Indigenous Nursery News Blog

Latest Photograph

Specie

Abundance Code

Apalis, Bar-throated

(Apalis thoracica)
Natural habitat: Evergreen forest, valley bushveld, woodland

1

Babbler, Arrow-marked

(Turdoides jardineii)
Natural habitat: Clumps of bushes and thickets amongst termite mounds in moist savannah woodland

3

Barbet, Black-collared

(Lybius torquatus)
Natural habitat: Broad-leaved woodland, grassland and suburban gardens.

1

Barbet, Crested

(Trachyphonus vaillantii)
Natural habitat: Moist or dry open woodlands, suburban gardens and grassland

1

Bee-eater, European

(Merops apiaster)
Natural habitat: Arid or wet areas

2a

Bee-eater, White-fronted

(Merops bullockoides)
Natural habitat: Wooded grasslands, bushy pastures, broad-leaved and mixed woodlands

3

Bishop, Southern Red

(Euplectes orix)
Natural habitat: Open grassland, marshes and cultivated areas

1

Bishop, Yellow-crowned (Golden)

(Euplectes afer)
Natural habitat: Open grassland, marshes and cultivated areas

3

Bokmakierie

(Charadrius marginatus)
Natural habitat: Sandy shores, coastal shores, estuaries and the sandy margins of rivers and lakes.

1

Boubou, Southern

(Laniarius ferrugineus)
Natural Habitat:Variety of woodland habitats, as well as coastal thickets.

1

Bulbul, Dark-capped (Black-eyed)

(Pycnonotus tricolor)
Natural habitat:Dense woodland or grassland with few bushes.

1

Buzzard, Steppe

2a

Canary, Black-throated

(Crithagra atrogularis)
Natural habitat:Dry riverine woodland, Nama karoo with grass, fallow croplands and weedy road.

1

Canary, Yellow-fronted (Yellow-eyed)

2

Cisticola, Desert

(Cisticola aridulus)
Natural habitat: Dry grassland, sometimes with scattered trees and bushes

2

Cisticola, Levaillant's

2

Cisticola, Zitting (Fan-tailed)

(Cisticola juncidis)
Natural habitat: Seasonally flooded grassland, grassy wetlands.

1

Coot, Red-knobbed

(Fulica cristata)
Natural habitat: Freshwater ponds, lakes, vleis, dams, flood plains, temporary pans and swamps with reeds.

3

Cormorant, Reed

(Phalacrocorax africanus)
Natural habitat: Any freshwater habitat, excluding very fast-flowing streams, but it generally prefers bodies of water with gently sloping shores.

2

Cormorant, White-breasted

3

Coucal, Burchell's

(Centropus burchellii)
Natural habitat: Thickets, reedbeds, coastal bush, borders between woodland and grassland.

1

Crow, Pied

(Corvus albus)
Natural habitat: Savannah woodland and bushy shrub land, but it is becoming more and more common in farmland, urban and suburban areas.

1

Cuckoo, Black

(Cuculus clamosus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers evergreen forest & woodland.

2a

Cuckoo, Diedricks

(Chrysococcyx caprius)
Natural habitat: Forest edges, mesic savannah, closed woodland, semi-arid shrub lands, parks and gardens, occasionally moving into Mopani forest.

1a

Cuckoo, Red-chested

(Cuculus solitaries)
Natural habitat: Closed woodland, Miombo woodland, open savannah thickets, stands of trees in human settlements, mature gardens and parks.

2a

Darter, African

(Anhinga rufa)
Natural habitat: Generally favours still or slow-moving bodies of freshwater, especially with dead trees, rocks or banks.

3

Dove, Cape Turtle

(Streptopelia capicola)
Natural habitat: Woodland, farmland, suburban parks and gardens.

1

Dove, Laughing

(Streptopelia senegalensis)
Natural habitat: Occupying woodland, farmland, suburban parks, Acacia plantations and gardens.

1

Dove, Red-eyed

(Streptopelia semitorquata)
Natural habitat: Generally preferred woodland, especially alien tree plantations, with pines.

1

Dove, Rock (Feral Pigeon)

1

Drongo, Fork-tailed

3

Duck, African Black

3

Duck, White-faced

(Dendrocygna viduata)
Natural habitat: Found mainly on inland waters in savannah and grassland regions.

3

Duck, Yellow-billed

(Anas undulate)
Natural habitat: Prefers still waters of streams, lakes, swamps, pans, swamps, marshes and sewerage ponds.

2

Eagle, Verreaux’s (Black)

(Bubo lacteus)
Natural habitat: Arid savannah and woodland, especially riverine forest, occasionally moving into open areas such as grassland.

3

Egret, Western Cattle

(Egretta alba)
Natural habitat: Generally favours shallow, open areas of rivers, lakes, marshes, flooded grassland, flood plains, estuaries, saltpans, sewage works and dams.

1

Egret, Little

(Egretta garzetta)
Natural habitat: Prefers the shallow margins of rivers, lakes, estuaries, pans, marshes and saltpans, butmoves into mangroves, open coastal flats and man-made habitats such as sewage works, canals and dams.

3

Falcon, Amur (Eastern Red-footed Kestrel)

2a

Finch, Red-headed

2

Flycatcher, African Paradise

(Terpsiphone viridis)
Natural habitat: Woodland and forest, woodland, evergreen forest and suburban gardens.

1a

Flycatcher, Fairy

(Stenostira scita)
Natural habitat: During the breeding season it favours shrublands, such as Karoo, fynbos, thorny thickets, mountain scrub and sweet grassland. In winter it moves into more wooded habitats, including Acacia savannah, plantations and gardens.

2b

Flycatcher, Fiscal

(Sigelus silens)
Natural habitat: Scattered trees or bushes to use as perches, such as moist and semi-arid grassland, fynbos, Nama Karoo and valley bushveld.

1

Flycatcher, Spotted

2a

Go-away-bird (Lourie), Grey

1

Goose, Egyptian

(Alopochen aegyptiacus)
Natural habitat: Freshwater wetlands, grass lawns in urban areas and in fields with cereal crops.

1

Goose, Spur-winged

3

Goshawk, Gabar

(Melierax gabar)
Natural habitat: Restricted to tree-lined watercourses, but it may also move into cities and towns.

3

Grebe, Little (Dabchick)

(Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Natural habitat: Prefers dams, lakes, small ponds, backwaters in sluggish watercourses and temporary pans.

3

Guineafowl, Helmeted

(Numida meleagris)
Natural habitat: Grass land

1

Hamerkop

(Scopus umbretta)
Natural habitat: Shallow margins of lakes, pans, swamps, rivers, marshes, streams, seasonally flooded ponds and even small puddles in gravel roads.

3

Heron, Black-crowned Night-

3

Heron, Black-headed

(Ardea melanocephala)
Natural habitat: Favours open grassy habitats, sometimes moving into marshes and floodplains.

2

Heron, Green-backed

(Butorides striatus)
Natural habitat: Well-wooded shorelines of rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, mangroves, estuaries and swamps.

3

Heron, Grey

(Ardea cinerea)
Natural habitat: Shallow water bodies, such as estuaries, lagoons, rivers, lakes, the intertidal zone, marshes and dams.

3

Heron, Purple

(Ardea purpurea)
Natural habitat: Dense vegetation (especially Phragmites reedbeds) on the edge of shallow wetlands or mangroves.

3

Honeybird, Brown-backed (Sharp-billed)

(Prodotiscus regulus)
Natural habitat: Prefers savanna, thickets, open woodland, thorn scrub and forest edges.

3

Honeyguide, Greater

(Indicator indicator)
Natural habitat: Woodlands, savannah, fynbos, grassland and riverine forest.

3

Honeyguide, Lesser

(Indicator minor)
Natural habitat: Prefers woodland, savannah, riverine forest, forest edges, plantations and gardens.

3

Hoopoe, African

(Phoeniculus purpureus)
Natural habitat: It habitats are woodland, riverine forest, forest fringes, valley bushveld, thickets and wooded gardens.

1

Honey-Buzzard, European

3a

Hornbill, African Grey

(Tockus nasutus)
Natural habitat: It prefers woodlands, arid thornveld, wooded gardens and alien tree plantations.

2

Ibis, African Sacred

(Threskiornis aethiopicus)
Natural habitat: Grassland, open habitats and man-made habitats, such as cultivated land, dams, sewage works, lawns, farmyards, refuse tips and abattoirs.

1

Ibis, Glossy

(Plegadis falcinellus)
Natural habitat: Freshwater lakes and rivers, flood plains, riparian marshes, seasonal pans, flooded grassland, irrigated farmland, estuaries and open grassland in parks and farms.

3

Ibis, Hadeda

(Bostrychia hagedash)
Natural habitat: Prefers open grassland with well-wooded valleys and patches of dense woodland, also occurring in clearings in forest, marshes with short grass and moist grassland.

1

Kingfisher, Brown-hooded

2

Kingfisher, Malachite

(Alcedo cristata)
Natural habitat: It occupies a variety of aquatic habitats, including slow-moving rivers and streams, dams, sheltered shores, coastal lagoons, tidal estuaries, mangrove swamps, sewage ponds, irrigation canals, mangroves, reed or papyrus marshes, seasonal streams and temporary ponds.

3

Kingfisher, Pied

(Ceryle rudis)
Natural habitat: Streams, rivers, lakes, temporary pans, estuaries, temporarily flooded areas and rocky coasts.

3

Kite, Black-shouldered

(Elanus caeruleus)
Natural habitat: Generally prefers grassland, transformed fynbos and cultivated land.

2

Kite, Yellow-billed

(Milvus aegyptius)
Natural habitat: It can be found in a wide variety of habitats, but it especially favours woodland and rural areas.

2a

Lapwing (Plover), African Wattled

(Vanellus senegallus)
Natural habitat: Prefers waterlogged grassland at streams, seeps edges of marshes and flood plains.

1

Lapwing (Plover), Blacksmith

(Vanellus armatus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers moist, short grassland, mudflats around dams, sewage pans, lakes, rivers, estuaries, salt pans, road verges, sports fields, airports and heavily grazed areas.

1

Lapwing (Plover), Crowned

(Vanellus coronatus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers dry, open grassland, sparse woodland, open areas in Karoo scrub and man-made habitats, such as open fields, short pastures, airports, golf courses and roadsides.

1

Longclaw, Cape (Orange-throated)

(Macronyx capensis)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers moist short grassland and fynbos, also occupying pastures and the edges of vleis.

1

Mannikin, Bronze

2

Martin, Rock

3

Moorhen, Common

(Gallinula chloropus)
Natural habitat: Freshwater wetlands, such as marshes, swamps, ponds, pans, streams, rivers, canals, flooded grassland and temporary pools on flood plains.

2

Mousebird, Red-faced

(Urocolius indicus)
Natural habitat: Generally prefers Acacia savanna and thickets, gardens, woodland with nearby rivers, strandveld, gardens and orchards.

1

Mousebird, Speckled

(Colius striatus)
Natural habitat: It is very adaptable, occurring in forest edges, thickets, gardens, orchards, strandveld, riverine woodland and alien tree plantations.

1

Myna, Common (Indian)

(Acridotheres tristis)
Natural habitat: Urban areas and farms in the immediate vicinity of buildings and other structures.

1

Neddicky

(Cisticola fulvicapilla)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers Broad-leaved burkea (Burkea africana) woodland, thorny savannah, forest edges, fynbos, renosterbos, scrub on boulder-strewn slopes, gardens with thick vegetation and the grassy under storey of alien tree plantations.

2

Oriole, Black-headed

(Oriolus larvatus)
Natural habitat: It is quite adaptable, occupying a variety of habitats, including Savannah woodland, miombo (Brachystegiai) woodland, coastal forest, parks, gardens, farmland with scattered trees and alien plantations.

2

Owl, African Grass

(Tyto capensis)
Natural habitat: Generally prefers marshes and vleis with patches of tall rank grass, weeds or sedges, but it may also occupy fynbos, renosterveld and thorn scrub close to water.

4

Owl, Western Barn

(Tyto alba)
Natural habitat: Can be found anywhere that has abundant food and suitable roost sites, but it generally prefers open areas, such as grasslands, deserts and wooded savannah.

2

Owl, Marsh

(Asio capensis)
Natural habitat: Prefers marshes, however it also occupies tall grassland, reeds, sedges and Acacia woodland.

2

Owl, Spotted Eagle

(Bubo africanus)
Natural habitat: Most prolific in open scrub and low grassland, so long as it has suitable roost sites. It has also adapted to living with humans.

2

Petronia, Yellow-throated

(Petronia superciliaris)
Natural habitat: Dry forests, dry savanna and dry shrub land.

4

Pigeon, African Olive (Rameron)

(Columba arquatrix)
Natural habitat: Evergreen forests, riverine forests and thickets, alien tree plantations, urban gardens and parks, provided there are plentiful fruit trees and bushes.

2

Pigeon, Speckled (Rock)

(Columba guinea)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers rocky areas with mountains, cliffs and gorges, but it has recently taken to urban and rural buildings, where it often roosts and nests.

1

Pipit, African (Grassveld)

(Anthus cinnamomeus)
Natural habitat: Moist grassland, lightly wooded savannah, dry flood plains, recently burnt grassland, roadsides, playing fields and agricultural land.

1

Plover, Three-banded

(Charadrius tricollaris)
Natural habitat: Generally preferring open shores of any freshwater habitat, such as pools, streams, seeps, farm dams and sewage works.

3

Prinia, Black-chested

(Prinia flavicans)
Natural habitat: Shrub land (in both arid and semi-arid climates), dry Acacia savannah with scattered bushes, edges of drainage woodland in dry areas, fallowed cropland with large bushes and gardens in rural villages.

1

Prinia, Tawny-flanked

(Prinia subflava)
Natural habitat: It prefers dense grass, shrubs and bushes along watercourses or in clearings in woodland, edges of old cultivated farmland and rural villages.

1

Puffback, Black-backed

(Dryoscopus cubla)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers woodland habitats, as well as evergreen forest edges, riverine forest, Eucalyptus plantations and suburban gardens.

2

Quailfinch, African

3

Quelea, Red-billed

(Quelea quelea)
Natural habitat: Most prolific in semi-arid habitats such as thornveld and cultivated land, but it may also occupy exceptionally wet or dry areas.

2

Robin-Chat, Cape

(Cossypha caffra)
Natural habitat: It occupies a variety of habitat types, generally preferring areas with quite dense undergrowth and scattered trees, bushes, rocks or other structures to use for perching.

1

Sandpiper, Wood

3a

Seedeater (Canary), Streaky-headed

3

Shrike, Southern Fiscal

(Lanius collaris)
Natural habitat: Generally prefers open habitats with scattered trees, such as savannah, open woodland, scrubland and grassland.

1

Shrike, Crimson-breasted

3

Shrike, Lesser Grey

(Lanius minor)
Natural habitat: Generally favours open habitats with scattered trees, especially Acacia savannah but also stunted mopane woodland as well as mixed cluster-leaf

3a

Shrike, Red-backed

(Lanius collurio)
Natural habitat: Grassland with scattered bushes and trees, mopane and broad-leaved woodland.

3a

Sparrow, Cape

(Passer melanurus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers arid and semi-arid savannah, dry woodland along drainage lines and many man-made habitats

1

Sparrow, House

(Passer domesticus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers urban, rural and suburban areas, sometimes occurring around remote abandoned buildings in other habitats, such as semi-arid shrub land.

1

Sparrow, Southern Grey-headed

(Passer diffuses)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers savannah woodland, especially with Acacia, also occupying dry broad-leaved woodland, plantation edges, cultivated land and gardens

1

Sparrowhawk, Little

2

Sparrowhawk, Ovambo

2

Spoonbill, African

(Platalea alba)
Natural habitat: It can occupy almost any shallow water body, generally preferring the margins of rivers or lakes, pans, marshes, flood plains, sewage works and dams.

3

Spurfowl (Francolin), Swainson's

(Pternistis swainsonii)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers grasslands or open savannahs and adapts easily to cultivated, disturbed areas.

3

Starling, Cape Glossy

(Lamprotornis nitens)
Natural habitat: It can occupy a variety of different habitats, especially wooded savannah, forest edges, riverine bush, plantations, parks and gardens.

1

Starling, Pied

3

Starling, Red-winged

(Onychognathus morio)
Natural habitat: Rocky outcrops and gorges in highland grasslands, occasionally visiting forests for fruit, but in recent times it has flourished in urban areas.

2

Starling, Wattled

3

Stonechat, African

(Saxicola torquatus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers montane or open grassland (with scattered shrubs and bushes), fynbos shrub land, grassy hillsides, edges of high altitude forest, swamp edges and cultivated land.

1

Sunbird, Amethyst (Black)

(Chalcomitra amethystine)
Natural habitat: It generally favours in coastal evergreen forest and mature valley bushveld, but it may also move into drier, more open woodland.

1

Sunbird, Greater Double-collared

(Cinnyris chalybeus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers fynbos and Karoo shrub land, woodland, Afromontane forest, gardens and Eucalyptus plantations.

3

Sunbird, Malachite

(Nectarinia famosa)
Natural habitat: It occurs in a variety of habitats, ranging from alpine and montane grasslands to scrubby hillsides in mountainous areas, as well as in arid steppes of Namaqualand, riverine thorn bush, gardens, parks and alien plantations.

3

Sunbird, White-bellied

(Cinnyris talatala)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers semi-arid savannah woodland, such as Acacia, bush willow (Combretum) and riparian thickets.

1

Swallow, Barn (European)

1a

Swallow, Greater Striped

(Hirundo cucullata)
Natural habitat: Occupies central Namibia, central and eastern Zimbabwe and small areas of Botswana. It generally prefers open habitats such as grassland, fynbos, karoo, open savannah, suburban areas, cultivated land and farmyards.

1a

Swallow, Lesser Striped

(Hirundo abyssinica)
Natural habitat: It generally favours open habitats such as grassland, savannah, forest edges and clearings.

2a

Swallow, South African Cliff

(Hirundo spilodera)
Natural habitat: Prefers grassland, open savannah and Karoo.

3a

Swallow, White-throated

(Hirundo albigularis)
Natural habitat: Favours open grassland, fynbos and mountainous regions, especially near water.

2a

Swift, Alpine

(Tachymarptis melba)
Natural habitat: Breeds in mountainous areas, but it can forage over almost any habitat, generally preferring alpine grassland and fynbos.

4

Swift, African Palm

(Cypsiurus parvus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers savannah with scattered palm trees, but it can also move into towns with indigenous palms.

1

Swift, Common (European)

3a

Swift, Little

(Apus affinis)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers built up areas (with large buildings) or cliffs, rocks and crags, foraging in the surrounding habitat.

2

Swift, White-rumped

2a

Tchagra, Brown-crowned (Three-streaked)

3

Tchagra, Black-crowned

3

Thick-knee (Dikkop), Spotted

1

Thrush, Karoo

(Turdus smithi)
Natural habitat: Prefers riverine vegetation, such as riparian woodland along rivers.

1

Thrush, Groundscraper

3

Thrush, Kurrichane

(Turdus libonyanus)
Natural habitat: Moist woodland, but it also occupies valley bushveld, alien plantations, gardens and parks.

3

Tinkerbird, Yellow-fronted

3

Tit-Babbler, Chestnut-vented

3

Wagtail, Cape

(Motacilla capensis)
Natural habitat: It can occur almost anywhere that has open ground adjacent to water, also favouring the rocky coastline, farms, villages, cultivated land, parks, gardens and urban centres.

1

Warbler, (European) Marsh

3a

Warbler, African Reed (African Marsh)

3a

Warbler, Lesser Swamp (Cape Reed)

3

Warbler, Willow

(Phylloscopus trochilus)
Natural habitat: It occupies a variety of woodland habitats, including miombo (Brachystegia) and other mixed woodland.

2a

Waxbill, Common

(Estrilda astrild)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers rank vegetation in moist grassland, fynbos and savannah, also occupying moist natural growth bordering on cultivated land and tangled vegetation along rivers and streams.

2

Weaver, Southern Masked

(Ploceus velatus)
Natural habitat: Favours semi-arid scrub, open savannah, woodland edges, riverine thicket, farmland with scattered trees, alien tree plantations and gardens.

1

Weaver, Thick-billed

(Amblyospiza albifrons)
Natural habitat: It prefers edges and clearings in evergreen forest, also occupying reed-beds adjacent to ponds in suburban parks, alien plantations and cultivated areas.

2

White-eye, Cape

(Zosterops virens)
Natural habitat: It is very common in a wide variety of habitats, including Karoo, fynbos, suburban gardens and parks, evergreen forest, dune scrub, Acacia veld and Eucalyptus plantations.

1

Whydah, Pin-tailed

(Vidua macroura)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers grassland, open savannah woodland, hillsides with scattered trees and bushes, sedges and rank grass along watercourses, cultivated croplands and gardens.

1

Widowbird, Long-tailed

3

Widowbird, Red-collared

2

Widowbird, White-winged

3

Wood-Hoopoe, Green (Red-billed)

(Phoeniculus purpureus)
Natural habitat: It generally prefers arid and mesic savannahs, open miombo woodland, riverine forest, forest fringes, valley bushveld, thickets and wooded gardens.

2

Woodpecker, Cardinal

(Dendropicos fuscescens)
Natural habitat: It is most common in woodland and savannah, avoiding arid areas.

2

Wryneck, Red-throated

(Jynx ruficollis)
Natural habitat: Generally prefers grassland with sparse trees.

2