Protected places like the Kruger National Park is becoming the last strongholds for many birds-of-prey, the undeniable masters of the skies. Any visit to the Kruger is sure to provide regular encounters with a wide variety of meat-eating birds, and in summer even more so as many species migrate here to escape from the winter in the northern hemisphere.
Not all birds-of-prey boast the size and muscle of the big Eagles. Some, like the Falcons, Kestrels, Kites and Harriers make up for what they lack in brawn by being exceedingly fast, nimble and stealthy.
Of course no one’s going to deny the absolute majesty of the Eagles. No wonder they’ve been featured in religion, folklore and heraldry for centuries.
If the Eagles rule the sky during the day then it belongs to the Owls at night. Of course this makes them much harder to see, and photograph, but we were lucky on a few occasions.
Vultures fulfill a vital role in the ecosystem, efficiently cleaning away any leftovers remaining after the large predators have had their fill of a carcass, and in a place like Kruger National Park with healthy populations of all Africa’s large carnivores there’s certainly lots of work for the Vultures. Sadly these birds are all highly endangered outside our country’s large protected areas.
DeWetsWild 
Raptors are the most majestic of birds, their hunting skills are so impressive. Wonderful captures, my friend, as usual.
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Thanks, John. Many of the most impressive shots in this post were taken by Joubert and I will pass your kind comments to him as well.
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Ai, dis darem maar pragtige voels! Om hulle dop te hou is fantasties! Hier in ons landgoed is ‘n paar Geelbekwou’s
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Dis nou n geluk, Aletta, hoewel mens maar jou braaivleis goed moet oppas as die woue bo die buurt sirkel!
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Sal dit moet onthou! ☺️ Gelukkig braai ons binne. Meestal te winderig hier en elke huis hier het braaikamers.
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Ek het al BAIE kere gesien hoe hulle mense se vleis van die roosters af opraap in die Wildtuin se kampe en piekniekplekke. Dis baie snaaks tot dit met jou gebeur… 😀
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Ek kan my dit voorstel😊
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Great images!
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You are very kind, Sue. Thank you!
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Pleasure!
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It is difficult to pick out a ‘best’ photograph here for they are all wonderful representations of the raptors we are blessed with.
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Thank you very much, Anne. For me I think Joubert’s action shots of the Yellow-billed Kites take the cake. My jaw dropped when he showed me his photos.
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Lovely article and beautiful photo’s. I’m lucky to live in an area where I see many of these birds. I never take them for granted. Something very special about an owl hooting in one’s garden and fish eagles cry far above. Thank you.
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Thank you, Dawn!
I must admit that I am amazed – and somewhat jealous – at the variety of animals and birds that still occur in the urban sprawl of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. There must be lessons the rest of the country could learn from you about living with nature more harmoniously.
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Die visarend bly ‘n mooi voel … sjoe, hier is baie mooi foto’s van al die roofvoels – dankie julle!
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Oe, en wat sou ons wilde plekke gewees het sonder die roep van n visarend!? Baie dankie vir die gawe kommentaar, Corna.
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I always love seeing the birds of prey and you both got some really good shots, several of which included the prey. There are some unusual (to me at least) ones in there too, such as Wahlberg’s, long-crested, and martial. I almost missed the owls but I’m glad I didn’t. 🙂
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Thank you very much, Janet. The diversity of raptors occurring in South Africa, especially during summer, is a great boon for people like us who admire these birds so much.
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actors are always the winners of the most interesting and gorgeous birds. It’s very exciting to see these birds. Thank you, D. Great photos! 🙂
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Thank you very much, H.J. They really deserve all the attention and reverence we attach to them, pity humans also threaten their existence in so many cases.
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Joubert raak nou heel gesout om sulke mooi voëls in vlug af te neem. Mooi versameling roofvoëls wat jy geplaas het.( daar kon ek toe nie op Afrikaanse Bird of Prey kom nie. Eers gou opgesoek. )
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Baie dankie, Ineke. Ja, ek is baie in my noppies met hoe wonderlik Joubert se fotografie talent gegroei het oor die jare.
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