Category Archives: South African Wildlife

The inhabitants of South Africa’s wild places

Broad-billed Roller

Eurystomus glaucurus

A bird of moist savannas, woodlands and forests, often found near large rivers and permanent water bodies, the Broad-billed Roller subsists on a diet that is mainly made up of termite and ant alates, beetles and other invertebrates caught in flight. They start breeding after good rains, nesting in holes in dead trees where clutches of 2-4 chicks are raised. Adults weigh about 100g and measure approximately 29cm in length.

The Broad-billed Roller has a wide distribution over Africa’s tropical and sub-tropical regions and is also found in Madagascar. They migrate to South Africa around mid-spring and depart again by the end of summer and have a very limited local range, occurring only in coastal northern Kwazulu-Natal, the Lowveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and in the Limpopo River Valley. The IUCN lists the Broad-billed Roller as being of least concern.

Broad-billed Roller

Broad-billed rollers

Broad-billed Roller

Purple Roller

14 Replies

Coracias naevius

The Purple Roller occurs fairly widely in the woodland and savannah areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, and the IUCN considers it to be of least concern. Here in South Africa they’re found from the north of Kwazulu-Natal through the Lowveld and Bushveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo to the North West Province and Kalahari regions of the Northern Cape, but isn’t commonly encountered anywhere.

Purple Rollers feed mainly on insects but will also snap up other invertebrates and even small lizards, mice and baby birds! They’re usually seen alone or in monogamous, territorial pairs. Partners perform elaborate aerial courtship displays – hence the family name – and strengthen the pair bond by feeding each other. They usually nest in cavities in dead trees, laying clutches of 2-5 eggs, during spring and summer. Both parents take care of the chicks at the nest. Adults weigh above 150g and measure about 33cm in length.

Purple Roller

Purple Roller (photo by Joubert)

Purple Roller

Purple Roller (photo by Joubert)

Purple Roller

Caspian Tern

10 Replies

Hydroprogne (Sterna) caspia

While the IUCN considers the global population of the Caspian Tern as being of least concern, with the species being found on all the continents except South America and Antarctica, the South African population is considered to be vulnerable and is estimated at less than 1,000 adults birds with only about 300 breeding pairs in the country. Here they’re found along our entire coastline, preferring river mouths and bays, and at permanent water bodies on the Highveld. Caspian Terns feed almost exclusively on fish, caught by hovering and then diving to snatch the prey from the water. They’re mostly seen alone or in small flocks, often mixing with other kinds of water birds.

Caspian Terns form permanent pairs, breeding during the summer season in nests that are little more than a shallow scrape on the ground lined with a few pieces of dried plant material. The parents work together to incubate clutches of 1-3 eggs over a three week period. While the chicks leave the nest when they are only around a week old, they can’t fly till they’re about a month old and remain with their parents until about 8 months of age. Fully grown Caspian Terns, the largest species in the family, weigh almost 700g and measure around 50cm long.

Caspian Tern

Willow Warbler

10 Replies

Phylloscopus trochilus

The Willow Warbler is a bird that visits South Africa during our summer months, the first ones arriving towards the end of September and the last departing again by May. While they’re here they may be found in all our provinces, though they rarely venture into the dry western parts of the country. Willow Warblers breed across a large swathe of Eurasia. The IUCN estimates their total population at as many as 650-million birds and lists the species as being of least concern.

Willow Warblers eat insects and other invertebrates and lives in a variety of woodland and savanna habitats and also well planted parks and gardens. These are restless birds, usually seen singly, in pairs or small groups of 3 or 4 (rarely up to 30), and often associate with other small insectivorous birds in mixed “feeding parties”.

Adult Willow Warblers weigh only about 9g and measure only around 12cm in length.

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler (photo by Joubert)

Willow Warbler

Willow Warblers (photo by Joubert)

Willow Warbler

Pea Blue Butterfly

5 Replies

Lampides boeticus

One of the most widespread butterflies in the world, being found in Australia, Asia, Europe and Africa, the Pea Blue, or Long-tailed Blue, occurs all over South Africa. They’re quite catholic in their habitat requirements and very common in gardens. They can be a pest where peas and beans are farmed; the larvae feeding on plants from the legume family.

Adult Pea Blues are seen throughout the year and boast a wingspan of only 2-3cm. The IUCN considers it to be of least concern.

Pea Blue

Pea Blue butterflies

Long-tailed Blue

Long-tailed Blue Butterfly

Pea Blue

Southern Pochard

4 Replies

Netta erythrophthalma

The Southern Pochard is a species of duck found in both Africa and South America. They occur naturally in wetlands with deep water and lots of water plants but have also adapted to farm dams and sewage treatment works. They feed on seeds and leaves, usually taken from the water by diving and dabbling.

Southern Pochards may breed throughout the year in response to favourable conditions. Pairs are monogamous. The female constructs the bowl-shaped nest on the ground, well hidden by the surrounding vegetation, near the water’s edge. She may lay clutches of more than a dozen eggs, one per day, before starting to incubate them. The chicks then hatch after 3-4 weeks and can swim and dive almost straight away. The growing chicks can feed themselves and eat a lot more insects and other invertebrates than their parents do. They can fly by the time they’re about 2 months old.

Despite mentioning a declining population, the IUCN considers the Southern Pochard to be of least concern. In South Africa they’re found at suitable habitat in all our provinces with most of the population centred on the Highveld and in the Western Cape. These are nomadic birds, often making treks of up to 3,000km in search of watery habitats that suit their requirements.

Southern Pochard

Southern Pochard (photo by Joubert)

Southern Pochard

Southern Pochard female

Southern Pochards

Southern Pochard

Southern Pochards

Southern Pochard (photo by Joubert)

Southern Pochards

Female Southern Pochard

Southern Pochard

Southern Pochards

Southern Pochard

Southern Pochards

Southern Pochard

Sandmen Butterflies

9 Replies

Genus Spialia

The Sandmen is a familiar and widespread genus of tiny butterflies, with some species occurring in almost every corner of South Africa in almost every habitat, from forests to semi-deserts, while others have extremely limited ranges and very specific habitat requirements. They all look very similar and are difficult to identify to species level in the field. Adults have a wingspan of only 2-3cm and fly low to the ground, settling often on fresh dung, flowers, leaves, rocks or on the bare ground and regularly returning to the same spot. Their larvae feed on a wide range of indigenous plants.

South Africa is home to 14 species of Spialia Sandmen:
Boland Sandman (S. sataspes)
Bushveld Sandman (S. colotes)
Common Sandman (S. diomus)
Confusing Sandman (S. confusa)
Delagoa Sandman (S. delagoae)
Dwarf Sandman (S. nanus)
Forest Sandman (S. dromus)
Grassveld Sandman (S. agylla)
Mafa Sandman (S. mafa)
Mite Sandman (S. paula)
Mountain Sandman (S. spio)
Star Sandman (S. asterodia)
Wandering Sandman (S. depauperata)
Wolkberg Sandman (S. secessus)

Sandman Butterfly

Marsh Owl

16 Replies

Asio capensis

The Marsh Owl inhabits wetlands, covered by reeds and sedges, and tall grasslands, occasionally venturing into areas of thorny savanna, and are quite nomadic. Where it occurs it is seen more easily than most other kinds of owls as they are often active from early dusk till well after first light, especially when feeding chicks. They’re also much more social than others of their kind and may congregate in groups of more than 50 birds outside of the breeding season. Marsh Owls hunt mostly on the wing, gliding low to the ground and taking prey ranging in size from termites and snails to bats, rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs and birds up to the size of pigeons. They often store their captured prey in a larder to consume later.

Marsh Owls nest in shallow depressions on the ground, well hidden at the base of dense vegetation, usually during the dry season. They form monogamous pairs and the female takes sole responsibility for incubation of the clutch of 2-6 eggs while the male brings her food at the nest. The chicks stay in the nest for only about two-and-a-half weeks, even though they won’t be able to fly for several weeks more, staying well hidden in dense vegetation at ground level until they fledge. They probably remain dependent on their parents until they’re about 3 months old. Fully grown Marsh Owls measure about 35cm in length and weigh approximately 300g.

The IUCN considers the Marsh Owl to be of least concern. It is widely distributed in Madagascar and east, central and southern Africa, with isolated populations on various parts of West Africa and Morocco. Here in South Africa they’re mainly found in the grasslands of the Highveld (Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and North West) where the Rietvlei Nature Reserve on Pretoria’s southern outskirts is an excellent location to find and view them.

Marsh Owl in flight (photo by Joubert)

Marsh Owl in flight

Marsh Owl hunting over a wetland

Marsh Owl – bird being cared for at Dullstroom Bird of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre

Marsh Owl

African Reed Warbler

4 Replies

Acrocephalus baeticatus

As its name suggests the African Reed Warbler is a small (∼10g in weight, ∼13cm in length) insectivorous bird closely associated with reedbeds and wetlands and even garden ponds, farm dams, sewage works and sugar-cane fields.

African Reed Warblers are monogamous and territorial and breed during spring and summer. Their nest is a cup-shaped construction of grass and reed leaves attached to emergent vegetation or willow twigs drooping over the water. Both parents incubate the clutch of 2 or 3 eggs for about a fortnight, with the chicks leaving the nest when they’re around two weeks old.

African Reed Warblers are found at suitable habitat throughout South Africa throughout the year and over much of Sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia as well. The IUCN considers the African Reed Warbler to be a subspecies of the Common Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) which is also found in Europe and parts of Asia and which it lists as being of least concern.

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler (photo by Joubert)

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler (photo by Joubert)

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler (photo by Joubert)

African Reed Warbler

Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko

11 Replies

Afrogecko porphyreus

A nocturnal gecko that is endemic to South Africa and occurs only in pockets of our Eastern and Western Cape Provinces, the Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko is commonly found in rocky areas, fallen trees and in and around houses within the fynbos biome. It would appear that they’re not territorial and are often found in close proximity to several other individuals of the same species where food is plentiful. Females lay two small eggs under bark or in a crack in a rock, but several females may lay their eggs in the same spot. The baby geckos emerge about two months later and grow quickly. Fully grown Marbled Leaf-toed Geckos measure about 5cm long excluding their tails.