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South Africa’s endemic birds

10,000 Birds

Their taxonomic affinities have caused great confusion and debate amongst ornithologists; they were originally assigned to the thrush family, then Old World warblers before being shifted to babblers (the last mentioned a common dumping-ground for any aberrant passerines). A dancing Blue Crane , South Africa’s national bird.

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10,000 Birds

This was tough because this excluded species that occur in two countries within South Africa’s geographical area, Lesotho and Swaziland. So birds like Blue Crane, Black Harrier, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Ground Woodpecker and Southern Bald Ibis were automatically withdrawn. A male Knysna Woodpecker by Steve Davis 5.