Though I didn’t bring my wildlife-photo folder to California, John Avise kept his record going by seemailingnding me another batch of bird photos from South Africa. And so we shall have a wildlife post today (though I count the warthog post yesterday as wildlife).
This if the fourth in John’s series of South African birds. His narrative and captions are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.
South Africa Birds, Part 4
My seminar trip to South Africa in 2007 took me to many parts of the country: Cape Town, Durban, Grahamstown, Pretoria, Potchefstrom, Johannesberg, Kruger National Park, and elsewhere. This week’s post is Part 4 of a mini-series on birds that I photographed during that trip. It shows another dozen or so species from that marvelous avian-rich part of the world.
Chinspot Batis (Batis molitor), female:
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) male:
Common Ostrich female:
European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) male:
Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii):
Crested Francolin (Ortygornis sephaena):
Crowned Cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus):
Crowned Hornbill (Tockus alboterminatus):
Crowned lapwing (Vanellus coronatus):
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca):
Fairy Flycatcher (Stenostira scita):
Fiscal Flycatcher (Sigelus silens), male:
Fiscal Flycatcher, female:
Fiscal Shrike (Lanius collaris), male:
Fiscal Shrike, female:
Wonderful! I love all the beak shapes. The male Fiscal Shrike has such a tiny beak for his size. There are some gorgeous birds in your wonderful photos!
Thanks as always for another lovely set. The Crested Barbet is a pretty little bird.
Yes, should be the mascot, hair stylist, and name of a punk-rock band (if it isn’t already)
Yes, it does seem quite punk.
If this collection had been posted under “Spot the Fake Photo” Crested Barbet would have won easily. That haircut, and the fake bandana around the neck? A poor Photoshopped job. Glad to know it comes from a trusted source!
Cool birds! Thank so. And yes, Ozymandias the warthog IS wildlife. Those were great pictures of an interesting animal.
Beautiful series of photographs! I was curious about how birds got the word ‘fiscal’ in their names. Wikipedia offers that they have ‘fiscal’ in their names because they are black and white, similar to a ‘suit’ that would be worn by a government tax collector.
I was wondering, too, and I had a thought similar to what Wikipedia offered for why “fiscal” would be in the names of those two birds.
>…a ‘suit’ that would be worn by a government tax collector.
Guess bird is lucky they didn’t pick “Undertaker.”
Another splendid African set. Thank You!
You know, I had no idea that the Common Ostrich was sexually dimorphic. I thought both sexes looked like the male. Well, you learn something every day…especially if you’re a WEIT reader.
Hi John, thank you as always for the faraway allure of these splendid birds! Since others have commented on the ‘fiscals’, I’ll just express admiration for the crowned and crested ones…