African sacred ibis visiting a dam on the farm. The Walsingham Farm, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa (2024). Adult with all-white body plumage, apart from dark plumes on the rump. Bald head and neck, thick curved bill and legs black. Wings white, showing a black rear border in flight. Eyes brown with a dark… Continue reading African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)
Tag: birding
Cape glossy starling (Lamprotornis nitens)
Cape glossy starling perched on the rails of a cattle kraal. The Walsingham Farm, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa (2024). A fairly large, short-tailed, uniformly glossy starling. Green head, with bright orange-yellow eyes but without darker ear coverts. Reddish-bronze shoulder patch, and glossy green belly and flanks. Larger than the arboreal black-bellied starling (Notopholia… Continue reading Cape glossy starling (Lamprotornis nitens)
Fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)
African drongo hanging on a tree branch, close to the farm house. The Walsingham Farm, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024). Black body with a blue-green iridescence in specific regions. Underside and belly uniformly black, contrasting with the glossy black-blue upper body. Robust black beak. Red eyes. Deeply forked lengthy tail. Males and females alike, with… Continue reading Fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)
Cape weaver (Ploceus capensis)
Male Cape weaver working on a brand new nest. The Walsingham Farm, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa (2024). A large weaver with a long, pointed bill. Breeding male is less yellow above than 'golden' weavers, with a chestnut wash on the face and throat, but lacks the well-defined bib of the Southern brown-throated weaver… Continue reading Cape weaver (Ploceus capensis)
Fiscal flycatcher (Sigelus silens)
Male fiscal flycatcher on top of a scrawny dead tree. Baviaanskloof, Eastearn Cape (2020). A striking, pied flycatcher with white panels in otherwise black wings and tail. Resembles the Southern fiscal in broad colour pattern, but bill more slender, tail shorter, legs longer and white in wings confined to secondaries (not wing coverts) and white… Continue reading Fiscal flycatcher (Sigelus silens)
Cardinal woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens)
Male cardinal woodpecker pecking up a tree. Grahamstown, Eastern Cape (2020). A small woodpecker with a streaked breast and belly. Back is boldly barred in the South, while becoming plainer in the North-East. Both sexes have a plain, whitish face with a bold, black moustachial stripe. Slightly smaller than the green-backed woodpecker. Both sexes are… Continue reading Cardinal woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens)
Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra)
Adult Cape robin-chat in a picnic area. Baviaanskloopf, Eastern Cape (2020). A dark-backed robin-chat with a fairly short, white supercilium and pale orange throat, upper breast, vent and rump, the remainder of the underparts being pale grey. Juvenile is browner above, with buff spotting, dull buffy-brown underparts and mottled darker brown shade on the breast.… Continue reading Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra)
Greater double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris afer)
Male greater double-collared sunbird posing in a tree by the house. The Walsingham Farm, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024). Larger than the Southern double-collared sunbird, with a long, heavier bill. Male has a broader, red breast band bordered above by a violet-blue band, with yellow pectoral tufts. Female grey-brown above, paler below. Immature male has… Continue reading Greater double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris afer)
Lesser striped swallow (Cecropis abysinnica)
Close-up of a lesser striped swallow, with details of its bold streaking on the underparts, and the orange ear coverts. The Walsingham Farm, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024). Smaller and darker than the greater striped swallow, with more prominent blackish striping contrasting strongly with the whiter underparts. Rump darker rufous. Ear coverts rufous (not whitish).… Continue reading Lesser striped swallow (Cecropis abysinnica)
Greater striped swallow (Cecropis cucullata)
Greater striped swallow with its white ear coverts and diffuse streaking on the underparts. Valley of Desolation, Graaf-Reinett, Eastern Cape (2021). Larger and paler than the lesser striped swallow. Striping on the buffy underparts is paler and less well defined. Orange crown slightly paler, and rump paler rufous. Ear coverts whitish (and not rufous). Crown… Continue reading Greater striped swallow (Cecropis cucullata)
F*CK FISH 