the brahminy kite ( haliastur indus ) , also known as the red-backed sea-eagle in australia , is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family accipitridae , which also includes many other diurnal raptors , such as eagles , buzzards , and harriers .

they are found in the indian subcontinent , southeast asia , and australia .

they are found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands where they feed on dead fish and other prey .

adults have a reddish-brown plumage and a contrasting white head and breast which makes them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey .

brahminy kite

in malaysia , the brahminy kite is the iban god of war , singalang burung .
chestnut - white kite , red - backed kite , rufous eagle , rufous - backed kite , white and red eagle - kite , white - headed fish eagle , white - headed kite , white - headed sea - eagle . .
other names : chestnut - white kite , red - backed kite , rufous eagle , rufous - backed kite , white and red eagle - kite , white - headed fish eagle , white - headed kite , white - headed sea - eagle .
“an adult brahminy kite ( haliastur indus ) feeding on a fish from the nearby fish farms . . . .
habitat : brahminy kite lives mainly in coastal regions , estuaries , mangroves , wetlands , and even in urban areas .
m . eaton spotted a brahminy kite , race
girrenera
, at caloundra , qld , in august 2017 .
the brahminy kite species is distributed in sri lanka , nepal , india , pakistan , bangladesh , southeast asia and australia .
d . wilczynska reports spotting a brahminy kite , race
girrenera
, near cairns , qld , in march 2015 .
in his indonesian name – elang bondol – brahminy kite represents the official mascot of jakarta , the capital city of indonesia .
the brahminy kite species is a medium sized bird . the female kite is slightly larger than the male . the male measures 45 to 50 cm in length and weighs 400 to 650 grams .
the brahminy kite occupies a wide range of habitats including estuaries , mangroves , beaches , coral reefs , rivers and rice paddies .
the brahminy kite species are resident birds in their ranges . seasonal local movements may be made in search of food and water .
near - frontal view of a brahminy kite ( photo courtesy of m . eaton ) [ caloundra , qld , august 2017 ]
near - lateral view of a brahminy kite ( photo courtesy of p . brown ) [ darwin , nt , april 2018 ]
the brahminy kite is a bird of the coast , particularly mangrove swamps and estuaries . it is sometimes seen over forests and along rivers .
the brahminy kite species inhabits coastal plains , estuaries , rivers , lakes , swamps , marshes , reservoirs , rice fields and urban areas .
recommended citation : global raptor information network . 2018 . species account : brahminy kite haliastur indus . downloaded from urltoken on 9 jul . 2018
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in indonesia , they are known as elang bondol . the brahminy kite is the official mascot of the capital and largest city of indonesia - jakarta .
the iucn ( international union for conservation of nature ) has categorized and evaluated these brahminy kite species and has listed them as
least concern
.
near - frontal view of a brahminy kite ( photo courtesy of j . greaves ) [ maxwell creek , melville island , nt , november 2016 ]
in the 1980s . but , in the last 20 years , there have been very few brahminy kite sightings in the city , ” he said .
a snail kite hunting for apple snails along the iguaçu river in south america .
near - frontal view of a juvenile brahminy kite ( photo courtesy of b . hensen ) [ casuarina coastal reserve , darwin , nt , in july 2012 ]
on an overcast day the underwings of a brahminy kite can appear to be darker ( photo courtesy of p . brown ) [ darwin , nt , january 2018 ]
the adult brahminy kite is unmistakable , though juveniles may be confused with the whistling kite ( longer tail and distinctive underwing pattern ) or light little eagle . first - year juveniles may also be mistaken for ospreys , but are dark underneath rather than white .
flight : brahminy kite has long , broad , rounded wings . it performs slow , deep flapping wing beats . during the breeding season , it performs acrobatic flight displays .
the brahminy kite is a distinctive - looking bird with its rich chestnut brown body and wings , and white head and breast . it calls with a high - pitched mew .
known as garudan in tamil , the brahminy kite is said to represent the vahana of lord vishnu . the bird is very similar to the black kite and may be distinguished by its reddish - brown plumage and a white patch on the head and breast , shorter wings and rounded tails .
brahminy kites build untidy nests using sticks , grass , seaweed , flotsam and other rubbish .
immature brahminy kites have brown plumages with darker upperparts , and a lighter head and underparts .
, issued between 1976 and 1984 , featured birds . the second - highest denomination note in this series – the s $ 1 , 000 note – featured a perched brahminy kite on the front .
brahminy kite is an eagle that can be found across south east asia to australia . it mainly stays in coastal areas , especially mangroves forests although sometimes it can be spotted inland and on big rivers .
the brahminy kite is widespread across northern australia , mainly along the coastline from western australia to northern new south wales , and is more common in the north of its range . it is widespread throughout tropical asia .
adult brahminy kite , haliastur indus , also known ( for obvious reasons ) as the red - backed sea - eagle , photographed at pulau langkawi , langkawi permata kedah ( the jewel of kedah ) , malaysia .
the brahminy kite ( haliastur indus ; subfamily milvinae ) ranges from india to northeastern australia . it is red - brown except for white foreparts . it eats fish and garbage . the buzzard kite ( hamirostra melanosternon ; subfamily milvinae ) of australia is a large black - breasted bird ; it lives mainly on rabbits and lizards . …
voice : sounds by xeno - canto brahminy kite utters mewing calls “keeyew” usually while soaring . however , it is usually silent . in addition to mewing notes , it gives some bleating “pee - ah - ah - ah” .
the global brahminy kite population is estimated to be about 100 , 000 individual birds . these birds have very wide range and considered least vulnerable . habitat loss and use of agricultural pesticides are the main threats in their conservation .
the asian black kite , which are darker , have longer wings and the tail is forked , rather than rounded .
johnny wee’s images of a black - shouldered kite ( elanus caeruleus ) were photographed at singapore’s lorong halus . . .
milvinae , have rather narrow beaks , the upper mandible being wavy - edged . they are typified by the red kite (
lateral view of a brahminy kite with its outer eye - lid open , left , and the eye - lid closed , right ( photos courtesy of p . brown ) [ near dripstone cliffs , darwin , nt , december 2017 ]
these brahminy kite species feed mainly on dead fish , crabs and carrion . they also catch and feed on live preys such as small mammals , birds , reptiles , amphibians and fish . they are known to snatch feed from other birds .
male and female brahminy kites are very similar in appearance , although the female is normally slightly larger than the male .
brahminy kite has keen view and can see its prey from a distance . it is able to lift live fish from the water , but most of time , it scavenges on beaches or takes debris from the water surface seizing them with its talons . brahminy kite frequents the harbours and fish - farms where it feeds close to humans . outside the feeding periods , it rests on branches often near water . it forages as over water or over land , and soars at about 20 to 50 metres above the surface or the ground . it flushes shorebirds on mudflats into flight and pursues the weakest . it is attracted by fires in order to catch the escaped animals . brahminy kite is mostly resident in asia and australia , and performs only local movements for food .
“…right in the middle , directly facing the middle door , sat the head of the longhouse , singalang burong , the coordinator of the whole world and its living beings , who took the form of a brahminy kite whenever he came down to the land .
brahminy kites are secure in australia . being scavengers , they benefit from waste at tips , on roadsides and in harbours .
all raptors are carnivores . brahminy kites feed on small fish and occasionally other small animals . they also scavenge on carrion .
“resident brahminy kites in the city have slowly increased over the years and i have seen them perched on high rise buildings .
the brahminy kite typically hunts for fish above water . however , it is opportunistic and will take small birds , amphibians , carrion and even flying termites . the bird is also kleptoparasitic , in that it will snatch food from other raptors . it often eats while in flight .
diet : brahminy kite feeds on wide variety of small preys and carrion . it hunts for mammals , birds , reptiles , aquatic animals taken with the talons , crustaceans , amphibians , fish… it hawks flying insects and performs piracy from fishing birds . they gather around large carcasses where they squeal .
they can also be found scavenging at waste at tips and roadsides , which in the long term may cause detrimental effects on the brahminy’s health .
range : brahminy kite lives in india , pakistan , bangladesh and southeast asia , and also in new south wales in australia where it is widespread and resident on coastal regions and along rivers . in mainland asia , this species breeds at about 2400 metres of elevation , and it occurs at 2300 metres in new guinea .
reproduction : breeding season occurs in the dry season in tropics , and late winter and spring in subtropical range . brahminy kite usually nests in mangroves , in tall emergent tree . it nests in swampy areas in order to be secure from terrestrial predators . brahminy kite is solitary nester . the nest is a compact platform made with sticks and twigs , at about 5 to 6 metres above water , but usually between 2 and 30 metres high . the cup is about 20 cm depth , and is lined with leaves and soft materials and also human refuse . the cup may also include dried mud . the nest is reused during several years .
the breeding season of these kite species is from december to april in asia . they build nest with sticks and twigs on trees . the nest contains a clutch of two eggs . both the partners take part in building nest . the female kite appears to do much of incubating . both the parents take part in rearing the chicks .
in sarawak , malaysia , for the ibans of the upper rajang – one of the indigenous groups in sarawak – brahminy kite is the form singalang burong takes every time he comes down to the land . singalang burong is the ultimate deity of incomparable qualities and superior abilities . he is also known as the god of war .
brahminy kite has four subspecies : h . i . indus ; h . i . intermedius ; h . i . girrenera ; h . i . flavirostris . they differ by some regional variation in plumage and bill colour . if australasian races have pure white head and breast , the birds living in salomon islands have yellow bill .
bougainville island , papua new guinea , has a fable about brahminy kite . it tells a story how a mother left her baby under a banana tree while she was busy gardening . the baby floated into the sky , crying and transformed into kaa’nang ( the local name for the bird ) , its necklace becoming the bird’s feathers .
brahminy kites are coastal birds and can normally be found along shore lines , estuaries and in mangrove swamps . they can sometimes be seen over forests and along rivers .
the nest of the brahminy kite is built in living trees near water , often mangrove trees . the nest is large , made from sticks , seaweed or driftwood and lined with a variety of materials such as lichens , bones , seaweed and even paper . both parents incubate the eggs and the young are fed bill to bill with small pieces of food .
brahminy kites have weak feet so , although they have long , sharp curved claws , they cannot take large prey . however they are expert at snatching prey in flight .
the brahminy kite feeds on carrion ( dead animals ) , insects and fish . it swoops low over water , the ground or tree tops and snatches live prey or carrion from the surface . it also steals from fish - hunting birds , snatching prey in flight . it harries or bothers other birds such as gulls , whistling kites , osprey or australian white ibis .
the brahminy kite is a medium - sized raptor or bird of prey . 1 it is one of the commonest raptors in singapore and is frequently seen in flight over urban areas and suitable sites such as jurong lake . large groups also roost on some offshore islands , such as coney island . 2 while it commonly hunts fish , it will also feed on carrion .
found in coastal areas of northern and eastern australia , the brahminy kite ( haliastur indus ) can be seen performing aerial acrobatics during their mating displays . as a type of raptor ( bird of prey ) , they feed on a variety of insects , fish and other small animals . they are expert at stealing from other fish - hunting birds by snatching prey in flight .
santhanaraman said he sighted the bird last year in the same environs with nesting materials . the bird is known to nest in huge trees like mango , tamarind , pipal and neem , but predominantly prefers palmyra and coconut trees . it is necessary to ensure the survival of big trees in the city for raptors like the brahminy kite to return here more often , he added .
brahminy kites , race
girrenera
, were first seen by us in july 2009 , along the rocky outcrops in various areas of the qld coastline . they were always seen hunting in rock pools from low perches . j . greaves reports seeing brahminy kites , race
girrenera
, at the spit , gold coast , qld , in october 2015 .
the female kite weighs 430 to 700 grams . the wingspan is 110 to 125 cm . the adult has chestnut back , wings and belly . the head and breast have a contrasting white plumage .
the brahminy kite is generally common throughout its extensive range ( 5 ) and consequently is classified as least concern on the iucn red list ( 1 ) ( 6 ) . although this species seems to co - exist well with humans , some populations , particularly in south - east asia , have been negatively affected by hunting , habitat loss , and pesticide use ( 3 ) .
chennai : advocate m santhanaraman and conservationist t murugavel stared in disbelief when they spotted a brahminy kite ( haliastur indus ) with twigs in its beak flying near the tvs showroom on anna salai on friday . two days later , they returned there to confirm that their eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on them . it was no illusion - the bird was there at the same spot .
“my wife and i were out cycling in the city when we spotted a pair of brahminy kites ( haliastur indus intermedius ) circling a tall building ( about 7 . 40am ) .
juvenile brahminy kites are easy to confuse with many other birds of prey , so record only on adults which are easier to identify . ospreys , whistling kites and black - breasted kites can all look similar when on the wing ; however , brahminy kites can be distinguished by their dark ‘fingered’ wingtips , chestnut brown wings and body that is half white and half brown .
brahminy kites sometimes sit perched prominently on rocks on headlands or on rockfaces . their characteristic colour pattern of light - brown body with white head makes them easy to identify even over long distances .
this kite has a sharply contrasting plumage ; with a mostly bright chestnut body , except for white head , neck , throat , upper belly and flanks ; a white - tipped tail and black outer flight feathers .
j . greaves reports spotting brahminy kites , race
girrenera
, at alyangula , groote eylandt , nt , in september 2014 , and at maxwell creek , melville island , nt , in november 2016 .
brahminy kites are known to be opportunistic scavengers that will eat just about anything , including food waste ( from boats and rubbish dumps ) ; carrion ( dead animals ) , such as dead fish ; and crabs .
adult brahminy kites have an unmistakable white head and chest with a chestnut brown coloured body . they have dark coloured eyes and a strongly hooked , yellow beak . the tail is relatively short and can have white tips .
protection / threats / status : brahminy kite is abundant and widespread in tropical parts of the range , benefiting from human activities . in australia , the ddt use and the disturbances threaten the species . in some parts of the range , such as in java and thailand , the species suffered decline due to pesticides , hunting and collection of nestlings at nest for sale , and loss of breeding habitat . however , the populations are not globally threatened at this moment .
the brahminy kite is typically found on tropical and subtropical coasts , where it occupies a wide range of habitats including estuaries , mangroves , beaches , coral reefs , dunes , saltmarshes , cliffs and village harbours . however , in india and in parts of south - east asia , it also occurs inland , by rivers , lakes , swamps , rice paddies and other wetlands , where it can be found at altitudes of up to 3 , 000 metres ( 3 ) .
debus , s . , marks , j . s . & kirwan , g . m . ( 2018 ) . brahminy kite ( haliastur indus ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
according to field guides brahminy kites hunt mostly in coastal mudflats and estuarine mangrove swamps , but we have also seen them on coastal rockfaces of small headlands , hunting in rock pools . they are also found on offshore islands .
) —found over much of the old world . both are large ( to about 55 cm [ 22 inches ] ) , reddish birds ( the black kite darker ) , lightly streaked on the head , with long , angled wings and notched tail . the
the brahminy kite is one of the medium - sized raptors ( birds of prey ) , with a white head and breast . the rest of its body is a striking chestnut brown . the very tip of its tail is white . the wings are broad , with dark ' fingered ' wing tips and the tail is short . the legs are short and not feathered , the eye is dark and the lemon yellow coloured bill is strongly hooked . it sails on level wings along shorelines and mudflats .
the brahminy kites ( haliastur indus ) are medium - sized raptors that are easily recognized by the white head and chest . they are also known as red - backed kites , white - and - red eagle kites or white - headed kites .
brahminy kites are predator / scavengers and commonly eat dead animals ( carrion ) and fish washed up on beaches or steal prey from other birds . they are an important predator / scavenger in coastal areas and their presence can indicate a healthy ecosystem .
unlike black kites , which are scavenging birds , brahminy kites feed on fish and even small water birds from the marshlands and freshwater sources . the pollution of water bodies and marshlands has driven the birds to look for alternative sites , say naturalists .
the brahminy kite is normally seen alone , in pairs or occasionally in small family groups , but rarely in the large flocks formed by some kite species ( 5 ) . the timing of the breeding season differs across its range , with populations on the equator being most variable ( 3 ) . breeding pairs build an untidy nest from 2 to 30 metres above the ground usually in a prominent fork of a tall tree . the nests , which are made from sticks , grass , seaweed , flotsam and other rubbish , are reused in successive years ( 3 ) ( 5 ) . the female lays one to three eggs , which are incubated for 28 to 35 days before hatching . the young fledge after 40 to 56 days but remain dependant on the parents for a further two months ( 3 ) .
. . . the brahminy kite is categorized as least concern because of its large range and large population size ( birdlife international , 2012 ) . the few studies that exist on this species are mostly from india and australia and focus on breeding biology and behaviour ( balachandran and sakthivel , 1992 ; indrayanto et al . , 2011 ; jayabalan , 1995 ; lutter et al . , 2006 ; sivakumar and jayabalan , 2004 ) . however , despite its vast range and large global population , its ecology is still largely unknown . . . .
. . . the brahminy kite , haliastur indus , occupies much of the region , usually near the coast , rivers or wetlands . this species is mostly a scavenger , but also takes a variety of small vertebrates ( ali & ripley 1978 ; roberts , 1991 ; ferguson - lees & christie , 2001 ; sivakumar & jayabalan , 2004 ) . two of the oriental vultures , the egyptian vulture , neophron percnopterus , and the lammergeier , gypaetus barbatus , belong to a monophyletic group ( gypaetinae ) separate from the other vultures . . . .
an opportunistic scavenger , the brahminy kite has a varied diet that differs considerably from one population to another ( 3 ) . although it often feeds on offal and food waste from boats and rubbish tips , as well as other forms of carrion , it also hunts for live food including crabs , crustaceans , amphibians , small reptiles , fish , insects , small mammals and birds . usually it forages by soaring low above the ground or over water , but will also hunt from a waterside perch and will occasionally forage on the ground ( 3 ) ( 5 ) .
this large kite has a striking plumage of rufous - brown and white as an adult . the head , neck to mantle , and throat to upper belly and flanks are all white . in the nominate subspecies , indus , that is seen in the indomalayan region , the white has finely darkish streaks ( top ) .
behaviour : brahminy kite feeds on wide variety of food items and carrion . it feeds on mammals , birds , reptiles , amphibians , fish , arthropods , crustaceans , road - kill vertebrates , larges carcasses and offal . it may kill domestic poultry . it soars high in the air , watching for preys . it also hunts from exposed perch , and may also search on the ground . when a prey is detected , it seizes it by glide or dive , performing short chase . it hawks flying insects , snatches preys from canopy and water surface . it may perform piracy from fishing birds such as gulls and ospreys .
the incubation period of brahminy kite haliastur indus was 26 to 28 and nestling period was from 43 - 45 days . fresh water paddy field crabs paratelphusa sp . and fresh water fishes made 30 % in the prey items delivered to the nest . three peak periods , 0800 - 090oh , 1000 - 1200h and 1500 - 1700h were observed within a day for the delivery of prey . decline of 0 . 58 prey item / hour ( h ) / nest during the first five weeks of nestling period to 0 . 45 prey item / h / nest during sixth and seventh weeks ( pearson ' s correlation coefficient r2 = 0 . 448 ; y = 0 . 201 ) was noticed .
brahminy kites , race
girrenera
, were also seen by us as far south as the urunga board walk , urunga heads , nsw , in january 2011 . in june 2011 seen by us further south along the nsw coast , first near old bar , nsw , then as far south as wybung head in munmorah sca .
brahminy kites measure about 18 - 20 inches ( 45 - 51 cm ) in length , and have a wingspan of 3 . 6 - 4 . 1 feet ( 109 - 124 cm ) . they weigh between 11 . 3 - 24 oz ( 320 - 670 g ) . the females tend to be slightly larger than the males .
in march 2007 , mark chua came across a nesting pair of brahminy kites ( haliastur indus ) ( above ) raising two large chicks in a nest lodged high up in the fork of a tall casuarina tree ( casuarina equisetifolia ) . he managed to document the chicks in the nest , their fledging as well as many dramatic flight shots .
brahminy kites are medium - sized birds of prey with a white front and a brown back . head , neck and breast are white , whilte belly , wings and tail are brown . the eyes are black , the bill yellow and the feet pink with black talons . the underwing pattern shows dark - to mid - brown underwing coverts and light - brown flight feathers , of which the primaries have black tips . these black tips are also visible on the otherwise entirely brown upperwings . the yellowish - grey bill has a conspicuously long upper mandible . juvenile and immature brahminy kites are all mottled brown , with a back that is darker brown than the front . their bill is grey .
important references : coates , b . j . 1985 . the birds of papua new guinea , including the bismarck archipelago and bougainville . vol . i . non - passerines . dove publications , alderley , queensland , australia . debus , s . j . s . 1994 . brahminy kite . p . 119 in del hoyo , j . , a . elliott , and j . sargatal ( eds . ) , handbook of birds of the world . vol . 2 . new world vultures to guineafowl . lynx edicions , barcelona , spain . debus , s . 1998 . the birds of prey of australia : a field guide . oxford university press , melbourne . ferguson - lees , j . , and d . a . christie .
description : brahminy kite has bright chestnut plumage except on head , neck and breast which are white , slightly streaked greyish - white . the broad wings are chestnut with blackish tips . the tail is rather short , tipped buffy - white . in flight , it appears rounded . on the underparts , chin , throat , breast and upper belly are white , with fine pale grey streaks . lower belly , vent and undertail coverts are chestnut . undertail feathers are chestnut , edged buffy - white . on the underwing , coverts are chestnut whereas flights feathers are buff - white . wings are tipped black on primaries . the slender , very hooked bill is pale yellow to horn - coloured . eyes are dark brown . legs and talons are pale yellow .
. brahminy kites have a wide - ranging distribution , from the border of india with pakistan in the west via the entire subcontinent ( including inland areas ) , bangladesh , sri lanka , via most of south - east asia ( including inland areas of cambodia and thailand ) , to basically all tropical south - east asian / pacific islands and on to australia .
wells , d . r . ( 1999 ) . the birds of the thai - malay peninsula ( vol . 1 ) . san diego , ca : academic press , p . 136 . ( call no . : rsing 598 . 0959 wel ) ; strange , m . ( 1990 , october 7 ) . the gregarious kite that swoops and kills . the straits times , p . 7 . retrieved from newspapersg . 6 .
, any of numerous birds of prey belonging to one of three subfamilies ( milvinae , elaninae , perninae ) of the family accipitridae . typically , a kite is lightly built , with a small head , partly bare face , short beak , and long narrow wings and tail . kites occur worldwide in warm regions . some kites live on insects ; others are primarily scavengers but also eat rodents and reptiles ; and a few are strictly snaileaters . kites are buoyant in flight , slowly flapping and gliding with wings angled back . several species are as graceful as terns .
brahminy pairs build untidy , compact nests using twigs , sticks , grass , seaweed , flotsam and other materials found in their habitat . the nest , once completed , is usually about 24 - 35 inches ( 60 - 90 cm ) wide and 6 - 12 inches ( 15 - 30 cm ) deep . the nest is typically situated close to water , 7 up to 99 feet ( ~ 2 - 30 meters ) above the ground - often in a prominent fork of a tall tree ; however , on rare occasions , they have nested on the ground under trees . the nests may be refurbished and reused over several seasons .
bulgarian : ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . . . cebuano : banog . . . chinese : ? ? , ? ? , ? ? . . . czech : lunák brahmínský , lu ? ák brahmínský . . . danish : brahminglente . . . dutch : brahmaanse wouw . . . estonian : valgepea - purihaugas . . . finnish : bramiinihaukka . . . french : milan à tête blanche , milan sacré . . . german : brahminenweih . . . indonesian : boalemba , bunéa , elang bondol , ulung - ulung . . . italian : nibbio bramino , nibbio di brahama . . . japanese : shirogashiratobi . . . malayalam : ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . . . mamasa : teng - nge . . . malay : helang ekor cabang , helang merah . . . maltese : astun rasu bajda . . . norwegian : brahminy kite , braminglente . . . polish : kania braminska , kania brami ? ska . . . russian : ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . . . slovak : haja brahmanská , orliak brahmánský . . . spanish : milano brahmán , milano bramánico . . . swedish : brahminglada , braminglada . . . thai : ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . . . vietnamese : di ? u l ? a
habitat and habits : in australia , it occurs in coastal areas , estuaries , wetlands , rivers , swamps , and clearings , often hunting over forest canopy ( debus 1998 ) . coates ( 1985 ) described the preferred habitat in new guinea as the vicinity of water , including coastal areas , swamps , and rivers , and forest clearings , forest edges , gardens , and savanna . patrols coastlines , roads , and rivers ( coates and bishop 1997 ) . when it is not soaring , it spends its time on exposed perches in trees . usually occurs singly or in pairs , but also in small family groups . it does not usually form large flocks like some kite species ( olsen 1995 ) , although it sometimes roosts communally , rarely in groups reaching three figures ( wells 1999 ) . more . . . .
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jeremy p . bird , berry mulligan , rours vann , philip d . round & james j . gilroy habitat associations of the manchurian reed warbler acrocephalus tangorum wintering on the tonle sap floodplain and an evaluation of its conservation status
colin r . trainor , philippe verbelen & ron e . johnstone the avifauna of alor and pantar , lesser sundas , indonesia
h . l . wright , n . j . collar , i . r . lake , bou vorsak & p . m . dolman foraging ecology of sympatric white - shouldered ibis pseudibis davisoni and giant ibis thaumatibis gigantea in northern cambodia
le manh hung , mark b . robbins , nathan h . rice & erick a . garcía - trejo survey of the avifauna at muong nhe nature reserve , dien bien province , vietnam
philip d . round , john m . hobday , rungsrit kanjanavanit & james s . steward a nesting pair of gecinulus woodpeckers in a likely zone of intergradation between pale - headed woodpecker g . grantia and bamboo woodpecker g . viridis
paul j . leader & geoff j . carey zappey’s flycatcher cyanoptila cumatilis , a forgotten chinese breeding endemic
alain hennache , simon p . mahood , jonathan c . eames & ettore randi lophura hatinhensis is an invalid taxon
simon p . mahood , david p . edwards & felicity a . edwards bar - winged wren babbler spelaeornis troglodytoides : a first record for vietnam , with speculation for 17 further avifaunal additions
frank e . rheindt & james a . eaton notes on the life - history and taxonomy of muscicapa dauurica umbrosa , an overlooked bornean canopy bird
david j . kelly & nicola m . marples annual survival rate and mean life - span of lemon - bellied white - eyes zosterops chloris flavissimus on kaledupa island , wakatobi , south - east sulawesi , indonesia
norimasa sugita , toshitaka n . suzuki , craig a . barnett & keisuke ueda an intraspecific adult killing in female japanese great tits parus major minor
james w . burnham & eric m . wood woolly - necked stork ciconia episcopus at napahai wetland , yunnan , china
mohammad irham , e . meijaard & s . ( bas ) van balen new information on the distribution of white - fronted microhierax latifrons and black - thighed falconets m . fringillarius in kalimantan , indonesia
simon p . mahood & james a . eaton the vocalisations of red - collared woodpecker picus rabieri
james a . fitzsimons , erik meijaard , iwan hunowu , dewi prawiradilaga , janelle l . thomas & johny s . tasirin diet of the speckled boobook ninox punctulata in north sulawesi , indonesia
oriental bird club , uk registered charity 297242 , is for people around the world who are interested in birds of the oriental region and their conservation .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
christidis , l . and boles , w . e . 2008 . systematics and taxonomy of australian birds . csiro publishing , collingwood , australia .
justification : this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing , the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size is very large , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
the global population is estimated to number > c . 100 , 000 individuals ( ferguson - lees
. 2001 ) , while the population in china has been estimated at < c . 100 breeding pairs ( brazil 2009 ) .
the population is declining , especially in south - east asia , owing to loss of habitat , persecution , over - use of pesticides and , possibly , increased human hygiene resulting in reduction of available scraps ( ferguson - lees and christie 2001 ) .
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usually silent . drawn - out descending wail , like a bleating lamb : ' pee - ah - ah - ah ' ; meowing notes .
medium to large ( 45 cm to 60 cm e . g . raven )
handbook of australian , new zealand and antarctic birds , volume 2 ( raptors to lapwings ) .
occurs on the indian subcontinent , through southern china and south - east asia , south to northern australia ( 3 ) ( 5 ) . haliastur indus indus is found in pakistan , india and sri lanka through southeast asia to southern china ; h . i . intermedius occurs on the malay peninsula , and in the greater and lesser sundas , sulawesi , the philippines , and the sula islands ; h . i . girrenera occupies the moluccas , new guinea , the bismarck archipelago , and australia ; and h . i . flavirostris is restricted to the solomon islands ( 5 ) .
classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) and listed on appendix ii of cites ( 2 ) .
environment agency - abu dhabi is a principal sponsor of arkive . ead is working to protect and conserve the environment as well as promoting sustainable development in the emirate of abu dhabi .
this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : arkive @ urltoken
amphibians cold - blooded vertebrates of the class amphibia , such as frogs or salamanders , which characteristically hatch as aquatic larvae with gills . the larvae then transform into adults with air - breathing lungs . coverts small feathers concealing the bases of larger flight feathers , usually on the wings or tail . crustaceans diverse group of arthropods ( a phylum of animals with jointed limbs and a hard chitinous exoskeleton ) characterised by the possession of two pairs of antennae , one pair of mandibles ( parts of the mouthparts used for handling and processing food ) and two pairs of maxillae ( appendages used in eating , which are located behind the mandibles ) . includes crabs , lobsters , shrimps , slaters , woodlice and barnacles . incubated the act of keeping eggs warm so that development is possible . subspecies a population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species , but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species .
ferguson - lees , j . and christie , d . a . ( 2001 ) raptors of the world . christopher helm , london .
whistler , h . ( 1963 ) popular handbook of indian birds . oliver and boyd , edinburgh .
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this species is featured in jewels of the uae , which showcases biodiversity found in the united arab emirates in association with the environment agency – abu dhabi .
this species is found in barrow island . visit our barrow island topic page to find out more .
wildscreen is a registered charity in england and wales no . 299450 wildscreen usa is a registered 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) non - profit organisation in the usa
races girrenera and flavirostris may intergrade in bismarck archipelago # r . four subspecies recognized .
( boddaert , 1783 ) – pakistan , india and sri lanka through se asia to s china .
blyth , 1865 – malay peninsula , philippines , greater and lesser sundas , sulawesi and related small islands , and sula is .
( vieillot , 1822 ) – moluccas , new guinea , bismarck archipelago and n & e australia .
condon & amadon , 1954 – feni is and nearby green is ( off se new ireland ) , and solomon is .
44–52 cm ; male 409–650 g , female 434–700 g ; wingspan 110–125 cm . perched adult unmistakable , with chestnut back , wings and belly and white head , neck . . .
mostly silent outside nesting season . commonest call among pair members a plaintive , descending mew . . .
coasts , estuaries , rivers , lakes , swamps , marshes , reservoirs , rice fields and urban areas ; in . . .
variety of small animals and carrion , including mammals , birds , reptiles , amphibians , fish , arthropods , crustaceans , shellfish , cuttlefish . . .
dry season in tropics , late winter and spring in subtropics . solitary . platform of sticks and other flotsam 40–60 cm wide , up to 20 . . .
generally sedentary , although some breeders in s china may winter in se asia . mostly resident in . . .
not globally threatened ( least concern ) . cites ii . common to abundant and widespread in some tropical areas , where often benefits from human activity . clear - cutting of . . .
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subsumed within milvus by some authors , but differs in plumage , voice and behaviour .
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this map displays aggregated data from ibc and my birding ( anonymously ) ; markers do not indicate precise localities .
this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing , the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size is very large , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : haliastur indus . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .
was the recording modified significantly ? no . habitat : wetland behavior : call made while foraging .
sonogram images © xeno - canto foundation . sonogram images share the same license terms as the recording they depict .
this is a directory page . britannica does not currently have an article on this topic .
horse , ( equus caballus ) , a hoofed , herbivorous mammal of the family equidae . it comprises a single species , …
animal , ( kingdom animalia ) , any of a group of multicellular eukaryotic organisms ( i . e . , as distinct from…
image : marie louise ng , 9 january 2011 [ velociraptorize ] . nikon d3s , 70 - 200mm / f2 . 8
you are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page .
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female is similar to male , but she is larger and heavier . juvenile resembles adults , but it has browner plumage with whitish edges . the white parts are rather buffy - white streaked brown . the bill is blackish . on the underparts , secondary flight feathers and undertail feathers are greyish - brown . primary flight feathers are whitish .
female lays 1 or 2 white eggs with some reddish - brown markings . incubation lasts about 28 to 35 days , by female . chicks are covered with cream to rufous down . they fledge about 44 to 56 days after hatching , according to the region . they reach their sexual maturity at 2 years of age . both parents share the nesting duties . breeding pairs are sedentary .
the red junglefowl ( gallus gallus ) is one of four species in the genus gallus . it is the wild ancestor of the domestic . . .
the black - naped tern ( sterna sumatrana ) is a slender white bird found in rocky islets near the singapore coast . it was . . .
the blue - throated bee - eater ( merops viridis ) is a bird with blue , green and brown plumage . it is one of two bee - eater . . .
the olive - backed sunbird ( cinnyris jugularis ) is one of singapore’s resident birds . it is very common and is encountered . . .
the red - whiskered bulbul ( pycnonotus jocosus ) is recognisable by its black upright crest and red patches on its cheeks . . .
the white - rumped shama ( copsychus malabaricus ) is a slender , predominantly black bird that has become one of the most . . .
the white - collared kingfisher ( todirhamphus chloris ) is one of eight documented species of kingfishers in singapore . . . .
the white - bellied sea eagle ( haliaeetus leucogaster ) is reputed to be singapore’s largest common raptor or bird of prey , . . .
the black - naped oriole ( oriolus chinensis ) is a bird from the oriole family . it has yellow - and - black plumage and is . . .
introduced into singapore in the early 19th century , the angsana tree ( pterocarpus indicus ) belongs to the family fabaceae / leguminosae . . .
ciku ( manilkara zapota ) , a tropical fruit tree also known as sapodilla , belongs to the family sapotaceae . various species . . .
flame of the forest ( scientific name delonix regia ) , introduced into singapore during the first half of the 19th century , . . .
bats belong to an order of mammals known as chiroptera , a term that comes from the greek words cheiro ( “hand” ) and ptera . . .
mousedeer form the tragulidae family of small , even - toed ungulates in the mammalia order artiodactyla . other artiodactyl . . .
for nesting , the bird typically uses emergent trees in mangroves . it also nests in casuarina trees . nests are between 60 and 90 cm wide and lined with dried mud . building and repair of nests occur from late october to march . eggs are a dull chalky white , and are laid either between december and march , or in mid - june . usually two chicks are raised in the months from january to mid - august , but mostly in the earlier part of the season .
and mudflats . it can also be found inland where there are open spaces like paddy land and old dredge mines . found throughout southeast asia , its range extends from india in the east to new guinea , the bismarck islands and australia in the west .
malay names : helang kembara merah ( “blood - coloured eagle” ) , 12 lang kawi ( “reddish - brown eagle” ) . 13
wells , d . r . ( 1999 ) . the birds of the thai - malay peninsula ( vol . 1 ) . san diego , ca : academic press , p . 134 . ( call no . : rsing 598 . 0959 wel ) 2 .
lim , k . s . , & chew , j . ( 2010 ) . a field guide to the birds of singapore . singapore : nature society , p . 10 . ( call no . : rsing 598 . 095957 lim ) ; yong , d . l . , & lim , k . c . ( 2016 ) . a naturalist’s guide to the birds of singapore . oxford , england : john beaufoy publishing , p . 34 . ( call no . : rsing 598 . 095957 yon ) 3 .
lim , k . s . ( 1997 ) . birds : an illustrated field guide to the birds of singapore . singapore : sun tree publishing , p . 73 . ( call no . : rsing 598 . 095957 lim ) ; wells , d . r . ( 1999 ) . the birds of the thai - malay peninsula ( vol . 1 ) . san diego , ca : academic press , p . 136 . ( call no . : rsing 598 . 0959 wel ) 4 .


the namaqua sandgrouse ( pterocles namaqua ) , is a species of ground-dwelling bird in the sandgrouse family .

it is found in arid regions of south-western africa .

namaqua sandgrouse

a flock of namaqua sandgrouse on approach to drink water in the arid kalahari desert .
nest‐site selection , egg pigmentation and clutch predation in the ground‐nesting namaqua sandgrouse . . .
namaqua sandgrouse male , kgalagadi national park , south africa . [ photo johann grobbelaar © ]
namaqua sandgrouse female , kgalagadi national park , south africa . [ photo johann grobbelaar © ]
the namaqua sandgrouse is found in stony deserts , dry scrublands , sandy deserts with scattered bits of grass and dry savannas .
• the namaqua sandgrouse is 1 of 14 species of sandgrouse in the genus pterocles , including the spotted sandgrouse , p . senegallus , and madagascar sandgrouse , p . personatus . all have three front toes and a small , raised hindtoe . two other species of sandgrouse in the genus syrrhaptes ( greek for “sewn together” ) have only forward - facing toes that are fused together .
dry desert conditions are no threat to the namaqua sandgrouse : its thick - soled feet can withstand hot sand , and its belly feathers carry water .
rainfall and food availability as factors influencing the migration and breeding activity of namaqua . . .
introduction : namaqua sandgrouse ( pterocles namaqua ) were as the name suggests , first discovered in the region of namaqualand . typical habitats include shrubland with or without grass , areas of sandy savannah with thick vegetation and gravel desert and sandy semi - desert .
a large flock of namaqua sandgrouse seen circling a water hole in the middle of the kalahari desert . they circled a few times before landing and quickly drinking . they are regularly attacked by raptors when drinking so are very skittish .
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description : medium - sized sandgrouse with vertically streaked dark brown and buff head and upper breast .
sandgrouse mostly feed on seed and are often seen in large feeding flocks with up to 100 birds .
de juana , e . & boesman , p . ( 2018 ) . namaqua sandgrouse ( pterocles namaqua ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
spline correlograms for pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse with 95 % pointwise bootstrap confidence intervals and maximum lag distance of 15 km derived for 1 ) landscape scale and 2 ) microhabitat scale . a ) pin - tailed sandgrouse ; b ) black - bellied sandgrouse . distance was measured in meters ( doc 54 kb )
c . 28 cm ; male c . 170–190 g , female c . 150–190 g . small sandgrouse ; like
though not globally threatened , certain populations of namaqua sandgrouse , including the orange free state birds , have disappeared because of severe drought and habitat destruction . but the future appears bright for the bird , due to decreased hunting and the availability of watering holes created by agricultural projects .
nest survival can , among a variety of factors , depend on nest - site complexity and concealment , and clutch crypsis . nest - site selection by namaqua sandgrouse pterocles namaqua was strongly non - random . nests were sited within a local concentration of objects , most of them less than 15 cm high and concentrated within 30 cm of the nest centre . nest - to - object orientation was random , indicating that . . . [ show full abstract ]
) is a bulky sandgrouse , measuring 30 to 40 cm in length . the male bird is larger and weighs about 400 to 550 grams . the female sandgrouse weighs 300 to 460 grams . the wingspan is 70 to 75 cm .
are reasonably common throughout the tanqua karoo , and greater kestrels frequently wander into the area . if you are lucky enough to visit after recent rain , you will see that pools forming close to the road invariably attract south african shelduck , drinking flocks of namaqua sandgrouse and irruptive seedeaters such as lark - like bunting .
the black - bellied sandgrouse inhabit terrestrial , artificial habitats like agricultural lands , dry cereal cultivation , pastoral scrubland and fallow lands .
ferns pn , hinsley sa ( 1995 ) importance of topography in the selection of drinking sites by sandgrouse . funct ecol 9 : 371–375
the iucn ( international union for conservation of nature ) has categorized and evaluated the sandgrouse species and has listed it as of
least concern
. cites ( the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora ) status is ‘not evaluated’ for the black - bellied sandgrouse (
spline correlograms for pin - tailed and black - bellied sandgrouse ( large geographical spatial scale ) with 95 % pointwise bootstrap confidence intervals and maximum lag distance of 100 km derived from 1 ) glm models ( on the left ) and 2 ) glm analyses after applying the moran eigenvector filtering function ( on the right ) . a ) pin - tailed sandgrouse ; b ) black - bellied sandgrouse . distance was measured in meters . ( doc 67 kb )
these sandgrouse species are distributed in the iberian peninsula , northwest africa , the canary islands , turkey , iran , cyprus , israel , kazakhstan , western china , northern pakistan , northern india . these black - bellied sandgrouse species are ground - dwelling birds . there are two recognized subspecies of these sandgrouses .
excavator… a namaqua sandgrouse male helps his mate form a shallow nest hollow in the very dry ground of the african desert . incubator… the sandgrouse male relieves his mate each evening at dusk and takes his turn incubating their eggs for up to 18 hours . defender… after the chicks have hatched , the male carries the egg shells away from the nest to prevent predators from locating the chicks . dispenser the male brings water back to the nest in his wet belly feathers . the young appear to nurse as they eagerly clamor for a refreshing drink .
the sandgrouse’s activities revolve around getting water ; like clockwork , flocks visit water holes to drink , and males soak their belly feathers for transport to their chicks .
the breeding season of the black - bellied sandgrouse species is from march to august in most of its breeding grounds . the nest is a bare ground scrape in stony areas . the clutch may contain two to three eggs . the egg is pale buff with gray and brown spots . both the sandgrouse parents incubate the eggs .
sandgrouse have compact bodies , but small , pigeon - like heads and necks . the different species range in length from 24 – 40 cm and weigh from 150 - 500 g .
these black - bellied sandgrouse species do not normally occur in forests . these species occur in altitudes from 0 to 100 meters . they inhabit various artificial , desert , shrubland and grassland ecosystems .
recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : pterocles namaqua . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .
these black - bellied sandgrouse have small , pigeon - like heads and necks . the legs are covered by feathers up to the toes . but the toes are not feathered . the belly region is blackish .
de juana e ( 1997 ) family pteroclidae ( sandgrouse ) . in : del hoyo a , elliot a , sargatal j ( eds ) handbook of the birds of the world . lynx edicions , barcelona , pp 30–59
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f , garcía jt , viñuela j ( 2010b ) seasonal variations in habitat preferences of the pin - tailed sandgrouse in agrarian pseudo - steppes . ardeola 57 ( 1 ) : 191–198
these sandgrouse populations in spain , portugal and northern africa are resident and sedentary . the populations in turkey , mediterranean and the middle east are nomadic or partially migratory . the populations in central asia are migratory , wintering in northern india and pakistan .
the diet of these black - bellied sandgrouse species is mostly wild seeds . wild seeds , cereals , grains , wild legumes and cultivated legumes are their primary food . they form gregarious flocks and fly to watering holes in the mornings and the evenings .
martín ca , casas f , mougeot f et al ( 2010a ) positive interactions between vulnerable species in agrarian pseudo - steppes : habitat use by pin - tailed sandgrouse depends on its association with the little bustard . anim conserv 13 : 383–389 . doi :
the sandgrouse are distributed across northern , southern and eastern africa as well as madagascar ; the middle east , india through to central asia ; and the iberian peninsula ; where they are restricted to treeless open areas , such as plains and semi - deserts .
the black - bellied sandgrouse species are distributed in the spain , portugal , northwest africa , the canary islands , turkey , iran , cyprus , israel , kazakhstan , tajikistan , turkmenistan , uzbekistan , russia , western china , northern pakistan and northern india .
the important bird and biodiversity areas ( iba ) of the black - bellied sandgrouse species in portugal are castro verde plains , évora plains , mourão , moura e barrancos , reguengos de monsaraz , river guadiana and serra de penha garcia e campina de toulões .
) does not approach the thresholds for being vulnerable either under the range size criterion or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion . agricultural expansion , habitat loss and hunting are the main threats that may endanger the survival of these sandgrouse species .
the male black - bellied sandgrouse is slightly larger and has gray head , neck , and breast . the upperparts are brown and have dark markings . there is a chestnut throat patch in males . the female is pale brown with fine dark markings on upperparts , head and breast .
sandgrouse are monogamous ( form life - long pair bonds ) . they make their nest on a slight depression in the ground . the average clutch consists of 2 eggs , occasionally up to 4 . the male and female share the incubation duties ; with the male incubating during the night and early mornings , and the female taking over during the day .
some of the iba of the black - bellied sandgrouse in spain are obruk plateau , hodulbaba mountain , villafáfila , ballobar - candasnos , bardenas reales , belchite - mediana , brozas - membrío , campo de montiel , campo visiedo , hoya de guadix , la serena , layna high moors , lerida steppes , peninsula of jandía and pétrola - almansa - yecla .
) is estimated to be around 130 , 000 - 260 , 000 mature individual birds . the overall population size of these sandgrouse species is considered to be decreasing . throughout its range it is reported to be rare to nearly common . the generation length is 5 . 6 years . their distribution size is about 17 , 400 , 000 sq . km .
namaqua sandgrouses can breed all year round . they are monogamous , solitary nesters , nesting in a simple scrape in the ground , often lined with grit and typically placed next to a small scrub or grass tuft . there the female lays 2 - 3 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 3 weeks . the chicks leave the nest within a day of hatching and are able to feed themselves , but rely on the male for water and protection for several weeks . during this period the male flies to watering holes and soaks his belly feathers which the young drink from .
near - endemic to southern africa , occurring from south - western angola through namibia to patches of botswana , the northern cape and adjacent provinces . it generally prefers gravel desert , sandy semi - desert , open dwarf shrubland and sandy savanna , while especially common in the nama karoo and southern kalahari .
it mainly eats seeds , especially of protein - rich legumes , supplemented with flowers , small fruits and fresh leaves . it does most of its foraging in the day with its head held low , rapidly pecking the ground and flicking away soil with its beak . the following food items have been recorded in its diet :
monogamous solitary nester , it is not territorial , with both sexes selecting the nest site .
the nest is a simple scrape in the ground , often lined with grit that builds up over time and typically placed adjacent to a small shrub or grass tuft .
egg - laying season is year - round , peaking from january - may in northern namibia , april - july in the namib desert ( namibia ) , june - november in the kalahari , august - january in the nama karoo and september - february in the western cape .
it lays 2 - 3 eggs , which are incubated by both sexes for about three weeks , with the female taking the day shift while the male incubates at night .
the chicks are led by their parents to an area with food approximately 12 hours after the last chick hatching , and they quickly learn how to pluck seeds from the ground . the male makes daily trips to a waterhole so that he can soak his belly feathers which the young drink from , only stopping when they reach about two months old . they can fly in short burst at about 30 days old , flying strongly about 12 days later but only becoming fully independent at least a month later .
not threatened , in fact common and widespread , as it has greatly benefited from the sinking of waterholes . heavy nest predation and low productivity in the nama karoo is cause for concern however , as its south african population decreased during the second half of the 20th century .
hockey par , dean wrj and ryan pg 2005 . roberts - birds of southern africa , viith ed . the trustees of the john voelcker bird book fund , cape town .
two birds seen in the distance and heard calling in the southern karoo in early spring .
flock of 40 birds coming in to drink at a leaking cattle drinking trough . strong winds unfortunately distorting the recording .
bird heard calling in low karoo type veld in the early morning in late winter .
two birds flying by at considerable distance , going s . recording slightly filtered , and volume amplified .
calls audible at 0 : 00 . 25 , 0 : 03 . 4 , 0 : 06 . 9 , 0 : 10 . 5 and 0 : 13 . 1
sonogram images © xeno - canto foundation . sonogram images share the same license terms as the recording they depict .
hbw alive contains information on descriptive notes , voice , habitat , food and feeding , breeding , movements , status and conservation plus a list of bibliographical references for this species account .
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a large flock arriving at a waterhole and drinking alongside a couple of springboks .
initially two females , one then followed until it eventually joins up with a male .
lars petersson , manakincarmelo , adam riley , roland bischoff , frans vandewalle , loutjie , trheijnen , marco valentini , w . h . schulenburg , markus lilje , holger teichmann , krzysztof blachowiak , cristiano crolle , nik borrow , fran trabalon , aleix comas , albert froneman , guy poisson , lmarce .
may be closely related to p . exustus . recent study # r suggests that these two together with p . orientalis may belong in a clade that includes also the two syrrhaptes species ; or , alternatively , that all five of these may form a group with p . gutturalis , p . personatus , p . coronatus , and possibly including also p . alchata and p . burchelli ; further study needed . birds from n part of range formerly separated as race ngami , those of s & se as furva . monotypic .
sw angola and namibia e to sw zimbabwe , and s through botswana and w & c south africa ( w limpopo and free state s to s western cape ) .
, combines long tail and dark underparts with pale underwing . male . . .
flight call a trisyllabic nasal yelping “kwel - kee - weeen” and similar variations . in group , birds . . .
sub - desert and fringes of desert , in a variety of habitats ; commoner in flat or rolling country . . .
period is extended , probably dependent on rainfall : in s africa in general , all months except mar and may , with peaks during cooler months . . .
sedentary and locally nomadic ; southern populations migratory , those breeding in karoo moving n to . . .
not globally threatened . common to locally abundant in much of range . usually occurs in pairs or small parties , but sometimes in fairly large flocks . now absent from former . . .
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this map displays aggregated data from ibc and my birding ( anonymously ) ; markers do not indicate precise localities .
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myavibase allows you to create and manage your own lifelists , and produce useful reports to help you plan your next birding excursion .
there are more than 12 , 000 regional checklists in avibase , offered in 9 different taxonomies , including synonyms more than 175 languages . each checklist can be viewed with photos shared by the birding community , and also printed as pdf checklists for field use .
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howard and moore 4th edition ( incl . corrigenda vol . 1 - 2 ) :
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this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population trend appears to be stable , and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
del hoyo , j . , collar , n . j . , christie , d . a . , elliott , a . and fishpool , l . d . c . 2014 . hbw and birdlife international illustrated checklist of the birds of the world . volume 1 : non - passerines . lynx edicions birdlife international , barcelona , spain and cambridge , uk .
justification : this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . the population trend appears to be stable , and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size has not been quantified , but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
the global population size has not been quantified , but the species is reported to be common to locally abundant in much of its range ( del hoyo et al . 1997 ) . trend justification : the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats .
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distribution : common throughout namibia less for true southern namib desert . found in etosha , skeleton coast , orange river , fish river canyon and caprivi .
diet : small hard seeds and at times fresh leaves , flowers and small fruits .
breeding : usually 2 or 3 eggs are laid in an open scape in the ground , filled with grit and plant matter to assist in the incubation period of 21 days .
6 days - for those with tight time constraints this safari visits the two major destinations : sossusvlei & etosha . windhoek - windhoek
4 days - an expertly guided safari through damaraland in search of desert adapted elephant & rhino . excellent choice for anyone wanting to add a specialist activity to their time in namibia
3 or 4 days - wonderful guided hiking trip - a never to be forgotten experience .
3 days - a well guided & informative walking trip in the namib desert .
3 days - cultural safari in the eastern kalahari region . visit the san / bushman and batswana people . also included is a trip to a game farm where sightings of rhino and elephant are possible
3 days - visit the sand dunes at sossusvlei . runs from windhoek - windhoek
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as you head north from eierkop along the r355 , the landscape becomes progressively more arid until , approaching katbakkies , bushes are few and far between and the ground gleams with the mineral patina of the desert pebbles . this is classic
country : birds are most often spotted , 1015 km north of eierkop , as they flush near the road , and display their white rumps as they fly a short distance to perch again on a fence or low bush .
the commonest larks of this stretch of road are thick - billed and red - capped . spike - heeled lark is also regularly seen . it is worth keeping an eye out for pairs of superbly camouflaged karoo korhaans , although they have become scarcer here in recent years . listen for their frog - like calls at dawn , and check in the shade of the occasional roadside tree at midday . drainage lines with slightly denser scrub are good areas to search for small , restless flocks of cape penduline tit , best detected by their soft , inconspicuous call .
twenty - one kilometres from eierkop , turn left at the road signposted kagga kamma ; op - die - berg , to the small picnic spot and legendary birding site popularly known as katbakkies .
this website is maintained by birding africa . please do not use any text , images or content from this site without permission . © birding africa 1997 - 2009 info @ urltoken 4 crassula way , pinelands , 7405 , cape town , south africa
30 may 09 : a tragedy unfolds at kommetjie south of cape town as 44 beached false killer whales were shot . click here for more details and pictures . 14 march 09 : raptor watch in cape town on 14 march 09
we thank the farmers , hunting managers and gamekeepers of madrid province for allowing us to work on their properties . the study was partially financed by the servicio de protección y gestión de flora y fauna de la consejería de medio ambiente y ordenación del territorio de la comunidad de madrid . we would also like to thank john o’keeffe for his kind revision of the language of the manuscript . finally , we would like to thank the editor and two anonymous referees for providing us with comments and suggestions which help to improve the manuscript .
amarasekare p , nisbet rm ( 2001 ) spatial heterogeneity , source - sink dynamics , and the local coexistence of competing species . am nat 158 : 572–584 . doi :
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brambilla m , bassi e , ceci c , rubolini d ( 2010 ) environmental factors affecting patterns of distribution and co - occurrence of two competing raptor species . ibis 152 : 310–322 . doi :
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butler sj , gillings s ( 2004 ) quantifying the effects of habitat structure on prey detectability and accessibility to farmland birds . ibis 146 ( suppl s2 ) : 123–130
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díaz m , asensio b , tellería jl ( 1996 ) aves ibéricas , i . no paseriformes . reyero ed . , madrid
dormann cf , mcpherson jm , araujo mb , bivand r , bolliger j , carl g , davies rg , hirzel a , jetz w , kissling wd , kuhn i , ohlemuller r , peres - neto pr , reineking b , schroder b , schurr fm , wilson r ( 2007 ) methods to account for spatial autocorrelation in the analysis of species distributional data : a review . ecography 30 : 609–628
dray s , legendre p , peres - neto pr ( 2006 ) spatial modelling : a comprehensive framework for principal coordinate analysis of neighbour matrices ( pcnm ) . ecol model 196 ( 3–4 ) : 483–493
firbank lg , petit s , smart s et al ( 2008 ) assessing the impacts of agricultural intensification on biodiversity : a british perspective . philos trans r soc b 363 : 777–787
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gourbiere s , faivre b , chassé jl , auger p ( 1999 ) new method for field studies on the parapatric distribution of sibling species . c r acad sci iii sci vie 322 : 1039–1050
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) en la comunidad de madrid . anuario ornitológico de madrid 2009–2010 . seo - monticola , pp 91–96
martínez c ( 2005 ) distribución , abundancia , requerimientos de hábitat y conservación de aves esteparias de interés especial en castilla - la mancha . monografías del museo nacional de ciencias naturales . csic , madrid
martínez c , de juana e ( 1996 ) breeding bird communities of cereal crops in spain , habitat requirement . in : fernández - gutiérrez j , sanz - zuasti j ( eds ) conservación de las aves esteparias y su hábitat . junta de castilla y león , valladolid , pp 99–105
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martín , b . , martín , c . a . , palacín , c . et al . eur j wildl res ( 2014 ) 60 : 625 . urltoken
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. . . at 36 ( 59 % ) of the 61 artificial nests assumed lost to predation , definite evidence of small mammal predation was found . this included whole shell remains with a bite out the side of the shell ( 27 nests ) , a characteristic of mongoose predation of relatively large eggs ( lloyd et al . 2001 ) , or smaller , chewed shell remains ( nine nests ) . at several of these depredated nests , fresh tracks and digging marks of mongooses were also found in the soft sand after recent light rain . . . .
hi tshering . i have just published a mongraph on the terresrial gamebirds and snipes of africa . i am also assisting a student complete her phd thesis on the breeeding and dispersal of souther ground - hornbills . ciao , rob
food availability and seasonal variation in nest predation pressure as factors influencing the timin . . .
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paternal care is where the father of the offspring provides most or all of the effort needed to protect , feed or raise the young until they become independent . the most well - known example of paternal care is in seahorses , where the male broods the eggs in a pouch until they are ready to hatch . primary paternal care is most common in egg - laying species and almost unheard of in mammals .
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the male midwife toad brings up the babies until he finds a suitable pond .
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they have long pointed wings and short legs that are feathered down to the toes , and members of the genus syrrhaptes also have feathered toes .
the young hatch after about 20 - 25 days ; and are able soon able to leave the nest .
they are able to feed themselves from the day they hatch , but have to learn foraging skills from their parents for several months .
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throughout history , crows , ravens and other black birds were feared as symbols of evil or death . …
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this species is found in southern africa , from south - western angola , through namibia and botswana and into zimbabwe and western south africa .
these birds are 24 - 28 cm long and weigh 140 - 240 g .
they mainly eat small seeds from the ground , namely indigofera , lotononis , tephrosia , requernia sphaerosperma , limeum , giseckia pharnacioides , amaranthus , cleome , chenopodium , lophiocarpus burchelli and several grasses and daisies . these are complemented with flowers , small fruits and fresh leaves .
this species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common to locally abundant in much of its range . the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats .
the central tail feathers are short giving a wedge - shape . the wings are long and pointed . the underwings are whitish . there is a thin blackish band around the lower breast . their call is a soft
chowrrr rrrr
sound .
in nature , the black - bellied sandgrouses inhabit hot deserts , semi - arid plains , semi - desert vegetation , temperate grasslands , dry tropical and subtropical shrublands and mediterranean shrub vegetations .
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the kalahari gemsbok national park is situated in the sliver of land between botswana and namibia , 320 km north of upington . it is an integral part of the kgalagadi transfrontier park , which together with neighbouring wildlife management areas in botswana form one of the largest contiguous conservation areas in the world ( 3 , 7 million ha ) .
the kgalagadi transfrontier park has a list of approximately 280 species , of which only about 92 are resident . the remainder comprises mainly nomadic ( 17 ) , migratory ( 50 ) and vagrant ( 121 ) species . it is an important area for raptors , with at least 52 species recorded , and contributes significantly to their conservation .
a total of 239 species has been reported in the kalahari gemsbok national park during the sabap1 and sabap2 projects . four vulture species are present : white - backed vulture gyps africanus , lappet - faced vulture torgos tracheliotos , white - headed vulture aegypius occipitalis and cape vulture g . coprotheres . white - backed and lappet - faced vultures show a preference for the nossob and auob riverbeds as both have large trees suitable for roosting and nesting . other threatened breeding raptors include bateleur terathopius ecaudatus , martial eagle polemaetus bellicosus and tawny eagle aquila rapax . six species of owls are protected in this iba .
kori bustard ardeotis kori is common along both the auob and nossob riverbeds , and ludwig ' s bustard neotis ludwigii occurs relatively frequently in summer . this iba is seasonally important for larks and sparrow - larks , including stark ' s lark spizocorys starki and black - eared sparrow - lark eremopterix australis , particularly after good rains .
the major biodiversity characteristic of this iba is that it is an arid ecosystem populated by large migratory and nomadic herbivores . as such it supports a fully functional large carnivore predator / prey system and is an important refuge for a large raptor community . the park has important populations of lion panthera leo , leopard p . pardus , cheetah acinonyx jubatus , brown hyaena hyaena brunnea , spotted hyaena crocuta crocuta , african wild cat felis lybica , aardwolf proteles cristatus , aardvark orycteropus afer , honey badger mellivora capensis and pangolin manis temminckii .
the characteristic tree species – camel thorn , grey camel thorn vachellia ( formerly acacia ) haematoxylon and shepherd ' s tree boscia albitrunca – are protected under the national forestry act . the camel thorn is regarded as a keystone species and the survival of many animal and plant species depend on it .
the gariep blind legless skink acontias gariepensis is almost restricted to the park . the southern african endemic dwarf beaked snake dipsina multimaculata , kalahari spade - snouted worm lizard monopeltis leonhardi , spotted desert lizard meroles suborbitalis , kalahari ground gecko colopus wahlbergii and woosnam ' s desert rat zelotomys woosnami are all common within the park .
this iba is well managed , with far fewer threats than the surrounding landscape . the major threats that do exist are climate change ; the slow pace at which the contractual land development with the local community is moving and associated land - use conflicts ; the scarcity of fresh water ; and the high petrol price , which will have an effect on visitor numbers . there is also a lack of funds for tourism management and development .
historically , poisons were used extensively in the region to control damage - causing predators , such as black - backed jackal canis mesomelas and caracal caracal caracal . poisoning incidents involving bateleurs and white - backed vultures have been recorded in this iba , and the breeding failure in 1990 of the largest white - backed vulture colony in the park was attributed to poisoning . the inadvertent poisoning of secretarybirds is also suspected . poisons may still be used in neighbouring small - livestock farming areas , but at a lower level than previously .
this iba is a formally protected national park , established in 1931 . it is an integral part of the kgalagadi transfrontier park , which was officially opened in 2000 but had been in existence since 1948 through a verbal agreement between the south african and botswanan conservation authorities . the area represents a large ecosystem relatively free of human influence .
in 1999 the khomani san community won a land claim over 25 000 ha of the park . a joint management plan between the community and sanparks exists for the ae ! hai kalahari heritage contractual park .
since the 1930s a total of 88 waterholes and a number of excavation dams on pans have been constructed within the park . the erection of permanent waterholes was motivated by the observation that increased human activity to the south and west of the park was apparently hindering the migratory movements of the indigenous ungulates ; by the later fencing of some borders ; and by the erroneous perception that the wildlife needed drinking water . historically , vultures and raptors drowned in the water reservoirs . poles or ladders were fitted into the reservoirs to enable raptors to escape from them and raptor drownings are now a rare occurrence . the monitoring of certain raptor species was reinstated by the ewt ' s birds of prey programme kalahari raptor project in 2010 .
if you have any information about the iba , such as a new threat that could impact on it , please send an e - mail to iba @ urltoken or call birdlife south africa + 27 ( 11 ) 789 1122 .
anderson md . 2000 . raptor conservation in the northern cape province , south africa . ostrich 71 : 25–32 .
anderson md , kruger r . 1995 . powerline electrocution of eighteen african white - backed vultures . vulture news 32 : 16–18 .
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