Our visit to Giant’s Castle vulture hide was richly rewarded by all our raptor sightings but there was so much more. The raptors are the central attraction at the vulture hide, especially the Bearded and Cape vultures because of their rarity. But there is so much more to see when you are in the hide.

This post is mostly a gallery of images of the non raptors that we saw on and around the feeding terrace in front of the hide while waiting for the raptors to arrive.

“The lesson which life constantly repeats is to ‘look under your feet.’ 
You are always nearer to the divine and the true sources of your power than you think.
The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive.
The great opportunity is where you are.
Do not despise your own place and hour.
Every place is under the stars.
Every place is the center of the world.”
~ John Burroughs

The Cape canaries were regular visitors. This species of canary has a distinct grey nape and pure yellow-mustard coloured face. It is sometimes confused with the Yellow-fronted canary which also has a grey nape but a much bolder face pattern of black, yellow and grey. The latter also has a grey crown.

The male Cape canary has more vivid colouring than the female. This species of seedeater is gregarious and often seen in small noisy flocks.

The two most common bird species we saw in front of the hide was the Red-winged starling and White necked raven. In the sunlight, the Red-winged starling has a beautiful sheen to his dark blue plumage. Both the male and female of this species of starling have the rust red primary wing feathers which are distinctive in flight. This species also has a dark eye unlike the Pale-winged starling which has red-orange eye. The female has similarly coloured back and wing coloured plumage but she has an ash-grey head and upper breast.

When the weather is overcast, the dark blue sheen fades into a dark blue almost black colour but the red primary wing feathers are still distinctive.

White necked ravens were the thugs of the feeding terrace. They arrived in gangs and pushed all other birds off the bones. Like the Red-winged starlings, the White necked ravens are omnivores and come to the feeding terrace to feed on the fat on the bones we put out. This is a large bird and is bigger than a Pied or Black crow. It has a heavy beak with an arched upper mandible and a white tip to both mandibles. It uses its powerful beak to tear fat and flesh off the bones we leave out for the raptors.

“We are not above nature; we are a part of it.” ~ Paul Watson

White necked ravens are wonderful fliers and seem to love playing in the updrafts when the wind picks up. Ravens are part of the Corvid family and are the only passerine (perching) birds with the ability to soar.

White necked Ravens are almost exclusively cliff nesters so tend to prefer mountainous and hilly terrain where nest and roost sites are plentiful. This species is omnivorous and very happy to scavenge when the opportunity arises, so the feeding terrace is a favoured place for these ravens in Giant’s Castle reserve. White necked ravens have surprisingly strong necks and are able to pick up large bones with their beak and fly off down the valley with them, probably to feed in peace.

A Red-eye dove arrived at the feeding terrace not for the fat on the bones but for grass seed. The Red-eye dove looks very similar to the Cape turtle dove in that they both have a black ring on the back of their neck and their plumage, at a quick glance, is similar but the Red-eyed dove is larger and has darker grey upperparts. The Red-eyed dove also has a dark red eye with a thin surround of red skin around the eyes.

A Rock martin in flight catching the updraft next to the feeding terrace. The Rock martin has predominantly brown plumage which is paler toned on its breast and underwing coverts. In flight, it has distinct white windows on its spread tail in flight.

“There is an unreasonable joy to be had from the observation of small birds going about their bright, oblivious business” ~ Grant Hutchison

This Rock martin’s natural breeding habitat is hilly or mountainous terrain with cliffs and steep ridges which is why this species is regularly seen from the hide. Its flight is relatively slow with rapid wing beats interspersed with flat-winged glides.

Also commonly seen in front and around the hide is the Greater striped swallow. This species is constantly hawking small insects in mid flight. The Greater striped swallow prefers more open habitats with hilly or mountainous terrain. It is always great fun trying to capture images of these agile fliers in flight.

The Greater Striped swallow has distinct white patches on its tail feathers. These white patches, or “windows,” are found on the inner webs of the rectrices, except for the innermost two pairs. The tail itself is deeply forked and has elongated outer tail feathers forming streamers.

“Every thread you discover in the local web of life leads beyond your place to life elsewhere.” ~ Scott Sanders

The Lesser striped swallow has heavier and darker underpart striping, a deeper red rump, and a brighter head colour than the larger Greater striped swallow. The Greater striped swallow does not have the rufous ear coverts of its Lesser cousin.

One of the highlights of this trip was seeing a pair of Ground woodpeckers for the first time. This species has been on my wish list for years. Helen and I were driving down the steep section of track that provides access between the elevated ridge that the vulture hide is on with the valley far below that leads to the main road. As we were descending the particularly steep section of the track we suddenly noticed a bird flush from a nesting hole in the side of the road cutting. This bird landed on a large rock further down the steep incline. To my astonishment and delight it was a Ground woodpecker.

“You must have the bird in your heart before you can find it in the bush.” ~ John Burroughs

Woodpeckers are primarily known for their arboreal nesting and foraging. Occasionally, arboreal woodpeckers feed opportunistically on the ground. The Ground woodpecker is the only species of woodpecker that nests on the ground usually in wall of an earthen bank, and it forages terrestrially. Like all woodpeckers, the Ground woodpecker uses its stiff tail feathers for support and its has zygodactyl feet, meaning two toes forward and two backward, for effective gripping.

Once we had descended from the ridge into the valley below we came across a pair of Malachite sunbirds feeding on the nectar of this attractive fluorescence. The Malachite being a large sunbird dominates the smaller sunbirds on the fluorescences.

“Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond and we cease to be alone.” ~ Wendell Berry

Malachite sunbirds prefer higher altitudes but can be found from sea level to mountains and from Ethiopia to Cape Town. The breeding male Malachite sunbird has the vibrant metallic green plumage but the female by contrast has brown upper parts and dull yellow underparts with some indistinct streaking on the breast. The female’s tail feathers are much shorter than the male’s and does not have the long central two tail streamer feathers.

While waiting for a Jackal buzzard to arrive on the feeding terrace, which we had heard in the valley below, along came what initially sounded like a pair of Hadeda ibises. They were flying down the Bushman’s river valley. I had never heard a Southern Bald ibis before so was surprised they sounded, to me, similar to the Hadeda ibis.

This was a special sighting as they are endangered. According to Fannsie Peacock’s Firefinch app, there are only around 7200 of these South African endemics remaining. This species prefers high-altitude grassland between 1200 and 1800 m, favouring short grass and recently burnt areas. It breeds in nearby rocky gorges and cliffs.

The day after our first sighting, we again saw this pair of Ground woodpeckers close to their nest in the earthen embankment where the access track cut through the side of the steep incline. This is the largest species of woodpecker in southern Africa and it can grow to between 22 cm and 30 cm in length. The upper parts are greyish-brown with pale spotting, and the rump is red and more visible in flight. The upper sides of wings and tail are brown barred with white. The underparts are buff, flushed with pink or red.

This pair of Ground woodpeckers seemed to prefer to perch on rocks close to the nest site. The diet of the ground woodpecker consists mainly of ants with their eggs, larvae and pupae. These are extracted from dead wood or between rocks, using its long, sticky tongue. One member of the pair seemed to be a sentry while the other foraged. The sentry was frequently looking up at the sky for threats.

The Speckled pigeons were daily visitors to the feeding terrace in front of the hide. They fly in very quickly so unless you see them coming from a distance, they crest the far edge of the feeding terrace in an instant. This species of pigeon flies in to feed mostly on grass seed on the feeding terrace. Like most pigeons and doves they fight by hitting each other with their wings.

This male Speckled pigeon flew in to try and mate with a female who had landed a few minutes earlier.

The sexes have similarly coloured plumage. Their back and wings are rufous in colour with white speckles. The upper and under parts are a blue-grey as it the head. It has a distinct red patch of bare skin around each eye. The male displays to the female by inflating his crop and puffing out his rufous neck feathers and bobbing his head up and down.

This post showed a small selection of the non raptors we saw from the vulture hide and driving to and from it. Every day was different. The variety of birds was different and usually their behaviour was different. The weather was variable with changing clouds, wind and light. This is a place for a photographer and birder alike to draw endless hours is intrigue and fascination.

“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.” ~  Wendell Berry

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

This is the third post about raptors seen from the Giant’s Castle vulture hide. The first post was about Jackal buzzards, the second, Bearded vultures and this is about Yellow-billed kites.

“The presence of a single bird can change everything for one who appreciates them.” ~ Julie Zickefoose

Kites and kestrels are both birds of prey, but they belong to different families and have distinct characteristics. Kites are medium to large raptors with long, broad wings and a forked tail, while kestrels are smaller falcons known for their hovering hunting style and pointed wings.

Three species of kite are found in southern Africa, the Yellow-billed, Black and Black-winged (previously Black-shouldered). Both Yellow-billed and Black kites are migratory. Black kites (Milvus migrans) migrate from Europe and parts of Asia to southern Africa, while yellow-billed kites (Milvus aegyptius) are intra-African migrants, meaning they migrate within the continent. In scientific names, “aegyptius” often indicates a connection to Egypt. Accordingly, the yellow-billed kite (Milvus aegyptius) is named for its presence in Egypt and surrounding regions. Yellow-billed kites breed in southern Africa during the summer months (August to March) and then migrate to central-east Africa for the winter (April to July). The Yellow-billed kite is usually one of the first migratory birds to arrive in southern Africa and as such is an early indicator of the arrival of spring.

“Migratory birds connect people, ecosystems, and nations. They are symbols of peace and of an interconnected planet.” ~ Antonio Guterres

The Yellow-billed and Black kite look very similar. Plumage colouration is dark brown though there is hue variation. While generally brown, the head and body are often a lighter shade of brown than their upper parts and wings. The tail is V-shaped. They are medium sized raptors, and although size variation occurs but on average they measure about 55 cms in height and weigh up to one kilogram and their wingspan can reach 1.5 metres.

The key distinguishing feature is the Black kite has a yellow beak with a black tip while the Yellow-bill has a pure yellow beak. Despite looking so similar the Yellow-billed and Black kite are genetically different. The eyes of both the Yellow-billed and Black kite are dark brown.

Yellow-billed kites are opportunistic scavengers. They can often seen hovering and swooping down on roadkill or stealing food from other birds. This raptor’s diet comprises mostly small rodents, frogs and insects. I have seen Yellow-billed kites successfully catching small fish that have come to the surface in the Chobe river. Yellow-billed kites and Lesser Spotted eagles can often be found together feeding on a flying ant emergence. Flying ants emerge on mass from their nests during specific weather conditions in the summer, primarily for mating purposes.

The Yellow-billed kites show their opportunistic scavenging character when they come to the vulture hide specifically to feed on the flesh and fat on the bones we put out on the feeding terrace in front of the hide.

This adult Yellow-billed kite did not seem particularly scared of the much larger Cape vulture close by. This was probably because the Yellow-billed is a smaller and considerably more nimble.

All birds that flew to the feeding terrace shared a common behavioural characteristic. They all landed on the rock ledges at the far end of the feeding terrace to establish whether it was safe to feed in the open on the terrace. Once they had established that the terrace was safe, the Yellow-billed and even the Jackal buzzard would fly across the feeding terrace to within 10 to 15 metres of the hide to feed on the flesh and fat on the bones.

While Yellow-billed kites have talons for grasping prey, their hunting style emphasises speed and agility in the air rather than the strength of their talons. Their diverse diets suggests they don’t need extremely strong talons to take down and subdue large prey. Their agility and maneuverability in flight enable them to snatch prey like insects and small birds while airborne. This is why we never saw a Yellow-billed kite try to fly off with a bone with flesh and fat on it. This species preferred to feed on the nutrients on the bone on the ground.

Yellow-billed kites are known to have a high aspect ratio wing. This means their wings are long and narrow relative to their width. This wing shape enables them to be excellent gliders and soarers allowing them to efficiently use air currents for lift and maneuverability. They can stay aloft for extended periods with minimal effort, conserve energy, and cover long distances.

“Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?” ~ David Attenborough

The large forked tail of the Yellow-billed kite plays a crucial role in its agility and maneuverability during flight. The tail acts like a rudder, allowing the kite to make precise adjustments in direction and speed. A necessary requirement in the turbulence of the updrafts.

While generally seen alone, this species of kite can congregate in large numbers at certain times, when food is abundant. Such instances are during the impala lambing season when they try to feed on the afterbirth, or flying ant emergences, or even mass fish hatching where the young fish come to the surface for the higher oxygen levels and to gulp air to fill their swim bladders (for buoyancy).

I have never seen inter species fighting on the feeding terrace. The larger raptor usually forces the smaller bird to retreat without physical interaction. That said, Peter Steyn relates several incidents of having once witnessed two Yellow-billed kites collaboratively attacking an African Fish-Eagle, forcing this big raptor to abandon its meal, while on another occasion they took a 15-cm barbel out of the beak of a Woolly-necked Stork.(www.bird.krugerpark.co.za).

A view of the ridge looking west down on the vulture hide which is positioned among the rocks on the right hand side in the distant foreground. The openness, big sky and vast vistas make this place endlessly fascinating.

It is only when you look closer at the features of this species of kite do you realise its superb physiological and behavioural adaptation to its environment.

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” ~ Albert Einstein

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

This post is the second focusing on the raptors seen and photographed at the Giant’s Castle vulture hide. It focuses on Bearded vultures which are always the highlight of our time in the hide in this reserve. This KwaZulu-Natal nature reserve in uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, South Africa. It offers breathtaking views of deep valleys, grassy plateaus and craggy mountains. The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is a World Heritage Site. Giants Castle Nature Reserve occupies the central section.

“I am soaring, boundless, and free, and I know living my dreams is never a question of time but one of purpose” ~ Leo Lourdes

The next image was taken from a ridge above and behind the hide and shows the scene across the Bushman’s river valley. The tussock grasslands were green due to the summer rain.

The most-elevated stretch of the Drakensberg, in eastern and southern Lesotho. It is composed of severely eroded basalt capping a sandstone base. The next image of a lone adult Bearded vulture soaring high above the Bushman’s river valley and was taken looking west with the massive sandstone Long Wall on the far side of the valley in the background.

The Central Drakensberg is characterised by pinnacles, and broken and fractured blocks which form a massive steep eastern scarp 3,000 to 3,300 metres high along the length of the border between Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal. The southern scarp is 2,400 to 3,000 metres high and lies along the length of the Lesotho–Eastern Cape province border.

The air flow along the Bushman’s river valley generates useful updrafts for the larger raptors. They can soar and glide for hours up and down and along the valley with minimal wing work. The Bearded vultures soar along either side of the valley and high above it. Presumably they collect thermals which enable theme to climb high above the valley floor.

The Bearded vultures continually look below see if there are bones scattered on the ground. Often they will fly past bones that we have put out on the feeding terrace a few times. They are looking at how busy and crowded the feeding terrace is and whether the jackals and baboons are in the area.

“The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.” – Ralph W. Sockman

The Bearded vulture has a high aspect ratio wing, which is well-suited for soaring and gliding flight. This means that the wings are long and narrow relative to their width. The high aspect ratio (wing span^2/wing area), combined with the bird’s light wing loading, allows it to utilise even weak air currents for efficient soaring over mountainous terrain enabling it to stay aloft for extended periods with minimal effort, even in weak updrafts.

The Bearded vultures often fly at low altitude in the Bushman’s river valley. They are continually scouring the valley floor floor for feeding opportunities.

“Soar with wit. Conquer with dignity. Handle with care.” ~ Criss Jami

It is a thrill to watch these large raptors effortly glide past the hide. At times they can be as close as 40 metres from the ridge face.

Bearded vultures have red sclera, the white part of the eye. It is actually a vascularised ring of tissue called the scleral ring that can be flushed with blood to intensify the red colour. This intensification is used in threat displays, where the vulture can make itself look more imposing by increasing blood flow to the ring.

No matter the age colouring of the plumage, once fledged each Bearded vulture is a highly capable rider in the skies.

While the Bearded vultures do spend long periods soaring over the Bushman’s river valley they do land and sit on ledges overlooking the valley. The black eye plumage around the eyes suggest that this feature reduces the glare from the sunlight while they are soaring and gliding. Early in the morning, on the east side of the valley this adult took perceptual advantage of the shade.

“Our intuitions will be our biggest liabilities, and our imaginations will be our greatest assets.” ~ Ed Yong

The adult Bearded vulture is a large raptor with a wingspan of between 230 to 280 centimetres and a body length of 94–125 cm. Birds fly over a large speed range morphing their wings and tail to modulate aerodynamic force production. At slower speed, first the wings extend and sweep forward, spreading laterally, and at even slower speed, the tail spreads, in addition to the wings.

As large as the Bearded vultures are, they do not get it all their own way. The White necked ravens often harass them in flight. Needless to say the ravens are nothing more than an irritation for these gliding giants.

The colour of the facial plumage is a good indicator of age of Bearded vulture. The younger the individual the blacker the face and it gets progressively whiter with age. The adult’s white facial plumage gets progressively rust coloured. This is due to a cosmetic behaviour where they bathe in iron-rich mud. This colouration is thought to be linked to individual dominance and possibly other factors like feather protection or even anti-bacterial properties. 

“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility.” ~ Rachel Carson

Although I can get a sense of the size of these Bearded vultures when they fly past, their size becomes even more apparent when they come in to land on the feeding terrace. Whilst I have seen many landing over the years I have not picked up any consistent cue that signals this vulture is coming in to land. There are times when the Bearded vulture flies past the feeding terrace then circles back and flies directly onto the terrace. The direction of arrival is dependent on the direction of the wind which shifts around all time.

Bearded vultures in the Drakensberg are called the “bone eaters of the berg”.

The Bearded vultures, juvenile and adult alike, land at the far end of the feeding terrace. Normally only one Bearded vulture lands at a time but on two occasions I have seen two Bearded vultures feeding on the bones on the flat rocks at the far end of the feeding terrace.

On this occasion, this mature adult landed and picked up a large bone with plenty of flesh and fat on it and flew off with it. Bearded vultures have strong feet which are adapted for carrying bones, and perching and walking on rocky terrain. In contrast to the powerful talons of eagles and hawks, a vulture’s feet are not designed for killing prey. Their talons are relatively blunt compared to those of other raptors, which is an adaptation for their scavenging lifestyle.

Bearded vultures do not hunt live prey. This is the only species of vulture which feeds predominately on bones, which comprise between 70% and 90% of their diet. If the bone is too big to swallow, the Bearded vulture will carry it up to as much as 100 metres above a section of flat rocks, called ossuaries. It then drops the bone onto rocks below to break it down, and in some cases expose the marrow.

A view from behind the vulture hide looking west over the Bushman’s river valley on the steep scarp of the section called the Long Wall. The feeding terrace is the relatively flat section of low grass in front of the hide where we place the bones.

The Bearded vulture is categorised as Critically Endangered with an estimated population of less than 250 individuals according to the South African Red Data list. This species is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Data list.

In southern Africa, the majority of Bearded vultures are found in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains of Lesotho and South Africa. Specifically, they are often seen in the Drakensberg Escarpment and surrounding foothills, but rarely below 1000 meters above sea level.

“Every species is a masterpiece, exquisitely adapted to the particular environment in which it has survived. Who are we to destroy or even diminish biodiversity?” ~ Edward O. Wilson

Watching all raptors gliding past the vulture hide is a thrill and it is hard not to be impressed by their effortless soaring. It is a special thrill to watch the large Bearded vulture glide at levels as low as 50 metres above the valley floor and thousands of metres above the feeding terrace, all the while riding the updrafts and thermals. The fascinating aspect is that each time we have spent time in the hide we see and learn something new about these Critical Endangered vultures – a privilege indeed.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” ~ Rachel Carson

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

One of the best reasons for visiting Giant’s Castle Nature Reserve is its vulture hide. The hide is about five kilometres north of the camp on top of an elevated ridge on the east side of the Bushman’s River valley. The vulture hide in Giant’s Castle National Reserve is always productive from a birding and photographic point of view.

“Birds will give you a window, if you allow them. They will show you secrets from another world– fresh vision that, though it is avian, can accompany you home and alter your life. They will do this for you even if you don’t know their names– though such knowing is a thoughtful gesture. They will do this for you if you watch them.” ~ Lyanda Lynn Haupt

The Jackal buzzard got its name from its call. This strikingly plumed raptor is named for its loud, yelping call that sounds a lot like a Black-backed jackal. One, and often the pair, can be heard calling as they fly above the Bushman’s river valley. When in the hide you have to be wide awake because the raptors do not make a sound when they approach the feeding terrace in front of the hide. At least when the Jackal buzzards call, you know they are in the area. It’s time to keep a more attentive eye out for them.

This species of buzzard is regularly seen perched on rocks, trees and utility poles in open areas, scanning for prey. It is also known to hunt on the wing. This raptor “still-hunts” by dropping on its prey from a perch, which is either a tree or roadside pole or post. It takes its prey almost exclusively on bare ground, including roads.

“Watching birds soar through the sky evokes feelings of freedom, inspiration and a connection with nature.” ~ Unknown

The Jackal buzzard feeds mainly on small ground mammals, especially rodents but can take prey up to the size of a hare. It will also feed on ground feeding birds varying from nestlings to sandgrouse, francolins and spurfowl.

During the winter months, the Jackal buzzard will scavenge at carcasses and road kill. This scavenging behaviour is what attracts them to the feeding terrace in front of the hide. Visitors who have booked the hide are given a bucket of cut bones with lots of fat and flesh on them. The fat on the bones also attracts the Red-winged starlings and White-necked ravens.

While the Jackal buzzards do spend time tearing fat and flesh off the bones on the feeding terrace. They also regularly fly off into the valley below carrying large bones with most of the nutrients still on them. During the breeding season they carry food back to their chicks. During the non-breeding season they probably just want to eat in peace without being harassed by the gangs of White-necked ravens.

The tail of Jackal buzzards is typically rufous and distinctive in flight.

A Jackal buzzard female is larger than the male and has a deeper pitched call. A breeding pair can often be seen engaging in impressive aerial displays while regularly calling to each other. This aerial displaying occurs outside the breeding season. Jackal buzzards are generally monogamous and form pair bonds for life. Although some instances of polyandry (one female with multiple males) have been observed.

Jackal buzzards exhibit significant variation in their underpart colouration, with three main colour morphs observed. The upper parts are typically a slate-grey with flecks of white. The underparts display a range of patterns and colours. The typical Jackal buzzard colouring is a slaty-grey neck with white flecks, a rufous chest patch, and a black-and-white barred belly.

Among the three colour morphs of the Jackal Buzzard the typical morph remains the most common. Both the dark and the pale morphs are rarer. The colour morphs are generally defined by the appearance of the chest band that extends across the body of the individual. In most individuals, this band is predominantly rufous in colour, with the presence of white and black. In the pale and dark morphs, this band can lack one or even two of the three colours. In dark morphs, you will find that the chest band can be completely black. In pale morphs, there will usually be a lack of rufous colouring, and they will be mostly white.

“On a day like this, I can’t imagine anything better that might happen in a person’s life than for them to start paying attention to birds—to become aware of this magical world that exists all around us, unnoticed by many but totally captivating for those who know its secrets.” ~ Kenn Kaufman

The Jackal buzzard has a very short tail, broad wings, bulky body and large beak compared to most other buzzards (besides the Augur buzzard). Jackal buzzards have a relatively large wing area which facilitates higher wing loadings but results in their lower aspect ratio which does reduce their flight speeds

The combination of a relatively large wingspan ranging from 1.2 to 1.4 metres and wide wing panels suggest a relatively low aspect ratio. This ratio is the square of the wingspan divided by the wing area. Low aspect ratio wings, characterised by their short, wide shape, are beneficial for several reasons. They offer increased maneuverability and higher roll rates. They also produce more drag, lower flight speeds and can be less efficient for sustained flight. This is where the strong winds and updrafts in the hills and mountains help.

The adult Jackal buzzard is strikingly plumaged and arguably one of the most “handsome” buzzards. It has distinctive black and rufous plumage with patches of white. When seen in flight from below and above, the adult Jackal Buzzard shows white flight feathers with black tips forming a broad black terminal band. The underwing and overwing coverts are black. All colour forms have pale rufous tail feathers.

Jackal Buzzards are medium to large Buzzards with a body length of 44-55 cm. Females are generally larger than males,and their weights ranging from 1.0 kg to 1.7 kg.

This species is endemic to Southern Africa and usually found in mountainous and hilly regions above altitudes around 3000 metres. Their range extends from the north-west of Namibia and through most of South Africa. Their preference is for mountainous and hilly areas with short grass and low vegetation coverage where associated strong winds and updrafts help hovering and assist their hunting behaviour.

“Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.” ~ Neil Young

The Jackal buzzard is of least concern on the IUCN Red list. This means that the species is not currently considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. The population trend is believed to be stable.

There are periods in the hide that can be deadly boring. Nevertheless, you have to be constantly alert because the raptors, and many larger birds, do not give any warning that they are flying in towards the feeding terrace. Often they emerge above the terrace flying at speed and with purpose. If you are not ready you will miss the incoming drama and only see the raptor when it has landed and is walking towards the bones.

“Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by you know how I feel
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me
And I’m feeling good
I’m feeling good.” ~ Nina Simone

The thrill of watching a large raptor flying toward the feeding terrace is hard to describe. Often the approach results in a flyby but every now and then an individual will land. Usually the raptor will land on the rocks at the far end of the feeding terrace and check to see if there are any threats. If they sense the all is clear they fly closer to feed on the bones. These approaches create the best photographic moments.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike