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. The biggest bulls of Madikwe reach only 3.5

South Africa 227

South Africa Africa Game Elephants 227

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2013

A Great Argus in full call, this species’ tail consists of the longest feather in the bird world. The amazing Ribbon-tailed Astrapia of Papua New Guinea sports the longest tail in proportion to body size of any bird in the world. Image by Cuan Rush/Rockjumper Birding Tours. Photo taken by Adam Riley in Zimbabwe.

Papua New Guinea 245

Papua New Guinea South Africa Africa Zimbabwe 245

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2020

The proprietor of our ecolodge guides my small group of birders up a steep slope where we see, just at the point where a scope view deteriorates into pixels, a huge bird—a Chaco Eagle, also known as a Crowned Eagle—on a huge nest. He traveled to the United Kingdom, the Rhondda Valley in Wales, Zimbabwe, Chilean Patagonia, and Dubai.

Falcons 219

Falcons United Kingdom Zimbabwe Eggs 219

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2012

Coming into the second weekend of this new year, we’ve all added a few birds — possibly very few birds — to our year lists. I gave up year listing a couple of annums back even though I’ve rung up some banner bird bounties in 2010 and 2011. What will you be doing this weekend and where will you be birding?

Atlanta 159

Atlanta Zimbabwe 2012 New York 159

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2015

I’ve never been one to be overly concerned about whether a bird “counts” People, and organisations, have complex and elaborate rules about whether a bird you saw or heard actually is a bird you saw or heard, which seems a very unnecessary way to add complexity to an already complex hobby. Red Lechwe.

Botswana 162

Botswana Birds Lesotho Elephants 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

The reserve, in the eastern corner of Botswana near Zimbabwe and South Africa, isn’t open to the public in general, so I figured I’d share a few images here by way of showing off. As well as birds, the reserve holds endangered species like African Wild Dogs. I mean education. Brown-hooded Kingfishers hunt far from water.

Zimbabwe 100

Zimbabwe Botswana South Africa Endangered Species 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2016

Africa), Hwange (Zimbabwe) and, recently, in Chobe national park in Botswana (the one that was considered so safe that the Clintons have visited it as a presidential couple)! Steven had no binoculars, but impressively sharp eyes and great knowledge of birds. Mopane trees can grow up to 18 m / 60 ft and interlock their canopies.

Elephants 191

Elephants Botswana Zimbabwe Africa 191

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2015

This time it is the Old World that has misnamed a group of birds, or in fact several groups. It all comes back to a split in one of the great bird families, the Turdidae, or thrushes. Once upon a time, when I started birding, this great family included a wide range of species collectively known as the robins and chats.

Mozambique 167

Mozambique Zambia Zimbabwe Namibia 167

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 13, 2011

My home country of South Africa can only be described as a birding paradise! In this post, I’d like to focus on a small selection of South Africa’s special endemic birds. In this post, I’d like to focus on a small selection of South Africa’s special endemic birds. Starting off with my favorites (I have to say that!),

South Africa 230

South Africa Lesotho Africa Swaziland 230

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2015

Bateleur ( Terathopius ecaudatus ); Botswana/Zimbabwe Border, Zimbabwe, 3 January. Schalow’s Turaco ( Tauraco schalowi ); Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 3 January. Grey Go-away-bird, or Grey Lourie ( Corythaixoides concolor ); Chobe NP, Botswana, 1 January. Birding 2015 year list Year List 2015'

2015 182

2015 South Africa Botswana Singapore 182

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2014

So, the other day I was looking at my Twitter feed and noted a story about African Tigerfish eating birds. People who live among the African Tigerfish have been known to claim that they will leap out of the water and take down a bird in flight, but this is one of those things you hear from the locals but maybe don’t fully believe.

South Africa 213

South Africa Botswana Africa Fish 213

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2015

The question is, can a bird guide actually make the jump and still work in a field situation? I had a copy of Sasol’s eBirds of Southern Africa on my iPhone (and iPad), but I had bought it to brush up on my African birds in my spare time, like on bus trips or particularly long meetings. You can use this in a number of ways.

Africa 153

Africa South Africa Zimbabwe Penguins 153

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2013

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. The biggest bulls of Madikwe reach only 3.5

Africa 197

Africa South Africa Elephants Rhinos 197

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

As visitors’ and the public’s interests expanded from the Big Five, and an appreciation for lesser mammals, birds and smaller wildlife has became more widespread, the term Little Five was coined. Prime destinations for seeing African Elephant in the wild include Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Uganda.

Buffalo 209

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 209