Bird Facts
Interesting facts I have learnt about birds.
Bee-eaters
How does bee-eaters catch bees without getting stung?
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After catching a bee, the bee-eater lands on a branch and forces the poison out of the bee's abdomen by beating it and pressing it against the branch or a twig, which sometimes takes out the stinger too.
Giant Eagle Owl
The Giant Eagle Owl is not called 'giant' for nothing, its Africa's largest owl!
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It nests in other birds, like eagle's old platform nests where it lays one to two eggs.
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They eat small rodents, other birds and reptiles.
Whiskered Tern
The Whiskered tern breeds in a number of areas in southern Europe, India, South-West and South-East Asia, South-East Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Populations that breed in cooler northern locations migrate south for winter, to tropical Africa, India or Indonesia, a journey that can cover up to 5,000 miles!
Diederik Cuckoo
The Diederik Cuckoo stays in the middle parts of Africa, where it is tropical during winter. In summer they migrate north and south out of the tropical part of Africa, where they go to breed. In breeding season (summer) they can be found as far north as Niger and as far south as South Africa.
They are brood parasites and mostly lay eggs in weavers' nests. They also remove and eat one of its host's eggs.
Bateleur
This colorful bird of prey's common name comes from the French word, bateleur, for a tightrope walker. A reference to the side-to-side rocking of it's wing tips during gliding.
Southern Masked Weaver
The male weaver will strip the foliage from the nest site and build a succession of nests, then he displays himself at these nests to visiting females.
The female select a nest, lines it and build a narrow entrance-tunnel to the nest. Nests that do not get selected by the females are demolished by the male, and new nests are built in their place. A nest shell can be completed in one day, and the first egg can be laid within three days of the nest being built.
House Sparrow
House Sparrows are originally from Europe and India, but they were introduced to other countries and now almost inhabit the whole earth. How they arrived in South Africa is not fully known, but they might have spread from the north of Africa .
The first of many successful introductions to North America occurred when birds from England were released in New York City in 1852. They were brought to control the ravages of the linden moth. In some places it is considered as a pest and threatens native birds.
They have the ability to adapt to all environments and to live close to humans.
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Blacksmith Lapwing
Blacksmith Lapwings got their name by their interesting sound which sound like someone hammering a piece of metal, someone like a blacksmith! Next time you see one listen carefully to its call.
Red-billed quelea
With the spread of grain farming and irrigation, they have extended their natural habitats, generally picking new breeding grounds every year. Queleas are often found in concentrations
of more than a million birds; such a flock can destroy up to 60 tons of grain in a single day, consuming half and knocking the rest to the ground.
The Quelea in the picture is a male in non breeding season.
Orange-throated Longclaw
This beautiful bird has a strange name, but it is for a reason of course! They have a very long claw on one toe on each foot, as you can see in the photo. Their name Longclaw comes from those claws!
Cape Glossy Starling
You might have wondered where Cape Glossy Starlings nest. The answer is - they don't nest in cup nests but in cavities in trees.
Of course they don't make the cavities themselves, they use old Barbet or Woodpeckers nests and natural cavities.
Greater Striped Swallow
It breeds in Southern Africa, mainly in South Africa, Namibia and Southern Zimbabwe. It is a migratory bird, wintering further north in Angola, Tanzania and Southern Zaire. It seldom stays through winter. Pairs nest alone. Grey-headed Sparrows often nest in swallows' old nests.
Pin-tailed Whydah
The species is a brood parasite which lays its eggs in the nests of finches, especially waxbills. Unlike the common cuckoo, it does not destroy the host's eggs. Typically, 2-4 eggs are added to those already present. The eggs of both the host and the firefinch are white. The nestling whydahs mimic the gape pattern of the fledglings of the host species. The breeding males are very agressive toward other birds.
European Roller
European Rollers are birds that migrate, the come to the south when it is cold in the north and go to the north when it is summer there, so they always live in warm conditions.
They breed in Europe, Middle east and west asia. They migrate to Africa and India.
