Zimbabwe - Majestic birds

142. Grey crowned crane

Also known as golden-crowned crane or golden-crested crane. It is approximately 1m tall and has a wingspan of 2m. Found in almost all Africa.

143. Secretary bird

Impressive sub-saharan bird, with a body of an eagle and legs similar to that of a crane. It reaches up to 1.3m in height and 2m in wingspan. Can live up to 10-15 years in the wild. Great in hunting snakes, while using its long legs to avoid snake bites, and has a very strong and fast kick. It is one of the two bird species that hunt on the ground! 

Secretary birds like to hunt in pairs, build their nests on thorny trees, lay two to three eggs and are thought to mate for life.

They are endangered.

 

144. Common ostrich (or South African ostrich)

The common ostrich, one of the two species of ostriches, is the largest and heaviest living bird.

 

145. Black-chested snake eagle

Easily to distinguish during flight because of the black head in combination with the barred-white underwing flight feathers.

146. African Harrier-Hawk

Easy to distinguish in the photos because of the wing and tail pattern, in combination with the bare facial skin.

April 2024, Zimbabwe

More from Zimbabwe

Next two birds are from the family of lapwings, ground nesting birds

134. White-crowned lapwing

135. Blacksmith Lapwings

136. Water thick-knee

 137. Red-crested korhaan (or red-crested bustard)

138. Marsh sandpiper

 

139. Dark-capped bulbul

 Noticeable yellow underpants! 

 

140. Bohm's bee-eater

One of the thirty bee-eater species! Small in size and difficult to capture with an average camera 

141. Blue Waxbill (Blue-breasted Cordonbleu)

April 2024, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe - more birds from Hwange

124. Southern ground hornbill

One of the two species of the family: ground hornbills. Unlike other hornbills, they are carnivorous. 

125. Southern yellow-billed hornbill

 Very similar to the red-billed hornbill (Zazu from Lion King)

126. Red-billed spurfowl

A.k.a red-billed francolin. Only found in southern Africa.

 

 

127. Helmeted guineafowl 

 

This bird has been introduced in various places of the world as domesticated species. This shot, though, was taken in the savannah :-)

128. White-browed Robin-chat

 

Also known as Heuglin's Robin. Easily distinguishable, because of the white supercilium over the dark eyes.

 

 129. White-browed sparrow-weaver

 

Another, smaller, white-browed bird

 

130. Rufous-naped lark

 131.  Grey go-away bird

Also known as grey lourie, easily distinguishable because of its distinctive crest and characteristic "go-away" sound.

132. Red-billed oxpecker

One of the two species of oxpeckers. As the name describes, they perch on large mammals, eating ticks, insects and parasites.

 

 

133. Southern pied babbler

 

April 2024, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe - ducks and other water birds

 121. White-faced whistling duck

 

122. Egyptian goose

Of African origin, but has been introduced to Europe, US and other places outside of its natural habitat.

 123. Red-billed teal

Beatifully patterned teal, non-migratory but flies long distances to find water.

April 2024, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe - Beautiful doves, rollers and starlings from the savannah

 115. Cape (Glossy) Starling

 

 

116. Red-winged starling 

117. European roller

 

 

118. Lilac-breasted roller 

 

 

 

119. Purple roller

120. Laughing dove

A beautiful exotic dove that was purely captured.

 

 

April 2024, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe - Vultures and storks

Hooded vultures, White-backed vultures and Marabou storks near Victoria Falls

110. Hooded Vulture

Bare-skinned face that is white or scarlet when agitated because of high temperature.

111. White-backed vulture 

The most common vulture in the savannah. Usually blackish face and neck, with the rest of the body varying from brown to buff to streaked. 

 

 

 

 

112. Marabou stork

 

A.k.a. the "undertaker bird", is a naked headed stork that competes the vultures at carcasses. They eat anything from termites, flamingos and other birds, and mammals of all sizes to human waste. Their face becomes scarlet when agitated, because of high temperature and this is how they kill bacteria inside their body. There exist very nice facts about why it is has been widely considered as one of the dirtiest and ugliest birds.

113. African Openbill

In the family of storks, a smaller bird, with a characteristic, wide, nutcracker-like gap between the mandibles.

 

114. Abdim's stork

 

Breeds in central Africa, but is a common migrant to the south. Red face when breeding and agitated.

 

 

 

 April 2024, Zimbabwe