The Khwai River glistened in the midday sun as it wound its way east like a lazy python. On a slow patch of water, African Jacanas pranced gingerly along a floating stage of salvinia weeds. Suddenly the leaves parted beneath one of the birds and a hippo rose up, sending the jacana flying. The great beast stared at us, trying to appear threatening despite its comical hat of weeds. Our laugh was cut short as a juvenile Bateleur swooped overhead, followed by a pair of adults. In the distance, a gyre of vultures peppered the sky, so we left the comical hippo and drove towards something that was bound to be more serious.
My guide, Roy, was thrilled to be going after birds for a change. The Big Five are always impressive, but ticking birds is far more interesting, he enthused. As we neared the scene, the smell certainly became interesting. The source was an adult elephant that had probably succumbed to old age. The November heat could have accelerated its demise – it had certainly sped up its decomposition. Of course the heady fragrance was tantalising to vultures and by the time we arrived the elephant’s belly was crowded with birds and bloody beaks. A few Lappet-faced Vultures dominated the table, sending White-backed and Hooded vultures scurrying. Marabou Storks lurked on the periphery and there were at least seven Bateleurs at the scene, some waiting in trees, others flapping overhead and weighing up their chances. Starlings dived in and out among the larger birds to pick up scraps.
Denne historien er fra March/April 2024-utgaven av African Birdlife.
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Denne historien er fra March/April 2024-utgaven av African Birdlife.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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.
