asked Rob why they do this , and he explained it ’ s to show off their fitness to any pretty female birds and any potential rival males .
• Rob loves the Pygmy Falcon – so much so , he has a photo of it on his latest book . It is the smallest raptor in South Africa , and – unlike most raptors – it is adorably cute . They cohabit with Sociable Weavers , which build those huge ‘ residential estates ’ for birds . It ’ s a mutually beneficial relationship . The Pygmy Falcon predates on any small snakes that may come by to snack on weavers , and the weavers provide a warm and cosy home for the falcons .
• I also love Secretarybirds . They are raptors but – unlike eagles , hawks , kestrels and other birds of prey – they don ’ t hunt ‘ red in tooth and claw ’. They use their long , powerful legs to kick and stomp potential meals . How ’ s this : a Secretarybird can kick a cobra to death . Beat that , Jackie Chan !
• Rob also loves Ground Woodpeckers because they are different . Unlike most woodpeckers that nest in holes in trees , the Ground Woodpecker – you ’ d never guess it – nests in the ground . They ‘ dig ’ tunnels with their beak , working much the way a jackhammer does . Like other woodpeckers , they have a spongy , plate-like bone structure in their heads that acts as a shock absorber and protects their brains . They can be found in the mountains of the Western Cape – including the higher suburbs of Cape Town .
• Another favourite of mine are hadedas ( Hadeda Ibis ) because they are weird-looking , prehistoric , dinosaur-like birds with an astonishing sense of humour . They ’ re relatively new to the Western Cape , having expanded their range from further east and north , but they have become an integral feature of suburban life . The thing I love most about them is how they tease dogs . They hang out in popular dog-walking spots , like the Constantia Greenbelt , and pretend to be totally preoccupied , looking the other way while some unsuspecting Jack Russel , rottweiler or Yorkie sneaks up on them . When it thinks it ’ s close enough , the dog will charge , and the hadeda – at the very last moment – will casually take off vertically till it ’ s just out of reach , screeching in glee , ‘ Ha-ha-hahahaha-hadee-dee ’ like the demented evil villain in a superhero movie . They don ’ t actually have middle fingers , but you can almost see them .
• Also among Rob ’ s favourites are Southern Ground Hornbills , even though they have faces that – really – one would think only a mother could love . They ’ re weird , turkey-like birds that can fly but spend almost all their time on the ground . They are very , very , slow breeders . They live about as long as humans – between 60 and 70 years – and , also much like humans , reach sexual maturity in their teens . Living in groups led by an alpha
female , they are co-operative breeders with what appear to be some rather inefficient strategies . There is only one female in the group , she breeds only with the alpha male , and lays only two eggs . The alpha female incubates the eggs for about six weeks and , once they ’ ve hatched , the parents will choose a favourite on which they will lavish all their attention while the lesser sibling , usually from the second-laid egg , quietly starves to death . Fledged chicks are dependent on their parents for an astonishingly long period of well over a year , sometimes two years . So each female will usually only lay eggs every three years . Do the maths : one female plus a minimum of three – maybe more – males rear one chick every three years . Not surprising they ’ re classified as vulnerable – and that ’ s why conservationists have a new strategy of rescuing the Cinderella sibling to bring up and release into the wild as new founder groups .
• And I just love Lilac-breasted Rollers because they are unutterably beautiful , and I can ’ t help smiling whenever I see one .
See – birding can be far more interesting than just ticking off a list of birds .
Getting started
You really need a good bird guidebook , or you ’ ll just go crazy trying to figure out what you are looking at . The three big names in South Africa are Roberts Birds of Southern Africa , Newman ’ s Birds of Southern Africa and Sasol Birds of Southern Africa . A useful addition – especially for beginners – is Newman ’ s Birds by Colour , a user-friendly book that groups birds by features any newbie can figure out .
While lots of people visit our amazing national parks to look at mammals , and just consider it a bit of a bonus if they see a pretty bird , there is an ever-growing group of people who drive past the lions and leopards in our national parks because they ’ re keen to tick off a Kori Bustard or a Saddle-billed Stork . And that was the thinking behind Rob ’ s latest book . Birding in South Africa ’ s National Parks is written specifically for birders who have a pretty good idea what they ’ re looking at , and want to explore further , but aren ’ t really sure where to go or why . Birding in South Africa ’ s National Parks is available in all leading bookstores and online . Images by : Maans Booysen .
Jennifer Stern
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