The African Fish Eagle is one of South Africa’s most famous and iconic birds. It has the iconic Brown and Black plumage with a white neck and one of the coolest and most recognisable calls of South Africa’s birds. The African Fish Eagle is a large bird that usually lives in pairs, both during and outside the breeding season. They can usually be found perching on a branch of a high tree that has a great overlook of the river, dam or shore it’s close to.
One of the most common birds in the Kruger Park that is widely found all over South Africa. The Guinea Fowl has all black plumage with white spots littered all over the feathers. It has a blue head with a red crest on its head. These birds are usually found in small groups or rather large flocks and are very social birds. Strangely enough, Guinea Fowl are good flyers, with darke and large breast muscles, they can stay in the air for quite some time if they force themselves to. Guinea Fowl are adible and according to an old urban legend, they are safe to hunt in months that don’t contain an R.
Also an iconic animal of South Africa, The Yellow Billed Hornbill can be fond alll over the Kruger and other parts of South Africa. As the name suggests, The Yellow Billed Hornbill has a large yellow-colored bill, white and black feathers and white spots on the wings. The Hornbill has a large diet that includes frogs, bird eggs, chicks, ants, termites vertibrates and invertebrates. The Hornbill was made famous in the 1994 Disney Movie: Lion King.
Known as South Africa’s heaviest flying Bird, the Kori Bustard weighs a staggering 19 kg. The Kori has a long neck that is covered in white feathers and a body that is covered in grey-brown, white and brown fearhers. Just to top off the look, the Kori has a black crown that connects at the back of the head to make a crest, stylish. The Kori has a mixed diet of berries, reptiles, insects, bird chicks and invertirates.
The Yellow Billed stork is a bird you definitely would have seen on a Kruger safari, whether its a self drive or a tour, these birds are found at almost every watering hole. The Stork has two different colourations; A breeding adult wil have the yellow bill and a red face along with pink-red legs and white and black feathers, where as the juvenile Stork has the yellow bill but its feather colouration is much more dull, with the feathers being a combination of grey, grey-brown and black.
This medium-sized bird of prey can be found in the Sub Saharan areas of South Africa. The Dark Chanting Goshawk has dark grey and sometimes pale grey-blue feathers with white stripes running horizontally on its chest. It has an orange beak and orange legs that stand out from the monotonous colour. Being a bird of prey, The Goshawk’s diet consists of small lizards, birds, small mammals, amphibians and sometimes fish.
One of the most iconic birds in South Africa, The Ostrich is found in most parts of South Africa and are usually seen in small groups. These large birds are the heaviest and tallest of all birds and can weigh around 140 kg.. They have long pale neck that can be either pink or grey, with their legs being the same colour as the necks. The male is larger than the female and has black feathers where the female has brown feathers. Ostriches are vegetarians and only eat grass, succulents, berries and seeds. The also tend to eat insects if there are available
Bee Eaters are a small species of birds with a rather large family that contains 24 different species. Iconisized by their colourful plumage with each species having their own unique colouration. Bee eaters are rather small birds and are found all across the world. They feed on small insects, berries and small reptiles. You can usually see these birds on the backs of large animals such as Rhinos, buffalo and elephants, eating ticks and other insects that are on the skin.
Surely one of the most beauiful birds out there, The Lilac Breasted Roller is found throughout Eastern and Souhern Africa as well as neighbouring countries. The Lilac Breasted Roller has multiplle colours that make it so beautiful. It has a Lilac Patch on its chest and neck, white lines above the eyes, a green head, brown back and wings, cyan lower body and dark blue tail feathers. Found in wooded areas, grasslands and regions close to palmtrees, the Lilac Breasted Roller is a common sight during a Kruger Park Safari.
The African Scops Owl is a rather small owl, sizing in at about 20cm. The colouration very much resebmles tree bark, with different variations of browns, grays, blacks and whites, making this owl very difficult to spot in the trees. The African Scops Owl has a black rimmed faces and long ear tufts on top of its head. The African Scops Owl is a predatory bird which means it hunts small mammals, birds and insects.
