Friday, 31 December 2021
Thursday, 30 December 2021
Wednesday, 29 December 2021
29-5-2019 SOMALISA CAMP, ZIMBABWE - SOUTHERN YELLOW BILLED HORNBILL (Tockus leucomelas)
The southern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) is a hornbill found in southern Africa. Yellow-billed hornbills feed mainly on the ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. This hornbill species is a common and widespread resident of dry thornveldt and broad-leafed woodlands. They can often be seen along roads and water courses.
It is a medium-sized bird, 48–60 cm (19–24 in) in length, 132–242 g (0.29–0.53 lb) in weight and is characterized by a long yellow and down-curved beak. This beak is huge in comparison to its body and can account for up 1/6th of the entire body length. Male beaks are on average 90 mm long while female beaks are an average of 74 mm. Males are generally bigger than females but there is overlap between the sexes. The size difference of the beak is a fairly reliable way of differentiating sex in wild hornbills.
The casque that characterizes all hornbills is of a very modest size in the southern yellow-billed hornbill. It is small, but it covers almost the entire length of the beak in males (less so in females), and may give the impression that they do not actually have a casque. As in all hornbills, the size of the beak actually intrudes on the frontal vision of the bird and the first two neck vertebrae are fused together.
Also, like most other hornbills, they possess a long tail, long eyelashes, stubby legs and stubby toes. The front three toes are fused together near the base.
They have white belly, grey neck, and black back plumage with abundant white spots and stripes. The neck has gray spots and the chest is lightly striated with black. Southern yellow-billed hornbills have no plumage pigmentation save for melanin, which can only produce shades of black and white. The eyes are usually yellow, though brown has also been seen. The skin around the eyes and in the malar stripe is pinkish. The related eastern yellow-billed hornbill from north-eastern Africa has blackish skin around the eyes.
These birds are near endemic to the dry savannas of southern Africa, where they can be found across all longitudes, from Angola and Namibia in the west to Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal in the east, including Botswana, Zimbabwe and northern South Africa.
The southern yellow-billed hornbill lives mostly in the dry, open savannas, but they are also very partial to woodlands when they can find them. When in woodlands, they seem to prefer acacia and broadleaved woodlands. The highest reported concentration of southern yellow-billed hornbill is in open mopane scrub.
Monday, 27 December 2021
Sunday, 26 December 2021
31-5-2019 THORNTREE CAMP, ZAMBIA - WAHLBERG STRIPED SKINK (Trachylepis striata ssp. wahlbergi)
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Trachylepis wahlbergii, also known commonly as Wahlberg's striped skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.
Trachylepis wahlbergii has been considered a subspecies of Trachylepis striata. Whether T. wahlbergii is truly distinct from T. striata is not fully settled.
T. wahlbergii occurs in southern Angola, northern Botswana, northern Namibia, western Mozambique, Zambia, and northern, western and southern Zimbabwe.
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The specific name, wahlbergi, is in honour of Swedish Naturalist Johan August Wahlberg.
T. wahlbergii is viviparous. In animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juvenile that is at least metabolically independent
31-5-2019 THORNTREE CAMP, ZAMBIA - WHITE FRONTED BEE-EATER (Merops bullockoides)
The White-fronted Bee-eater, known scientifically as Merops bullockoides, is a vibrant and slender bird adorned with a striking black mask and a white forehead. Its square tail and bright red throat patch are distinctive features. Measuring at 23 cm in length, the bird's upperparts are a lush green, while its underparts boast a warm cinnamon hue. Its call is a resonant, deep squeak that carries through the air.
To identify the White-fronted Bee-eater, look for its unique combination of colors: a black mask, white forehead, green upperparts, and cinnamon underparts. The square tail and bright red throat patch are also key identifiers. Listen for its deep squeaking call as a helpful auditory clue.
This species thrives in the open savannahs of sub-equatorial Africa, often found near gullies where their insect prey, particularly bees, are abundant.
The White-fronted Bee-eater is widely distributed across the savannah regions of sub-equatorial Africa, where it is a common sight in its preferred habitat.
The White-fronted Bee-eater exhibits a complex social structure, nesting in colonies that can average around 200 individuals. These colonies are not just for breeding but also serve as a communal space for roosting and socializing. The birds demonstrate cooperative breeding, with non-breeding individuals acting as helpers to their kin, significantly increasing the success rate of raising young.
The White-fronted Bee-eater is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not at immediate risk of population decline or habitat loss at a global scale.
The diet of the White-fronted Bee-eater primarily consists of bees, but it also includes other flying insects, depending on seasonal availability. They employ two hunting strategies: making swift hawking flights from lower branches or gliding down from perches to hover momentarily before snatching their prey mid-flight.
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