BIRDS OF PREY have, unsurprisingly, fascinated people throughout the ages.
Although a number of raptor species face serious threats to their survival in many parts of their range, in southern Africa we are very privileged to have a relative abundance of these supreme hunters to enjoy and photograph. Many of our parks and reserves offer great raptor viewing and, with ongoing and dedicated conservation efforts to support these magnificent creatures, we will be able to continue to appreciate them for years to come.
Below A denizen of lush riparian forests and dense bush, the African Barred Owlet can be tricky to find, but once you become familiar with its call it is easier to locate. Unlike other owls that do their utmost to render themselves invisible by reducing their eyes to mere slits, these owlets will stare down any human intruder with their bright yellow eyes pulled into an indignant squint.
Right Over the course of a couple of weeks I photographed two Spotted Eagle-Owl nestlings that ‘fell’ from their nest and clambered up a nearby tree, where they continued to receive food from the adult female. In order to limit brood failure though predation, the chicks leave the nest at about two weeks, disperse and often find shelter on the ground. This separation ensures that should a predator find and kill one of the defenceless owlets, there is a reasonable chance that the entire brood won’t be lost.
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EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS
Keith Barnes, co-author of the new Field Guide to Birds of Greater Southern Africa, chats about the long-neglected birding regions just north of the Kunene and Zambezi, getting back to watching birds and the vulture that changed his life.
footloose IN FYNBOS
The Walker Bay Diversity Trail is a leisurely hike with a multitude of flowers, feathers and flavours along the way.
Living forwards
How photographing birds helps me face adversity
CAPE crusade
The Cape Bird Club/City of Cape Town Birding Big Year Challenge
water & WINGS
WATER IS LIFE. As wildlife photographer Greg du Toit knows better than most.
winter wanderer
as summer becomes a memory in the south, the skies are a little quieter as the migrants have returned to the warming north. But one bird endemic to the southern African region takes its own little winter journey.
when perfect isn't enough
Egg signatures and forgeries in the cuckoo-drongo arms race
Southern SIGHTINGS
The late summer period naturally started quietening down after the midsummer excitement, but there were still some classy rarities on offer for birders all over the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
flood impact on wetland birds
One of the features of a warming planet is increasingly erratic rainfall; years of drought followed by devastating floods. Fortunately, many waterbirds are pre-adapted to cope with such extremes, especially in southern Africa where they have evolved to exploit episodic rainfall events in semi-arid and arid regions. But how do waterbirds respond to floods in areas where rainfall - and access to water - is more predictable? Peter Ryan explores the consequences of recent floods on the birds of the Western Cape's Olifants River valley.
a star is born
It’s every producer’s dream to plan a wildlife television series and pick the right characters before filming.
