CaT TV 52~ An interesting moment from Birds of Africa feeding in a Game Reserve in South Africa 2024

The Grey goawaybird occurs from coastal Angola through to southern Africa, where it is common in dry savanna and suburban gardens. It eats mainly plant products, such as fruit, flowers, leaves and buds, but it may also eat small invertebrates. The nest is a flat, flimsy platform, made of interlaced twigs, normally placed in a thorny tree. It lays 14, usually 23 eggs which are incubated by both sexes, for 2629 days. The chicks stay in the nest for 1821 days, leaving before they can fly. At roughly 33 days old, the chicks can feed for themselves, and at roughly 35 days they can fly, becoming fully independent at about 41 days old.

The Kurrichane Thrush is a shy denizen of open woodlands and dense vegetation fringing river courses, and have adapted to wellplanted parks and gardens in our towns and cities. They feed on a wide variety of fruit and invertebrates. Usually encountered in monogamous, territorial pairs, Kurrichane Thrushes breed from late winter to early autumn. Their cupshaped nests are placed in the forks of large trees and often lined with mud. Only the female incubates the clutch consisting of 14 eggs over a twoweek period. While the chicks leave the nest roughly two weeks after hatching they may remain with their parents for up to two months more before becoming independent. Fully grown, Kurrichane Thrushes measure about 22cm and weigh around 63g.

LAUGHING DOVES create monogamous pairs that last for life. They breed allyearround and nests situated in shrubs and trees that stand between 3 and 15 meters above the ground. The nest is built by the female alone—a flimsy platform made of twigs, roots, stems, and other plant materials brought by the male. The female Laughing Dove lays two white eggs, which will be incubated by the female alone for two weeks. These little doves can be sighted across Africa, the Middle East, and several parts of Asia, particularly in SubSaharan Africa, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. This species was introduced to Perth, Australia in 1889.

The arrowmarked babbler (Turdoides jardineii) is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is native to woodlands in the southern Afrotropics. The arrowmarked babbler lives in social groups of between 3 and 15 birds (six being the average) that defend large territories, with the size of the territory being dependent upon the number of individuals in the group. They feed on insects, spiders and sometimes snails and lizards, as well as fruits. Foraging occurs near the ground, sometimes in association with other babblers or bulbuls.

Blackcollared Barbets have a bright red face, throat and upper breast, bordered by a broad, black collar. The large, heavy bill is fringed with bristles that is characteristic of the Lybius genus. Juveniles lack the red face which is initially brownish. These barbets are sexually monomorphic, which means that there is generally no phenotypic difference between the males and females of this species. The morphology, size and behavior are basically the same.

Email Address: [email protected]