Land Birds — Articles and News

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Article 53 23 September 2009

African Crowned Eagle feeding on a monkey

by Hugh Chittenden

This large impressive raptor is undoubtedly the most powerful bird of prey in the forests of Africa and easily capable of flying with a fully grown Vervet Monkey…

Article 50 23 April 2009

Malkoha – breeding strategy

by Hugh Chittenden

Green Malkoha Ceuthmochares aereus is about as elusive to birders as any other rare or uncommon forest species in South Africa …

Article 49 18 November 2008

Interesting Crombec roosting site

by Guy Upfold and Hugh Chittenden

The following photos were taken in August 2008 on the western shores of Lake Ngami …

Article 47 30 July 2008

Gorgeous

by Hugh Chittenden, Derek Coley and Guy Upfold

Gorgeous Bush-Shrike rates as one of the most strikingly beautiful woodland birds on the African continent …

Article 45 14 June 2008

Eastern Nicator

by Guy Upfold and Hugh Chittenden

The shy and elusive Eastern Nicator is one of the most interesting sand forest birds in lowland forest in southern Africa …

Article 42 21 January 2008

Crowned Hornbill breeding cycle, vertebrate prey and fruit – Part 3

by Hugh Chittenden and John Mendelsohn

Although 80 – 90% of the prey delivered to the nest was invertebrates, small vertebrates such as chameleons and frogs added significantly to the overall prey mass fed at the nest …

Article 41 14 November 2007

Crowned Hornbill breeding cycle, invertebrate prey – Part 2

by Hugh Chittenden

At least 95% of the food items brought to this nest during these observations was animal prey, and of this 85 – 90% were invertebrates …

Article 40 05 November 2007

Crowned Hornbill breeding cycle – Part 1

by Hugh Chittenden

Of the 3 hornbills that inhabit forest habitats in southern Africa, Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus is the smallest and the only predominantly insectivorous species…

Article 39 26 October 2007

Pratincoles – unusual breeding behaviour

by Hugh Chittenden

One normally associates Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola nesting sites with low lying ground close to water and little or no surrounding vegetation…

Article 37 09 September 2007

Flower power! Grey Go-away-bird’s flower eating habits, and new name change

by Hugh Chittenden

Grey Go-away-bird is undoubtedly the greatest avian feeder of flower petals in southern Africa…

Article 34 06 August 2007

Hybrid Red-headed x Cut-throat Finch

by Warwick Tarboton

In a recent issue of Africa Birds & Birding there is a letter and photograph of a Red-headed x Cut-throat Finch hybrid that was recorded at a feeding tray in Gaborone…

Article 32 01 July 2007

African Jacana, the aphid farmer?

by Guy Upfold

The African Jacana is well known for it’s ability to carry its young, its amazing large feet, its beautifully painted eggs, and the fact that it is a polyandrous breeder…

Article 21 07 February 2007

Olive/Karoo Thrush identification

by Hugh Chittenden

Since the splitting of Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus on the basis of genetic evidence, and erecting Karoo Thrush Turdus smithi to full species level, there has been no definitive publication (field guide) to show birders in the region on how to separate these birds in the field…

Article 20 31 January 2007

January 2007 update on Cape Vultures fitted with satellite transmitters in Namibia

by John Mendelsohn

As of mid January 2007, this is what has happened to the six Cape Vultures that are now being monitored by satellite transmitters…

Article 19 28 January 2007

Barred Wren-Warbler nest observations

by Warwick Tarboton

Barred Wren-Warbler Calamonastes fasciolatus as it used to be called, is one of the more difficult warblers to see and to get to grips with in the field …

Article 17 16 January 2007

Oxpeckers – essential partners in the game farming industry

by Hugh Chittenden

With the proliferation of game farming in southern Africa, it has become essential to protect and expand oxpecker populations as the most effective tool in the biological control of ticks…

Article 15 02 January 2007

Tinkerbirds – mistletoe dispersers

by Hugh Chittenden, Guy Upfold and Geoff Nichols

Tinkerbirds are well known as the primary dispersers of mistletoe plants that parasitize many of our indigenous trees…

Article 14 01 January 2007

Common Swift – Oxford breeding project

by George Candelin and Roy Overall

Much has been done to learn about Common Swift Apus apus in the Northern Hemisphere but we know very little about these swifts in the non-breeding season in Africa…

Article 13 29 December 2006

Utilization of Stinging Nettle seeds as a food source

by Hugh Chittenden and Geoff Nichols

Utilization of Stinging Nettle (Urticaceae) seeds by forest seed-eaters such as crimsonwings and twinspots…

Article 11 20 December 2006

European Swift landfall at Klein's Camp - Serengeti

by Alastair Kilpin

Its not often one is able to get close to live Common (European) Swifts …

Article 10 20 December 2006

Thick-knee — bill size difference

by Hugh Chittenden

Water thick-knees have larger and more robust bills that Spotted Thick-knees…

Article 9 10 December 2006

Narina Trogon — the large leaf-gleaner

by Hugh Chittenden

Narina Trogon one of Africa’s most colourful birds, but also one of the most foul smelling when handled …

Article 8 07 December 2006

Red-throated Wryneck - ant-eating specialist

by Hugh Chittenden

Red-throated Wryneck is an ant-eating specialist with adaptations to assist in the mopping up of large numbers of Hymenoptera (Ant) prey. This bird’s long tongue is capable of extending more than 60 mm past the tip of the bill …

Article 7 07 December 2006

Rufous-winged and Luapula cisticolas - photographic comparisons

by Hugh Chittenden

Luapula Cisticola has been recently split from Black-backed Cisticola (now known as Rufous-winged Cisticola, a far better name because of the many other different cisticolas in Africa that display just as much black on their backs – if not more!) …

Land Birds — Articles and News

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