Birds of a Feather
African Goshawk
The African Goshawk, sometimes known as the African Harrier Hawk is a specialized bird of prey that is known for nest raiding and is a generally a hated bird by many other birds. There is an estimated
1 000 known pairs of African Goshawks in the North-Eastern regions of South Africa, with a large concentration of the bird found in the Waterberg and Kruger Areas as well as the surrounding areas. You can often see these birds hopping from tree to tree or from cliff faces while using its wings to keep balance on vertical surfaces.
Lanner Falcon
The Lanner falcon is one of the larger members that belong to the falcon family. Falcons host a majority of the fastest birds in the world. This bird is an extremely agile and fast flyer that reaches high speeds by flying up high and then diving downwards and then flying horizontally. The name falcon comes from the latin word ‘falcis’ meaning sickle shaped. This refers to the shape of the falcon’s claws or the shape of its wings when I deep dive.
White neck Raven
The White Neck Raven is a lot smaller than the more common Ravens, with a deep bill and a white tip. The deep curve of the White Neck Raven’s beak very closely resembles that of the thick-billed Raven. It is all black with a white spot on the back of its neck which gives the raven its name. Though looking completely black, it has slight a slight purple gloss on its breast, neck and throat. This bird feeds from the ground and will sometimes look for food in the trees. They have also rarely been seen dropping tortoises on rocks or anything sharp from great heights to feed what the shell hides
Taita Falcon
The Taita Falcon is a very rare species of falcon and one of the rarest breeding birds in South Africa. This is a small sized raptor that has a banded nape. The Taita Falcon is similar to the Peregrine Falcon and will sometimes compete for nest rights. These raptors prefer mountainous areas, river valleys and well wooded areas. Very little is known about the Taita Falcon because the nests are generally inaccessible. The diet of the Taita Falcon consists of small birds and insects that it will catch out of the air and will also feed on small lizards on the ground though this doesn’t happen often.