BIRDSCONTOUR REPORT (20.10.’13 – 02.11.’13)
Text from Stefan Rust
2013
(In terms of the Geneva Convention the copyright of these
texts belong to Stefan Rust)
Dear birding friends,
as birdwatching is a relatively new and one of the fastest
growing and a most popular pursuit, it attracts people of all ages around the
world. There can hardly be a better place than southern Africa (Namibia,
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa) to nurture an
interest in birds as it supports almost 1000 bird species, which is about 10
per cent of the world's entire bird. Taking birding to new heights,
Hobby-Ornithologist Stefan Rust together with BirdsConTour represents some of
the ontour bird sightings and several other interesting birding aspects to
showcase the fun of birding, promote citizen science, highlight conservation,
indicate where to view what birds and raise awareness of southern Africa's
(sometimes international) birds and their habitats.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WORK GETS DISTRIBUTED INTERNATIONALLY
Have a quick look if you, your site or neighborhood is
included in this scientific informational work (alphabetically arranged):
Amadeus Garden Guesthouse (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe)
Bwabwata NP. (Namibia)
Chobe NP. (Botswana)
Chobe Safari Lodge (Botswana)
Karl Monika & Andreas
Lianshulu Lodge (Namibia)
Madikubu Houseboat (Sepupa, Botswana)
Mahangu NP. (Namibia)
Mathias Harald
Moremi NP. (Botswana)
Mudume NP. (Namibia)
Nata Bird Sanctuary (Makgadikgadi Saltpans, Sua Pan,
Botswana)
Nata Lodge (Botswana)
Nunda River Lodge (Namibia)
Okavango Delta (Botswana)
Schwestka Antje
Thamalakane River Lodge (Botswana)
Tsodilo Hills (Botswana)
Türk Judith & Klaus
Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
Victoria Falls NP. (Zimbabwe)
Weber Barbara & Maik
Windhoek (Namibia)
Xaro Lodge (Botswana)
BirdsConTour Report (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe)
Personal Highlights:
BIRDSCONTOUR FOR A CLEANER BIRD HABITAT
CHOBE SAFARI LODGE – BIRD & BIRDER FRIENDLY AWARD
COLLARED FLYCATCHER
EIGHT GERMAN GUESTS REWARDED
MONTAGU’S HARRIER
THAMALAKANE RIVER LODGE – BIRD & BIRDER FRIENDLY AWARD
WATTLED CRANE
WHITE-HEADED VULTURE
XARO LODGE – BIRD & BIRDER FRIENDLY AWARD
Distance traveled: 3 526 km
20.10.'13 Amadeus Garden Guesthouse, Victoria
Falls, Zimbabwe BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat The
“BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat” project was recently founded under
the conservation and tourism divisions of BirdsConTour after realizing that
there is a need for cleaning nature from litter and creating an awareness in
the society. In the short and medium term the idea is to assist the government
in collecting litter by improving the environment for the bird- and wildlife.
Education plays a key factor in this drive. Today cleaning took place in the
Reynard Street in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The roadside at the Amadeus Garden
Guesthouse was perfectly clean but in the neighboring area a cleaning session
was needed.
20.10.'13 Victoria Falls NP., Zimbabwe Orange-breasted
Bush-Shrike (1) This fairly common but shy
bird is more often heard than
seen. It gives itself away with its often-repeated call phrase what-to-to-dooo.
21.10.’13 Lianshulu Lodge, Namibia Black-collared Barbet (1) Dead wood being removed in rural areas for
firewood, building material or through forest burning as means of grazing
management decreases the availability of natural nest sites and therefore
possibly causing a population decrease.
21.10.'13 Mudume NP, Namibia Goliath
Heron (1) Being very wary of humans this
species avoids man-made constructions. Therefore controlled tourism activities
are of utmost importance not to disturb these shy animals.
22.10.'13 Mudume NP, Namibia Red-necked
Falcon (1) Often a pair hunts
cooperatively whereby the larger female flies into a tree canopy and the
smaller male then hunts down the flushed prey. Probably the population is
impacted by the destruction of palm trees through elephants.
22.10.'13 Lianshulu Lodge, Namibia Greater
Blue-eared Starling (5) Many of these
birds in the garden such as in the Bird & Birder Friendly registered
Lianshulu Lodge are very useful insect controllers. Not only do they feed on
insects but even on frogs, small lizards and baby mice.
23.10.'13 Nunda River Lodge, Namibia Arrow-marked
Babbler (6) Flock sizes can be up to 15
birds, usually 4-8 and flocks are very territorial, defending it against other
flocks by calling continuously from canopy of tall tree. Both groups call on
their respective sides of the boundary line. After 1-2 minutes the calling ends
and the groups return to their territories. I the case of one group being
larger, then this group can cross the boundary while chasing the smaller group
deep into its own territory.
24.10.'13 Mahangu NP., Namibia Wattled
Crane (2) This uncommon to rare species is
classified as globally vulnerable. A recent global estimation of the population
size was 13 000-15 000 birds but in the matter of fact is only 8 000 birds with
2 185 in southern Africa (Namibia 250, Botswana 1 200, Zimbabwe 200, Mozambique
300 and South Africa 235).
24.10.'13 Xaro Lodge, Botswana Bird
& Birder Friendly Award According to UNWTO statistics, Africa
had the second highest tourism growth in 2012. Worldwide tourism numbers
reached the one billion mark with travelers to Africa exceeding 50 million.
Prospects for Africa are fantastic, with a scheduled 4-5% growth in 2013. The
challenge is getting a slice of that pie. That is one of the reasons why the
Xaro Lodge also concentrates on the birdlife. It is unbelievable how many
different species are found here. For their efforts in conservation and
offering guests good birding opportunities, BirdsConTour (birds conservation
and tourism) awarded Xaro Lodge with a two penguin-rated Bird & Birder
Friendly Award.
25.10.'13 Tsodilo Hills, Botswana Yellow-billed Oxpecker (1) Its food consists of arthropod ectoparasites
that are found on mammals and drinks blood from wounds. Also hawks insects
while perching on the host. One bird can consume up to 13 000 tick nymphs or
100 engorged adults per day. Impala that are visited by these oxpeckers reduce
their own grooming activities by 36%.
25.10.'13 Madikubu Houseboat, Okavango Delta,
Botswana Montagu’s Harrier
(1) These uncommon birds have an estimated world population of 100 000+ pairs.
Main southern African concentrations are found in Botswanan grassland.
26.10.'13 Madikubu Houseboat, Okavango Delta,
Botswana African Skimmer (2
adults, 3 chicks) Unique to Africa, the total African population is estimated
at 10 000, with only 800-1 200 birds in southern Africa. The average breeding success
of the African Skimmer is less than 0.32 young ones per pair per year. In areas
of southern Okavango birds have disappeared between 1975 and 1985. Today
Botswana’s Okavango Delta shows a major population decrease. Causes are
disturbance, habitat loss and exploitation.
27.10.'13 Thamalakane River Lodge, Botswana
Bird & Birder Friendly Award With having received a two
penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly Award from BirdsConTour, it means that
Thamalakane River Lodge gets now known to many birders around the globe. With
almost 1 000 hits on its webpage, this means serious exposure.
28.10.'13 Moremi NP., Botswana Rock
Pratincole (4) In captivity these big
birds can reach an age of up to 15 years. Sometimes they give a loud cackling
sound after making a kill and can be heard up to 5 km away. They are regarded
as vulnerable because of their large size (male 58-61 cm and female 62-65 cm),
low density and low reproduction (rearing one chick in 4 successive years, or
only breed every 2-3 years).
28.10.'13 Thamalakane River Lodge, Botswana
Black-headed Oriole (1) Besides
its own liquid piping and bubbling notes, it mimics other species such as
Jackal Buzzard, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Cardinal Woodpecker, Dark-capped
Bulbul, drongos, robin-chats, starlings, sunbirds and white-eyes.
29.10.'13 Nata Lodge, Botswana Bird
& Birder Friendly Establishment Nata Lodge is an oasis for birds and
birders set among the Mokolwane palms on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt
Pans, the largest area of salt pans in the world covering some 37 000 sq km in
overall extent. It is ideally situated at the junction to the Okavango Delta,
Chobe NP and Francistown.
29.10.'13 Nata Bird Sanctuary (Sua Pan),
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana Great White Pelican (100’s) Out of an estimated global population of
250 000 birds, the total breeding population in southern Africa is about 7
000-8 000 pairs. At Sua Pan breeding figures were as follow: 1974 – 130 pairs,
1979 – several thousand breeding birds, 1989 – 6 000, 1996 – 2 000. Laying
dates are from March till October. Usually two eggs are laid and are incubated
under spread feet for a period of 38-45 days. Chicks that are 20-25 days old
gather in pods. After 56-70 days they leave the pods and are free-swimming and
their first flight is at about 70-75 days. A walking young chick recognizes its
parent at a distance, runs to meet it while weaving its head and waving and
biting its own wings.
30.10.'13 Chobe Safari Lodge, Botswana Collared
Flycatcher (1) As a rare summer visitor
this species has previously been recorded in Zimbabwe, northeastern Namibia,
Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, and Augrabies Falls, North Cape. This sighting on
the lodge property results in the first sighting for Kasane, Botswana.
30.10.'13 Chobe Safari Lodge, Botswana Bird
& Birder Friendly Award Livingstone in Zambia and Victoria Falls
in Zimbabwe were both hosting the UNWTO 20th General Assembly
recently which caused a frenetic booking for the Chobe Safari Lodge with guests
combining their stay with a trip into the Chobe NP. It is positive to see that
this lodge not only takes excellent care of its valued guests but also takes
extra care of the wild birds on its property through having a bird friendly
garden. This gave Birds conservation and tourism (BirdsConTour) reason to award
the Chobe Safari Lodge with a two penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly
Award.
31.10.'13 Chobe NP., Botswana White-headed
Vulture (1) This species is exceptional
vulnerable to poisoning because it is dominant over many other vulture species,
except the Lappet-faced Vulture, and frequently arrives first at a carcass.
Classified as uncommon, the African population consists of about 7 000-12 500
birds, of which only estimated 500 pairs live in southern Africa. Therefore it
is quite exciting to find a breeding nest of this species.
31.10.'13 Chobe Safari Lodge, Botswana Bird
& Birder Friendly Award By traveling directly with BirdsConTour or making
use of a guide from BirdsConTour you support bird conservation and create an
economic platform for local livelihoods. Sometimes travelers also participate
in other BirdsConTour projects. To say THANK YOU, every tour participant
receives a Bird & Birder Friendly Award at the end of the tour.
Eight German-speaking guests were rewarded with one penguin-rated
Bird & Birder Friendly Awards:
Karl Monika & Andreas
Mathias Harald
Schwestka Antje
Türk Judith & Klaus
Weber Barbara & Maik
This Moremi Tour, organized by Pack Safari and Chamäleon
Reisen, took place from the 20th of October until the 02nd
of November 2013.
01.11.'13 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Martial
Eagle (1) The Martial Eagle is, in
comparison with the other big eagles of Africa (Verreaux’s-, African Crowned-,
and African Fish Eagle), more of a generalist. He feeds on a wider variety of
animals, including small antelope, hares and rabbits, mongooses, gamebirds and
even large reptiles such as monitor lizards. This feeding habit allows the
Martial Eagle to live in a wider variety of habitats. It feels even comfortable
in any open, flattish environment provided it includes one or two large objects
suitable to build their massive stick nest in. This eagle requires very large
foraging ranges and highly territorial breeding pairs consider hundreds of
square kilometers as their territory, leading to the fact that Martial Eagles
are thinly spread over their extensive range. Therefore only very few reserves
are big enough to support even one breeding pair. The construction of thousands
of kilometers of high tension power lines across the seemingly inhospitable
habitat of the Karoo has benefited the local eagles. Over the last 30-40 years,
many pairs of Martial Eagles took nesting residence in the tall, steel lattice
pylons, as well as Tawny Eagles and a growing number of Verreaux’s Eagles.
01.11.'13 Bwabwata NP., Namibia Southern
Ground Hornbill (3) Southern Ground
Hornbills are the largest of all 58 hornbills and live together in groups of
between two and eleven individuals, mostly three to five, and defend
territories of as much as 100 square kilometers. In a group one finds a
dominant breeding pair and helpers of various ages. The female, easy to
identify thanks to the violet blue patch below her bill, usually lays two eggs
a couple of days apart, but starts incubating when the first egg is laid.
Inevitably the older sibling outcompetes the younger for food, resulting in the
death of the second chick. In South Africa these birds are classified as
endangered and in an effort to save the species, second eggs or young chicks
are being removed from known nest sites to be hand reared and then released to
strengthen wild populations.
02.11.'13 Windhoek, Namibia Blue
Waxbill (3) Around human habitation these
birds are tame and confiding. Human habitations also serve as strongholds for
populations because drought and overgrazing in arid areas may reduce
populations by reduced food availability and nesting material. Unfortunately in
Botswana this species is extensively exploited for the cage-bird trade.
Enjoy Birding,
Stefan Rust
Please note: Most scientific information has been taken
from Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, V11th edition!
(For further reading see www.birdscontour.blog.com)
(For more information contact Stefan Rust on +264
(0)81 129 8415 or birdscontour@iway.na)
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