Once you enter the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the first thing that you will notice is the rich bird life. At any checkpoint or stop where there is human activity, a multitude of different birds will descend upon you.
Where there are animals, there are also a multitude of birds; they feast on everything that the animals will allow them.
The most amazing symbiotic relationships exist in these spaces; so many birds sit on the animals feasting on ticks and other insects. The waste of animals is also a rich source of bugs and critters; and even the dead animals that are a given in these "wild" places serve as an all-you-can-eat bar for the vultures.
As you drive through the National Park, you will see the most colour of birds, the most bland-looking ones, the ones you can see in the suburbs, and the biggest predatory birds on the continent.
The Kruger National Park truly remains a birding photographer's dream, paradise, or playground.
Please join me as I show you the beauty of this place or the beauty of the birds that this place offers.
Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus)
Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus)
Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus)
After a while, we saw so many of these lilac-breasted rollers that they became a common sight, despite their striking beauty. We stopped the car way too much for them, as we really appreciated their beauty.
Crested francolin (Ortygornis sephaena)
Kingfisher (I think...)
I am not sure if this was a kingfisher, but it immediately grabbed our attention. It was a rather big bird, and the shadows fell in such a way as to completely darken the bird. It looks like a true fighter!
African harrier-hawk (Polyboroides typus)
African fish eagle (Icthyophaga vocifer)
Less prevalent is the predatory birds. They hide most of the day and you really need to be lucky to spot them. We love to drive around, so this does not really allow one to appreciate the predatory birds that much, as they usually hang out near the watering holes. We were lucky to see two or three of them.
White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus)
Seeing vultures always causes some sadness in me, as I know their species are under threat. There are many programs in the country to help get their numbers back, but it seems like a losing battle. Here, we saw the bird perched high up in a tree on a nest.
Black-headed oriole (Oriolus larvatus)
Cormorant (Phalacrocoracidae)
Kingfisger (I think...?)
(Not sure what bird species)
Magpie shrike (Lanius melanoleucus)
Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) (I think...)
Red-billed oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorynchus)
Alas, this is just a small sample size of all of the birds that you can see in the Kruger National Park. In fact, if you stay a bit longer than the mere 6-10 hours you are allowed on a day pass, you will be able to see a whole list of birds (and animals).
I hope that you enjoyed these photographs of the most beautiful birds our country of South Africa has to offer.
For now, happy birding and keep well!
All of the musings and writings are my own, albeit inspired by the many birds we saw. The photographs are my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens.