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Click on picture to enlarge. Spur-winged Goose Spur-winged Goose [Plectropterus gambensis] is a large bird and it occurs in wetlands throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Adults are 75-115 cm long and weigh 4-6.8 kg (8.8 -15 lbs), sometimes to 10 kg (22lbs) with males much larger than the females they are the largest African waterfowl and are, on average, the world's largest "goose". These geese are mainly black, with a white face and large white wing patches. The male differs from the female, not only in size, but also in that it has a larger red facial patch extending back from the red bill, and a knob at the base of the upper mandible. This is a quiet species, but may give a thin whistle in flight. The large nest is usually concealed in vegetation near water, but tree holes. The spur on the bend of the wing may be used in disputes. Click on picture to enlarge. The Egyptian Goose The Egyptian Goose [Alopochen aegyptiacus] A large brown to buff duck, easily distinguished from other ducks by its large size, the dark brown eye patch and the brown patch in the middle of the buff-coloured breast and is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen. Widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa. Within southern Africa it is the most commonly encountered species of waterfowl and is found virtually everywhere except highly arid regions and at very high altitudes. Found on virtually all types of freshwater wetlands and even occasionally forages along the coastline and swims in the sea. Also occurs on grass lawns in urban areas and in fields with cereal crops. It is difficult to identify male and female Egyptian geese. Both sexes look alike, although females are often slightly smaller. So, researchers identify males or females by sound. Though Egyptian geese are not very vocal, during times of stress or aggressive behavior, it's easy to distinguish males and females by their sound. Only males emit a raspy hiss, while females produce a loud cackling sound like 'honk-haah-haah-haah.' crops. Click on picture to enlarge. The Crowned Guineafowl The crowned guineafowl [Numida meleagris] or Helmeted Guinea fowl is very easy to identify with the casque on its blue and red head, their large Partridge-like bodies and their spotted feathers, which interior decorators have also taken a liking to! You have a good chance of spotting these birds throughout South Africa and northwards all the way to Senegal and south west Arabia. They particularly enjoy congregating next to roads in the national parks They prefer thorny scrub or savannah, especially near rivers or marshland, where they look for food. They have quite a varied diet: from seeds and flowers to insects and snails. Guinea-fowl are great runners, but when threatened will fly up, scattering into trees or hide in thick grass and bushes. It's not unusual to see them running in front of your safari vehicle for several hundred metres as if they don't realise that they can just step to the side or fly away. They live in flocks, sometimes up to several hundred, and roost together in big trees with lots of foliage. These birds are on the menu for virtually every predator that occurs in the African bush such as leopard, jackal and most of the eagle species so they have to watch their step. Click on picture to enlarge. The White-faced Whistling Duck The White-faced Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna viduata, is a whistling duck which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America. This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight. As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear three-note whistling call. This species has a long grey bill, long head and longish legs. It has a white face and crown, and black rear head. The back and wings are dark brown to black, and the underparts are black, although the flanks have fine white barring. The neck is chestnut. All plumages are similar, except that juveniles have a much less contrasted head pattern. The habitat is still freshwater lakes or reservoirs, with plentiful vegetation, where this duck feeds on seeds and other plant food. Click on picture to enlarge. The Yellow-billed Duck The Yellow-billed Duck, [Anas undulate], is a 51-58 cm long dabbling duck which is an abundant resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa. This duck is not migratory, but will wander in the dry season to find suitable waters. It is highly gregarious outside the breeding season and forms large flocks. These are Mallard-sized mainly grey ducks with a darker head and bright yellow bill. The wings are whitish below, and from above show a white-bordered green speculum. Sexes are similar, and juveniles are slightly duller than adults. The north-eastern race is darker and has a brighter bill and blue speculum. It is a bird of freshwater habitats in fairly open country and feeds by dabbling for plant food mainly in the evening or at night. It nests on the ground in dense vegetation near water. The clutch numbers between six and twelve eggs. The male has a Teal-like whistle, whereas the female has a Mallard-like quack. There are two subspecies of the Yellow-billed Duck: A. undulata rueppelli (Northern Yellow-billed Duck) A. undulata undulata (Southern Yellow-billed Duck) The Yellow-billed Duck is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern nominate subspecies is declining due to competition and hybridization with feral Mallards (Rhymer 2006). Click on picture to enlarge. The Common Quail The Common Quail, [Coturnix coturnix] is a small bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is widespread and is found in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa with several subspecies recognized. It is a small (17 cm) rotund bird, essentially streaked brown with a white eyestripe, and, in the male, a black chin. As befits its migratory nature, it has long wings, unlike the typically short-winged gamebirds. This is a terrestrial species, feeding on seeds and insects on the ground. It is notoriously difficult to see, keeping hidden in crops, and reluctant to fly, preferring to creep away instead. Even when flushed, it keeps low and soon drops back into cover. Often the only indication of its presence is the distinctive "wet-my-lips" repetitive song of the male. The call is uttered mostly in the mornings, evenings and sometimes at night. It is a strongly migratory bird, unlike most gamebirds Male has a black to russet coloured throat compared with the white throat of Harlequin quail and the female Blue quail, and the black-and-white patterned throat of the male Blue quail. Female has pale underparts with a whitish-coloured belly, compared with the more uniform and darker chestnut-coloured breast and belly of the female Harlequin quail. The longitudinally streaked underparts of the female distinguish it from the barred underparts of female Blue quail. Immature Common and Harlequin quail are evidently difficult to distinguish and I will not try to do so here without supporting images. Click on picture to enlarge. Orange River Partridge Orange River Partridge [Francolinus levaillantoides] [Kalaharipatrys - Afrikaans] This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Click on picture to enlarge. Greywing Partridge Greywing Partridge [Francolinus africanus] [Bergpatrys – Afrikaans] This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Click on picture to enlarge. The Speckled Pigeon The Speckled Pigeon [Columba guinea] is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over a good deal of its range, although there are sizeable gaps in its distribution. This species builds a large stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. This is a large pigeon at 41 cm in length. Its back and wings are rufous, the latter heavily speckled with white spots. The rest of the upperparts and underparts are blue-grey, and the head is grey with red patches around the eye. The neck is brownish, streaked with white, and the legs are red. The call is a loud doo-doo-doo. Sexes are similar, but immatures are browner than adults. The Speckled Pigeon is frequently seen around human habitation and cultivation. Most of its food is vegetable, and it gathers in large numbers where grain or groundnuts are available. SA Wingshooters emphatically disagrees with some of the new names used in the 7th edition of Roberts Birds of South Africa because they give rise to tragic confusion. Examples are ‘speckled pigeon’ for rock pigeon (kransduif). while the kransduif (rock pigeon) is widely known as bosduif in the Cape (compared to geelbek-bosduif for the Rameron pigeon). The name ‘rock dove’ for the feral pigeon is dangerously misleading because of hunting licence confusion with our most common wingshooting quarry, the rock pigeon. The rock dove is the wild ancestor of domestic pigeons the world over and now only occurs on the north and west coasts of Scotland and Northern Ireland and adjacent islands. The name 'feral pigeon' is widely used by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and in all English speaking countries around the world for domestic pigeons gone wild. To avoid unfortunate misunderstandings the widely accepted and common names for our gamebirds will be retained in future by SA Wingshooters as a matter of policy. We advise provincial departments to do the same to prevent criminalising decent law abiding people through unfortunate misunderstandings. Click on picture to enlarge. The Red-eyed Dove The Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common, if not abundant, species in most habitats other than desert. This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. Red-eyed Dove is a largish, stocky pigeon, typically 34cm in length. Its back, wings and tail are pale brown. When flying, it shows blackish flight feathers. The head and underparts are dark vinous-pink, shading to pale grey on the face. There is a black hind neck patch edged with white. The legs and a patch of bare skin around the eye are red. The call is a loud doo-doo-du-du. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults, and have scalloping on the body feathers. Red-eyed Doves eat grass seeds, grains and other vegetation. They often forage on the ground. Like several other species in this genus, they are not particularly gregarious and often feed alone or in pairs.
Click on picture to enlarge.
Spur-winged Goose
Spur-winged Goose [Plectropterus gambensis] is a large bird and it occurs in wetlands throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Adults are 75-115 cm long and weigh 4-6.8 kg (8.8 -15 lbs), sometimes to 10 kg (22lbs) with males much larger than the females they are the largest African waterfowl and are, on average, the world's largest "goose". These geese are mainly black, with a white face and large white wing patches. The male differs from the female, not only in size, but also in that it has a larger red facial patch extending back from the red bill, and a knob at the base of the upper mandible. This is a quiet species, but may give a thin whistle in flight. The large nest is usually concealed in vegetation near water, but tree holes. The spur on the bend of the wing may be used in disputes.
The Egyptian Goose
The Egyptian Goose [Alopochen aegyptiacus] A large brown to buff duck, easily distinguished from other ducks by its large size, the dark brown eye patch and the brown patch in the middle of the buff-coloured breast and is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen. Widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa. Within southern Africa it is the most commonly encountered species of waterfowl and is found virtually everywhere except highly arid regions and at very high altitudes. Found on virtually all types of freshwater wetlands and even occasionally forages along the coastline and swims in the sea. Also occurs on grass lawns in urban areas and in fields with cereal crops. It is difficult to identify male and female Egyptian geese. Both sexes look alike, although females are often slightly smaller. So, researchers identify males or females by sound. Though Egyptian geese are not very vocal, during times of stress or aggressive behavior, it's easy to distinguish males and females by their sound. Only males emit a raspy hiss, while females produce a loud cackling sound like 'honk-haah-haah-haah.' crops.
The Crowned Guineafowl
The crowned guineafowl [Numida meleagris] or Helmeted Guinea fowl is very easy to identify with the casque on its blue and red head, their large Partridge-like bodies and their spotted feathers, which interior decorators have also taken a liking to! You have a good chance of spotting these birds throughout South Africa and northwards all the way to Senegal and south west Arabia. They particularly enjoy congregating next to roads in the national parks They prefer thorny scrub or savannah, especially near rivers or marshland, where they look for food. They have quite a varied diet: from seeds and flowers to insects and snails. Guinea-fowl are great runners, but when threatened will fly up, scattering into trees or hide in thick grass and bushes. It's not unusual to see them running in front of your safari vehicle for several hundred metres as if they don't realise that they can just step to the side or fly away. They live in flocks, sometimes up to several hundred, and roost together in big trees with lots of foliage. These birds are on the menu for virtually every predator that occurs in the African bush such as leopard, jackal and most of the eagle species so they have to watch their step.
The White-faced Whistling Duck
The White-faced Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna viduata, is a whistling duck which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America. This species is gregarious, and at favoured sites, the flocks of a thousand or more birds arriving at dawn are an impressive sight. As the name implies, these are noisy birds with a clear three-note whistling call. This species has a long grey bill, long head and longish legs. It has a white face and crown, and black rear head. The back and wings are dark brown to black, and the underparts are black, although the flanks have fine white barring. The neck is chestnut. All plumages are similar, except that juveniles have a much less contrasted head pattern. The habitat is still freshwater lakes or reservoirs, with plentiful vegetation, where this duck feeds on seeds and other plant food.
The Yellow-billed Duck
The Yellow-billed Duck, [Anas undulate], is a 51-58 cm long dabbling duck which is an abundant resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa. This duck is not migratory, but will wander in the dry season to find suitable waters. It is highly gregarious outside the breeding season and forms large flocks. These are Mallard-sized mainly grey ducks with a darker head and bright yellow bill. The wings are whitish below, and from above show a white-bordered green speculum. Sexes are similar, and juveniles are slightly duller than adults. The north-eastern race is darker and has a brighter bill and blue speculum. It is a bird of freshwater habitats in fairly open country and feeds by dabbling for plant food mainly in the evening or at night. It nests on the ground in dense vegetation near water. The clutch numbers between six and twelve eggs. The male has a Teal-like whistle, whereas the female has a Mallard-like quack. There are two subspecies of the Yellow-billed Duck: A. undulata rueppelli (Northern Yellow-billed Duck) A. undulata undulata (Southern Yellow-billed Duck) The Yellow-billed Duck is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The southern nominate subspecies is declining due to competition and hybridization with feral Mallards (Rhymer 2006).
The Common Quail
The Common Quail, [Coturnix coturnix] is a small bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is widespread and is found in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa with several subspecies recognized. It is a small (17 cm) rotund bird, essentially streaked brown with a white eyestripe, and, in the male, a black chin. As befits its migratory nature, it has long wings, unlike the typically short-winged gamebirds. This is a terrestrial species, feeding on seeds and insects on the ground. It is notoriously difficult to see, keeping hidden in crops, and reluctant to fly, preferring to creep away instead. Even when flushed, it keeps low and soon drops back into cover. Often the only indication of its presence is the distinctive "wet-my-lips" repetitive song of the male. The call is uttered mostly in the mornings, evenings and sometimes at night. It is a strongly migratory bird, unlike most gamebirds Male has a black to russet coloured throat compared with the white throat of Harlequin quail and the female Blue quail, and the black-and-white patterned throat of the male Blue quail. Female has pale underparts with a whitish-coloured belly, compared with the more uniform and darker chestnut-coloured breast and belly of the female Harlequin quail. The longitudinally streaked underparts of the female distinguish it from the barred underparts of female Blue quail. Immature Common and Harlequin quail are evidently difficult to distinguish and I will not try to do so here without supporting images.
Orange River Partridge
Orange River Partridge [Francolinus levaillantoides] [Kalaharipatrys - Afrikaans] This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Greywing Partridge
Greywing Partridge [Francolinus africanus] [Bergpatrys – Afrikaans] This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
The Speckled Pigeon
The Speckled Pigeon [Columba guinea] is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over a good deal of its range, although there are sizeable gaps in its distribution. This species builds a large stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. This is a large pigeon at 41 cm in length. Its back and wings are rufous, the latter heavily speckled with white spots. The rest of the upperparts and underparts are blue-grey, and the head is grey with red patches around the eye. The neck is brownish, streaked with white, and the legs are red. The call is a loud doo-doo-doo. Sexes are similar, but immatures are browner than adults. The Speckled Pigeon is frequently seen around human habitation and cultivation. Most of its food is vegetable, and it gathers in large numbers where grain or groundnuts are available. SA Wingshooters emphatically disagrees with some of the new names used in the 7th edition of Roberts Birds of South Africa because they give rise to tragic confusion. Examples are ‘speckled pigeon’ for rock pigeon (kransduif). while the kransduif (rock pigeon) is widely known as bosduif in the Cape (compared to geelbek-bosduif for the Rameron pigeon). The name ‘rock dove’ for the feral pigeon is dangerously misleading because of hunting licence confusion with our most common wingshooting quarry, the rock pigeon. The rock dove is the wild ancestor of domestic pigeons the world over and now only occurs on the north and west coasts of Scotland and Northern Ireland and adjacent islands. The name 'feral pigeon' is widely used by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and in all English speaking countries around the world for domestic pigeons gone wild. To avoid unfortunate misunderstandings the widely accepted and common names for our gamebirds will be retained in future by SA Wingshooters as a matter of policy. We advise provincial departments to do the same to prevent criminalising decent law abiding people through unfortunate misunderstandings.
The Red-eyed Dove
The Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common, if not abundant, species in most habitats other than desert. This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is quick, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. Red-eyed Dove is a largish, stocky pigeon, typically 34cm in length. Its back, wings and tail are pale brown. When flying, it shows blackish flight feathers. The head and underparts are dark vinous-pink, shading to pale grey on the face. There is a black hind neck patch edged with white. The legs and a patch of bare skin around the eye are red. The call is a loud doo-doo-du-du. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults, and have scalloping on the body feathers. Red-eyed Doves eat grass seeds, grains and other vegetation. They often forage on the ground. Like several other species in this genus, they are not particularly gregarious and often feed alone or in pairs.
