Non-breeding adult. Note the whitish eyes and the grey smudges above eye and on cheeks. Hermanus, Western Cape (2020). Body white. Head, back and most of the upper surface of its wings grey. Tips of wings predominantly black, separated from the grey by a white flash. Legs and bill red. Eyes pale, with a red… Continue reading Grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)
Category: Marine Birds
African penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
Dead specimen of jackass penguin washed up on the beach. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024). Also called the jackass penguin. The only species of penguins that breeds in southern Africa. Adults are jet black, with diagnostic striped head and sides. Some have a double breast band as in the Magellanic penguin, but with a narrower… Continue reading African penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
Cape gannet (Morus capensis)
Dead Cape gannet washed ashore. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024). The largest gannet in the Sulidae family. Adult white with golden head, black stripe across the eyes and long black gular stripe down the throat, black tail and flight feathers. Some have 1 - 4 white outer-tail feathers. Pale blue bill pointed with fine serrations… Continue reading Cape gannet (Morus capensis)
Trumpeter hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator)
Male trumpeter hornbill in a large tree. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist A medium to large, black-and-white hornbill. Smaller than the silvery-cheeked hornbill, with a white belly and lower breast, a black (not white) back and a smaller, darker bill. In fight, it has white trailing edges to its wings… Continue reading Trumpeter hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator)
Spotted dikkop (Burhinus capensis)
Female spotted dikkop with its chick, cruising the streets. Graaf-Reinett, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Also called the spotted thick-knee. Fairly large, with dark-brown and buff-spotted upperparts but lacking grey wing coverts. In flight, it shows small, white patches at the base of the primaries, while the remainder of flight feathers and greater coverts are… Continue reading Spotted dikkop (Burhinus capensis)
Orange-breasted sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea)
Male orange-breasted sunbird around a temporary pond. Baviaanskloof, Eastern Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Adult male is easily identified by its orange belly and purple breast band, as well as its elongated central tail feathers. Yellow pectoral tufts only visible in display.Female is olive-green above, and yellow-green bellow (not grey like the smaller female of the… Continue reading Orange-breasted sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea)
Black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala)
Juvenile black-headed heron, lacking the black crown yet, but showing the characteristic dark ear coverts. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024) - iNaturalist A large, greyish heron of terrestrial habitats. Slightly smaller than the grey heron, with contrasting dark flight feathers and pule underwing coverts in flight. Black crown and hindneck contrast with white throat. Underparts… Continue reading Black-headed heron (Ardea melanocephala)
White-breasted cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus)
Gang of white-breasted cormorant on the rocky shore. Kidds Beach, Eastern Cape (2018). Adult has a white throat and breast, washed pink in marine populations, with white thigh patches in breeding plumage, yellow skin at the base of the bill, and turquoise eyes. Juvenile has white underparts and browner upperparts. About 90 cm. The largest… Continue reading White-breasted cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus)
African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini)
A couple of African black oystercatcher on mussel beds and worm reefs. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2018) - iNaturalist A large dumpy, unmistakable wader with its jet-black body, short pink legs and bright orange-red bill and eyes.Birds occasionally have white patches on the belly or entire plumage dove-grey. Male's bill averages shorter and less… Continue reading African black oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini)
Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
Two kelp gulls - only one visible - on a rock along the coast. Stormsrivier Mouth, Western Cape (2018) - iNaturalist The largest gull in the region, also called the Dominican gull. Heavily built, with relatively short wings (folded wings do not project well beyond the tail tip), a robust bill, a steep forehead, and… Continue reading Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
F*CK FISH 