Thursday, 9 December 2021
Wednesday, 8 December 2021
Tuesday, 7 December 2021
2-6-2019 LINYANTI CAMP, BOTSWANA - GREATER BLUE EARED STARLING (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)
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The Greater Blue-eared Starling is a medium-sized bird from sub-Saharan Africa known for its iridescent blue-green plumage, dark ear-patch, and bright yellow to orange eyes. They are omnivorous, feeding on fruit and insects, and are highly social, often forming large flocks. Their distinctive call is a nasal "squee-ar".
Appearance
Size: About 22 cm long with a short tail.
Plumage: Glossy blue-green body with iridescent blue to purple flanks and belly. The feathers' color shifts with the light.
Distinctive features: A dark, mask-like patch around the eyes and a bright yellow or orange iris.
Sexes: Are similar in appearance, though juveniles are duller and have brown underparts.
Diet
Omnivorous: Eats a variety of food, including fruit, insects, seeds, and nectar.
Foraging: Often forages on the ground and in trees.
Monday, 6 December 2021
Sunday, 5 December 2021
1-6-2019 LINYANTI CAMP, BOTSWANA - CHACMA BABOON (Papio ursinus)
Chacma baboons are found throughout southern Africa, ranging from South Africa north to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique. They live in diverse habitats from woodlands to savannas, steppes, and sub-deserts. Chacma baboons are found in the Kalahari Desert as well as on the alpine slopes of the Drakensberg. They usually sleep on hills, cliffs, or large trees and during the day, avoid arid areas with a lack of water.
The Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) is a member of the Old World monkey family. It is one of the largest of all monkeys. Located primarily in southern Africa, the chacma baboon has a wide variety of social behaviors, including a dominance hierarchy, collective foraging, adoption of young by females, and friendship pairings. In general, the species is not threatened, but hunting, trapping, and accidents kill or remove many baboons from the wild, thereby reducing their numbers and disrupting their social structure.
2-6-2019 LINYANTI CAMP, BOTSWANA - WESTERN LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta ssp. garzetta)
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The Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, is a dainty heron adorned in pure white plumage. It is characterized by a slender black beak, long black legs, and, notably in the western race, yellow feet. This elegant bird is a sight to behold with its graceful neck and poised stance.
Adult Little Egrets measure between 55–65 cm in length with a wingspan of 88–106 cm, and weigh 350–550 g. Their plumage is predominantly white, though some may exhibit bluish-grey coloration. Breeding adults boast ornate nape plumes reaching about 150 mm, along with distinctive feathers on the breast and elongated scapulars. The bill and lores are black, with greenish-grey skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye, which houses a yellow iris. Legs are black with contrasting yellow feet, though juveniles may have greenish-black legs and duller feet. The subspecies E. g. nigripes is distinguished by yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet.
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