Tag Archives: wildlife

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

Gymnoris superciliaris

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrows (previously known as the Yellow-throated Petronia) inhabit dry woodland, savannas and riverine thickets with a sparse grass covering. They are usually encountered singly or in monogamous, fairly permanent pairs, often in the company of other seed-eating birds. Aside from seeds, which form their staple diet, these sparrow-like birds also consumes invertebrates and nectar, and will forage both on the ground and along large branches.

They sleep and breed in holes in trees, often using old woodpecker or barbet nests for the purpose. Their breeding season spans all of the spring and summer months, with the female being responsible for the incubation of the eggs. Adults grow to 16cm in length with a weight of around 24g.

The IUCN considers the Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow to be of least concern. In South Africa they can be found in the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West Province, while they’re also widely distributed over much of the rest of Africa south of the Equator.

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

Brown-veined White Butterfly

24 Replies

Belenois aurota

The Brown-veined White could probably be South Africa’s most commonly seen butterfly, occurring throughout the year and migrating in their millions between December and February away from areas of overcrowding in the arid west towards the Mozambique Channel, laying batches of around 20 eggs at their point of departure and along the way as they go. The Shepherd’s Tree is the preferred larval food plant for this species here in South Africa, but they are also found over most of the rest of sub-Saharan Africa and across Arabia and the Indian subcontinent where other members of the Caper plant-family would be important food sources. Adults, with a wingspan of about 4.5cm, feed on nectar and, while they are strong fliers, often pause at wet soil and mud for a drink.

Bontle’s also home to other beauties – this is a Brown-veined White butterfly

Brown-veined White

Brown-veined Whites

Brown-veined White

Brown Veined White

Brown-veined White

Brown-veined White butterfly

Brown-veined White in what I think is an Albizia (False Thorn) bush

Brown-veined White

Brown-veined White butterfly in flight (photo by Joubert)

Brown-veined White butterfly

Brown-veined White Butterfly

Brown-veined White and African Migrant butterflies congregating at a mud puddle

Brown-veined White butterflies congregating on wet dung

White-crowned Lapwing

25 Replies

Vanellus albiceps

White-crowned Lapwings are usually seen on the sandy or muddy banks and islands of large rivers and other natural waterbodies, searching for invertebrates and occasionally small frogs and fish to feed on. Adults weigh approximately 190g and measure around 30cm in length.

Outside of the breeding season White-crowned Lapwings congregate in groups of up to 30, though more usually numbering 6-12, but during the dry-season breeding period they are to be found in highly territorial pairs. The nest is a scrape or the footprint of a large mammal in the sand, vigorously defended against any bird or animal that ventures too close. Clutches consist of 2 or 3 eggs.

In South Africa the White-crowned Lapwing occurs only in the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley and is considered rare and threatened by diminishing river flows – there’s only about 90 pairs in total along the Limpopo, Luvuvhu, Olifants and Sabie Rivers in the Kruger National Park. North of our borders they are found patchily in parts of southern and eastern Africa, with the majority of the population occurring in central and west Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN.

White-crowned Lapwing on the bridge

White-crowned Lapwing

White-crowned lapwing

White-crowned Lapwing

Red Toad

13 Replies

Schismaderma carens

While naturally occurring in savanna and woodland habitats and breeding in deep, permanent pools of water, the Red Toad is often found close to human habitations, no doubt finding the bounty of insects attracted by outside lighting very attractive. Being rather large amphibians at about 10cm in length, they’re surprisingly adept at climbing and will even shelter under the roofs of houses. They are active by night and sometimes during the day, especially in overcast conditions.

Females may lay as many as 20,000 eggs while mating, which takes place after good rains have fallen between September and March. The tadpoles’ metamorphosis is complete by the time they’re two months old.

In South Africa, Red Toads are to be found in the provinces of Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North-West, and north of our borders they occur into Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and the southern DRC. The IUCN lists the Red Toad as being of least concern.

Red Toad at the Waterfall Safari Lodge

Red Toad

Red Toad at home outside our cottage

Red Toad

Red Toads hunt around the ablution blocks at night

Red Toad

Purple-crested Turaco

29 Replies

Gallirex porphyreolophus

The Purple-crested Turaco is a bird of forests and dense woodland, where they subsist on a diet of fruit, berries and buds foraged high up in the tree tops. They’re also increasingly being seen in well planted suburban parks and gardens within their range. They are rather large birds, weighing around 300g and measuring about 42cm long, and despite this moves very nimbly through the forest canopy. Though not necessarily shy and retiring birds they are usually rather difficult to discern in the darkness of their preferred habitat, and their characteristically turaco call is often the first indication of their presence in an area.

Normally seen singly or in pairs, and only occasionally in groups of up to six, adult Purple-crested Turacos form monogamous, territorial pairs. They build flimsy platform-nests using twigs and sticks, laying clutches of 2-4 eggs in spring and summer. Both parents incubate the eggs over a 3 week period and both bring food to the chicks, which fledge at about 5 to 6 weeks of age.

The Purple-crested Turaco is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN though loss of habitat may be causing a decline in their numbers. They occur from Uganda and Kenya, through Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to South Africa (Escarpment and Lowveld of Limpopo and Mpumalanga as well as Kwazulu-Natal) and eSwatini (formerly Swaziland), of which it is the national bird.

Purple-crested turacos

Purple-crested Turaco

The Kumasinga Hide in uMkhuze Game Reserve is an excellent location to see this beautiful bird.

Purple-crested Turaco

Purple-crested Turaco (photo by Joubert)

Purple-crested Turaco

Purple-crested Turaco (photo by Joubert)

Purple-crested Turaco

Sausage Tree

39 Replies

Kigelia africana

The Sausage Tree is distributed widely through sub-Saharan Africa, occurring from Senegal to Eritrea and southwards to the South African provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu-Natal. It was also introduced to various other parts of the world as a decorative garden plant. The IUCN lists it as being of least concern. Sausage Trees are usually found growing along rivers, streams and flood plains in more tropical climatic conditions, being rather susceptible to frost damage in more temperate climes.

Sausage Trees can grow as tall as 20m and have an equally widely spreading crown. The beautiful flowers, carried in early spring, are pollinated by a wide variety of insects, birds and bats attracted by copious quantities of nectar. The enormous fruit from which the Sausage Tree takes its name can grow to between 30cm and a meter long, weighing between 5 and 12kg, posing a considerable hazard for anyone or anything unlucky enough to be below the tree when one of the fruits drop. The fruiting season stretches from December to June in South Africa.

The flowers and fruit are eaten by antelope, primates, bushpigs, elephants, hippos and giraffes, though both the green and fresh fruit are poisonous to humans and needs to be dried, roasted or fermented before it can be utilised as food.

Sausage Tree Fruit

Sausage Tree

Growing Sausage-Tree fruit

Sausage-Tree fruit

Sausage-Tree leaves

Old Sausage-Tree fruit

Sausage-Tree flower (photo by Joubert)

Sausage-Tree bloom

Sausage-Tree blossoms and fruit

Inside of a Sausage-Tree fruit

Sausage-Tree fruit

Sausage Tree fruit

Kurrichane Thrush

20 Replies

Turdus libonyana

The Kurrichane Thrush is a shy denizen of open woodlands and dense vegetation fringing river courses, and have adapted to well-planted parks and gardens in our towns and cities. They feed on a wide variety of fruit and invertebrates.

Usually encountered in monogamous, territorial pairs, Kurrichane Thrushes breed from late winter to early autumn. Their cup-shaped nests are placed in the forks of large trees and often lined with mud. Only the female incubates the clutch consisting of 1-4 eggs over a two-week period. While the chicks leave the nest roughly two weeks after hatching they may remain with their parents for up to two months more before becoming independent. Fully grown, Kurrichane Thrushes measure about 22cm and weigh around 63g.

Kurrichane Thrushes occur widely over eastern, central and southern Africa. In this country they are found from Kwazulu-Natal to North West, through Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng. The IUCN considers it as being of least concern.

Kurrichane Thrush

African Monarch

42 Replies

Danaus chrysippus orientis

The African Monarch is one of our most commonly seen butterflies, flying throughout the year and occurring in every corner of our country. Furthermore they’re widespread over the rest of Africa, the Indian Ocean islands, large tracts of Asia and Australia, where they are known as the “Plain Tiger”. These butterflies prefer more open habitats, are regularly seen in parks and gardens, and fly rather slowly, settling often on flowers or wilted plants.

Females lay eggs singly on their favourite larval food plants from the Milkweed family (especially the genuses Asclepias, Ceropegia, Stapelia and Huernia). Their metamorphosis from egg to butterfly takes from 4 to 6 weeks depending on the local climate. Adults are medium-sized butterflies, with a wingspan of between 5 and 8cm, and feed on nectar and alkaloids from damaged or dying plants. Their colouration serves as warning to predators that this butterfly is foul-tasting (likely resulting from their feeding on milkweeds as larvae), and as a result several other kinds of more palatable butterflies mimic the same colours and patterns. They live for up to two weeks in their adult form.

African Monarch

African Monarch – With so many flowers in bloom, the abundance of butterflies is no surprise

Bontle’s also home to other beauties, like this African Monarch

African Monarch

African Monarch butterflies and an incoming wasp

African Monarch butterfly

African Monarch

African Monarch butterflies

African Monarch

African Monarchs mating

African Monarch

Bennett’s Woodpecker

8 Replies

Campethera bennettii

Bennett’s Woodpecker inhabits woodland and savanna habitats with tall trees. It feeds mainly on ants and termites and their eggs and larvae, which it will dig out of their underground nests, and thus spends a lot of time on the ground. Adults measure about 23cm long and weigh around 70g.

These woodpeckers are usually encountered singly, in pairs or family groups, and use holes in trees as nests, either chiseled by themselves or taken over from other species. Both parents incubate the clutch of 2-6 eggs over period of almost three weeks. The chicks leave the nest about a month after hatching, but will remain with their parents up to the next breeding season, which spans spring and summer. It would appear that pairs are territorial throughout the year and not only in the breeding season.

The IUCN considers Bennett’s Woodpecker a species of least concern. It occurs from Burundi and Rwanda through much of east, central and southern Africa to South Africa’s Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces, with a few scattered records from other provinces. It is a close relative of, and easily confused with, the Golden-tailed Woodpecker. Shingwedzi Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park is a very reliable spot to see Bennett’s Woodpecker.

Bennett’s Woodpecker (male)

Bennett’s Woodpecker (female)

Bennett’s Woodpeckers (pair)

Bennett’s Woodpecker (male)

Bennett’s Woodpecker (female)

Bennett’s Woodpecker (male)

Male Bennett’s Woodpecker

Common Flap-neck Chameleon

23 Replies

Chameleo dilepis

Few people would not be familiar with chameleons, those lizards with their independently moving eyes, long, sticky tongues and slow, deliberate movements belying their amazing ability to change colour in the blink of an eye (to blend in with their environment or to communicate their mood). We have 22 species of chameleon in South Africa, of which the Common Flap-neck Chameleon is the best known.

Flap-neck Chameleons feed on insects, mainly beetles and grasshoppers. They prefer savanna, thicket, woodland and forest habitats and are mainly arboreal, though thanks to their excellent camouflage amongst foliage they are mostly only noticed when moving across open ground. In South Africa they occur from coastal Kwazulu-Natal and the adjacent interior, into Mpumalanga, Limpopo, northern Gauteng, North West and the Kalahari regions of the Northern Cape. North of our borders they occur all the way to Cameroon in the northwest and Somalia in the northeast.

Three to four months after mating in the spring, female Flap-neck Chameleons lie clutches of 25-50 (exceptionally up to 65) eggs in a foot-long tunnel she digs in moist soil in the late summer months. The eggs can take up to a year to hatch. Newly emerged Flap-neck Chameleons measure about 5cm in length but grow quickly; adults grow to a length of 35cm (half of which is their prehensile tail).

When threatened, Flap-neck Chameleons inflate their bodies and open their mouths wide in a defensive display. They’re also quite likely to bite when handled. The IUCN considers the Flap-neck Chameleon to be of least concern. Unfortunately it is popular in the pet trade and often sold by informal traders along rural roadsides. This practice should never be supported by purchasing the chameleon, despite how sorry you may feel for the poor creature, as it just stimulates the market and triggers more and more people to go catch animals for sale, most of which will die, and leading directly to the local collapse of their populations.