10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2015

For a long time it was treated as a subspecies of the ubiquitous Black Kite, a species of scavenging bird of prey much hated by my grandfather (they used to steal food from troops during the war, if memory serves). A valuable lesson in looking twice at the ubiquitous species. Birds kites South Africa'

South Africa 160

South Africa Africa Botswana Wolves 160

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

South Africa 113

South Africa Africa Rhinos Mongoose 113

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. It was also weirdly good for quail, of sorts.

South Africa 145

South Africa Africa Falcons Family 145

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2022

Birdlife South Africa has previously done two of these types of trips before, previously called Flock to Sea – Namibia in 2013 and Flock to Nowhere in 2017, in partnership with MSC Cruises. This cruise rose funds for the Mouse-free Marion project of Birdlife South Africa which will attempt to eradicate house mice from Marion Island.

South Africa 263

South Africa Mice Albatross Africa 263

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

Before that, while you all know what South Africa is, what exactly is Southern Africa? And so, back to political entities, this field guide covers Namibia , Botswana , Zimbabwe , the southern half of Mozambique (south of the Zambezi River), South Africa , Lesotho and Eswatini ( Swaziland ).

Africa 264

Africa South Africa Swaziland Lesotho 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2022

Or would be, had I encountered more of them – so far, I have seen only a very small share of the approximately 233 woodpecker species, and got decent photos of an even smaller number – not much more than 10% of all of them. Also, the cap of the females is not even red but black.

Woodpeckers 231

Woodpeckers South Africa China Singapore 231

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2024

Although an attractive bird, this species was not of particular interest to me as I’ve seen it countless times when I lived in South Africa (and is not present there at this time of year anyway), but the area has much more on offer.

Squirrels 197

Squirrels South Africa Germany Ducks 197

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

According to the HBW, there are 41 species of African Barbets and 34 species of Asian Barbets. There are also 14 species of New World Barbets and 2 species of Toucan-Barbets (all in South America). The Crested Barbet (Kruger Park, South Africa) looks a bit like a pointillist painting gone wrong.

South Africa 204

South Africa Africa India China 204

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. Each site gets from 2 to 5 pages (but mostly 3-4). Endemics are indicated with a bracket “(E)”.

Kenya 261

Kenya Africa South Africa Penguins 261

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2024

We saw dozens of small, brown birds hopping in and out of the vegetation like Sickle-winged Chat , Mountain Pipit , various lark species, a Southern Bald Ibis that only a mother could love, and fewer raptors like Bearded Vultures and Cape Griffon. The post Stamps in a Weathered Passport first appeared on 10,000 Birds.

Lesotho 224

Lesotho Sheep South Africa Africa 224

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2021

A typical description of the family is that of “a tropical African and Asian songbird that typically has a melodious voice and drab plumage”, another is “small, dull-colored passerine birds of Asia and Africa”, yet another states that they are “often rather plain” Individual species get even harsher reviews.

South Africa 224

South Africa Malaysia Africa China 224

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.

South Africa 217

South Africa Africa Game Elephants 217

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2022

St Lucia is a small town on the Southeastern coast of South Africa. As this African Green Pigeon shows, the color should offer good camouflage for species living on trees. In case you do not know that brimstone is sulfur, the Brimstone Canary brings the point home by having the Latin species name sulphurata. It shares St.

South Africa 199

South Africa Africa Saint Lucia Birds 199

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2019

In the end, I truly did set out to reduce the number of birds that I feature here from 1302, my years total species, down to 10-12. Our first Day In South Africa, I spotted the Burchell’s Courcal, as it flew across the road in front of us we entered Kruger National Park. I present to you, my favorite birds of 2018.

2018 160

2018 Costa Rica South Africa New Zealand 160

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

In November 2018, I spent a few days birding in Cape Town, South Africa. The species is endangered – hopefully, their appeal to tourists and the resulting revenue will contribute to its protection. The same limitation is obvious in the names of many of the bird species in this area. Here are some of my sightings.

South Africa 123

South Africa Penguins Ostriches Birds 123

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2016

And if you like bustards, you could do a lot worse than the plains, deserts, fynbos and grasslands of Southern Africa, which hold a number of species including several endemics. As localised endemics go, it’s a pretty sweet species to pick up on a visit.

South Africa 140

South Africa Africa Australia Species 140

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2018

And so we are out of Africa, or South Africa at least. Having done the lower end of South Africa, I truly long to get to see the parts farther north. Sunbirds, are in my interpretation, the hummingbirds of South Africa. South Africa has certainly brought this clearly into focus.

Africa 100

Africa South Africa Ostriches Penguins 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

Thus, this study on the feeding ecology of African Harrier-hawk is imperative for understanding the species adaptation to environments and also a crucial factor to be considered while examining their economic status.” I guess blushing is easier if you have a bald face like this species. Thanks for pointing it out though.

South Africa 147

South Africa Niger Birds Mice 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2020

At my regular birding spot at Nanhui, Shanghai, five or six species of buntings can be seen fairly regularly, and about the same number very occasionally. I`ve seen three more buntings – one in Germany ( Yellowhammer ) and two in South Africa ( Cape Bunting, Golden-breasted Bunting ). In other words, they are my kind of birds.

South Africa 178

South Africa China Germany Family 178

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2022

I spent a few hours on Mauritius flying from Shanghai to Cape Town, South Africa, and decided to use this time for a short trip to a nature reserve on Mauritius, the Black River Gorges National Park. Being an island, Mauritius has its share of endemics, extinct endemics (the dodo again), and introduced species.

Mauritius 224

Mauritius Birds 2000 South Africa 224

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2016

When you talk about birding botanical gardens in South Africa, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town is perhaps what automatically comes to mind. But it would be a mistake to assume that they are the only botanical gardens in South Africa worth spending any time in. The wooded areas held smaller but no-less attractive species.

South Africa 100

South Africa Africa Vietnam Geese 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

So, it sometimes comes to South Africa to relax and enjoy relative anonymity. Colorful bills and heads seem quite popular among Letaba’s bird species – see the African Jacana (blue and black) … … the Striated Heron (yellow and blue) … … and the Yellow-billed Stork (yellow and red).

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Birds South Africa Benin 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 10, 2015

They are also generally easy to see, especially species that construct huge colonies of woven nests in villages and farms (or even cities). This situation may change as more species become established around the world. As their name suggests they are happy enough to live close to human settlements.

South Africa 154

South Africa Senegal Ethiopia Africa 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2016

A couple of years ago Adam posted a story on this site that so entranced me that when I went to South Africa a bit over a year ago the location he described was top of my bucket list. But I did visit it, and saw many of the incredible species he described, one of which, my major target of the day, was the Drakensberg Rockjumper.

South Africa 102

South Africa Africa Family Groups 102

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2024

Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa are heavily eBirded because Americans regularly visit. Various species can be found in dry grassland habitats in Africa, Eurasia, and Australia, so it is fun for a North American to stumble upon this not frequently-seen-bird. Habitat degradation is a huge possible threat to the species.

Senegal 194

Senegal South Dakota Gambia Birds 194

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2016

One species I had never really appreciated until this trip is the Malachite Sunbird. The species is found in the highlands of Eastern Africa, but in South Africa they live down to sea-level in places like Cape Town.

South Africa 157

South Africa Africa New Zealand Bats 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2018

It divides countries into categories, where the next category has 200 more species. In some cases the data are outdated, e.g. Costa Rica has 900 and not 800 species, but I made no corrections, remaining faithful to the original map data. Shown as a list, it looks like this: Less than 200 bird species: Antarctica; oceanic islands.

Equatorial Guinea 195

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Guyana Central African Republic 195

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.

Namibia 250

Namibia Angola Lovebirds South Africa 250

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2015

This is perhaps almost entirely due to the Common Starling , a species that is, over much of its range, an introduced pest. Starlings and mynas are adaptable, attractive and clever species. Starlings have a bad rap. And they have done well for themselves.

Ostriches 146

Ostriches South Africa Africa Reptiles 146

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2019

When we returned to Tucson, from the Bahamas, I was approaching a milestone number, 1300 bird species, and drove myself hard, climbing, hiking, searching, and driving all over the state of Arizona looking for those last eight birds. So below is what the year looked, by the numbers: Total Number of Little Big Year Species: 1302.

Costa Rica 131

Costa Rica Tucson South Africa Bahamas 131

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

I found out on my second day in Mkuze, a great game reserve in South Africa, earlier this year when on my first dark night, poor visibility, uneven ground and unsteady footing resulted in a twisted ankle and a day in camp keeping weight off it. They are large groups of birds of all different kinds of species.

South Africa 145

South Africa Tortoises Woodpeckers Birds 145

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2016

Africa is home to many striking and brightly coloured members of the starling family, a family that gets short thrift in many parts of the world due to the widespread introduction of a few rather, uh, domineering, species. So go to South Africa and find one! It was here I was able to photograph a few to share with you.

South Africa 100

South Africa Africa Family Species 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2013

More recently a study of Babblers in South Africa may have demonstrated a similar kind of extortion. We are speaking of the Pied Babbler ( Turdoides bicolor ) of the Kalahari in South Africa. . “If you don’t feed me right way, I’m taking off this wing and your reproductive success is done!”

South Africa 183

South Africa Fowl Africa China 183

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on my home patch of Cape Town, South Africa. The little seaside village of Rooiels is famed for being a wonderful location to pick up some choice South African endemics but it is also one of the most beautiful spots in the Cape.

South Africa 242

South Africa Penguins Birds Africa 242

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. Crested Barbets come in close.

Zimbabwe 100

Zimbabwe Botswana South Africa Endangered Species 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

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). SERVIR Africa Workshop. Finally, South Africa has three 400+ hotspots, namely 1 Mkhuze Game Reserve 458 sp.

Africa 198

Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 198

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. It is also related to Wood Stork of the Americas and Milky Stork of Asia.

Africa 239

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 239