Birds Around You

Birds Around You?

By Albert Roos

This article is based on migratory birds that you can expect to see around your garden this spring. To keep it short and sweet I name only 3 species mostly found in the Gauteng region.

African Paradise Flycatcher: Roberts no 708

The adult male African Paradise Flycatcher is approximately 17 cm long, but the very long tail streamers easily double this length. It has a black head, neck and underparts and chestnut wings and tail. There is a prominent white wing bar. The female has a browner tint on the underparts and lacks the wing bar and tail streamers. Young birds are similar to the female, only duller. It builds a neat cup nest in which it lays a clutch - usually two or three eggs. The African Paradise Flycatcher feeds mainly on insects.

Greater Striped Swallow: Roberts no 526

The Greater Striped Swallow is 18 to 20 cm long. It has dark blue upperparts with a pale orange rump and a chestnut crown, nape and sides of the head. The underparts and underwing coverts are creamy white with dark streaking, and the upper wings and underwing flight feathers are blackish brown. The blackish tail has very long outer feathers - these are slightly longer in the male than the female. Juveniles are duller and browner, with less contrast and shorter outer tail feathers. The Greater Striped Swallow builds a bowl-shaped mud nest with a tubular entrance on the underside of a suitable structure. The nest has a soft lining and is often reused in later years. The eggs are glossy white with a few brown spots - three eggs are a typical clutch. They feed mainly on flying insects but have been known to eat small fruits.

Woodland Kingfisher: Roberts no 433

I am adding this bird to the list not because you might find it in every garden (unless you have fish pond full of fish), but because, for me, they represent the arrival of spring. When you hear them call, you can be sure it is springtime.

This is a medium-sized Kingfisher: 23 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wing panel and tail. Its head, neck and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black. The flight of the Woodland kingfisher is rapid and direct. The large bill has a red upper mandible and black lower mandible. The legs and feet are dark grey. Their nest is a tree hole excavated by a woodpecker or barbet. A single clutch of three round white eggs is typical. It hunts from an exposed perch, often on a dead branch of a tree, or perches quietly in semi-shade while seeking food (fish).

I hope this will entice you to get out and about in your garden or Local Park to do some bird watching and see the gems that are Around You.

*Source material from Wikipedia