As a result of I lived in South Africa for many of my youth, I’ve seen a big portion of the large number of species on this superb nation. Of those, some have grow to be specific favourites over time, a few of which I checklist right here in no specific order – it was already laborious sufficient to get down to 10 species within the first place (my preliminary title was “10 favorite species”…). Whereas many of those species are quite fashionable within the birding group normally, a serious purpose why I settled on those under is as a result of I both had a particular reminiscence of my seek for or sighting of them. A few of these, nevertheless, are species which I had wished to see for ages with out luck.
Pel’s Fishing Owl
This species needed to be on the checklist as a result of it was the primary species I actually wished to see in my life and which I actively went out to see – and discover – in Ndumo Sport Reserve in South Africa. It’s a actually superb chicken, as a result of (1) it’s an owl, (2) it’s a uncommon owl, (3) it’s a piscivorous uncommon owl, and (4) it’s a stunning-looking piscivorous uncommon owl. I had a sighting of an grownup and a juvenile in the identical morning, and we additionally heard the grownup’s name earlier that morning. I solely noticed this species as soon as subsequently, in Mkuze Sport Reserve. It has a really restricted vary in South Africa and though it happens fairly broadly throughout sub-Saharan Africa, it’s unusual in most locations.
Narina Trogon
This chicken, like so many different Trogonidae, is solely gorgeous. Just like the Pel’s, it was a chicken I had wished to see quite early on in my life as a birder. It’s usually a chicken of riverine and lowland forest, the place it has the behavior of turning its vivid purple stomach away from you so you’re left with solely its inexperienced again, making all of it however invisible. I’ve since seen many different species such because the superb Whitehead’s Trogon in Borneo, however the Narina Trogon continues to be one in every of my favourites. My first glimpses of this chicken have been in the identical protected space the place I first noticed the Pel’s, however I’ve had much better views since within the Dlinza forest, a well known birding spot in South Africa. Simply my greatest sighting was a male busily calling at eye degree simply meters away in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River valley.
Black-throated Wattle-eye
I don’t recall once I got here throughout this species in a e-book or picture for the primary time, however I’m fairly positive it’s in my outdated Robert’s Chook Information, which I leafed by means of so many occasions that I knew the web page on which every species was displayed by coronary heart. I’m seeing a pattern creating right here that almost all species I observe are ones that happen in South Africa’s jap lowlands, and this chicken is not any exception. I first noticed it simply earlier than we departed Amatikulu Nature Reserve on the coast of KwaZulu Natal, after per week of scouring the forests to search out this little particular. There’s fairly a stunning variety of wattle-eyes in Central and West Africa (I encourage you to take a look at Yellow-bellied and Black-necked Wattle-eyes on eBird for some lovable photographs), none of which I’ve seen (desperately calling for a birding journey to those locations).
African Finfoot
To inform you the reality, I’ve by no means seen this chicken. Or let’s quite say, I’ve by no means seen greater than a splash of water as an orange foot disappeared into vegetation overhanging the water and our chicken information exclaiming “finfoot!”. This was truly in Ndumo Sport Reserve, the place I additionally noticed the Pel’s Fishing Owl (and Narina Trogon), though on a unique go to. I’ve been at many locations the place this species happens, together with some fashionable areas for this chicken like Borakalalo Sport Reserve and Enseleni Nature Reserve, however have by no means truly seen it. It’s a highly regarded species amongst birders and is uncommon all through its vary, and I can’t await the second once I out of the blue see this ghost gliding over the water of some subtropical African river.
Temminck’s Courser
Coursers are amongst my favorite group of birds, together with the associated pratincoles. The Temminck’s Courser is the commonest species in South Africa and it’s additionally the primary courser species I noticed (though I noticed my first Bronze-winged Courser the next day, for some purpose!). The plumage of this species (similar to the associated however uncommon Burchell’s Courser which I’ve by no means seen), is amazingly easy with stunning gradual transitions in color. I additionally love their very elegant posture, along with their most popular habitat of open plains, a habitat in South Africa that I take pleasure in birding in rather a lot as a result of number of different particular arid-country species which can be round.
Crimson-chested Flufftail
That is one other species I wished to see for ages. Ultimately, I noticed a feminine very briefly in a small nature reserve near my residence, because it emerged into a gap within the reeds. I’ve but to see a male, which has far more enticing plumage. Earlier than I first noticed this species, I learn someplace that one other observer was shocked at how small this species was, anticipating it to be across the measurement of a hen when it was extra like a thrush. I believed that this was quite foolish however caught myself pondering the very same factor when this tiny ball of feathers popped out between the reeds. Just like crakes, their chicken-like form (I don’t know if that is derogatory for the superb birds that crakes are) is someway deceptive.
Lilac-breasted Curler
A traditional species of the Kruger Nationwide Park, I needed to embrace this chicken as a result of it was this species we almost at all times stopped to take a look at throughout recreation drives, no matter how widespread they’re. Their vivid colors actually brighten up the bush, particularly within the dry season. Furthermore, as a result of they’re comparatively tame, they’re a highly regarded topic for photographers to get a shot of throughout flight, when their superb flight feathers are uncovered.
Inexperienced Woodhoopoe
I added this species as a result of it was an everyday backyard chicken the place we lived in Pretoria, and tried to breed in a palm tree in our backyard. The species appears to be like superb however the household teams steal the present when the perch on a department collectively and descend right into a loopy cacaphony of gaggling sounds whereas swinging forwards and backwards on the department. They’re one in every of these birds that basically have an apparent character (just like the Arrow-marked Babblers that additionally journey in household teams and chatter away all day), which makes them superb to look at, particularly once they’re outdoors your bed room window!
Collared Sunbird
A species that I at all times liked to see alongside the jap lowlands of the nation, this cute sunbird may be very vibrant and has an adorably compact form. It’s a fairly widespread species and infrequently visits aloe flowers, one in every of my favorite teams of crops on the earth. As it’s comparatively short-billed, it spends extra time gleaning bugs from foliage than different sunbird species which can be extra particularly nectarivorous (just like the Southern Double-collared Sunbird on this publish’s featured picture). I usually spent a while watching them in Letaba camp in Kruger Nationwide Park, as they have been used to the individuals right here and thus allowed a detailed strategy to take a look at its shiny scale-like plumage.
Rufous-necked Wryneck
Whereas I’d want to stay to the outdated title “Crimson-throated Wryneck” which I nonetheless have in all of my outdated guides, I made a decision to stay with the title on eBird to be in keeping with the remainder of this checklist. That is the opposite species on this checklist that I’ve by no means seen and certainly one of many causes I’ve included it right here is that the wryneck might be one in every of my largest bogey birds (a.ok.a. nemesis chicken) in South Africa. I’ve been to many locations – from Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve to Wakkerstroom – which can be supposedly wonderful for this species, however it has at all times gotten away. It’s also a typical highveld chicken so I believed it’s good to incorporate a species of this habitat provided that it covers a lot of the nation.
Southern Floor-Hornbill
That is in all probability probably the most charismatic-looking birds within the nation. This can be a species of open bushveld and savanna, requiring mature timber for breeding and subsequently being sadly quite endangered. I didn’t come throughout them recurrently, however the sightings are often fairly good as they aren’t shy once they forage on the bottom within the small household teams. Their measurement and look makes them completely gorgeous birds.
Knysna Turaco
I nonetheless have the second burned into my thoughts of a Knysna Turaco flying above us river whereas I used to be canoeing on a river with my household alongside the Backyard Route. This was earlier than I used to be a devoted birder (though I already favored birds), however the vivid purple wings have been simply an irresistably stunning distinction to the inexperienced forest. They aren’t troublesome to see, however it’s fairly unusual to get clear views of this species as they are typically quite shy. I managed to get a flight {photograph} of this chicken solely as soon as, within the legendary Magoebaskloof forest in northeastern South Africa.
I’ve gone proper up reminiscence lane with this publish by reminiscing on my previous sightings and desired sightings. So maybe I’ll comply with up with an extra publish on my favorite birds of one other nation of the southern African subregion, since I usually appeared on the subregion as an entire quite than the nations individually by way of birding (largely as a result of my chicken information and guidelines are for the subregion quite than solely South Africa).
