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Jozi's birdlife is incredible. Put in perspective, our town has 50% the number of species as the entirety of Europe.
And they're a beautiful bunch. To illustrate this, here's a visual log of the birds we've seen in our garden alone over the last year
And they're a beautiful bunch. To illustrate this, here's a visual log of the birds we've seen in our garden alone over the last year
1. Cape Turtle Dove
2. Red-eyed Dove
3. Laughing Dove
4. Speckled Pigeon
2. Red-eyed Dove
3. Laughing Dove
4. Speckled Pigeon
5. African Olive Pigeon (Rameron Pigeon)
6. African Green (Wood) Pigeon
7. Feral Pigeon
That Wood Pigeon was a rare treat, only seen it twice, distinct for the way it hangs upside down like a parrot as it scours the branches.
6. African Green (Wood) Pigeon
7. Feral Pigeon
That Wood Pigeon was a rare treat, only seen it twice, distinct for the way it hangs upside down like a parrot as it scours the branches.
8. Cape Sparrow
9. Lesser Masked Weaver
10. Southern Masked Weaver
11. Thick Billed Weaver
9. Lesser Masked Weaver
10. Southern Masked Weaver
11. Thick Billed Weaver
12. Cape Robin Chat
13. Cape White Eye
14. Karoo Thrush*
15. Red Headed Finch
I've always thought this was the Olive Thrush but my 8-year-old, bird-mad daughter swears blind it's the Karoo so I'm deferring to her.
13. Cape White Eye
14. Karoo Thrush*
15. Red Headed Finch
I've always thought this was the Olive Thrush but my 8-year-old, bird-mad daughter swears blind it's the Karoo so I'm deferring to her.
16. Cape Glossy Starling
17. Indian Mynah
18. Hadeda Ibis
19. Sacred Ibis
The Hadeda and Myna tend to elicit mixed feelings but I think they're both underappreciated. The Hadeda is a free lawn tine and the Myna is phenomenally smart (and canters when it runs, which is cool).
17. Indian Mynah
18. Hadeda Ibis
19. Sacred Ibis
The Hadeda and Myna tend to elicit mixed feelings but I think they're both underappreciated. The Hadeda is a free lawn tine and the Myna is phenomenally smart (and canters when it runs, which is cool).
20. Fiscal Flycatcher
21. Southern Fiscal (used to be called the Shrike)
22. Red Faced Mousebird
22. Red-Faced Mousebird
The Flycatcher and the Southern Fiscal are easy to mix up but my daughter always points out the beak and the higher wing patch on the Southern.
21. Southern Fiscal (used to be called the Shrike)
22. Red Faced Mousebird
22. Red-Faced Mousebird
The Flycatcher and the Southern Fiscal are easy to mix up but my daughter always points out the beak and the higher wing patch on the Southern.
23. Blacksmith Lapwing
24. Crowned Lapwing
25. Spotted Thick-knee
26. Dark Capped Bulbul
Confession, I saw the Thick Knee over the fence but I'm claiming it.
24. Crowned Lapwing
25. Spotted Thick-knee
26. Dark Capped Bulbul
Confession, I saw the Thick Knee over the fence but I'm claiming it.
27. Egyptian Goose (in flight)
28. White Rumped Swift (in flight)
29. Crested Barbet
30. Black Collared Barbet
The Crested Barbet has one of my favourite calls. Our one has been giving an engaged tone for the past week, sounds like Summer.
28. White Rumped Swift (in flight)
29. Crested Barbet
30. Black Collared Barbet
The Crested Barbet has one of my favourite calls. Our one has been giving an engaged tone for the past week, sounds like Summer.
31. African Hoopoe
32. Green Wood Hoopoe
33. Grey Turaco (Go-away bird)
Three birds I'm always cheered to see in the garden. Turacos are thugs but I love them and I love the Wood Hoopoe's gang noise. It's Zulu name, iNhlekabafazi, couldn't be any more accurate.
32. Green Wood Hoopoe
33. Grey Turaco (Go-away bird)
Three birds I'm always cheered to see in the garden. Turacos are thugs but I love them and I love the Wood Hoopoe's gang noise. It's Zulu name, iNhlekabafazi, couldn't be any more accurate.
On to some of the rarer birds I've been surprised to see:
34. Grey Heron (in flight)
35. Cape Parrot
36. Grey Hornbill
37. Cardinal Woodpecker
If you're running through Linden, take a few laps around Anrieth Loop and you're bound to hear or see a pair of Cape Parrots.
34. Grey Heron (in flight)
35. Cape Parrot
36. Grey Hornbill
37. Cardinal Woodpecker
If you're running through Linden, take a few laps around Anrieth Loop and you're bound to hear or see a pair of Cape Parrots.
38. Paradise Flycatcher
39. Burchell’s Coucal
40. White Bellied Sunbird
41. Morocco Sunbird
The Paradise Flycatcher was a real surprise when I spotted his vivid orange tail hanging below one of the branches.
39. Burchell’s Coucal
40. White Bellied Sunbird
41. Morocco Sunbird
The Paradise Flycatcher was a real surprise when I spotted his vivid orange tail hanging below one of the branches.
And some incredible raptor sightings:
42. African Harrier Hawk (Gymnogene)
43. Giant Spotted Eagle Owl
44. Yellow Billed Kite
45. Long-crested Eagle
The Gymnogene, which raids nests, was bombarded by Starlings and a Pied Crow. The Turacos just shouted insults.
42. African Harrier Hawk (Gymnogene)
43. Giant Spotted Eagle Owl
44. Yellow Billed Kite
45. Long-crested Eagle
The Gymnogene, which raids nests, was bombarded by Starlings and a Pied Crow. The Turacos just shouted insults.
And finally, number 46, the honourable Pied Crow. The saviour of nestlings and one of my favourites (I've always been a sucker for a bird with brains).
And then a nod to the Black Headed Oriole, who we've heard but haven't spotted yet.
And then a nod to the Black Headed Oriole, who we've heard but haven't spotted yet.
Learning about birds via my enthusiastic daughter (whose passion can be directly attributed to someone giving her a copy of @birdnerdfaansie's kids guide) was my highlight of lockdown. We often fantasise about escaping to nature without realising it's visiting us every day.
