As you’ve noticed, this Turdus libonyana is out of focus because I had aimed for the glossy starling, which you can see as a blue blob in the bottom right. This species of thrush seems to be fairly common in southern Africa. However, we don’t know much about the population trend.
This Burhinus vermiculatus and his/her big companion made their home in Hlane National Park in Swaziland. Many thanks to members of http://www.birdforum.net/forum.php for helping me with the ID.
This female Chloropicus namaquus was feeding on some kind of insect in Hlane National Park, a few years ago. The species is also called Thripias namaquus or Dendropicos namaquus – taxonomy can be a minefield.
This Lamprotornis nitens was a curious little fellow in Hlane National Park, Swaziland. It’s also called a red-shouldered glossy-starling or Cape glossy starling. At first, I confused this species with Burchell’s Starling, but they have brown eyes, not yellow ones.
Apparently, the Cape Starling is able to see in the UV-spectrum and can therefore recognize different grades of ripeness of fruit.
Coracias caudatus was one of the first species I learned to identify when we were in southern Africa a few years ago. This one posed rather nicely on a tree in Hlane National Park, Swaziland.
I met this Struthio camelus a few years ago in Swaziland.
The subspecies Struthio camelus syriacus became extinct around 1966.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_ostrich: ‘The widespread introduction of firearms and, later, motor vehicles marked the start of the decline towards extinction of this subspecies.’
Those members of Buphagus erythrorhynchus had a good time on a rhino in Hlane National Park, Swaziland.
Disgusting humans.
Met him in Swaziland.
Expect a lot less forest on my next trip.
Spocki's World 