Ruff

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) – Boys Bigger Than Girls

The gregarious Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) is a medium sized ‘wading’ bird that is about to grace our shores again here in the North Eastern part of South Africa again shortly. Being a summer visitor to these shores the Ruff is what as known as a Paleartic Migrant a bird which visits from outside the African continent, in this case from Eurasia where it breeds in the marshes and wetlands.

The Ruff over winters here in Southern Africa but does not breed, which is a shame as we in Southern Africa are unable to see that magnificent breeding plumage (or Ruff) of the male bird, that also includes brightly coloured head tufts, bare orange facial skin, extensive black on the breast, and that large collar of ornamental feathers which no doubt gave way to it its name.  The male Ruff also shows a marked sexual dimorphism (size) over the female which are known as ‘Reeves’ and has three different plumage types which includes the rare mimicking of the female bird. The male carries out these courtship displays at a ‘Lek’ and is thus known as ‘Lekking‘

While breeding it primarily feeds on aquatic insects it forages for in the soft mud of the wetlands it inhabits, however during its winter migration to Southern Africa it has been known to also feed on plant materials like maize.

Female Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

Male Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) (non breeding) with white head and neck

European Roller (Coracias garrulus) - Wildlife and Nature Pictures

European Roller (Coracias garrulus) - One of South Africa's Summer Visitors

With five species of 'Roller' in South Africa the European Roller (Coracias garrulus) is quite common but is one of the largest of the 'Rollers' species. The European Roller is a summer migrant from Europe which is called here in South Africa a 'Paleartic Migrant'. Being a bird of warmer climes the European Roller will in the next few weeks start heading back to North Africa/Europe/Middle East.

European Roller (Coracias garrulus)-Summer visitor to South Africa

Wildlife and Nature Pictures - South African Bird Migration (Part 3)

Natures Wonders of Bird Migration (Part 3)

Wildlife and nature in pictures and words, what a wanderous  genre it is. 

In my last post 'Natures Wonders of Bird Migration (Part 2) I advised on the different migratory patterns we find here in South Africa. Namely Intra African migrants,vagrants (all as discussed in my last post) and lastly and what I want to touch on in this post, Afro Paleartic migrants.

Wildlife is wonderful and strange in many ways and none more so than Afro Paleartic migratory birds. These migratory birds are species that migrate between Europe/Northern - Southern Asia and South/Southern Africa). In South Africa we have 44 recorded species of Afro Paleartic migratory birds as denoted by SABAP2 (South African Bird Atlas Project 2). These migratory birds, some large, some small and some in the middle!!  Fly thousands of kilometers to spend the summer months in South and Southern Africa and return all the way back home again to spend the summer months in Europe and Asia mostly but not all to breed.

Some of the well recognised Afro Paleartic migrants here in South Africa by the 'man in the street' are possibly the Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus) and the Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) (medium sized raptors/birds of prey) which fly all the way from their breeding grounds in eastern Europe, Southern Russia and the central Asian 'steppes' and as far east a Mongolia. Afro Paleartic migrant birds most recognised from Europe include the 'Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) and the colorful European Bee Eater (Merops apiaste) and the ever present European Roller (Coracias garrulus). These Afro Paleartic migrants start to arrive in South Africa between August - November each year and start their departure March -April the following year. Bird migration is a fascinating and interesting subject  which I urge you to research further which ever part of the world you maybe in.

Probably the most travelled of our Afro Paleartic migrant birds is a small insectivorous raptor (eats insects) the 'Amur Falcon' (Falco amurensis). This small raptor breeds in south eastern Siberia and northern China before migrating in very large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea to winter in South/Southern Africa a round trip of over 22,000km!!

Finally a  question one must ask in all of the last 3 posts on bird migration, why do birds migrate? It is generally understood the reasons for migration are 2 fold. Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. The two primary resources being sought by them  are food and nesting locations. 

A female 'Amur Falcon' an Afro Paleartic migrant to South Africa. She flies over 22,000km on her migration to and from South Africa

Wildlife and Nature Pictures - South African Bird Migration (Part 2)

Natures Wonders of Bird Migration (Part 2)

Following on from my last post, Wildlife and Nature Pictures - Bird Migration (Part 1) I touched on the various migrant birds we have in South Africa, breeding, non breeding, Intra-African migrants and Paleartic migrants or more precise Afro Paleartic migrants. Of course we also have the 'Vagrants' which grace our shores periodically. 'Vagrants' are rare and or uncommon birds that are 'known' but are far out of their normal geographical range. For example the 'Citrine Wagtail' normally found in North and Central Asia and normally migrate to Southern Asia, was spotted at a South African river mouth  'Gamtoos' in 1998. This would be denoted as a 'rare vagrant' with no records since.

Breeding and non breeding migrant birds speak for themselves really and as mentioned previously, they fall under our two main categories either Intra African migrants or Afro Paleartic migrants. In this post I would like to explain what we mean by Intra-African migrants.

Intra African migrants quite simply are 'birds that migrate within Africa' and here in South Africa we have 35 recorded species as denoted by SABAP2 (South African Bird Atlas Project 2). - African Paradise Flycatcher, Diderick Cuckoo - (Breeding), Horus Swift- (Breeding), Southern Carmine Bee-eater and Woodlands Kingfisher to name but a few are all birds that migrate to South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries for the summer months and I have seen and photographed the above many times this summer.

As an approximate date these Intra-African migrants start arriving in South Africa from Sub-Equatorial Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa between Sept-Nov and start to leave between Mar-April. Birds north of this Sub-Saharan region generally migrate between mainland Europe and Asia. Interestingly it should be noted and has been reported and researched that due to climatic change arrival/departure times seem to be changing. 

The Southern Carmine Bee-eater
is a Intra-African Migrant Visitor to South Africa's Kruger National Park

Wildlife and Nature Pictures - South African Bird Migration (Part 1)

Natures Wonders of Bird Migration (Part 1)

At this time of the year humans around the world are in either their mid winter or mid summer period, dependent on which hemisphere you live in. One phenomenon which mother nature provides for some of her wildlife is the unquestionable urge and the ability to migrate (to journey between different areas at specific times of the year) from adverse unfavorable conditions (normally scarcity of food or favorable breeding/living conditions). Wildlife like natures animals, fish and even humans carryout this annual/seasonal act. This is however no better demonstrated than in the migration of birds. This migration as far as birds are concerned is generally started in the Autumn in either hemisphere before the winter conditions set in, in their location or area.

Here in South Africa its no different, most of the summer migrants have already arrived from various parts of the world. I will explain in a bit better detail in further posts but we basically have the following besides our resident birds, breeding and non breeding migrants, these are further broken down into two further categories as far as South Africa is concerned, Palaearctic African Migrants and Intra-African Migrants, and the common and uncommon 'Vagrants'.

Below you will see a 'Woodland Kingfisher' which is a Inter-African Migrant, which I shall talk about in my next post.

This 'Woodland Kingfisher' is a Summer Intra-African Migrant
to South Africa