Category Archives: South African Wildlife

The inhabitants of South Africa’s wild places

African Green Pigeon

Treron calvus

You’d be forgiven for confusing the African Green Pigeon with a parrot at first glance, especially if you glimpse these colourful birds clambering among the branches or hanging upside down in the canopies of tall trees, foraging for fruit and seeds! African Green Pigeons inhabit forests, woodland, dense savannas (usually along river courses) and well-planted parks and gardens populated by various fruiting trees, showing a special fondness for wild figs (genus Ficus) and jackalberry (Diospyros). Adult African Green Pigeons are between 25 and 29cm long and weigh between 210 and 250g.

African Green Pigeon females build flimsy nests (of twigs and leaves gathered by the male) in the forks of trees at any time of year (with a peak in early summer in South Africa), the female incubating the small clutch (usually only 1 or 2 eggs) for around two weeks. The young pigeons leave the nest around two weeks after hatching. They are gregarious, and occur in small groups or flocks numbering up to 50 or more.

In South Africa, African Green Pigeons are common along the coast in the Eastern Cape, through much of Kwazulu-Natal, and into the bushveld and lowveld regions of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng. North of our borders this species occurs widely over tropical Africa south of the Sahara. The IUCN considers them to be of least concern, though noting that loss of habitat and hunting is causing their overall population to decline.

African Green Pigeon

African Green Pigeon in a Jackalberry

Adult African Green Pigeon

African Green Pigeon

Banded Mongoose

20 Replies

Mungos mungo

The diurnal Banded Mongoose inhabits woodland and savanna, showing a strong preference for areas along rivers and marshes with an abundance of logs and termite mounds. These little carnivores prey on insects (especially dung beetles and their larvae), other invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles (including venomous snakes), birds, eggs and rodents, and occasionally also eat fruit. They grow to longer than half a metre, and weigh between 600g and 2kg.

Banded Mongooses live in troops usually numbering from 5 to 30 though exceptionally up to 75, roaming a small home range of up to 4km², within which they have a number of dens used intermittently. These dens are usually holes dug by themselves or other animals, often in termite mounds, or crevices in rocky hills. Though they are not strictly territorial, conflict does sometimes erupt when neighbouring troops meet. Banded Mongooses often associate with warthogs and baboons.

Banded Mongoose pups are born at anytime of the year, though usually in the spring or summer. Most females in the troop get babies at more or less the same time, and the little ones will drink from any lactating female. Litters number from 2 to 8, and the babies tag along with the troop when they go searching for food from about 5 weeks old. Fewer than half of the babies live to 3 months of age, though they can live to between 8 and 13 years. Large raptors and medium-sized mammalian carnivores (jackals, servals, wild dogs, etc.) pose the biggest threat to Banded Mongooses.

The Banded Mongoose has a wide distribution over most of Sub-Saharan Africa, although they are rare in West Africa and absent from the equatorial forests of Central Africa and the arid south-west of the continent. The IUCN regards it as being of least concern, siting its wide distribution, stable and common populations in suitable habitat, presence in major conservation areas and adaptability to human encroachment. In South Africa they are found in the provinces of Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West.

Banded mongoose

Banded Mongoose

You’ll often see troops of banded mongoose crossing roads in the Kwaggasvlakte section of Marakele National Park

Banded mongoose troop at Skukuza

Banded mongoose

Banded mongooses in the road

Banded mongooses at the curbside in St. Lucia town

Banded mongoose in Skukuza

Banded Mongoose

Banded Mongooses doing their early morning rounds Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp

Banded Mongoose

Several groups of Banded Mongooses are to be seen in the Kwaggasvlakte section of the Park

Banded Mongooses

Banded Mongoose

Banded Mongooses

Banded Mongoose

World Rhino Day

13 Replies

Today is World Rhino Day.

The statistics on the number of rhinos being killed in South Africa for their horn continues to make for heart-wrenching reading. We continue to loose hundreds of black and white rhinos annually to supply an illegal black market demand from Asian countries.

But the war continues. The brave rangers working daily to protect our natural heritage have not yet given up hope, and neither should we. We’ll continue to do our part to spread the word that rhino horn has no medicinal properties, and by rights should really not be worth any more than fingernails!

Let us celebrate these prehistoric-looking beasts for the magnificent beings that they are, deserving of a place on this planet for eternity.

White Rhino calf

White Rhinoceros

White Rhinos – Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

White Rhino drinking

Relaxed Black Rhino

White rhino

Black rhino sunset

Black rhinos in feeding mode

Black rhinos in an aggressive mood

Black rhinos

I’m coming for you!

Don’t mess with a black rhino

White rhinoceros cow and rather large calf

White rhinoceros

The embodiment of magnificence

Verreaux’s Eagle

20 Replies

Aquila verreauxii

The Verreaux’s Eagle (or Black Eagle) is a denizen of rocky hills and mountains, often surrounded by savanna, grasslands or arid scrub, from sea level to 5000m high – the favoured habitat of its most common prey species; the rock hyrax (dassie), which makes up between 60% and 90% of their diet. They will also hunt other mammals (up to the size of springbok and baboons), reptiles (especially tortoises, which they drop from on high so that the carapace shatters) and birds, but they have seldom been seen to eat carrion. Verreaux’s Eagle pairs often hunt together; one bird flushing the prey while the other scoops it up, and then sharing their prey. They do most of their hunting in the early morning and late afternoon, when the hyraxes are sunning themselves on exposed rocks.

With a wingspan of up to 2.3 metres and a weight of between 3 and 7kg, the Verreaux’s Eagle is one of the three biggest eagles to be found in South Africa (the others being the Crowned and Martial Eagles). Females are slightly larger than males.

Verreaux’s Eagles pair for life, and pairs are fiercely defensive of their territories. Their massive stick nests are usually built on cliff ledges (sometimes on equally inaccessible trees or man-made structures). In South Africa they usually start breeding during winter. Two eggs are laid and mostly incubated by the female for 44-48 days, while her mate brings food to her on the nest. The stronger (usually oldest) chick invariably kills, and sometimes eat, its weaker sibling within a few days of hatching. The young eagle starts flying at about three months old and becomes independent of its parents about 7 months after hatching. Immature Black Eagles roam widely before settling down with a mate.

Verreaux’s Eagles are distributed over large areas of East, Central and Southern Africa, wherever suitable mountainous habitat and sufficient populations of dassies are found. With a stable population estimated in the tens of thousands, the IUCN considers the species of least concern. In South Africa, where they occur in all provinces, Verreaux’s Eagles are sometimes hunted due to an undeserved reputation as a threat to small stock, though farmers have of late realised the benefit of these eagles keeping dassie populations under control. In traditional African folklore many people regard them as a messenger from the ancestors.

A pair of Black Eagles have been resident at Johannesburg’s Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens since the 1970’s, offering probably the most easily accessible viewing of this majestic raptor.

Verreaux’s Eagles at Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens

Verreaux’s Eagles

Verreaux’s Eagle

Verreaux’s Eagle in flight over Thendele

Verreaux’s Eagle on the wing

Rock Dassie (Hyrax)

27 Replies

Procavia capensis

As their name suggests, Rock Dassies are closely associated with rocky habitats, be it mountains, hills, cliffs, ditches, canyons, gorges or just plain heaps of boulders – as long as there is rocks with caves and crevices to hide in, a sufficient supply of food, and a place where they can soak up the sun, Rock Dassies can be found from deserts to forests and from sea level to mountain tops, and even in city suburbs. Rock Dassies are entirely independent of drinking water, and feed on a wide variety of plantmaterial; grass, leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, twigs, roots, bulbs, herbs, and even poisonous plants that would kill other animals are all included in their diet.

Adult Rock Dassies are about 20 – 30cm high and weigh anywhere from 2 to 5.5kg, males being a little larger than the females. Notwithstanding their relatively small size, hyraxes are the closest living relative of elephants!

Rock Dassies live in colonies, usually numbering around 30 but up to 100 or more under favourable conditions, consisting of a dominant, territorial male and a harem of females and their young. Females also have a strict hierarchy and will fight viciously to maintain their place in the rank. Dassies are diurnal, and start their day basking on an exposed rock in the early morning sun. They’re rather lazy and spend only about two hours a day feeding, mostly in the morning and afternoon. While feeding they sometimes move a few hundred meters from their rocky abodes. At night and during the heat of the day they rest in caves and crevices among the rocks. Rock Dassies are excellent climbers, both of rocks and trees, are rather quarrelsome and downright aggressive amongst themselves, have very keen senses and have the remarkable ability to look straight into the sun without any apparent ill effect – a handy adaptation to detect their biggest natural enemy; the Verreaux’s Eagle. While the colony is feeding, one individual is always on guard for the eagles and other predators like leopard, caracal, jackal and other raptors. They’re also persecuted as a pest by many farmers, especially those with small stock. Rock Dassies seldom live past the age of 8 years in the wild, though they can get up to 15 years old in captivity.

Females give birth to between 1 and 6 babies at the end of the rainy season, after a gestation of almost 8 months – unusually long for such a small animal. The babies are weaned between 3 and 5 months after birth, and young males are driven from the colony when they’re about a year old.

Rock Dassies occur widely, if discontinuously due to its habitat requirements, over Africa (including parts of the Sahara) and much of the Middle East. Owing to its exceptionally wide distribution and overall large, stable populations, many of which in well protected conservation areas, and despite hunting pressure in some parts of its range, the IUCN lists the Rock Hyrax as being of least concern. in South Africa they can be found in all provinces, wherever their preferred habitat is available.

Rock hyrax, or dassie

Smiling dassie

Dassie

Curious dassie

Dassie (or rock hyrax) baking in the sun

Rock hyrax, or Dassie

Well camouflaged rock hyrax watching our progress

Rock Dassie (Hyrax)

Rock hyrax, or dassie, baby

Rock hyrax, or dassie

Dassie enjoying the view

Baby Dassie

Dassie (Rock Hyrax)

Dassie (Rock Hyrax) baby

Dassie (Rock Hyrax)

Rock Hyrax (Dassie)

Acrobatic Rock Hyrax (Dassie)

Rock Hyrax (Dassie)

Rock Hyrax, or Dassie

Dassie (Rock Hyrax)

Dassie, or Rock Hyrax

Hyrax

Dassie (Rock Hyrax)

Rock Hyrax at Marakele National Park

Rock Hyrax family at Marakele National Park

Rock Hyraxes at Marakele National Park

Rock Hyrax at Marakele National Park

Rock Hyrax

Rock Dassies (or Hyraxes)

Rock Dassie (or Hyrax)

Rock Hyraxes are usually to be seen up top at Lenong Viewpoint

Rock Hyraxes sunning themselves on a ridge below our chalet

Rock Hyrax, or Rock Dassie

Dassie, aka Rock Hyrax

Dassie family

Dassies

Dassie

Dassie or Rock Hyrax

A related species with a more restricted distribution in South Africa, the Yellow-spotted Rock Hyrax, will be discussed in an upcoming post on de Wets Wild

Yellow-spotted Rock Hyrax (left) and Rock Hyrax (right) sharing the sun in Mapungubwe

Three-banded Plover

21 Replies

Charadrius tricollaris

Three-banded Plovers inhabit the open, often muddy, shores of freshwater and brackish habitats, natural or man-made, and feed on a wide variety of worms, insects, molluscs, crustaceans and other invertebrates foraged from the water’s edge. They are usually seen singly or in pairs, with small flocks of up to 20 a rare occurrence. Adult Three-banded Plovers weigh between 28 and 45g, with a wingspan of around 46cm.

Nests are little more than well camouflaged scrapes in the ground, placed near the water among gravel, pebbles, rocks or other debris, in which one or two eggs are incubated by both parents for around four weeks. Pairs vigorously defend their territories from other Three-banded Plovers and even other kinds of birds. The chicks fledge about three weeks after hatching, but remain with their parents until they’re about 6 weeks old. This species breeds throughout the year.

The Three-banded Plover occurs all over South Africa, and has expanded its range in recent times thanks to the construction of artificial water bodies in otherwise arid areas. In the rest of Africa it occurs widely over the eastern and central parts of the continent and is considered of least concern by the IUCN, who sites a total population of between 70,000 and 140,000 (of which between 25,000 and 50,000 is estimated to occur south of the Zambezi River).

Three-banded Plover

Three Banded Plover

Three-Banded Plover at uBhejane Hide

Three-banded Plover

Three-banded Plover on its nest

Three-banded Plover

Three-banded Plover (photo by Joubert)

Three-banded Plover

Three-banded Plover at Senyati’s waterhole

Three-banded Plover

Three-banded Plover with her eggs

Three-banded Plover eggs on a heap of building rubble

Cape Weaver

39 Replies

Ploceus capensis

The Cape Weaver is common in fynbos, wet highlands, coastal thickets and grasslands with easy access to water and stands of trees. It shows a marked preference for agricultural areas causing some conflict with grain and fruit farmers. It feeds on a wide range of plant material (especially seeds, fruit and nectar) and insects, often in mixed flocks with other weavers, sparrows and canaries. They weigh between 28 and 54 grams.

Cape Weavers are gregarious, nesting colonially in reeds, trees or fences (not necessarily near water) during the spring and summer months, often together with other species of weaver and bishop. Males mate with as many as 7 females in a season and has to weave several nests of grass and reeds to accommodate them – females will often tear apart nests that they find inferior. If accepted, the female will line the nest with soft vegetation and feathers and then, after mating, lies a clutch of 2-5 eggs, which she incubates for two weeks. The chicks fledge at about 17 days of age.

The Cape Weaver is a common to abundant species in South Africa, with a limited distribution outside our borders in Swaziland, Lesotho and the extreme south of Namibia along the lower Orange River, and considered of least concern by the IUCN. They are common along the Atlantic coast and adjacent interior of the Northern Cape, throughout most of the Western and Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal, the eastern Free State, Gauteng and the Highveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province.

Cape Weaver male

Cape weaver (female)

Cape Weaver female

Cape Weaver male

Cape Weaver juvenile

Cape Weaver male

Cape Weaver nest

Cape Weaver male displaying

Cape Weaver

Cape Weaver female

Inquisitive Cape Weaver

Cape Weaver (photo by Joubert)

Leopard Tortoise

25 Replies

Stigmochelys pardalis

Leopard Tortoises are the most widely distributed of Africa’s tortoises, inhabiting habitats ranging from moist savannas to arid scrub, and from sea level to 2900m above. They feed on a wide variety of plants, especially grasses, succulents, forbs, flowering annuals and fallen fruit. They’ll also gnaw on bones or faeces to supplement their calcium intake, and are dependent on a reliable source of fresh water. It is mainland Africa’s largest species of tortoise, adults averaging 40cm in length with a weight around 13kg, though they can exceptionally grow to weigh 40kg under favourable conditions. Females are bigger than males.

Leopard tortoises are diurnal in habit and most active in the warmer months of the year. In very hot or very cold temperatures, they will take cover in dense vegetation, between or under rocks and logs, or in abandoned holes in the ground. They are surprisingly adept at swimming. As is well known in most species of chelonians, the Leopard Tortoise retracts into its carapace at the slightest sign of danger.

Leopard Tortoises only attain sexual maturity at between 12 and 15 years of age and are mostly solitary, except in the mating season. Males will fight over females in the mating season, which in South Africa stretches from September to April, and will attempt to turn each other over. Female leopard tortoises may lay multiple clutches of up to 30 (more usually 6-15) eggs during spring and summer in pits they dig with their hind feet in a sunny, well-drained spot. After laying she fills the hole again and stamps the ground flat with her feet and body. Depending on temperatures the eggs take from 8 to 15 months to hatch, often only after rain has softened the soil above them so that the hatchlings can dig themselves out. Females hatch from warmer nests while males develop at lower temperatures. Hatchlings are only 4-5 cm long and weigh only 20-50g. Eggs and young tortoises fall prey to most of Africa’s reptilian, avian and mammalian predators, and lions and hyenas will take adults occasionally. They are also very vulnerable to veld fires and often infested with ticks. Leopard Tortoises have lived to 75 years in captivity and some sources claim they could reach 100 years in the wild.

The Leopard Tortoise is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, having a wide distribution in Eastern and Southern Africa. While still numerous in conservation areas, they are dwindling in numbers in areas with high human populations due to habitat modification, illegal collection from the wild for the pet trade (for which several countries have set up captive breeding programs) and to a lesser extent consumption as food. In South Africa they occur at least in parts of every province but can only be considered common in protected areas.

Leopard Tortoises are named for the mottled yellow-and-black carapace of young animals, which dulls and darkens with age.

Tortoise have right of way on uMkhuze’s roads

Leopard Tortoises

Leopard Tortoise

Leopard tortoise feeding on fresh shoots next to the road

Leopard tortoise

Thirsty Leopard Tortoise

Ground hornbill and Leopard Tortoise feast

Leopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise hatchling, just a little bigger than a match box

Leopard Tortoise in the camping area at Karoo National Park

Leopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise female being courted by two (smaller) males

Leopard Tortoise

Shy leopard tortoise…

…coming out of his shell

Leopard Tortoise cooling off

Leopard Tortoise

Tortoises are common in Bontebok National Park – this one being a Leopard Tortoise seen at the reception building

Leopard Tortoises are commonly encountered in Addo

Leopard Tortoise (photo by Joubert)

Baby Leopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise (photo by Joubert)

Leopard Tortoise

Newly hatched Leopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise seeking respite from the heat in the shade beneath our car

Leopard Tortoise

Black-winged Kite

10 Replies

Elanus caeruleus

Black-winged Kites prefer open habitats, ranging from semi-deserts to the edges of and clearings in forests, but they are most abundant in grasslands, fynbos and cultivated fields. The opening up of large areas for cultivation has aided this species to expand its range and increase its populations. They feed on small mammals (rodents make up about 80% of their diet), birds, reptiles, frogs and insects, hunting from a perch or by hovering above. A Black-winged Kite consumes at least 2 mice per day – about 25% of its body weight of 250g (average). They have a wingspan of roughly 80cm.

Outside of the spring & summer peak breeding season (though some breed year-round), Black-winged Kites often roost communally in groups usually numbering up to 20, though congregations of up to 500 have been recorded. By day they hunt singly or in pairs.

Nests are built of small twigs and lined with finer material, in the tops of trees (or on telephone pylons) that are often used for several consecutive years, though a new nest is built every season. Males defend the territory, but both parents incubate the clutch of 2-6 eggs and bring food back to the hatchlings which emerge after about 5 weeks of incubation. The chicks start flying at about 5 weeks old, but only become fully independent when they are about 4 months old.

The IUCN describes the Black-winged Kite as one of the commonest birds-of-prey throughout its wide distribution range, which covers all of Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and Indo-China, and considers it of least concern although it is susceptible to accidental poisoning through pest control measures. It occurs in all of South Africa’s nine provinces, being absent only from the driest parts of the Northern Cape.

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite (photo by Joubert)

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kites

Black-winged Kite

Soppy Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite preparing to dive onto its prey

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite using a fence to look for rodents in a canola field

Black-winged Kite (photo by Joubert)

Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kites

Black-winged Kite

Blue Waxbill

32 Replies

Uraeginthus angolensis

Blue Waxbills inhabit savannas, woodlands and gardens with easily accessible water sources. They feed mostly on grass-seeds, and to a lesser extent insects like termites. They are normally seen in pairs or small groups, though larger flocks do occur. At night they prefer roosting in the top of a tall thorn tree. They will also often mix with other kinds of small seed-eaters.

These small birds (8-13g) breed almost throughout the year, with a peak in summer after good rains. Both sexes construct the oval-shaped grass-nest, normally in a thorny tree and near wasp nests. Sometimes they’ll take over disused nests built by other species and adapt it to their requirements. Both parents incubate the clutch of 2-7 eggs, which hatch in less than 2 weeks, and feed the chicks on seeds and insects until they fledge and become independent within 3 – 5 weeks.

The Blue Waxbill occurs commonly from South Africa to Angola in the northwest and Tanzania in the northeast, and is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN. In South Africa it is found from Kwazulu-Natal and the Free State nothwards and is one of the most populous species in these parts, probably numbering in the hundreds of thousands at least. The species is exploited for the pet trade to a limited extent.