Africa's Birds of Prey and African Bird Watching

Visit Africa's Birds in the game reserves, open land and parks when you come into South Africa. You will not regret it. Africa's birds could be the prettiest site for the tourist and a local alike. As birding increasingly becomes one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world, advances in technology continue to make this hobby more fun and appealing. It is now easier with powerful binoculars and other optical instruments to view birds from a distance. Africa is the most rewarding birding destination in the world. The continent has close to 2,500 recorded bird species, about two-thirds of which are endemic to the continent.

Africa's birds are found in all sorts of ranges -from grasslands, marshlands, forests and mountains, to water-shores, woodlands, arid interiors, and lowlands. The Indian Ocean islands, including Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles are also abundant with bird-life. Here you have superb opportunities to see extremely rare and endangered species with over 140 species endemic to the islands.

Raptors - Africa’s birds of prey#1

Raptors- Africa's birds of prey- are the princes of the bird world. They are charismatic and are among the most fascinating birds to watch. Raptors fly faster, further, higher and more elegantly than other bird species. They are feared and despised by other birds and indeed by many other animals- particularly those that they prey upon. Raptors are perched right at the top of the food chain, and are good indicators of a habitats environmental health.

Worldwide there are about 500 species of birds of prey. The family of raptors includes: eagles, hawks, kites, falcons, vultures, buzzards, harriers, owls, and the secretary bird. All except the owl -which is nocturnal, are diurnal -meaning they are active by day. These birds are different in many ways; yet share many common features.

Africa’s birds of prey have powerful, sharp and hook-shaped beaks that are designed for tearing of flesh. Their beaks comprise of two horny keratin plates that are hooked at the tips to suit their feeding habits. Raptors generally have sturdy legs, spiked with exceptionally strong and non-retractable claws called talons, which they use for attack and grip. This is no doubt where their greatest physical strength lies.

In addition, they have purposely built spindle-shaped bodies, enabling them to be nimble and sprightly fliers. The aerodynamics of wing size and tail shape determines each species' hunting strategy. These attributes are complemented with perfect vision and an acute sense of hearing, to make raptors lethal flying machines.

Vision is a raptors most important sense. They see in colour with vision acuity up to 3 times that of humans and focus well using telescopic vision. Their eyes are proportionately large, with more eye sensory cells than other animals. They have a third eyelid beneath the lower eyelid -a thin clear membrane that can expand horizontally across the eyeball. They thus can close the extra eyelid to protect the eye without loss of vision or focus.

Raptors have inconspicuous external ears at the lower back of the eyes and their hearing is sensitive. They have a less sensitive sense of smell but an acute sense of taste that basically guides them to avoid harmful feed. Lacking the gift for music, their vocalizations are anything but melodic; their cries are sometimes shrill calls, fierce screeches, sharp whistles, guttural squawks and hair-raising hoots.

Raptors generally wear ashen coloured gowns with hues ranging between black, brown, white and greyish-blue. Colour is rarely a distinction between males and females but rather between the young and adults. Mating and breeding for these birds is seasonal. Most species are monogamous, and both mates are adept at incubating the eggs, brooding and parenting. Among most raptors, females are larger and heavier than males- a phenomenon referred to in scientists jargon as reverse dimorphism.

Females normally pick the warmer months when temperatures are just right to lay eggs. Hatching is a process that may take days; one egg at a time. The hatchlings break out of their shells using an "egg-tooth", which falls off shortly after hatching. The raptors little ones are featherless and largely helpless. The mother broods her nestlings as her mate is constantly away hunting for the young ones who seem to be in a recurrent feeding frenzy.

The parents typically care for the nestlings until they are fully fledged. This may last for about 2-3 weeks for the smaller raptors, 5-10 weeks for the mid-sized and several months for the larger eagles and vultures. Young adults will normally leave the nest on their own, or when the parents discontinue their food supply, or sometimes when they leave to migrate.

Migration is a seasonal movement, usually between north and south, based on an internal calendar triggered by climatic and other environmental factors. The birds are able to re-trace their paths guided by dynamics such as: scenery, past journeys taken and the earth's position in relation to the sun, moon and stars.

Raptors are not particularly social, and may choose to migrate solo or in small flocks; they are therefore not true migrators. They are territorial and home ranges - which vary between species, are based on availability of prey.

The diet of the birds of prey heavily contains flesh and generally comprises insects, snakes and reptiles, fish and clams, eggs and birds, small mammals, and carrion -depending on species' taste and preference. Though hunting methods vary with species and type of prey hunted, they are based on the principle of high-speed ambush.

Most raptors hunt by coordinating their body muscles and a number of senses, all calculated into a timely reflex. They are able to spot prey from miles away and can detect slight movements with their super vision. In a very high-speed stoop dive, they approach their prey and within a split second on contact, they incise their powerful talons into the unfortunate prey.

The synchrony of spiny claws and muscle power squeezes the life out of the victim. They then begin to rip off the flesh with their hooked bills, consuming all that is edible. Raptors' table etiquette allows feeding while still in mid-air flight.

Eagles -which are quite large in size, are the most common of the raptors. There are 59 eagle species in the world, classified into 4 major categories: booted eagles, fish eagles, snake eagles and forest eagles. Eagles have long, broad wings best suited for wind gliding and soaring. They are known for the dramatic way in which they hunt; they grab their prey in a dash and fly off.

Eagles - Africa’s birds of prey

Eagles specialise in hunting small and medium-sized mammals, including mice, rats, rabbits, monkeys and even small antelopes. They build their nests high among tall trees or high crags. Their nests -made of sticks -are usually large, sometimes weighing close to 100 kg with a diameter of over 3m. They live significantly long, varying with size and species- and larger eagles are known to live 40-55 years.

From ancient times, the eagle has been a symbol of power and governance. Even today, it is one of the most common symbols on emblems, and is the national bird of numerous countries. In ancient Egypt, the eagle symbol was the seal of the Ptolemaic leaders. Today, the eagle -the bald eagle in particular, is the official American national symbol.

Booted Eagles- Africa’s birds of prey #2

Booted eagles are mainly found in Southern and Eastern Europe and some Northern parts of Africa and migrate south to sub-Saharan Africa during winter. They prefer the forested, undulating countryside and open savannah where their shrill vocalization is occasionally heard. Relative to other eagle species, they are smaller in size but still considerably larger than other raptors, with an approximate wingspan of 130 cm at full-grown length.

Booted eagles have wholly feathered legs and live on birds, small mammals and reptiles. They breed between April and July, laying 1-2 eggs per season. They have a lifespan of up to 12 years.

Fish Eagles - Africa’s birds of prey #3

Fish eagles prey on fish and clams and necessarily live around water shores and coastal areas. The common species widely seen in Africa south of the Sahara is the African Fish Eagle. Fish eagles are specialised fish-eaters and are usually about 2ft from bill to tail-tip. Equipped with strong barbed talons, they can easily clutch slippery prey. They usually have white-feathered heads, short tails and narrow wings with a span of up to 5.5ft outstretched.

Fish eagles have remarkable sight and can see well through water. They dive feet first, at high speed to grapple their aquatic prey with a perfect calculated plunge that outsmarts water refraction. They breed around fresh shores and practice strict fidelity to their mates. Snake Eagles - Africa’s birds of prey #4

Snake Eagles -like their name suggests, prey on serpents though sometimes they take on lizards and small mammals. Widespread throughout out the continent, they are mainly African species and hang out in arid savannahs and tropical forests. Their short, featherless legs are studded with tiny talons. Common types include: short-toed eagle, black-chested snake-eagle, brown snake-eagle, banded snake-eagle and the fasciated snake-eagle.

Falcons - Africa’s birds of prey #5

Falcons look more like eagles but have narrower wings, well suited for high speed flying since they prey hastily. They are the fastest animals in the world, and can attain speeds of up to 150 km/h. Falcons are spectacular hunters and mostly prey on live birds, which they prefer to catch in mid air. They use their powerful legs to strike and destabilize a bird in flight then move speedily to grasp it before it falls to the ground.

The falcon's kicks are deadly, though their talons are not as lethal as those of the eagle. Their diet also includes smaller mammals and reptiles. They mostly come to Africa just to breed. The pygmy falcon is the smallest of the raptors, weighing less than 60 g; it feeds on insects, tiny reptiles and mammals. It is light coloured on the underside and darker on the upper and wing sides. It is mainly resident in east and southern Africa.

Hawks - Africa’s birds of prey #6

Hawks are common in Africa. Sometimes the word hawk is used as a general term for birds of prey. Literally, the hawk is a medium-sized, long-tailed bird fitted with attributes of both the eagle and falcon, but of lesser might than both. Hawks are highly intelligent birds that prefer to live in dense bush and woodlands, where they hunt under the concealment of trees. Common African species are the goshawk -widespread across the Afro-tropics and the sparrow hawk found in northern Africa, Senegal, Gambia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Angola and South Africa.

Kites - Africa’s birds of prey #7

Kites are the most common of the African raptors and are widespread over the open savannahs. The most frequently seen is the black kite, which you are bound to come across hovering anywhere there is open-air banqueting. They resemble small eagles, and have a long spread of wings and feeble legs. Unlike most raptors, kites are not aggressive and mostly live on carrion. They occasionally hunt live prey; restricting themselves to tiny mammals, rodents, birds and reptiles. Common species include the black-shouldered, scissor-tailed, black and red kites.

Vultures - Africa’s birds of prey #8

Vultures are notorious carrion feeders and scavengers; very rarely do they attack live prey. They feed on a "first-come-first-served" basis and inelegantly gorge themselves with food. They are messy eaters, for which purpose they have evolved featherless heads. They are quite large with very strong sharp beaks, and large wings -stooped at the shoulder and long talons by which they plant themselves in their meal of carcass, but have rather weak feet.

The African vultures belong to the "Old World Vultures", which rely on sight alone to find carrion. "New World Vultures" are not African and track their dinner by assistance of a sharp sense of smell. Some species of vultures may be found around city residential areas where they scavenge through the heaps of refuse and play their part in cleaning up Africa. They are found all across the continent, particularly in open savannah, though they avoid the very arid areas and dense forests.

Vultures are the most social of the raptors, and they live and feed in one or more pairs. Another redeeming feature of the vulture is its excellent parenting skills; it takes great pains to care for and protect its young. They feed their young by regurgitating food from their crop. Well known species include lappet-faced, white-headed, hooded, Egyptian, palm-nut, Lammergeier, Cape Griffon and the white-backed vultures.

The Secretary bird - Africa’s birds of prey #9

The Secretary bird is an inimitable bird of prey that appears like a crossbreed between an eagle and a crane. It is the tallest of the raptors standing at 4.5ft, and is very entertaining to watch. It has an eagle-like head, rounded wings, skinny crane-like legs, two elongated tail feathers, a crest of pen-like quills at the back of the ears, and grey plumage with rims of black on the thighs and flight feathers. They vocalize in throaty croaking. These birds are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and feature prominently in Sudan and South Africa. They prefer the open savannah and nest on acacia trees. Their diet largely consists of insects, small ground mammals, birds, eggs, snakes and reptiles. They feed their young by regurgitating food from their crop. While hunting, they kill by pursuing their prey on foot, and using their hooked beaks and hard legs to trample the victim to unconsciousness or death. They usually swallow small prey whole.

Owls - Africa’s birds of prey #10

Of all raptors, owls have the best sense of hearing and are the only ones with visible protrusions for ears. Though the feather turfs above their heads are usually mistaken for ears, their ears are actually tiny projections, hidden by feathers on the side of their heads. Being nocturnal, owls prowl the night and rely greatly on their hearing and exceptional night vision to prey. Owls are well respected as consummate hunters.

Owls are distinguished by their characteristic flat-face, big round heads with large forward-facing eyes and powerfully built feet. They cannot turn their eyes from side to side but are strangely able to rotate their heads in quick motion to an incredible 270 degrees. They prey on insects, birds and small mammals, which they swallow whole. Their association with the dark has forever evoked mystery and myth. Among some African cultures, owls are associated with ill omen and death.

Humans have for long threatened the well being of the birds of prey. Raptors have been hunted for their plume, and are brought down for fun by bloody-minded sportsmen. Some ignorant farmers have persecuted raptors on the suspicion that they kill livestock -since they are likely to be found near dead animals, though they have little capacity to put down livestock. Other human-initiated factors that persist to threaten raptors are: habitat loss, human activity, pollution, and poisoning. This in turn leads to secondary problems such as disease, starvation and in some cases, extinction. Some species of raptors are already classified as threatened or vulnerable.

Africa's Top Ten Birding Sites as rated by the African Bird Club (www.africanbirdclub.org) -an international organisation devoted to the study of Africa's birds sites -are: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda), The Ocean off Cape Town (South Africa), Mount Kupe (Cameroon), Bale Mountain National Park (Ethiopia), Caprivi Strip (Namibia), Djoudj National Park (Senegal), Kruger National Park (South Africa), The Rift Valley Lakes (Kenya), Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda), and the Tendaba Camp (The Gambia)

Unless you are a really specialised bird watcher, you will get to see most raptors on a classic African wildlife safari. As lots of birds are found outside national parks, real birding enthusiasts opt for a custom itinerary accompanied by expert birding guides. Bird watching in the wild, combined with a big game safari, makes a very good value holiday package. Article by Africa Point.

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