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BIRDS OF THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK |
QUICK SOLUTIONS |
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The following tours can accommodate birding on request |
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The following Bird Guide provides a useful description of some prominent bird species in the Kruger National Park: |
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Abdim's Stork |
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Black with prominent white lower back distinguishes it from other storks. |
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African Fish Eagle |
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White head, dark brown chest, yellow beak with black tip, white tail and brown forewings; distinct loud call; lives in trees in riverine communities. |
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African Green Pigeon |
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Green plumage similar to a parrot. |
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African Hoopoe |
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Rust-coloured head and upper body; black and white striped wings and tail; forages for insects by penetrating the soil with its long beak; crest unfolds when alarmed. |
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African Jacana |
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Dark brown water bird with white neck, yellow breast, and distinguishing black mark on its white head; walks upon water lilies and other floating material. |
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African Pied Wagtail |
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Distinct species with body of white and black feathers and long moving tail. |
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African Spoonbill |
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White bird with grey and red bill shaped like a spoon which is moved in the water side-to-side to gather food from the water. |
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Arrowmarked Babbler |
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Light brown with white markings on throat and breast; constant chirping; always with a flock. |
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Bateleur |
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Black raptor with black and white underwings and a beak of red and yellow; distinguished by its unusual flight pattern from side-to-side; sited in open thornvelds. |
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Black-Backed Puffback |
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Black, grey and white feathers with black crested head and red eyes; feathers can be "puffed". |
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Black-Collared Barbet |
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Light brown body with striking red mask, black collar, and distinct thick bill; male and female sing in harmony; found in woodlands and thornbush. |
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Black-Headed Oriole |
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Bright yellow bird with black head ; feathers are black and white; bill is red; distinct melodic songs. |
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Blacksmith Lapwing |
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Patches of black, white and grey feathers with red eyes; distinct call that sounds of ringing metal. |
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Blue Waxbill |
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Male is golden yellow and blue; female is paler with less blue; it is considered the most common waxbill; found in open bush or ground nearby. |
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Brown-Crowned Tchagra |
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Generally pale body with black markings on head; wings are light brown and tail is black and white. |
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Brown Snake Eagle |
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Brown feathered body with scaly legs (no feathers) for protection against snake bites; yellow eyes. |
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Brownheaded Parrot |
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Green feathers with brown head and yellow underwings; loud call signals its presence. |
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Brownhooded Kingfisher |
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Bright red bill, brownish head, and blue-brown wings; often lives in self-excavated chambers; eats lizards and insects. |
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Burchell's Starling |
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Bluish-black sheen to feathers; largest starling in the park; solitary and very noisy. |
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Cape Turtle Dove |
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Light grey body with a white tail tip and black marking on back of neck; usually found in large numbers around available food. |
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Cardinal Woodpecker |
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Male only has red-crested head; black wings with white spots; uses barbed tongue to extract insects from trees; tapping sounds signal its presence. |
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Cattle Egret |
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Solid white feathers with yellow beak; sited around herds of cattle or game. |
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Chinspot Batis |
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Male is black and white and female has brown markings under chin. |
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Cinnamon-Breasted Bunting |
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Black and white striped face with dark body and orange underside; sited in rocky areas. |
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Collared Sunbird |
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Upper body is green and lower body is yellow; wings are black and white; shorter bill than other sunbirds. |
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Comb Duck |
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Knobs seen on males' bills only; black and white plumage. |
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Common Waxbill |
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Greyish-black feathers with white underbelly; eye circles are red; sited near water. |
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Crested Francolin |
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White and brown flecked feathers; red legs; similar characteristics to a domestic chicken. |
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Crested Barbet |
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Yellow head and body with black and white feathers; red markings on end of body; its colour blends well in the bush; distinct shrill. |
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Crowned Lapwing |
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Brown feathers with white underside and black-crested head; sited throughout the park. |
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Dark-Capped Bulbul |
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Brown and white body with black head; yellow under the tail; commonly sited in gardens. |
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Darter |
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Blackish-grey body with long neck; spends most of its time searching for fish and frogs. |
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Doublebanded Sandgrouse |
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Yellowish-tan breast with speckled brown and white wings; normally sited on sides of the roads throughout the park. |
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Egyptian Goose |
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White and brown body with brown circle around eyes; males hiss and females honk. |
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Emerald-Spotted Wood Dove |
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Brownish body with small green spots on the wings; sited on roadsides in the park. |
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Fireynecked Nightjar |
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Nocturnal bird with brown wings and distinct tail spots. |
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Forktailed Drongo |
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Dark black bird with forked tail; aggressive even towards raptors. |
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Giant Kingfisher |
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Brown chest, speckled black and white wings and long black beak; largest kingfisher. |
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Glossy Starling |
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Bright orange eye with shiny blue coat, colours being altered by the sun; commonly found in many rest camps. |
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Goldenbreasted Bunting |
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Rust-coloured chest and body with black and white head; sited on the ground. |
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Goldentailed Woodpecker |
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White and brown spotted body; larger than the Cardinal Woodpecker; small red marking on head. |
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Goliath Heron |
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Grey, brown and white plummage; long grey beak; often seen standing in water; largest heron in the world (1.4m). |
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Great White Egret |
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White water bird with yellow beak; feeds on fish and frogs. |
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Greater Blue-Eared Starling |
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Blue feathers, lighter than those of the Glossy Starling; pronounced patch around eyes; most common starling in the park. |
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Green Woodhoopoe |
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Shiny green and blue plummage with red beak and feet; hunts for insects in trees using its long beak; call is loud. |
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Grey Heron |
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Distinct grey and white body with long neck; black markings on head; sited near or in water. |
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Grey Go-Away Bird |
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Solid grey bird with very long tail and "mohawk"; very distinct call. |
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Ground Hornbill |
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Large black carnivorous bird with prominent red throat and face; neck is often puffy; bellowing call is distinctive; an endangered species. |
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Groundscraper Thrush |
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Black and white spotted chest and neck with black wings; often seen searching for food at picnic sites. |
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Hadeda Ibis |
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Large bird with grey and white feathers; light reflects sheen of purple-blue colour; distinct screech when in flight. |
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Hamerkop |
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Mainly a water bird brown in colour with prominent hammer-shaped beak; sifts through sand or mud to find food. |
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Helmeted Guineafowl |
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Roundish body of black feathers dotted with white; blue and red "helmet"; when excited or alarmed, they often run around in a frenzy. |
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Kori Bustard |
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Tan and spotted wings, white underbody, and speckled neck feathers; heaviest flying bird in the world, but only flies when alarmed. |
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Lappetfaced Vulture |
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Black and white body with light red head; biggest vulture. |
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Laughing Dove |
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Pink and grey feathers with black specks on top of breast; distinct "laughing" call. |
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Lesser Striped Swallow |
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Scissor-like tail, orange head, black feathers, and striped chest of white and black; smaller than the Greater Striped Swallow. |
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Lesser Masked Weaver |
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Male has black mask with yellow body plummage; smaller than the Masked Weaver; eye is light in colour; nests can be seen hanging from trees in some rest camps. |
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Lilacbreasted Roller |
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Feathers consist of a myriad of colours including blue, pink, light green, and orange; during the breeding season, it is often seen "rollling" in flight. |
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Little Bee-Eater |
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Bright green head and back, yellow chin, black stripe across face, and mixed underbody. |
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Little Swift |
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Black body with white band near tail. |
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Magpie Shrike |
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Black body with white stripes along wings; extremely long tail which flaps while singing. |
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Malachite Kingfisher |
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Colourful bird of green, blue, yellow, orange, and white; stalks fish from branches. |
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Marabou Stork |
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Very large stork (1.5 m); black wings and white underbody; massive beak and well-defined neck; a scavenger. |
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Martial Eagle |
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Dark brown eagle with white/brown speckled underbody; largest eagle in Africa. |
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Masked Weaver |
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Bright yellow body, black and yellow wings, black mask, and red eyes. |
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Mocking Cliff-Chat |
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Generally black with some white and a reddish-brown belly; known to mimic other bird calls. |
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Mourning Dove |
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Grey and pink back and feathers with white underside; black collar and red skin around eyes. |
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Natal Francolin |
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Similar to Crested francolin in colour but has red bill and bushy chest feathers. |
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Ostrich |
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Long black and white feathers; largest and tallest bird in the world (2 m); prefers open plains and deserts; can deliver fatal kick. |
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Paradise flycatcher |
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Greenish-blue head, chestnut wings and tail; extremely long tail. |
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Pearlspotted Owlet |
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Brownish-grey body with white spots; diurnal; often catches bats in flight. |
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Pied Kingfisher |
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Black and white blotched plummage; renders prey disabled before eating. |
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Purple-Crested Turaco |
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Orange chest, purple crest, wings and tail; loud squawking call. |
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Redbilled Oxpecker |
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Light brown bird with red eye surrounded by yellow skin and red bill; sited on top of game eating ticks. |
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Redbilled Hornbill |
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Short red bill with brown and white spotted wings and a white underside. |
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Redbilled Firefinch |
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Male has reddish feathers and female has brown; sited in open thornveld. |
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Redcrested Korhaan |
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Bown and white feathered bird ; red plummage is rarely visible; sited on the ground. |
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Redfaced Mousebird |
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Grey plummage with red skin around eye and red beak with black tip. |
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Saddlebilled Stork |
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Tall bird (1.4 m) with unique yellow "saddle" on top of its black and yellow bill; plummage is white and black; endangered- only less than 20 pairs in the park. |
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Scarletchested Sunbird |
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Male is black with scarlet red breast and female is brown; most often sited in rest camps. |
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Secretarybird |
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Light grey neck and wings, black upper legs, and black tail; ruffled neck feathers; orange skin around eyes. |
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Spotted Eagle Owl |
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Brown and grey splotched bird with tufts of hair on its head ("false ears"); large yellow eyes. |
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Steppe Buzzard |
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Brown to black plummaged raptor |
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Swainson's Spurfowl |
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Solid brown bird with red face and throat; brown legs. |
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Threebanded Plover |
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Grey-backed bird with white chest and distinct black marking on breast; red skin around eye and black and red beak; sited around water. |
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Water Think-Knee |
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Brown and white speckled bird; sited near water. |
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White-crested Helmetshrike |
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White chest with black and white wings; black tail; large yellow eye. |
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Whitebacked Vulture |
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White and brown wings and white head; most commonly seen vulture in the park; superb eyesight. |
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Whitebreasted Cormorant |
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Black body with white chest and neck; webbed feet; sited around water. |
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Whitebrowed Scrub-Robin |
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Brown and tan feathers with distinct white markings over eyes and on wings; breast is mottled with arrow-like markings; prolonged singing. |
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Whitecrowned Shrike |
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White-chested bird with white crown and brown feathers; face has mask. |
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Whitefaced Duck |
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Face is white with dark brown neck, rust and white coloured body; stately posture; sited in water. |
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Whitefronted Bee-Eater |
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White and red face with black markings; green body with blue under the wing. |
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Woodland Kingfisher |
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White breast with black and blue wings and tail; light blue head; beak is black on bottom and red on top. |
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Yellowbilled Kite |
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Grey to brown bird of prey with yellow bill. |
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Yellowbilled Hornbill |
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Large yellow bill with brown and white plummage; larger than the Redbilled Hornbill; red skin around eyes; sited on the ground. |
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Yellow-Fronted Canary |
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Yellow underside with brown and yellow feathers; black marking on face are distinct. |
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