Southern boubou (Laniarius ferrugineus) |
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Ranges in size from 21 to 23 cm long (including the tail)
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It has a highly variable call, ranging from bell-like notes to buzzing notes
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Two birds will often call antiphonally - i.e. each bird alternating with the other
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They prefer to stick to dense scrub or overgrown areas of the trail - can become less wary around human habitation
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Eat almost anything - from insects to fruit to fledgling birds.
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Whitebreasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus) |
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Often seen next to the pond at the main entrance to NMU
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They seem to enjoy fishing for titbits in the shallow water
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Will eat fish, frogs, crabs and water snails
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Large birds, growing to about 90 cm (including tail)
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Common residents in Port Elizabeth and can be seen throughout the year
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Often the smaller Cape cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis) can be seen sunning themselves alongside their whitebreasted cousins
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Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) |
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Relies on their excellent camouflage for protection - will not move unless approached quite closely
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Have a high pitched piping call, and will emit growling alarm notes when distressed
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Prefer open areas interspersed with bush clumps or trees - can also be found in the main car park in the evenings
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Thick-knees are crepuscular (active at twilight) or nocturnal (hence the big eyes) - will also be active on cloudy days
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More vocal at night, on heavily cloudy days and just after rain
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They eat mainly insects, crabs, snails, grass seeds, and sometimes even frogs
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The nest is usually a shallow scrape on the ground - once the female sits down she virtually disappears from view
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Laughing Dove(Streptopelia senegalensis) |
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Found throughout Africa
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They become very tame near human habitation
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Their call is a bubbling phrase of 6 to 8 notes, sounding like a gentle chuckle - do not call on landing like most doves of this genus
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Eat mainly seeds, although they will take insects and snails
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Females tend to take more animal food than the males, as they have to build up protein reserves in order to lay eggs
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They breed at all times of year, except mid-summer
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The nest is an untidy affair of twigs, and the clutch averages two eggs
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Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) |
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Known as a Kolgans in Afrikaans - the "kol" refers to the dark spot in the centre of the chest
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Their distribution covers most of sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt and the Middle East, and south-east Europe
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Often found at the main pond, and also at the new pond
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Spend most of their time loafing on the shoreline - they can be pests in grain farming areas when their numbers are very high
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They are mainly herbivores, feeding on grain and other seeds, seedlings and aquatic rhizomes
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Yellowbilled Egret (Egretta intermedia) |
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Often seen near the main pond, up to its knees in the water, quietly stalking fish and frogs
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These birds are shy and wary - will fly off when approached
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They can be distinguished from Little Egrets by their black feet and yellow bill; and from Cattle Egrets by their yellow bill
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Short period of breeding coloration - an orange to red bill, red upper legs and a bright green eye ring
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Rednecked Spurfowl(Pternistes afer) |
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Often seen picking their way through the undergrowth on the trail
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Best seen in the early morning
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Tend to be very shy and run off into the bushes when they spot danger
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Omnivores - will take seeds, shoots, roots, bulbs, snails and insects
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They lay about 4 to 7 seven eggs, and can be seen leading their chicks about during late winter and early spring
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Unlike the northern hemisphere, many birds in Southern Africa will prefer to breed during the wetter mild winters than during the harsh dry summers
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Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) |
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Often seen and heard on the trail
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Common all over campus - do a good job of aerating the lawns with their long probing beaks as they search for insects and worms in the soil
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They occur often in twos and threes near the start of the trail, but avoid the more bushy areas
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Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) |
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This is an immature Grey Heron - when it matures, it will display a black stripe above the eye, and a floppy black crest
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It will also acquire a darker grey body colour, a whiter neck with black speckles down the front, black shoulders and a bright yellow bill and legs
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Grey Herons are fairly uncommon - the more common species in South Africa is the Blackheaded Heron
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Grey Herons spend most of their time near the water - will eat most animals associated with water (even small mammals and reptiles)
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Fiscal Shrike (Lanius collaris) |
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This dapper little fellow is a common sight on the trail
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Have the habit of spearing their prey on thorns, thus building up a tidy larder of dried snacks
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Fiscal Shrikes have a mixed call of harsh churring and piping notes
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Sit perched high on some conspicuous vantage point and pounce on insects and small rodents
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Quite small (31 to 58 g) - yet will take quite large prey such as Laughing Doves, small Guinea Fowl chicks, snakes and lizards
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Spotted Eagle Owl (Bubo africanus) |
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Quite large owls, measuring between 43 and 47 cm in length
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Often seen perched on top of the buildings, and have the habit of sitting next to building spotlights at night
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Believed that they watch the spotlight area to increase their hunting success - they also perch on street lights
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Spotted Eagle Owls have a typical mellow hooting call
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May have day roosts in nooks and crannies of building ledges - they prefer to roost on rock (or cement) rather than in trees
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Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus) |
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Crowned Lapwings prefer the lawn areas of campus - but are sometimes seen on the trail
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Common throughout southern and eastern Africa - have the status of common resident in South Africa
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Often gregarious when not breeding
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Like to eat insects and earthworms.
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The young are precocious and will melt into the vegetation in response to an alarm call from the parents
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Parents are valiant defenders of the nest and the young, dive-bombing and shrieking at intruders
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Often neighbouring pairs will join in the attack on predators
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Cape Robin-chat (Cossypha caffra) |
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This pretty little bird is a good mimic, and can imitate the calls of over 20 other birds
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Generally common in South Africa, but is scarce in this area
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It keeps mostly to dense undergrowth - is thus more often heard than seen on the trail
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Feeds on insects, spiders, worms, small frogs and fruit
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Breeds during spring in the east Cape - the nest is built by the females, who lay a clutch of 2 to 3 eggs
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Redwinged Starling (Onychognathus morio) |
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Very common on campus and are often seen on the trail
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Tend to prefer the easy pickings of campus waste bins - can often be seen attacking apple cores and dragging potato chips out of their packets
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They will also take insects, lizards and aloe nectar
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Form flocks of a few birds for most of the year and pair up when breeding
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Have a sweet mellow whistled call which can be heard almost all the time on campus
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Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) |
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Reach a length of 11 to 13 cm
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The brightly coloured male is shown here - females are brownish grey, and pairs of birds are often seen foraging together
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Do not feed exclusively on nectar - will also eat insects and spiders, and the juice of overripe fruit
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Cape Wagtail (Montacilla capensis) |
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Dainty little Wagtails are found all over southern Africa - the trail is no exception
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Have a sharp tweeting call
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They wag their tails when landing, and when standing still, especially if they are nervous (which seems to be all the time!)
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Feed on insects, small crabs, little fish (up to 2 cm in length) and food scraps - they seem especially fond of cheese
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Breed right through the year - can have up to four broods
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Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) |
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These are noisy and gregarious birds - will descend on one tree and nest in bustling flocks
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Their call is a harsh swizzling, rasping sound - they enthusiastically give voice when they display
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Both males and females will hang beneath their nests and raise a tremendous clamour during the breeding season
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They weave their neat oval nests out of grass and reed leaves - the nest has an entrance tunnel of about 8 to 12 cm, which hangs down vertically and discourages snakes from stealing their eggs
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