Peter Ginn Birding Safaris

A look at a rainfall map of Southern Africa will show that a large proportion of the sub-continent is arid to semi-arid. Only along the eastern rim is the land well-watered. Much of the north and north east has a typical sub-tropical "wet & dry climate" where over 95% of the rain falls in the period December to March. During this time natural pans fill up in good rainy seasons, but in bad years many rivers do not flow. Westwards it gets drier but most of the rain falls in the summer. Only along the southern coast is there significant winter rain. This rainfall distribution means that most rain falls when temperatures are highest and evaporation is also high.

The situation has been changed dramatically through the construction of many impoundments – usually large irrigation or small stock dams – in the commercial farming areas. However, not all dams are good for all bird species. From the farmers point of view, dams should be deep with steep sides thus giving the smallest possible surface area relative to volume so as to reduce water loss by evaporation. For birds the ideal dams are those which most resemble natural pans with shallow margins where muddy areas are exposed as the water level drops. Nevertheless farm dams have had a remarkable effect on our waterbirds, both in respect to their distribution in many areas, and also in terms of which birds are resident. Previously all water birds had to be nomadic because they had to be able to move to new areas as waters dried up. Today many dams never dry up thus providing permanent habitat for the birds.

In the arid areas like the Kalahari the rainfall distribution is even more important. These areas are too dry for commercial farming so there are few dams. Sticking into the middle of this dry area is that incredible oasis, the Okavango Delta. The water flowing down the Kavango River from the Angola Highlands arrives in the upper delta in May or June and gradually creeps out over the flat country. This water creates an ideal habitat for water birds which move into the area to feed and breed. Irregularly the water floods two huge pans in the south, Lake Ngami and the western Magadigadi Pans. When this happens birds gather to breed in uncounted numbers to breed – in the case of the Magadigadi hundreds of thousands of flamingos may gather to breed.

The Karoo is a semi-arid area where sheep farming is very important. Originally the farmers tried building dams, but in most places the evaporation rate is so high that dams were seldom successful. However, in years of good rainfall there are many shallow pans which fill up and provide habitat for waterbirds. It is always amazing how quickly birds arrive in an area which experiences heavy rainfall!

East of the Drakensberg Escarpment the land is generally wetter with higher summer rains resulting in many rivers flowing eastwards to the Indian Ocean. These are often perennial and it is here that we find species like the African Finfoot.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly birds will colonise a pan or dam which fills up after rain. The Little Grebe (Dabchick) Podiceps ruficollis appears to be a relatively weak flier and yet it is always one of the first species to appear on a new body of water.

I well remember being camped near a dry natural pan near Ghanzi in the Kalahari. That night we had a severe thunderstorm which filled the pan overnight! Within 24 hours the Little Grebes had arrived from the nearest permanent water in the Okavango and had started building their floating nests.

Little Grebe

Purple Heron

The heron family, which includes the egrets, are a very conspicuous part of the water birds of Southern Africa. One or more species can be found on almost every river, pan or dam throughout the country.

Among the larger species such as the Purple Heron Area purpurea is less conspicuous than some species but is widespread and common. It is usually found near reed or sedge beds and when disturbed it raises its head & neck so that it resembles a reed.

The Great White Egret Egretta alba is also common and because it feeds out in the open it is a conspicuous species.

Great White Egret

Pied Kingfisher

The kingfisher family is also well represented with 4 species being found. The Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis is by far the most widespread and common. It has developed the interesting habit of hovering over open water before diving in to catch a fish. This enables this species to exploit a part of the water ways not frequented by other kingfishers who must hunt from a perch.

Other species include the Giant Kingfisher, the world's largest, and two small kingfishers, the Malachite & Half-collared. In the Eastern coastal areas one may find the Mangrove Kingfisher.

The brilliant little Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata is also common, but may be overlooked because of it small size. It may be worth noting here that Southern Africa has more species of woodland kingfisher that water kingfishers – not surprising considering how much more woodland than water we have!

Malachite Kingfisher

Wattled Crane

Shallow pans and dams are important to the endangered Wattled Crane Grus carunculatus & Southern Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum. These species feed in shallow water and have been adversely affected by the destruction of habitat in pans where cattle graze the emergent vegetation.

Recently one farmer has fenced off a pan on his farm and immediately a pair of Wattled Cranes have bred at the pan. The largest groups of Wattled Cranes are to be seen in the Okavango and the Gutu area of Zimbabwe. These stately birds are highly visible because of their large size.

Along the margins of the water we can always find several species of waders and plovers. The waders are nearly all Palaearctic migrants – they breed in the far north of Europe & Asia – so are much more common in summer than winter. The only exception is the Ethiopian Snipe Gallinago nigripennis which breeds in Botswana, parts of South Africa & Zimbabwe.

The lapwings & plovers on the other hand are resident or show local movements. As the water levels stabilize at the end of the rains or indeed, as water levels start to drop, the plovers start to nest. If food is plentiful they may breed through the winter into early summer. However, the Kittlitz's Plover moves into suitable dams & pans where dark mud is being exposed by the receding water in March and immediately breeds. Once breeding is complete they often move to other bodies of water.

Ethiopian Snipe

Kittlitz’s Plover

African Fish Eagle

The African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer is one of the best known of waterbirds. Its loud ringing calls is one of the special sounds of wild Africa. They are still common along all major rivers and on many of the larger dams. They have extended their breeding range in the last 30 years by colonizing large irrigation dams throughout southern Africa.

One of the most unusual of all our waterbirds is the African Jacana Actophilornis africana which is widespread & common in wetter areas. It has developed very long toes which enables to bird to spread its weight over the floating vegetation on which it lives and where it feeds. However, one of the most remarkable things about this species is it breeding biology. The female is larger than the male and defends the territory. In good habitat the female may have up to 4 males, but 1 or 2 is more usual as the food supply is a limiting factor. The males constructs a fairly simple nest on floating vegetation. The female lays 4 ochre coloured eggs which have beautiful black scrolling over the ochre background. When the male comes to incubate the eggs, he places his large feet very carefully on either side of the nest (not on the nest as other birds do) and then as he settles on the eggs, he pushes his wings under the eggs, thus lifting them off the nest. This is important because the weight of the brooding bird could depress the floating vegetation and cause the eggs to get wet & cold.

African Jacana

could write a lot more about the ducks & geese, the crakes and rails, and other birds which come to the water to drink thus providing the bird watcher with endless opportunities to see our large variety of birds.