Hello everyone.  I am posting this in the hopw that Ajay, a friend that I met  in South Africa may be able to identify the birds below.  Can you send me an email Ajay.  charlesfleming1@mac.com

 

No 1

Photo 1. Female Orange breasted Sunbird., Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens 12 January 2012.

No 2

Photo 2. Male Double-collared Sunbird coming in to breeding plumag.,  Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens 12 January 2012.

Bof P 1

Photo  3. Unknown Buteo hawk is Forest Buzzard

Unknown %22canary or finch%22

Photo 4. Unknown canary/finch is a Male Cape Canary.

 Thank you Ajay and the other two  gentlemen who helped me to identify these birds.  The first one, the Orange breasted Sunbird female is a surprise, I hadn't guessed that at all. The second is what I always thought and the third is not in the least bit a surprise.  I had always known that this was a Buzzard and I may have even said Buteo buteo which is the European Common Buzzard and a bird that I am very, very familiar with. I now know that it is a Forest Buzzard with the scientific name  Buteo trizonatus, very closely related to Buteo buteo  which means incidentaly "Buzard, the buzard" and is the Buzzard from which all others worldwide are named. Apparently Forest Buzzard breed in the Cape Town area so I guess it is the common Buzzard of the district.  It was certainly behaving in exactly the same manner as a Common Buzzard, soaring higher and higher on the thermals.

Number 4, the Cape Canary was perhaps a bird I would have come up with for myself. The photograph shows how hard it is to get a good image when the sun is so intensly strong as it was when the photograph was taken.  Again thanks for the ID's.

3 responses to “Some South African Birds to Identify”

  1. Charles Flemming Avatar
    Charles Flemming

    Female Orange-breasted Sunbird
    Male Southern Double-collared Sunbird coming into breeding plumage
    Forest Buzzard
    4.0Male Cape Canary
    Hope this helps.
    Basil

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  2. Ajay Bhoopchand Avatar

    Hi Chas
    I have asked two of my very knowledgeable friends Basil and Tinus to assist you and am certain that the id’s that they provide shall be definitive. Regards
    Ajay

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  3. Thank you gentlemen, thats very good of you. I really appreciate it. Charlie

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