Bulletin 332 - South Africa #9 - Part 2 - Tall Waders, Primates

Continued from Part 1


The 22" Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) is a brown heron-like bird with a long crest giving a hammer-head appearance. It is in its own family.

Hamerkop

Flamingos are well known long legged waders. The 40" Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) is pale pink with a dark bill. This was the only bird I saw on the trip.

Lesser Flamingo

The 60" Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) has brighter pink wings and a pink bill tipped with black.

Greater Flamingo

And in flight, the wings are beautiful.

Greater Flamingo

The 36" African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) is white with a red face and gray bill.

African Spoonbill

There were 3 ibis species. The 23" Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a dark ibis with iridescent wings. It is found worldwide including the southeastern USA.

Glossy Ibis

The 32" Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) is a gray ibis with a white shoulder and red on the upper mandible. This was a very commonly seen bird on the trip. Interestingly, it is spelled Hadeda in the Southern African book and Hadada in the East African book and on my IOC master list, so I guess that is the correct spelling.

Hadada Ibis

The 32" African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) is an easy ID with the white body and black neck, head and bill.

African Sacred Ibis

I saw 4 primates on the trip and photographed 3. The smallest is the 4 pound Greater Galago (Otolemur crassicaudatus). He is also known as Thick-tailed Bushbaby

Greater Galago
aka Thick-tailed Bushbaby

Here is another photo of the same one. I saw this nocturnal animal 3 times on the trip.

Greater Galago
aka Thick-tailed Bushbaby

The most common primate was the 17 pound Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops). It is gray with a black face. 

Vervet Monkey

Here is a mother nursing her baby.

Vervet Monkey

The ugly Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus) is gray with a long black snout. There is a marked sexual size difference with males weighing up to 90 pounds and the females only 37 pounds.

Chacma Baboon

However this baby was cute as all baby animals as he does not seem to have that long snout.

Chacma Baboon

I have put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 6 of the 19 species of storks

I have photos of 26 of the 66 species of herons and egrets

I have photos of 11 of the 35 species of spoonbills and ibis

I have photos of 3 of the 6 species of flamingos

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.