buildings, and adjacent trees; far less common then Cape Sparrow
Kelp Gull – many fly over
Laughing Dove – anywhere, but not common
Lesser Swamp Warbler – in the reedbeds at the wetland
Levaillant’s Cisticola – on the edges of vegetation at the wetland
Pied Crow – anywhere, many fly over
Red-eyed Dove anywhere, very common
Red-faced Mousebird – – on the shrubs, not common
Red-winged Starling – on the buildings
Rock Dove – on the buildings, abundant
Southern Double-collared Sunbird – in the gardens, not common
Southern Masked Weaver – anywhere, builds its nest in the fever trees
Southern Red Bishop – in the reedbeds in the wetland; it’ll probably breed in spring
White-backed Mousebird – on the shrubs, not common

Most visitors to this development would probably find it hard to believe that an hour’s birding could unearth 27 species of birds at Northgate Business Park. For serious birders, this is a trivial number. But this is a good place for someone who wants to make a start with birding, and who finds the close-on-1000 species in the bird books intimidating. 27 is a big enough challenge, but not overwhelming.

… a significant wetland!

Here is another view of the reedbed at the stormwater retention dam …

Reedbed at Northgate Business Park — When spring 2024 arrives in the next couple of months, this reedbed will have lots of breeding birds: Southern Red Bishops, Lesser Swamp Warblers and many other wetland species that skulk in this habitat. This might well be the second closest to the centre of Cape Town that many of these species breed. Green Point Park lies to the west of the CBD, but is a little bit closer! It also has a reedbed, and many bird species in common.

The Intaka Island wetland lies 4 km farther away from Cape Town than this one. These small wetlands form a network of stepping stones which enable the birds to move between them.

We found a potential bird ringing site at the stormwater retention dam. Firstly, we will need permission. Secondly, we need to discover if that potential is fulfilled! Thirdly, we anticipate that we will demonstrate bird movements between here and Intaka Island, where bird ringing is undertaken regularly.

… and dragonflies in summer …

We have visited here briefly in summer. We have recorded three species of dragonfly: Blue Emperor, Cape Skimmer, Broad Scarlet. A diligent search will reveal more species!

Blue Emperor Dragonfly at Northgate Business Park — *Here is a Blue Emperor, at the Stormwater Retention Dam at Northgate Business Park. It is record 9275 in OdonataMAP, the section of the Virtual Museum for dragonflies and damselflies*

There is lots of other biodiversity here: frogs, butterflies, moths, reptiles (there must be skinks and chameleons), spiders, … This blog scratches the surface.

Northgate Business Park is immediately northeast of the spaghetti of roads at the intersection of the N1 and M5 in Cape Town. The stormwater retention dam is the patch of green in the closest corner of the business park.

Tailpiece

There is only one entrance to the development, and the perimeter is a well maintained security fence. It feels like the kind of place where you can get totally focused on the birds without fear of interference.

Among the tenants at Northgate Business Park is Jonssons Workwear where bird ringers buy their gum boots, and Builders where we buy our bird seed. Giniel Jacobs at Music Experience encouraged us to write this blog on the birds at Northgate Business Park.

And well done to the team who maintain the green part of this business park!

Archive/Bird ringing/Birding/Birds/Citizen Science

Open Day for bird ringing : Grotto Bay 31 August 2024

Posted on 26/06/2024 by admin

The BDI is holding an Open Day for bird ringing on Saturday, 31 August 2024. We are hosted by the Grotto Bay Private Nature Reserve. The reserve has an area of 385 ha, and the vegetation consists of Strandveld and Sandveld. It is about 60 km north of Cape Town, turning off the R27. We meet at the Conservation Centre within the reserve.

One of our previous bird ringing visits to Grotto Bay has a blog describing the event. This Cape White-eye was ringed then. The privilege of being a ringer is the opportunity to see birds up close, and to see the detailed structure of the white feathers around the eye that give this species its name. There is a description of the value of bird ringing here.

Cape White-eye at the previous Open Day for bird ringing at Grotto Bay — *Cape White-eye, ringed at the previous Open Day for bird ringing at Grotto Bay Private Nature Reserve*

There is lots of space, so ringers are welcome to bring their own nets and ringing equipment. Afterwards we will make a total list of all birds ringed, and produce a blog for the event, as for the earlier one. If you have ideas for topics talks or other demonstrations, please send an email to les@thebdi.org.

The reserve is not open to the public, so you will not just be able to arrive on the morning of the event! You will gently be turned away with 100% certainty! If you plan to attend, please send an email to les@thebdi.org before Tuesday 27 August.

Please include in the email, the registration of the vehicle you will travel in, plus ID number and cell phone number. Total numbers are limited. We will soon put details here of of the earliest time to arrive if you are planning to put up mistnets.

We originally planned this for Saturday, 24 August. Now (21 August) the weather for this coming Saturday looks unsuitable for bird ringing. But the long term forecast for 31 August is looking far better, not only for that day, but also for the days before and after.

There is a list of all the upcoming BDI events here.

Archive/Bird identification/Birding/Birds

Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea)

Posted on 24/06/2024 by Ryan Tippett

Cover image of Red-billed Quelea by Lia Steen – Shellybeach, KwaZulu-Natal – BirdPix No. 278702

Queleas belong to the Family PLOCEIDAE, alongside related birds like weavers, bishops and widows etc. Ploceids are small and compact seed-eating birds with stout, conical bills. In many species the males are brightly coloured.

Identification

The Red-billed Quelea is a rather variable species.

Breeding males can occur in one of several face mask colour combinations. The most common of which is black, surrounded by a variable straw-coloured or pink band. Some have a white or creamy mask, or the mask may be replaced with pink to purplish feathers.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*). Breeding male.
Shellybeach, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Lia Steen

The upper parts are pale brown, with darker central streaks on the feathers. The wings and tail are dark brown and the flight feathers have yellowish edges. The amount of pink coloration on the throat and breast varies considerably between individuals. The rest of the underparts range from whitish to grey or pale brown. The belly is usually white, often with some darker streaking on the flanks. The legs and feet are pink to orange. The eyes are brown and the Bill and eye ring are bright red.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*). Non-breeding male.
Near Himeville, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Pamela Kleiman

Non-breeding adult males are similar to breeding males, but less colourful. The head is greyish-brown with a whitish supercilium, chin and throat.

Adult females resemble the non-breeding males but the bill and eye ring are dull yellowish. Juveniles resemble adult females but the feathers on the wings have broad buffy margins and the bill is horn brown.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*). Note the two females with yellowish bills.
Sondela Resort, Warmbaths, Limpopo
Photo by Andries de Vries

Non-breeding Red-billed Quelea can be mistaken for several other species. The red or yellow bill and lack of bold striping on the head separate Red-billed Quelea from bishops or whydahs at all times. Female Cardinal Quelea (Quelea cardinalis) and Redheaded Quelea (Quelea erythrops) both have a yellow (not whitish to pink) supercilium. The female Cardinal Quelea also has a yellow (not white) throat.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Goxhill, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Pamela Kleiman

Status and Distribution

A very common to locally abundant nomad across its range. The Red-billed Quelea is the world’s most numerous bird species with an estimated post-breeding population of at least 1.5 billion birds! However, numbers are known to vary greatly across seasons in any given area.

The Red-billed Quelea is distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, outside of the tropical forest zone. It occurs virtually everywhere in southern Africa, and is generally only absent from true deserts. It has expanded its range and increased in numbers due to the increased availability of cereal crops. In recent years the Red-billed Quelea has been steadily expanding its range into the Western Cape province.

SABAP2 distribution map for **Red-billed Quelea** (*Quelea quelea*) – June 2024.
Details for map interpretation can be found here.

Red-billed Quelea numbers frequently reach pest levels and control actions are undertaken, but the killing of up to 180 million birds in the region during recent decades has had no effect on the population other than temporary local relief from crop damage. The Red-billed Quelea is not threatened.

Habitat

The Red-billed Quelea is recorded from most vegetation types. It prefers woodlands and grasslands such as dry thornveld and grassland with scattered bushes. It also inhabits semi-arid Karoo scrub and is abundant in cultivated lands. It is most numerous in semi-arid regions, but occurs irruptively in both very wet and very dry areas. A reliance on surface water limits the range of Red-billed Queleas in arid areas.

Despite their presence in a wide variety of habitats, the Red-billed Quelea breeds primarily in thornveld at altitudes below 1000m, particularly in the lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, parts of north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Breeding is much less regular in other regions, mostly after periods of above average rainfall.

Behaviour

Red-billed Queleas are hugely gregarious at all times. They roost, feed and breed in aggregations numbering into the millions or more. Quelea flocks are densely packed and highly synchronised in flight, looking like a large cloud of smoke from a distance. Large flocks can easily break trees and branches due to the sheer combined weight of birds. Smaller groups are commonly found alongside other granivores, particularly Bishops and Widows (Euplectes spp.)

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Near Nsefu, Zambia
Photo by Pauline Fowler

Red-billed Queleas are highly mobile, commuting considerable distances between roosting sites, feeding grounds and drinking water on a daily basis. Red-billed Queleas need to drink at least twice daily and huge concentrations visit waterholes in dry habitats. They often congregate in large secondary roosts during the heat of the day, often in trees near their feeding areas.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Wartburg district, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Malcolm Robinson

Large-scale movements occur throughout its range, and in some areas regular seasonal migration follows rain fronts. The presence of Queleas is known to depend on rainfall and veld conditions, which is often erratic, especially in semi-arid environments. As a result the Red-billed Quelea is predominantly nomadic within the region.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Carnarvon District, Northern Cape
Photo by Sybrand Venter

Red-billed Queleas forage mostly on the ground but also on grass and grain inflorescences. When large flocks feed on the ground, they form spectacular ‘rolling waves’ as birds from the back continuously fly over to land ahead of those already on the floor. They feed primarily on seeds of grasses and cereals, taken directly from plants or from ground. Favours small seeds (1-2 mm in diameter). Red-billed Queleas can cause extensive damage to crops of wheat, sorghum, millet, oats, buckwheat and rice. Insect food includes beetles, caterpillars, butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, bugs, ants, termite alates and spiders.

They may bathe in wet grass and anting has been observed in both captive and wild birds.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
St. Francis Bay, Eastern Cape
Photo by Gregg Darling

Breeding Red-billed Queleas are monogamous and highly colonial. All activity within the colony is tightly synchronised through co-ordinated social cues or behaviours. This is to improve safety and to reduce mortality rates. Breeding pairs form small territories, confined to the immediate vicinity of the nest. Males sing at the nest, and also give a visual display with raised and fluttered wings. The visual display is important due to the incessant din of noise within the breeding colony.

The nest is a small, thin-walled, oval ball of grass, with a large side-top entrance and a small overhanging roof. The nest is constructed by the male out of thin strips of grass and takes just 2 or 3 days to complete. Little to no lining is added to the nest. Nests are usually placed 1.5 to 6m above the ground in thorn trees, particularly Vachellia (Acacia) spp. Individual trees may hold up to 3 000 nests, and colonies can cover as much as 80 ha! In southern Africa breeding takes place mainly from November to May with a peak during December and January.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Near Bethlehem, Free State
Photo by John Cox

1 to 5 pale greenish or bluish-white eggs are laid per clutch. No time is wasted and the first egg is laid as soon as the nest is able to hold it, in many cases before the nest is even completed. The incubation period lasts for 10 to 12 days and incubation is shared by both sexes. When one of the pair returns to the nest, the pair greet each other with quivering, half-spread wings.

Newly hatched young are altricial but their development is rapid and they can fly after just 12 to 14 days. They then leave the nest and are independent after 21 days or so. Nestlings are fed by both parents, mostly on small insects.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Vogelstruisleegte, Eastern Cape
Photo by Ansie Dee Reis

The mortality rate of nestlings is high with many nestlings either falling from their nests or preyed upon by predators. Red-billed Queleas and their nestlings are a vital component of the food chain and as such are eagerly devoured by a diverse assemblage of predators. Rapid, synchronised breeding is sometimes successful in overwhelming predators, but predation can have a major impact on breeding colonies and some may be completely destroyed by hungry predators.

Nestlings and fledglings are taken by Egrets, herons, hornbills, owls, kites, vultures, Eagles, hawks, falcons, shrikes and storks amongst others. Non-avian predators recorded at colonies are also varied and range from rodents to genets, monkeys, baboons and even Lions (Panthera leo) and Leopards (P. pardus), various snakes and Monitor lizards (Varanus spp.). Colonies are also sometimes attacked by predatory insects such as Armoured Ground Crickets (Acanthoplus spp.). Humans also raid breeding colonies in many African countries, collecting large numbers of chicks but this has little if any impact on overall populations.

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Near Hartebeespoort, North West
Photo by Andrew Keys

Further Resources

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

The use of photographs by Andrew Keys, Andries de Vries, Ansie Dee Reis, Gregg Darling, John Cox, Lia Steen, Malcolm Robinson, Pamela Kleiman, Pauline Fowler and Sybrand Venter is acknowledged.

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

Other common names: Rooibekkwelea (Afrikaans); Blutschnabelweber (German); Travailleur à bec rouge (French); Roodbekwever (Dutch); Quelea-de-bico-vermelho (Portuguese).

List of bird species in this format is available here.

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2024. Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at https://thebdi.org/2024/06/24/red-billed-quelea-quelea-quelea/

Bird identification, birding

Red-billed Quelea (*Quelea quelea*)
Thurlow Game Park, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Malcolm Robinson

Archive/Bird ringing/Birding/Birds/Citizen Science/Karoo/News

Bird ringing course at New Holme, Hanover, 9 to 15 September 2024

Posted on 20/06/2024 by admin

One of the privileges of being a bird ringer is the opportunity to see birds up close. The opportunity to see the detail of the feathers, the colour of the eye, and the complex patterns in it, and the opportunity to grasp the reality that you don’t want to be an insect when that weapon is on the hunt for food!

Bird ringers have made a vast contribution to understanding bird migration and movements, bird survival, and many other aspects of bird biology. To do bird conservation effectively, we also need to know how these things are changing in the face of global change. We need a new generation of bird ringers to help achieve this. To find out more about all these aspects of bird ringing, read The value of bird ringing to research and conservation.

Your next opportunity to train as a bird ringer is from 9 to 15 September 2024, at the New Holme Nature Lodge, Hanover, Northern Cape.

You’ll find general information, applicable to all the BDI ringing courses here. This gives information about the daily programme, and what you need to bring with you in terms of equipment and clothing.

Links to reports of previous BDI bird ringing events and courses are here. These provide a really good insight into the experience you can anticipate. But no two courses are ever quite the same. That’s what makes them fun to run and lead. There are two reports from last year’s course at New Holme, Part 1 and Part 2. We even wrote a scientific paper out of what we discovered on this course last year; it is Open Access, and you can download it here. The paper is about the Grey-backed Sparrow-lark.

Here are the details that apply to the bird ringing course at New Holme, from Monday 9 September to Sunday 15 September 2024.

Location

New Holme is 8 km northwest of the N1, between Hanover and Colesburg, in the Northern Cape. It is almost exactly halfway between Cape Town and Gauteng, about 700 km from each. See the map:

How to get to the bird ringing course at New Holme, Hanover, 9 to 15 September 2024

Arrival and departure

Arrive during the day on Monday 9 September. The first ringing session will be in the late afternoon, but the course proper starts next morning. Departure is after breakfast on Sunday 15 September.

Cost

The cost of the course is R7,200 per person, sharing, and R7,800 per person, single room. The cost of staying in a luxury tent is R5,500 per person, sharing (each tent sleeps three people). The price includes the course fee, the cost of accommodation for six nights including brunch and dinner, and lots of tea and coffee. It also includes a Shy Five Night Drive. It excludes drinks; there is an “honesty bar” at the Lodge.

How to book

To book, or to ask questions and get more information, please contact us at ring@thebdi.org.

*Bird ringing course at New Holme from 9 to 15 September 2024*. *Dieter Oschadleus, who will be trainer at the course, is ringing a Bokmakierie*

This Curlew Sandpiper, was ringed on the September 2023 ringing course at New Holme. It has just arrived on migration from the Siberian tundra. The brown on its belly is the remains of breeding plumage; within a few weeks this bird will by a dull grey and white.

Future (and past) bird ringing courses

This is the final BDI bird ringing course for 2024. There will be more courses in 2025. You will be able to find the dates in Upcoming BDI events, on the BDI website. There are blogs about past ringing courses and events, going back to 2019, and they are collated here. Browsing through these will give you a good idea of what to anticipate when you join us for a bird ringing course.

Archive/Bird identification/Birding/Birds

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)

Posted on 19/06/2024 by Ryan Tippett

Cover image of Hamerkop by Derek Solomon – Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana – BirdPix No. 9692

The Hamerkop is the only member of the Family SCOPIDAE. They are thought to be most closely related to storks, herons and ibises. The middle toe of each foot has a pectinate (comb-like) claw that is most likely used for grooming the feathers.

Identification

The Hamerkop is a very distinctive and unmistakable species. It is a medium-sized waterbird, similar in stature to a slim domestic chicken.

The sexes are alike in plumage colouration and juvenile birds closely resemble the adults.

The plumage is entirely dull brown and slightly paler on the throat and underparts. The Hamerkop’s most distinctive features are the backward projecting crest and the large, laterally compressed bill with a hooked tip. The legs are black and relatively short. The eyes are dark brown.

Scopus umbretta in flight — Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*)
Shelly Beach, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Lia Steen

The Hamerkop is a unique bird and is not likely to be confused with any other species.

Status and Distribution

The Hamerkop is distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is also found in south-western Arabia. The Hamerkop occurs throughout southern Africa and is absent only from very arid areas that lack surface water. It is most numerous in the higher rainfall north and east of the sub-continent.

SABAP2 distribution map Hamerkop — SABAP2 distribution map for **Hamerkop** (*Scopus umbretta*) – June 2024. Details for map interpretation can be found here.

A fairly common resident in southern Africa. The Hamerkop was less widespread historically than it is at present, especially in the arid western regions. Humans have assisted a range expansion into these areas through the development of artificial aquatic habitats like farm dams and irrigation systems.

In some regions the Hamerkop has been negatively impacted by the degradation of wetlands, particularly as a result of cattle trampling. Additionally, the clearing of riparian woodland in places has resulted in the loss of nest sites. It has decreased in numbers in parts of the Western Cape due to its nests regularly being usurped by the Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca). However, on balance, the Hamerkop remains widespread and is currently not of conservation concern.

Hamerkop in flight — Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*)
Klerksdorp district, North West
Photo by Tony Archer

Habitat

The Hamerkop frequents many aquatic habitats, ranging from lakes, pans and dams, to rivers, streams, marshes and swamps. The Hamerkop also inhabits temporary or ephemeral habitats like seasonally flooded ponds and puddles. The Hamerkop is seldom found at estuaries and rarely forages along open coastlines. Due to its relatively short legs, the Hamerkop requires fairly shallow water in which to forage.

Behaviour

The Hamerkop is both diurnal and semi-nocturnal. They are non-territorial and are usually encountered solitarily or in pairs, but sometimes in small groups of 4 or 5 birds. Rarely aggregates in larger groups of up to 50.

Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*)
Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga
Photo by David Kennedy

They are known to practice mutual allopreening (Two birds preening each other at the same time), and are well known for some interesting behavioural displays. The most characteristic and bizarre of these displays is called False-mounting. This involves 1 bird standing on the back of another while flapping its wings to maintain balance, often while calling incessantly. This may also take place in groups with different birds alternately false-mounting each other, sometimes even with a third bird atop a false-mounting pair. The true purpose of this unusual behaviour is not known.

Hamerkop doing false mounting display — Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*). A pair during a ‘false-mounting’ display.
Between Middelburg and Hanover, Northern Cape
Photo by Tino Herselman

Hamerkops mostly roost in or near the nest, with groups sometimes roosting together in a waterside bush. Single birds may sometimes roost communally with other species like cormorants, egrets and Ibises. Fledglings may roost in or on top of the nest.

They are swift and agile in flight and can take-off with a single upward leap. In flight, the head is partially retracted into the shoulders, but the neck is held fully extended when soaring or gliding. Hamerkops walk with quick, jerky steps, the head and neck moving back and forth with each step.

The Hamerkop is known to use several different foraging techniques that demonstrate its intelligence and versatility. The main foraging method involves either standing and waiting patiently at the water’s edge or walking slowly along the shore, ready to snatch prey from the water or land. They may also use subtle ‘foot-trembling’ while wading in order to lure prey, and can be seen to wait strategically at rapids, grabbing food that drifts or swims past. They can also probe into mud with their bills in search of concealed food. Additionally, the Hamerkop can forage aerially in agile flight, low over the water in order to seize prey from the surface.

Hamerkop on hippo — Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*)
Eastern Province, Zambia
Photo by Nico Vromant

The Hamerkop is also observed to hunt from the back of Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), and may attend foraging groups of other animals like Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) or grazing cattle and Buffalo, using them as beaters to flush grasshoppers. They are also known to scavenge bits of food from around carcasses and will sometimes consume road killed food items.

The specialised bill is laterally compressed and includes a sharp hook at the tip. The bill structure allows the bird to easily manipulate slippery prey so that it can be beaten against the ground or a rock etc. This is done to stun the prey, making it easier to swallow head first. The same action is used to remove the toxic slime from the skin of Platannas (Xenopus spp), the bird periodically rinsing the frog in water between beatings.

Platannas (Xenopus spp) are the preferred food choice of the Hamerkop. This frog genus has a very similar distribution to the the bird, supporting the theory that Hamerkops are dependent on them as food. They also consume many other frog and toad species, as well as small fish, shrimps and various aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates such as grasshoppers, beetles, termite alates, earthworms and the occasional small mammal.

Hamerkop nest — Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*) nest.
Chongwe District, Lusaka, Zambia
Photo by Kyle Finn

The Hamerkop breeds throughout the year in southern Africa, with an egg-laying peak during August and September. It is a monogamous, solitary nester.

The untidy nest is a huge, oven-shaped, domed mass of sticks, reeds and other bits of debris. It has a central nest chamber with an entrance tunnel situated low down on the most difficult to access side of the nest. The nest is normally built into the sturdy fork of a tree or on a cliff ledge. Nests may measure up to 2m in diameter and with a roof at least 1m thick. The nest chamber is 30 to 50 cm in diameter and is roughly plastered with mud. The steep entrance tunnel, on the other hand, is smoothly plastered to make it difficult for intruders to access the nest chamber.

Scopus umbretta nest — Hamerkop (*Scopus umbretta*) nest.
Groot Paardekloof, Northern Cape
Photo by Zenobia van Dyk

Nests are constructed equally by both sexes, but may also be built cooperatively by 4 or more birds. Nest construction takes anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months to complete. The nest begins as a bowl-shape before the sides and roof are added. The wicker-like nest walls and roof are made of carefully interwoven sticks with the pair working together to weave the sticks in place. Completed nests are structurally sound and the roof can withstand the weight of a full-grown person! The central nest chamber is then covered with sticks and other nesting material. The male then brings mud to the female who uses it to line the walls and floor of the chamber, as well as the entrance tunnel.

The completed nest can weigh up to 50kg. The true purpose of such a disproportionately large nest is not fully understood. It has been suggested that the nest provides security and a warm microclimate, enabling Hamerkops to lay larger clutches than other related birds, and to leave nestlings for longer periods while adults forage.

If left undisturbed, Hamerkops may use the same nest for up to 4 years. Nests are sometimes usurped by other birds, most notably by Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) and Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba), also by bees, mammals and reptiles.

Anywhere from 1 to 7 plain white eggs are laid per clutch. The incubation period lasts for around 30 days and and incubation duties are shared by both sexes. The nestling period then takes a further 45 to 50 days and the young are fed and cared for by both parents. At around 55 days old the fledglings are quite agile and are able leave and return to the nest.

The Hamerkop is a long-lived species with a life expectancy of more than 20 years.

Further Resources

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

The use of photographs by Colin Summersgill, David Kennedy, Derek Solomon, Eukene Rueda, Kyle Finn, Lia Steen, Mark Stanton, Nico Vromant, Salim Lee, Tino Herselman, Tony Archer, Vaughan Jessnitz and Zenobia van Dyk is acknowledged.

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

Other common names: Hamerkop (Afrikaans); uThekwane (Zulu); Uqhimgqoshe, Uthekwane (Xhosa); Mmamasiloanokê (Tswana); Hamerkop (Dutch); Ombrette d’Afrique, Ombrette africaine (French); Hammerkopf (German); Pássaro-martelo (Portuguese).

Recommended citation format: Tippett RM 2024. Hamerkop Scopus umbretta Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available Online at https://thebdi.org/2024/06/19/hamerkop-scopus-umbretta/

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

Bird identification, birding