Spotted Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus)
Spotted Eagle-Owls are one of the most common owl species in southern Africa and they are often seen in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town. Its...
Tag: Birds
Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
The Hadada Ibis gets its name from its loud three to four note call uttered in flight, especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to th...
Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra)
Identification The Cape Robin-Chat can be identified by its dark grey back, orange throat, white “eyebrows” and its orange rump and tail feathers. I...
Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)
Identification The Ring-necked Dove, also known as the Cape Turtle Dove, is a very common bird species that occurs all over South Africa. It can be identified b...
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Identification The Egyptian Goose is not actually a goose, but a shelduck. It has many characteristics of a duck, but also some external traits of a goose. Egyp...
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
Identification Common Waxbills are small greyish-brown birds. This species is not sexually dimorphic; males females look the same. Overall, the Common Waxbill i...
Cape Canary (Serinus canicollis)
Cape Canaries are small, brightly-coloured birds. Males and females can be difficult to tell apart; you must look closely!
Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura)
Identification The Pin-tailed Whydah is a small sexually dimorphic species. Males and females differ dramatically when breeding, and appear similar outside of t...
Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus)
Identification The Southern Masked Weaver is a medium-sized, brightly coloured bird. Males and females look similar outside of the breeding season but are easil...
Garden Ecology: Colonisation and Succession
Good afternoon, naturalists! Time for an update on Operation Feed the Birds, and a few new insights into garden ecology. Let’s begin with the birds. ...