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Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata
Gauteng and Cape Province, South Africa.
 
One of 17 species of wheatear found in Africa, the Capped Wheatear is a large, striking species found from southern Kenya to the Cape. Typically found on barren, sandy, or stony areas in flat country throughout South Africa, Capped Wheatears are characterful birds often seen scanning their [...]

Grey-backed Sparrow-lark Eremopterix verticalis verticalis
The Karoo, Sept and Dec 2006, and the Agulhas Plains, April 2007

One of three species of sparrow-lark occurring in southern Africa, the Grey-backed Sparrow-lark is a SW African endemic found from coastal Angola throughout Zimabwe and Namibia, and down to the Cape. In South Africa it is perhaps most commonly [...]

Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea
Western Cape, South Africa. December 2006 and April 2007

The Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea breeds in the highlands of eastern Africa southwards from Ethiopia and northern Somalia. In the south, its range stretches across the continent to Angola and south to the Cape in South Africa. In eastern Africa, this is a bird [...]

Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus
South Africa, December 2006

The Jackal Buzzard is an endemic to south-west Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland, Namibia, and marginally into Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique), and is closely related to the similar and more northerly Augur Buzzard. Both are clearly members of the buteo group of raptors that includes the Eurasian Common [...]

(Southern) Grey Tit Parus afer
Tanqua Karoo, South Africa. December 2006

Endemic to fynbos and karoo regions of southern Africa, the (Southern) Grey Tit (its northern counterpart, P. thruppi, is now more often called Acacia Tit, and subsequently the ‘Southern’ modifier is often dropped) is quite common and typically seen in pairs or small flocks roaming [...]

The Tanqua Karoo: Karooport and the R355 towards Calvinia (South Africa)
19 December 2006
 

 
I’m back at work after what seems like both a long time off AND nowhere near long enough (Jo and I adopted a little girl from China in November, and this is my first trip back to work). It’s been absolutely great being [...]

Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis
Tanqua Karoo, South Africa. October 2006

Clearly a close congener of other “humbug-headed” buntings usually found on rocky hillsides like the Rock Bunting Emberiza cia of southern and eastern Europe or the House Bunting E. striolata of northern Africa, the southern African Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis is normally found on rock-strewn hillsides [...]

Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus
Tankwa Karoo, South Africa. September 2006.

The wonderful Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus is an endemic bushshrike of southern Africa, found mainly in South Africa and Namibia, with an isolated population (the dark and rare form restrictus) in the mountains of eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique. It is a species of open habitats, including karoo scrub, [...]

The Tanqua Karoo: Karooport and the R355 towards Calvinia (South Africa)
07 September 2006

(This report was previously posted on Charlie’s Bird Blog)
 

 
What a fantastic day - and what a long one too! I woke up in a very dark room at about 02:30, spent an hour trying to remember which country I was in (South Africa), [...]

Grey-backed Cisticola Cisticola subruficapilla
Karoo, Cape Province, South Africa. September 2006
 
The Grey-backed Cisticola is a SW African endemic, associated with lowland fynbos, karoo scrub, and arid hillsides - typically in drier habitats than the closely related Wailing Cisticola.

These birds were part of a family group photographed moving through acacia bushes alongside a dry stream [...]

Black-headed Canary Crithagra/Serinus alario
Tankwa Karroo, South Africa

A locally common endemic to southern Africa the striking nominate form of the Black-headed Canary is found in a wide variety of habitats from scrub and upland grassland, gardens, and the arid open grasslands of the Karoo where this male was photographed. Outside the breeding season the species wanders [...]