10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2015

Under that impossibly blue sky of Africa. Everything around you is new and the World is exciting again, or was it simply Africa? I did use the word “Africa” too many times. And, yes, I know. I couldn’t help myself – it is such a powerful word!

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Africa Botswana Europe Birds 248

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2021

One in November 2018 included a one-day birding trip in the Drakensberg area, a mountain range in the border area between South Africa and Lesotho. Originally restricted to Africa, it is now also well-established in parts of Europe and South Africa. But of course, it is also nice to remember past birding trips. On the ground?

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South Africa Africa Lesotho Nigeria 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2023

Photos courtesy of Mosetlha Bush Camp A dusty-red road leads me through Marico bushveld deeper into the 750 square kilometers large wilderness of the Madikwe Game Reserve – the 4th largest reserve in South Africa, home to 350 bird and 66 mammal species, some 4 hours’ drive from Johannesburg.

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South Africa Africa Game Elephants 273

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

And so, I went on the American Birding Association Safari to South Africa. That was easily fixed by adding a post-Safari trip to Eastern South Africa, led by dashing Rockjumper guide Clayton Burne, to my itinerary. I was not on one of those lucky groups, but I did get to see a Secretarybird on my Eastern South Africa trip.)

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South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 255

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2022

St Lucia is a small town on the Southeastern coast of South Africa. One of the most interesting aspects of watching birds in Africa is to see different members of bird families that I already know from China. It seems to consist mainly of hotels and restaurants, as the local economy depends on visitors to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

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South Africa Africa Saint Lucia Camels 257

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2022

But for now, I still have the hornbills I saw in South Africa a few years ago. It is now almost exactly two years that I last was outside of China. At some point, my stock of memories of birds seen outside of China will be used up, I am afraid. I’ll always have Paris”, I guess.

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South Africa Africa Seals China 246

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

This time we travel to Africa, or to narrow it further, to the Afrotropical region (since the north of the continent avifaunally belongs to the Palearctic). Geographic patterns of species richness for birds (1,558 species) in East Africa at 0.25° resolution (blue indicates low species richness, while brown indicates high species richness).

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Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 256

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2016

Phoebe Snetsinger had that experience while birding East Africa for the first time and seeing as many birds as she did in the US for the previous 50 years.). In “Where to Watch Birds in Africa”, Nigel Wheatley says: “In terms of its size, Uganda is the richest country for birds in Africa.” What is 665 birds?

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Africa Uganda Gorillas Rwanda 176

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2017

Starting in the mid-1990s, there was a “where to watch birds in…” series of five site guides written by Nigel Wheatley and covering South America (1994), Africa (1995), Asia (1996), Europe & Russia (2000) and Central America & the Caribbean (2001). I was always curious, but never had a chance to study any of them.

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Africa Botswana Nigeria Namibia 209

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2023

That is why I am so pleased to see the new “Gulls of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East: An Identification Guide” being illustrated with nearly 1400 colour photographs of the 45 species of gulls found in the Western Palearctic. And even the best of and the most respected painters are not spared of such scrutiny. Highly recommended.

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Europe Africa Greece Groups 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 15, 2015

The history of Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa is a slightly unusual one. It is a good place for South African birders, as several species are found here and nowhere else in South Africa, and it holds a small number of endemics that it shares with the Mozambique lowlands. Tembe Elephant Park is a mosaic of savannah and forest.

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South Africa Elephants Africa Lions 165

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2015

It is now treated as its own species, confined to Africa and the tip of Arabia (Black Kites also migrate here from Europe and Asia). Birds kites South Africa' I saw these individuals in Imfolozi Game Reserve, where they were hanging around a kill. And as you can see, they are pretty good looking too.

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South Africa Africa Botswana Wolves 160

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

While much of East Africa is deforested, Uganda retains its trees, particularly in places like Bwindi Inpenetrable and Kibale National Parks, two of the largest and most important expanses of forest in the region. The diversity of habitats in this country that is approximately the size of Oregon is particularly notable.

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Uganda Africa Squirrels Tanzania 198

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2015

I’ve not made spectacular progress writing up my trip to Africa earlier this year, so perhaps I should get on that. So instead let’s talk about South Africa’s best kept birding secret (at least outside of the country) Wakkerstroom. The drive also got me the Mountain Wheatear and Buff-streaked Chat.

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South Africa Africa Falcons Family 145

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

What is your favorite bird species? This is a real hard one, but I would have to say the stunning Pel’s Fishing Owl as this was my Spark bird-it’s the bird that got me into birding. Also, a firm favorite is the prehistoric-looking Shoebill from Uganda. Pel’s Fishing Owl What is your name, and where do you live?

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Uganda Africa Fish Owls 244

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2018

After a very long day of 7 hours of driving, 11 hours flying and then 9 hours more driving, we have arrived at our temporary home here in South Africa. Daily park fees are such that we opted for the annual “Wild Card” that is good not only for Kruger, but nearly every park in South Africa. This pass cost us $3850.00

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South Africa Africa Rhinos Mongoose 145

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2022

Ndumo Game Reserve lies in the Easternmost part of South Africa, close to the border of Mozambique and Eswatini. I am sure it has some value, but would I really want to spend a few months or even years on “Ticks on Crested Francolins and on the vegetation on a farm in Limpopo Province, South Africa “ ? UysI and G.

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South Africa Africa Birds Fish 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2021

I did that with Peacocks & Picathartes – Reflections on Africa’s birdlife (published by Penguin Random House South Africa ). In case you didn’t know, yes, there is an indigenous peacock living in Africa, the Congo Peafowl. When was the last time you chose a book by its covers? Some are incredibly rare and hard to find.

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Congo Africa Madagascar Kenya 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2021

When you mention “Africa” to a birder, it is likely that at least two thirds will instantly think “Kenya”, and for a good reason: it is home to over 1,060 bird species and boasts many globally important birding areas. She has been active in conservation, working for the East Africa Natural History Society.

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Kenya South Africa Africa Penguins 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2023

The Purple-crested Turaco is the national bird of Eswatini, which given that this country is the last absolute monarchy in Africa and the country with the world’s highest HIV prevalence is probably not much of an honor. And it gets kind of grumpy if these are not available.

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South Africa Africa 2018 Birds 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 13, 2011

My home country of South Africa can only be described as a birding paradise! The Cape Rockjumper (here a female) is best sought at Rooiels, on the east coast of South Africa, north of Cape Town. A plethora of colorful and busy sunbirds occur in South Africa, many of them filling niche’s occupied by hummingbirds in the New World.

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South Africa Lesotho Swaziland Africa 257

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2020

African Penguin (Cape Town, South Africa, Nov 2018). African Pygmy Kingfisher (Mkuze, South Africa, Nov 2018). European Bee-eater (Hluluwe, South Africa, Nov 2018). Ground Woodpecker (Drakensberg, South Africa, Nov 2018). Purple-crested Turaco (Mkuze, South Africa, Nov 2018). Walking back to their beach towels.

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South Africa 2018 China 2019 259

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Africa’s famous Big Five , but do you know there is also an equally fascinating Little Five ? Africa is famous for its large, charismatic mammals, and the Big Five epitomize the most sought-after of these fantastic beasts. This blog post will discuss both the Big and Little members of these quintuplets.

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Buffalo Rhinoceros Leopards Elephants 244

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

I mainly guide in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa but also East Africa How long have you been a bird guide? Rockrunner, a Namibian near endemic What is your name, and where do you live? living in Windhoek, Namibia What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?

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Namibia Zambia Botswana South Africa 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 14, 2024

The clean plumage and scaly pattern on the back are diagnostic Already in the Strait of Gibraltar, to the south, the Black Kites Milvus migrans , are leaving south for Africa. Black Kites heading south for Africa What do birds do during the dry summer? Many of the Black Kites now heading south are juveniles.

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Africa Spain Europe Breeding 288

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2024

Part One of the book concerns the Lesser Flamingo, which has, Dr. Bondar observes, four separate wild populations in the world, in Africa and western India and Pakistan. The biggest such population is… Source

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Pakistan India Africa Birds 288

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2014

You probably have to go to a resturant in Botswana or South Africa to find Tigerfish on the menu. They are the piranha of Africa, except probably less speciose and, generally, bigger. Birds Africa Bard Swallow Hirundo rustica Hydrocynus goliath predation Tigerfish' One is on the plate, as dinner. Which I did. & Smit, N.

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South Africa Botswana Africa Zimbabwe 252

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

I live in the southeast of Europe, for a while lived in the south of Africa and also have extensively birded western and central India. And I remembered that, back when I was a boy, I wanted to live in eastern Africa. Which leaves only East Africa. Some regions are politically unstable, e.g. most of Central and Western Africa.

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Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

These birds are heading south-west, many of them crossing the Sahara Desert to wintering grounds in West Africa. This is peak time for the migration of Western Marsh Harriers (Circus aeruginosus) across the Strait of Gibraltar. These migrants are essentially… Source

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Morocco Africa Birds 279

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2020

African Pygmy Kingfisher (Mkuze, South Africa, Nov 2018). Malachite Kingfisher (Cape Town and Pafuri, South Africa, Nov 2018). Pied Kingfisher (Skukuza, South Africa, Nov 2018 and Nanhui, China, Jul 2020). In a way, kingfishers may be the poor man`s pittas – almost as colorful and exciting, but much easier to observe.

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South Africa Singapore Malaysia 2018 259

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2024

Perhaps the most curious thing about the Great Spotted Cuckoo is its distribution, for it is both a non-breeding Palearctic migrant to Africa, and a trans-Africa migrant. According to The Birds of Africa Volume III , “In much of the tropics present throughout the year, with breeding and non-breeding birds usually indistinguishable”.

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Cyprus Africa Europe Asia 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2012

Before self-rule it was administered by South Africa and known as South-West Africa. After a brutal colonization that included genocidal campaigns against the Herero (80% killed) and Nama (50% killed) tribes, the Germans lost control when South Africa invaded soon after the declaration of the First World War.

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Namibia Angola Lovebirds South Africa 272

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

Crested Myna (Shanghai, China) Black Crested Bulbul (Nonggang, China) Crested Barbet (Letaba, Bateleur, Kruger Park, South Africa) Crested Bunting (Nonggang, China) Crested Dove (somewhere in Australia) Crested Finchbill (Tengchong, China) Crested Flameback (Taman Negara, Malaysia) Crested Francolin (Ndumo, South Africa) Crested Goshawk (Shanghai, (..)

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South Africa China Germany Africa 245

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2024

With south-westerlies they come right up to the cliffs as they make their way out towards the coast of West Africa where they will spend the winter. This has to be the best place in the world to see these birds up close and in large numbers.

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Morocco Dolphins Africa Fish 321

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

All the inhabited continents except Africa have experienced bird extinctions; however the 2012 update of the IUCN Red List shows a startling, but not altogether unexpected, trend in that more and more of our bird species are facing extinction. Around 3,000 birds summered and bred at Birecik in the 1930’s but this declined to only 400 by 1982.

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Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 234

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

Central Africa has one of those birds. Sure, the Pearl of Africa has so much more for visitors to enjoy, including many of the most cherished mammal species on the planet, but the Shoebill seems to capture the imaginations of birders and non-birders alike. Penguins are, obviously, penguins, which makes them awesome.

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Uganda Africa Penguins 2019 298

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2013

I grew up in one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Cape Town, South Africa. In fact, there is no other region in Africa that offers such a fantastic level of endemism in such an accessible location. But their endangered status is belied by the fact that they are one of the easiest rare birds to find in Africa.

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Penguins South Africa Sharks Leopards 249