As a result of I lived in South Africa for many of my youth, I’ve seen a big portion of the large number of species on this wonderful nation. Of those, some have develop into explicit favourites through the years, a few of which I record right here in no explicit order – it was already onerous sufficient to get down to 10 species within the first place (my preliminary title was “10 favorite species”…). Whereas many of those species are reasonably in style within the birding group normally, a significant cause why I settled on those beneath is as a result of I both had a particular reminiscence of my seek for or sighting of them. A few of these, nonetheless, are species which I had needed to see for ages with out luck.
Pel’s Fishing Owl
This species needed to be on the record as a result of it was the primary species I actually needed to see in my life and which I actively went out to see – and discover – in Ndumo Recreation Reserve in South Africa. It’s a actually wonderful hen, as a result of (1) it’s an owl, (2) it’s a uncommon owl, (3) it’s a piscivorous uncommon owl, and (4) it’s a stunning-looking piscivorous uncommon owl. I had a sighting of an grownup and a juvenile in the identical morning, and we additionally heard the grownup’s name earlier that morning. I solely noticed this species as soon as subsequently, in Mkuze Recreation Reserve. It has a really restricted vary in South Africa and though it happens fairly broadly throughout sub-Saharan Africa, it’s unusual in most locations.
Narina Trogon
This hen, like so many different Trogonidae, is just beautiful. Just like the Pel’s, it was a hen I had needed to see reasonably early on in my life as a birder. It’s typically a hen of riverine and lowland forest, the place it has the behavior of turning its brilliant crimson stomach away from you so you’re left with solely its inexperienced again, making all of it however invisible. I’ve since seen many different species such because the wonderful Whitehead’s Trogon in Borneo, however the Narina Trogon remains to be one among my favourites. My first glimpses of this hen had been in the identical protected space the place I first noticed the Pel’s, however I’ve had much better views since within the Dlinza forest, a widely known birding spot in South Africa. Simply my greatest sighting was a male busily calling at eye degree simply meters away in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River valley.
Black-throated Wattle-eye
I don’t recall after I got here throughout this species in a guide or photograph for the primary time, however I’m fairly positive it’s in my outdated Robert’s Chicken Information, which I leafed by way of so many occasions that I knew the web page on which every species was displayed by coronary heart. I’m seeing a development growing right here that the majority species I word are ones that happen in South Africa’s jap lowlands, and this hen is not any exception. I first noticed it simply earlier than we departed Amatikulu Nature Reserve on the coast of KwaZulu Natal, after every week of scouring the forests to seek out this little particular. There’s fairly a stunning variety of wattle-eyes in Central and West Africa (I encourage you to take a look at Yellow-bellied and Black-necked Wattle-eyes on eBird for some lovely photographs), none of which I’ve seen (desperately calling for a birding journey to those locations).
African Finfoot
To let you know the reality, I’ve by no means seen this hen. Or let’s reasonably say, I’ve by no means seen greater than a splash of water as an orange foot disappeared into vegetation overhanging the water and our hen information exclaiming “finfoot!”. This was truly in Ndumo Recreation Reserve, the place I additionally noticed the Pel’s Fishing Owl (and Narina Trogon), though on a distinct go to. I’ve been at many locations the place this species happens, together with some in style areas for this hen like Borakalalo Recreation Reserve and Enseleni Nature Reserve, however have by no means truly seen it. It’s a very talked-about species amongst birders and is uncommon all through its vary, and I can’t look ahead to the second after I all of a sudden see this ghost gliding over the water of some subtropical African river.
Temminck’s Courser
Coursers are amongst my favorite group of birds, together with the associated pratincoles. The Temminck’s Courser is the commonest species in South Africa and it’s additionally the primary courser species I noticed (though I noticed my first Bronze-winged Courser the next day, for some cause!). The plumage of this species (identical to the associated however uncommon Burchell’s Courser which I’ve by no means seen), is amazingly easy with stunning gradual transitions in color. I additionally love their very elegant posture, along with their most popular habitat of open plains, a habitat in South Africa that I take pleasure in birding in quite a bit as a result of number of different particular arid-country species which might be round.
Crimson-chested Flufftail
That is one other species I needed to see for ages. Ultimately, I noticed a feminine very briefly in a small nature reserve near my residence, because it emerged into a gap within the reeds. I’ve but to see a male, which has far more engaging plumage. Earlier than I first noticed this species, I learn someplace that one other observer was shocked at how small this species was, anticipating it to be across the measurement of a rooster when it was extra like a thrush. I believed that this was reasonably foolish however caught myself considering the very same factor when this tiny ball of feathers popped out between the reeds. Just like crakes, their chicken-like form (I don’t know if that is derogatory for the wonderful birds that crakes are) is someway deceptive.
Lilac-breasted Curler
A basic species of the Kruger Nationwide Park, I needed to embody this hen as a result of it was this species we almost all the time stopped to have a look at throughout recreation drives, no matter how frequent they’re. Their brilliant colors actually brighten up the bush, particularly within the dry season. Furthermore, as a result of they’re comparatively tame, they’re a very talked-about topic for photographers to get a shot of throughout flight, when their wonderful flight feathers are uncovered.
Inexperienced Woodhoopoe
I added this species as a result of it was an everyday backyard hen the place we lived in Pretoria, and tried to breed in a palm tree in our backyard. The species seems wonderful however the household teams steal the present when the perch on a department collectively and descend right into a loopy cacaphony of gaggling sounds whereas swinging forwards and backwards on the department. They’re one among these birds that basically have an apparent character (just like the Arrow-marked Babblers that additionally journey in household teams and chatter away all day), which makes them wonderful to look at, particularly once they’re outdoors your bed room window!
Collared Sunbird
A species that I all the time cherished to see alongside the jap lowlands of the nation, this cute sunbird may be very vibrant and has an adorably compact form. It’s a fairly frequent species and infrequently visits aloe flowers, one among my favorite teams of crops on this planet. As it’s comparatively short-billed, it spends extra time gleaning bugs from foliage than different sunbird species which might be extra particularly nectarivorous (just like the Southern Double-collared Sunbird on this publish’s featured picture). I typically spent a while watching them in Letaba camp in Kruger Nationwide Park, as they had been used to the individuals right here and thus allowed an in depth method to have a look at its shiny scale-like plumage.
Rufous-necked Wryneck
Whereas I’d want to stay to the outdated identify “Crimson-throated Wryneck” which I nonetheless have in all of my outdated guides, I made a decision to stay with the identify on eBird to be in line with the remainder of this record. That is the opposite species on this record that I’ve by no means seen and certainly one of many causes I’ve included it right here is that the wryneck might be one among my greatest bogey birds (a.ok.a. nemesis hen) in South Africa. I’ve been to many locations – from Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve to Wakkerstroom – which might be supposedly glorious for this species, nevertheless it has all the time gotten away. Additionally it is a typical highveld hen so I believed it’s good to incorporate a species of this habitat on condition that it covers a lot of the nation.
Southern Floor-Hornbill
That is most likely one of the crucial charismatic-looking birds within the nation. It is a species of open bushveld and savanna, requiring mature bushes for breeding and subsequently being sadly reasonably endangered. I didn’t come throughout them often, however the sightings are often fairly good as they don’t seem to be shy once they forage on the bottom within the small household teams. Their measurement and look makes them completely beautiful birds.
Knysna Turaco
I nonetheless have the second burned into my thoughts of a Knysna Turaco flying above us river whereas I used to be canoeing on a river with my household alongside the Backyard Route. This was earlier than I used to be a devoted birder (though I already preferred birds), however the brilliant crimson wings had been simply an irresistably stunning distinction to the inexperienced forest. They aren’t troublesome to see, however it’s fairly unusual to get clear views of this species as they are typically reasonably shy. I managed to get a flight {photograph} of this hen solely as soon as, within the legendary Magoebaskloof forest in northeastern South Africa.
I’ve gone proper up reminiscence lane with this publish by reminiscing on my previous sightings and desired sightings. So maybe I’ll observe up with an additional publish on my favorite birds of one other nation of the southern African subregion, since I typically appeared on the subregion as a complete reasonably than the international locations individually when it comes to birding (largely as a result of my hen information and guidelines are for the subregion reasonably than solely South Africa).