10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2012

The land was of course already occupied by San (Bushmen) hunter-gatherers for millennia and more recently Bantu tribes of the Nguni branch (most notably Zulus and Xhosas). The Mangrove Kingfisher is a rare species which as its name suggests, lives in coastal mangroves. It was discovered in KwaZulu-Natal province by Dr Andrew Smith.

Mozambique 184

Mozambique South Africa Africa Collecting 184

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

So, one might surmise, it’s OK if they get shot by hunters thinking they’re sandhill cranes? Another 170 are in captivity, many of them breeding stock for reintroduction efforts. What could motivate gunmen (I cannot call them hunters) in two states to deliberately kill North America’s tallest and most critically endangered bird?

2011 240

2011 Hunting Kentucky Hunters 240

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2015

We actually spent considerable time searching unsuccessfully for this highly sought-after bird; however I did suspect they were not gone, as several hunters I interviewed knew the bird and claimed it still existed. Whilst in Atewa Range Forest Reserve, a hunter passed us deep in the forest and I asked him to show us his night’s catch.

Ghana 189

Ghana Hunters Guinea Gambia 189