The wood kingfishers: jewels of the bushveld
Visitors from Europe are often surprised when visiting this part of the world when they learn that we have so many species of kingfisher (10 species in South Africa), and that more than half of them are not associated with water. In Europe, there is only one species of kingfisher, the common kingfisher, which most […]
Swifts and Swallows: Convergent Evolution in Action
Every summer, our skies around Hoedspruit are full of agile and fast birds flying around picking insects out of the air. In the dying days of our summer, some such as the barn swallow, muster in large numbers in trees and along wires for the long journey back to the far reaches of the Northern […]
Some of my short videos about birds
Here are some of the short-form videos that I have posted to TikTok about birds. This is a fairly random mixture. Use Newest First if you want to see the latest ones, or Oldest first if you want to start from the beginning.
Digging deep into the genus Euplectes
Digging deep into the genus Euplectes This webinar explores what Bishops and Widows have to teach us. It is part of a series delving into how to create a better understanding of birds leading to an improved birding experience. The genus Euplectes belongs to the weaver family, the Ploceidae, and comprises the bishops and widowbirds. […]
Colour as made, seen and evolved in birds
Colour as Made, Seen and Evolved in Birds Bird colours are often very beautiful, but many are often fairly drab. Have you ever wondered how bird colours have evolved, how colours are produced, and how birds see colour? In this webinar Dr Keats will explore selection pressures that lead to particular colours patterns evolving, delve […]
A Family of Specialised Nest Parasites
A Family of Specialised Nest Parasites Most people are familiar with the nest parasitism – or brood parasitism – that is shown by our cuckoos, such as the Jacobin cuckoo and Diederik Cuckoos, where the birds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species. These other species, the hosts, then feed and rear […]