Friday, 28 May 2021
Thursday, 27 May 2021
Tuesday, 25 May 2021
20-5-2019 BUMI HILLS, ZIMBABWE - AFRICAN GREY HORNBILL (Lophoceros nasutus)
The African grey hornbill (Lophoceros nasutus) is a notable member of the hornbill family, a group of mainly tropical near-passerine birds. This species, with a length of 45–51 cm (18–20 in), is considered large, though it ranks among the smaller hornbills. Exhibiting a plumage of subdued grey and brown, the bird is darker on the head, flight feathers, and elongated tail. A distinctive white line graces each side of the crown, extending down the back and becoming visible only during flight.
Males can be distinguished by their dark upper mandible adorned with a creamy-yellow mark or stripe, while females boast a tricoloured, red-tipped mandible. Both sexes have a small casque on the upper bill, more pronounced in males. Juveniles resemble adults but initially have uniformly blackish bills. The flight of the African grey hornbill is characterized by a distinctive undulating pattern.
The African grey hornbill is partial to open woodlands and savannahs, where it can be found perched or in flight, traversing the expansive African skies.
This species is a widespread resident breeder across sub-Saharan Africa and extends its range into the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula.
The African grey hornbill is a sociable bird, often seen in pairs or small family groups. It is known for its piping "pee-o pee-o pee-o" call, a sound that resonates through its preferred habitats.
The call of the African grey hornbill is a distinctive and repetitive piping sequence, often rendered as "pee-o pee-o pee-o," which it uses to communicate within its habitat.
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During the breeding season, the female lays two to four white eggs in a tree hollow. The entrance is sealed with a mixture of mud, droppings, and fruit pulp, leaving only a narrow slit for the male to pass food to the enclosed female and later, the chicks. As the nest becomes crowded, the female breaks free to assist in feeding the growing brood.
An omnivorous bird, the African grey hornbill's diet consists of insects, fruits, and occasionally reptiles. It predominantly forages in the trees, plucking its varied diet from the foliage.
The IUCN Red List categorizes the African grey hornbill as Least Concern, indicating a stable population without significant immediate threats to its survival.
Sunday, 23 May 2021
20-5-2019 BUMI HILLS, ZIMBABWE - COMMON RED FACED MOUSEBIRD (Urocolius indicus ssp. transvaalensis)
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The red-faced mousebird is a social, fruit-eating bird native to southern Africa, easily identified by its slaty-grey body, red facial skin, and long tail. They live in small flocks, preen each other, and breed between June and February, laying clutches of 2–6 eggs. Their diet consists primarily of fruit, but they also eat flowers, nectar, and leaves.
Identification
Appearance: Slaty-grey with a reddish facial patch, pale forehead, and a long, streamlined tail.Size: Approximately \(33\) cm long, with the tail making up more than half the length.Juveniles: Lack the crest and have a greenish facial mask.
Behavior and social structure Gregarious: Almost always found in small flocks, typically of 3 to 10 individuals, and are very sociable.Social interactions: Engage in mutual preening and roost together at night.Vocalization: Give a distinctive, high-pitched call in flight.
22-5-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - CARPET MOTH (Almeria kalischata)
Almeria kalischata is a species of lepidopteran insects, more specifically moths, belonging to the family Geometridae.
The scientific authority on the species is Staudinger, having been described in 1870.
This is a species present in Portuguese and Spanish territory.
21-5-2019 BUMI HILLS, ZIMBABWE - SOUTHERN BUSHBUCK (MALE) (Tragelaphus scriptus)
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The Cape bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus), also known as imbabala, is a common, medium-sized bushland-dwelling, and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa. It is found in a wide range of habitats, such as rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaic, savanna, bushveld, and woodland. It stands around 90 cm (35 in) at the shoulder and weigh from 45 to 80 kg (99 to 176 lb). They are generally solitary, territorial browsers.
Cape bushbucks stand around 90 cm (35 in) at the shoulder and weigh from 60 to 80 kg (130 to 180 lb) in males and 25 to 60 kg (55 to 132 lb)in females. They have a light brown coat, with up to seven white stripes and white splotches on the sides. The white patches are usually geometrically shaped and on the most mobile parts of their bodies, such as the ears, chin, tail, legs, and necks. The muzzles are also white. Horns, found only on the males, can reach over half a metre and have a single twist. At 10 months old, young males sprout horns that are particularly twisted and at maturity form the first loop of a spiral.
Saturday, 22 May 2021
21-5-2019 BUMI HILLS, ZIMBABWE - AFRICAN BROAD BORDERED GRASS YELLOW BUTTERFLY (Eurema brigitta ssp. brigitta)
20-5-2019 BUMI HILLS, ZIMBABWE - TROPICAL ANOMIS MOTH (Anomis flava)
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Anomis flava, the cotton looper, tropical anomis or white-pupiled scallop moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is found in large parts of the world, including China, Hawaii, São Tomé and Príncipe, the Society Islands, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia (New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia). Subspecies Anomis flava fimbriago is found in North America.
The wingspan is about 28 mm.
The larvae feed on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Hibiscus cannabinus and Legnephora moorei and Gossypium hirsutum.
20-5-2019 BUMI HILLS, ZIMBABWE - CHOBE DWARF GECKO (Lygodactylus chobiensis)
The Okavango dwarf gecko or Chobe dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus chobiensis) is a species of gecko found along the Chobe and Zambesi Rivers and into the Okavango Delta, and into Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
A large dwarf gecko (normally 25–30 mm in snout–vent length) with males being slightly larger than the females. It has a blue-grey back covered with large pale spots and a yellow belly. The male throat may be black or pale yellow and has two dark chevrons.
They mature at around 9 months and have a lifespan of 18 months.
The Okavango dwarf gecko is normally arboreal and can found on tree trunks and sometimes buildings of the tropical savanna and flooded grasslands. It prefers to forage high up in trees and can often be found on acacia, baobab and mopane trees.
Their diet is mainly ants and termites.
Reproduction occurs throughout the year and two hard-shelled eggs (5 × 6.5 mm) are laid every 8 weeks beneath the tree bark or in disused termite mound. The eggs hatch in about 125 days and the young geckos are about 30 mm in length.
Friday, 21 May 2021
20-5-2019 BUMI HILLS, ZIMBABWE - EMERALD SPOTTED WOOD DOVE (Turtur chalcospilos)
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The emerald-spotted wood dove or emerald-spotted dove (Turtur chalcospilos) is a bird of the family Columbidae, resident across eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of open drier deciduous woodland and second growth. It is absent from evergreen rainforests and semidesert areas.
The emerald-spotted wood dove is a small plump pigeon, typically 20 cm in length. Its back, hindneck, wings, and tail are pale grey-brown, and the folded wings have green metallic patches. There are blackish bands on the lower back and tail. The forehead, crown, and nape are bluish-grey, fading to pinkish-grey on the throat. The underparts are mauve-pink, becoming whiter on the belly.
The bill of this dove is blackish with a red base. The sexes are similar, but the female may be slightly duller than the male. The immature has duller green spots and buff fringes to the feathers. When flying, the black-billed wood dove is told from this species by its bright chestnut underwings.
The call is in three parts: two soft long coos, followed by a series of slow descending coos lasting 10 seconds, and concluding with 4 seconds of rapid coos, which decrease in volume.
This species shows some geographical variation in plumage, but differences are clinal, and emerald-spotted wood dove is now considered to be monotypic.
Thursday, 20 May 2021
Wednesday, 19 May 2021
19-5-2021 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - CITRONELLA ANT (Subgenus Lasius)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/931956-Lasius
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