Karoo Bustard
Heterotetrax vigorsii
A medium-sized, drab, gray-brown bustard with a plain face and black throat patch. Creamy wing patches are displayed in flight. Small groups prefer semi-arid Karoo and barren farmland, where they feed on plants and small animals. During the heat of the day it retreats to drainage lines, where they shelter under thicker cover. Often first detected by its dry, throaty, frog-like two-or-three-syllabled “kraak-krook” or “kraak-krook-kook” calls, which are sometimes echoed by other group members, creating a choral cacophony. Vocal in the morning and late afternoon.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Heterotetrax vigorsii
- Authority
- (Smith, A, 1831)
- Order
- Pterocliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Heterotetrax
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gray-bellied Tesia
Tesia cyaniventer
Long-legged and short-tailed, this tiny bird moves rapidly and unseen through dark, dense undergrowth like a pint-sized shadow. Yellowish-green above and gray below, with a black line extending through the eye below a pale yellowish eyebrow. Slaty-bellied Tesia is extremely similar, but has a brighter yellowish crown, darker gray underparts, and no pale eyebrow. Gray-bellied breeds in mid- to high-elevation forest, sometimes descending into lower foothills in the winter. Forages in dense undergrowth, particularly near streams and fern or bamboo clusters. Listen for its song: a few clear, high, bell-like notes followed by a brief sputtering explosion of lower notes.
Cape Canary
Serinus canicollis
Rather plain seedeater with a gray nape, yellow underparts, and olive-green back. Found in fynbos, woodland, grassland, and gardens. Usually in small flocks. Distinctive call is a short, high-pitched trill, often given in flight. Song is a frantic, warbled jumble of notes. Separated from similarly sized seedeaters by gray nape and lack of facial markings.
Principe Scops-Owl
Otus bikegila
Small, richly colored owl with small ear tufts. There are two morphs: one rich rufous and the other pale gray-brown. Found in lowland rainforest on the island of Principe. The vocalization is a series of hollow “klow” notes, similar to those of African Scops-Owl, but delivered much more quickly, about one note / second. Easily identified, as the only other owl on Principe is the much larger Barn Owl.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.