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Hornbills of South Africa

10,000 Birds

But for now, I still have the hornbills I saw in South Africa a few years ago. When breeding, the female finds a cavity in a tree and seals the entrance. As the female similarly relies on the male to feed it during incubation (being locked in a cavity), the death of the male is a major reason for breeding failure.

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Birding the Kruger Park (4): Letaba area

10,000 Birds

So, it sometimes comes to South Africa to relax and enjoy relative anonymity. However, it is kind of sophisticated in that the females lay very individualized eggs in order to be able to detect the added eggs of parasite cuckoo finches.

Zimbabwe 147
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Inaccessible Island Rail Atlantisia rogersi

10,000 Birds

Also from BirdLife International: In general it prefers areas where vegetation, boulders or other landscape features at ground level provide tunnels in which to shelter and to breed. Its eggs are not known, it does not migrate, and it feeds, I understand, on insects and worms.

Science 215
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Phillipps’ Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

With a trip to South Africa on the horizon at the time, I thought I could handle it. This is evident in the introductory material, which includes sections on The Origin and Evolution of Borneo’s Birds, Conservation in Action, Vegetation and Bird Life in Borneo, Climate, Rainfall and Bird Breeding Seasons, and Bird Migration.

Brunei 179
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Birding the Kruger Park (2): Bateleur area

10,000 Birds

While the species is listed as Least Concern, there are some papers suggesting it may not be as common as assumed, at least in South Africa. Studies on improving ostrich egg hatchability. Also, I learned that in the US , ostrich eggs are priced at $40-$75. . “ The diet includes seeds, nuts, and nectar.

Ostriches 147
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Where to See Kiwi (and other birds) During the Rugby World Cup

10,000 Birds

This makes it a particularly exciting time in New Zealand as the Rugby World Cup begins in two days, and the competition is being held right here in New Zealand (I would imagine they might be more excited if they hadn’t just lost two matches to Australia and South Africa, their big rivals in the Tri-Nations).

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What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

What the Owl Knows is organized into nine chapters: introduction, adaptation (including vision and flight), research and researchers, vocalization, courtship and breeding, roosting and migration, cognition, and two chapters on owls and humans–captive owls (not zoos, educational owls) and owls in our cultural history.

Owls 224