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Agulhas Long-billed Larks Certhilauda brevirostris
South Africa, April 2007

The Agulhas Plains near Malgas (south of Swellendam), Western Cape

 
The Agulhas Plains (or Overberg) is a fynbos region of incredible floral endemism right at the bottom of Africa that also lays claim to two species of endemic lark: the Agulhas Long-billed Lark and the Agulhas Clapper Lark. Much [...]

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 [...]

Female/immature Amur Falcons Falco amurensis
South Africa, March 2007

Closely related to the European Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, the beautiful and agile Amur Falcon breeds in northern Asia and Siberia and winters in southern Africa. After breeding Amurs undertake what is probably the longest regular overwater passage of any raptor when they cross the Indian Ocean [...]

Faansie Peacock (Self-published, 2006)

Writing a review of a book which is entirely dedicated to the pipits of southern Africa might at first glance seem obscure, like an act of one-upmanship that says to the majority of mainly residential birders, “I travel a lot, so I need a book like this even if you don’t” [...]

Groundscraper Thrush Psophocichla litsipsirupa
South Africa, March 2007

Blessed with one of the most melodious sounding specific descriptors in ornithology (the onomatopoeic litsitsirupa) the Groundscraper Thrush is an African endemic found in eastern and southern Africa from Eritrea south to the Cape.

Despite looking superficially like a European Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus, this is a peculiarly short-tailed and [...]

Looking for Regional Specialities, North of Pretoria
03 March 2007

I’ve been birding in South Africa many times - particularly around Johannesburg/Pretoria - but have been acutely aware for a while that without good local knowledge I was never going to find some of the region’s really difficult local specialities and tricky “LBJs” (those hard to find [...]

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 [...]

Bushveld Pipit Anthus caffer
South Africa, December 2006

The small and unobtrusive Bushveld Pipit is an African endemic found from south-central Ethiopia down through the savanna biomes to Zimbabwe and south-west South Africa. Usually found in pairs, the species responds enthusiastically to the call of the Pearl-spotted Owl when the distinctive, soft, and unpipit-like “tzeet” call the [...]

Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata
South Africa, December 2006

Spike-heeled Lark, Tanqua Karoo, Western Cape, September 2006
 

Spike-heeled Lark, Midrand, Gauteng, October 2004

 
All photos copyright Charlie Moores
 

Crested Francolin Francolinus sephaena
South Africa, November 2006

The Crested Francolin is a widespread and common African species found from southern Sudan, Ethiopia and western Somalia, south through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania (excluding western regions) to Mozambique, Angola and NE South Africa. It is typically found in dense bush and dry woodland - these two birds were in [...]

Pearl-spotted Owl Glaucidium perlatum
04 October 2006
 
The smallest owl in southern Africa (at just 18cm/7 inches it’s smaller than a Starling Sturnus vulgaris), the Pearl-spotted Owl is a common resident typically found in thornveld or broadleaved woodland.

This one was being mobbed by a variety of small passerines (including African Barred Warbler and Melba Finch) in [...]

Burnt-neck Eremomela Eremomela usticollis
Gauteng, South Africa, October 2006

The Burnt-neck Eremomela is one of eleven species of small warbler, four of which are found in southern Africa. The Burnt-neck Eremomela is a near endemic to the region and is a common resident in thornveld and other dry woodland, usually found in small groups foraging actively for [...]

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 [...]

Thornveld birding: The Zaagkiuldrift gravel road to Kgomo-Kgomo (north of Pretoria)
04 October 2006
 

A section of the Zaagkiuldrift gravel road to Kgomo-Kgomo

 
Another superb day in South Africa, this time spent birding along a 20km gravel road going through dense thornveld about 120km north of Johannesburg. As different from the open grasslands south of Jo’burg as the [...]

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 [...]