Saturday, 19 February 2022
Friday, 18 February 2022
Thursday, 17 February 2022
4-6-2019 LINYANTI CAMP, BOTSWANA - ARNOT'S CHAT (Myrmecocichla arnotti)
Arnot's chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti), also known as the white-headed black-chat, is a species of bird in the chat and flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The species is found in southern Africa from Rwanda and Angola to South Africa.
Arnot's chat is most commonly found in healthy stands of miombo and mopane woodland. It also occurs at lower densities in other kinds of open woodland with little herbaceous cover, and very rarely near buildings. It generally occurs from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). The species is generally not migratory, but is presumed to undertake some localized wandering.
Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Tuesday, 15 February 2022
4-6-2019 LINYANTI CAMP, BOTSWANA - AFRICAN HOOPOE (Upupa epops ssp. africana)
The species prefers open and bushy areas, including thornveld, a landscape with mostly thorny bush and trees, and riverine woodlands in dry areas. It inhabits broadleaf forests and savannah
The African hoopoe is widely distributed throughout southern Africa from Central Democratic Republic of Congo across to central Kenya and all the way south to the Cape of Good Hope. A list of countries where the African hoopoe is commonly seen is as follows: South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and the southern half of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unlike the Eurasian hoopoe that often migrates, the African hoopoe is usually resident but may make short-distance movements.
African hoopoes eat mainly insects. These include Coleoptera, which are beetles, Dermaptera (earwigs) and Orthoptera, grasshoppers, locusts and crickets. Besides these, small reptiles have been found to be fed to chicks as well as worms, slugs, and small snakes. Small seeds and berries may even be eaten. To find the insects, the African Hoopoe uses its long beak to penetrate the soil and then may whack the insect or prey onto the ground to break it up into smaller pieces. They prefer to do this in shorter grass. Unlike the rest of the year, African hoopoes maintain a specific territory throughout the breeding season in which they feed.
The African Hoopoe (Upupa africana) is a distinctive, medium-sized bird known for its striking chestnut crest with black tips, pinkish-brown body, and bold black-and-white striped wings and tail, found across African woodlands and savannas. These insect-eating, ground-foraging birds use their long, curved bills to probe for larvae, playing a key ecological role in pest control, and are famous for nesting in cavities, using a foul-smelling fluid for defense, and producing an onomatopoeic "poo-poo-poo" call.
Appearance & Identification
Crest: A prominent, fan-like crest that's raised when excited or startled, colored chestnut with black tips.
Plumage: Warm pinkish-brown body, contrasting with bold black & white stripes on wings and tail, forming a V on the back.
Bill: Long, slender, and slightly curved, used for probing.
Size: Around 25-29 cm (10-11.4 in) long, similar to a Mistle Thrush.
4-6-2019 LINYANTI, BOTSWANA - SMITH'S BUSH SQUIRREL (Paraderus Cepapi)
Smith's bush squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi), also known as the yellow-footed squirrel or tree squirrel, is an African bush squirrel which is native to woodlands of the southern Afrotropics.
It is found in Angola, Botswana, the DRCongo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is a common rodent which is diurnal by nature.
Its total length is 350 mm (14 in), half of which is tail; weight 200 g (7.1 oz). The coat colour varies throughout the region. In the western and arid parts of its range, it is pale grey, and in the eastern localities, more brown. Its head and legs are a rusty colour. Colouration on the chest varies from yellowish to buff in the east, to white in the west. This squirrel's belly is white. These alert and ever busy creatures carry their long tails extended backwards.
Smith's bush squirrels are primarily vegetarian, but like most rodents, they take insect prey and use their front feet to manipulate food items when feeding. They scatter-hoard seeds next to tree trunks or grass tufts, thereby facilitating tree regeneration.
4-6-2019 LINYANTI, BOTSWANA - COMMON WARTHOG (Phacochoerus Africus)
The Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a wild member of the pig family (Suidae) found in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only pig species that has adapted to grazing and savanna habitats.
Common warthogs are found in sub-Saharan Africa. They live in grasslands, savanna, open bushlands, and woodlands. These animals prefer open areas and avoid rainforests, thickets, cool montane grasslands, and severe deserts.
A warthog has two pairs of tusks protruding from the mouth and curving upwards. The lower pair, which is far shorter than the upper pair, becomes razor-sharp by rubbing against the upper pair every time the mouth is opened and closed. The upper canine teeth can grow to 25.5 cm (10.0 in) long and have a wide elliptical cross-section, being about 4.5 cm (1.8 in) deep and 2.5 cm (0.98 in) wide. A tusk will curve 90° or more from the root, and will not lie flat on a table, as it curves somewhat backward as it grows. The tusks are not used for digging, but are used for combat with other hogs and in defense against predators - the lower set can inflict severe wounds.
Common warthogs are social animals and live in groups called sounders. Females live in sounders with their young and with other females. Females tend to stay in their natal groups, while males leave, but stay within the home range. Subadult males associate in bachelor groups but live alone when they become adults. Adult males only join sounders during the breeding season. Common warthogs are not territorial but instead occupy a home range. They have two facial glands: the tusk gland and the sebaceous gland. They mark sleeping and feeding areas and waterholes.
Common warthogs use tusk marking for courtship, antagonistic behaviors, and to establish status. They are powerful diggers and use both their snouts and feet. Whilst feeding, they often bend their front feet backward and move around on the wrists. Although they can dig their own burrows, they usually occupy abandoned burrows of other animals. When temperatures are high Common warthogs enjoy wallowing in the mud in order to cool themselves and will huddle together to get warm when the temperatures get low. Although capable of fighting, the Common warthog's primary defense is to flee by means of fast sprinting. However, if a female has any piglets, she will defend them very aggressively.
4-6-2019 LINYANTI, BOTSWANA - ZAMBESI CRESTED BARBET (Trachyphonus vaillantii ssp. nobilis)
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They nest in a hole in a tree or a log in a suburban garden. They are monogamous and territorial during breeding. Territory size varies according to their habitat. One to five eggs are laid at daily intervals between September and December. Incubation lasts between 13 and 17 days, beginning with the second or third egg and mainly by the female. The young hatch naked and blind. They are fed insects by both parents. Faecal material is removed regularly. They fledge after about 31 days. Up to five broods have been recorded in a breeding season.
They are found singly or in pairs. They like to bounce around on the ground looking for food, they usually call from a branch out in the open. They do not fly easily and then only for short distances. Crested barbets roost in holes in trees. They are very vocal, the call being a trill that can continue for long periods. Crested barbets are aggressive towards other birds in their territory and chase off both nest competitors such as other barbets and other birds such as doves and thrushes. They have also been recorded to have attacked rats and killed snakes.
4-6-2019 LINYANTI CAMP, BOTSWANA - CHOBE GREEN PIGEON (Treron calvus ssp. schalowi)
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Chobe Green Pigeons (likely African Green-Pigeons, Treron calvus, found in Chobe) are vibrant, fruit-eating birds known for their stunning green and yellow plumage that offers excellent camouflage in woodland canopies, where they gather in small, gregarious groups to feast on figs and other fruits, using parrot-like agility, and are identified by their maroon wing patches, red feet, and distinctive, chattering calls.
Key Facts
Appearance: A chunky pigeon with grey-green to yellow-green bodies, darker green wings with maroon shoulder patches, yellow thighs, red feet, and a pinkish-white beak with a white tip.
Diet: Primarily frugivores, they love figs, especially from Jackalberry trees, and other forest fruits, often hanging upside down to eat.
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Habitat: Found in savanna, woodland, and riverine forests across Sub-Saharan Africa, often near fruiting fig trees.
Behavior: Gregarious, forming small groups. They have fast, direct flight but clamber awkwardly like parrots in trees, using wings for balance.
Nesting: Build frail stick nests in tree forks, laying 1-2 eggs; females incubate while males forage for materials.
Sound: Produce unique, comical calls described as whistles, cackles, and sputters.
Camouflage: Their green color provides superb camouflage in the leafy canopy, making them hard to spot until they move.
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