BIRDS
Muisvoël, Colius striatus
The speckled mousebird is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common. This bird is about 35 cm long, with the tail approximately half its length, and it weighs about 57g. It is a dull-mousy brown in overall color on the back and on the head. The bill is black on the upper part and with a pinkish colour below. Although noisy , this mousebird is not known for its voice. They make a warbling tsu-tsu call while in flight, and are known for their tisk-tisk alarm call while in flight. It is widespread in areas with tangled thickets. It is a frugivore and lives from fruits, berries, leaves, seeds and nectar. These are obviously social birds, feeding together and engaging in mutual preening. They also accompany each other when dust bathe (also to occasionally to swallow pebbles to assist in grinding up vegetation as they digest it). They may breed at any time of the year. Nestlings are fed by both parents and also by helpers, which usually are juveniles from previous clutches. The incubation period is 14 days and the offspring will leave the nest for the first time at about 17 or 18 days. They are often seen in gardens and fruit orchards.
Fiery necked nightjar, Caprimulgus pectoralus
Naguiltjie
The fiery-necked nightjar is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family, which occurs in Africa south of the equator. They are nocturnal and insectivorous. During the daytime they hide between leaves and small stones, assisted by their feathers in being completely camouflaged. Their call is heard in the early evening. The female lays her eggs between dry twigs on the ground. She breeds during the day, while the male breeds at night. Incubation is normally 19 days, and the offspring are cared for another 24 days after which they become self-sufficient. Veld fires can destroy eggs and chicks. Their distinctive and frequently uttered call is heard in the early evening, and is rendered as 'good-lord-deliver-us'.
Knysna turaco, Tauraco corythaix
Knysna loerie
The Knysna loerie is endemic to South Africa and Swaziland, with most of its population concentrated in coastal Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, occurring in Afromontane forest and thickets. It feeds mainly on fruit, with seeds and invertebrates making up the rest of its diet. The nest is built by both sexes, and is a flimsy platform of twigs, placed in thick tangles of leaves. It lays 1-2 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes, for 20-24 days. The chicks stay in the nest for about 22 days, after which they clamber around the surrounding branches. They attempt their first flight at about 28 days old, becoming independent a few week after this. Although they are not threatened, its population is locally impacted by deforestation.