SANParks.org Forums

I don't know if this has been a topic earlier in this forum, but nevertheless I'll give it a go. I know from my own experiences with Norwegian bird species that it can be a nut to point out a favourite, but there are always some birds which gives a greater kick than others when sighted!

My favourite KNP bird is the Burchell's Coucal. When I grew up and watched documentaries from Africa I was incredibly fascinated by this bird, and particularly the call which in my mind must be the ultimate bush sound.
So fare I have had the privilege to visit KNP two times and have sighted this magnificent bird quite a few times. I'm still convinced that the Burchell's Coucal is a grand favourite.



So folks let's get to know your favourite bird, I suppose there will be some raptors on the list, but I also assume there will be other fascinating candidates

I'll also use the opportunity to wish you all a Marry Christmas, specially to those who kindly have helped me out with ID of birds

http://www.digit.no/wip4/photo/?person=28486

Saw your favourite Kruger bird take out a chameleon right in front of the Matambeni hide,BT. You can see the front planks in the pic.

BT, a trip to Kruger would not be complete for me if I don't see southern ground hornbills. Knowing their plight and appreciating their often conspicuous display of their considerable personalities I always go out of my way for a close encounter...



Proof that they are favourite with a lot of forumites can be seen here. A while back I posted this as part of a trip report... it partly explains their plight.

My favourite bird in KNP? The Woodland Kingfisher. Why? We have a complex love-hate relationship.


All kingfishers are my favourite birds, with the very off-topic Kookaburra on Nr 1.

Mine too!

And a couple of others...

I have 2. One that I desire realistically to see, and another that I always enjoy the sight of.

My Wannasee is the carmine bee-eater. I have only had a glimpse of it twice. Once on the S100 as it flew from the road oven my car as I approached, and the other on the tar road from Pkop to Skuk, it did the same.

My Favourite, which I always see at least one of per trip, is the King of the Air, the martial eagle!

Crested barbet, goliath heron, saddle billed stork, white fronted bee-eater, bateleur, woodland kingfisher and scops owl all came close.

Mine is pretty similar to yours JvR. Yellow-billed Hornbill.

I've never seen one close to any of the Gates so when I finally do see one I feel like I'm right in the heart of the Kruger.

Also there's nothing more relaxing than watching the way a hornbill flies. Just a couple of flaps and then just glide along.

My Wannasee BB is a Crowned Eagle. One day!!

Saw one on the Bushman's trail in 2005.

Best place to see them is @ Diepwalle in Knysna thou.

Wow, difficult ! Love the birds I only see in Kruger, the saddlebilled stork and bateleur. Lilacbreasted roller is also, wow, you're in Kruger !

By day no other bird make me feel as welcome in the bush as the call of the emerald spotted wood dove. At night the scops owls do the trick.

Love the sight of a bunch of vultures at a carcass. Hornbills and starlings at a picnic spot. Egyptian geese navigating their young ones between crocs and hippos. Giant eagle owl giving me a pink wink from a nyala tree early morning.

Too many, have to give it some thought !

Actually I love all of the 400+ birds found in Kruger exept for the mynahs!!

But if I need to decide between them it has to be the natal & crested francolins. I just love them.

Why?

Waking up with their calls is pure magic to me:

1. I look up at the roof of my tent and realise that I am not in Pretoria's concrete jungle but in heaven.
2. It is still dark outside but daybreak is around the corner - this is my favourite time of the day in the lowveld.
3. Now is the time for the first and best cup of coffee of the day - outside my tent next to the fence listening to the bush concert. Together with a few homemade rusks ("lekker karringmelkbeskuit")
4. Soon the camp gates will open - I have already planned my early morning drive and can't wait to get on the road. All of the windows open, a peace of biltong close by.....

And this all because of my friends the francolins!

Hadeda Ibis . Majestic bird.

Want to come and relocate the 5 hanging around our house .. I don't mind .. but it's the calling at 2h00 in the morning that kinda gets to me

My mostest favourite bird is the African Hoopoo .. For one .. I love their calls .. Mostly they are seen as a sign of good luck and I love their "mo-hawk"

Thanks Wild.
For some reason people seem to complain about their call.
On the contrary I find their call to be deeply moving , almost spiritual. Its an incredible sound that gives me goose pimples every time. When I hear that 'haaaaaaaaaa' it just takes me to another level of being .

Hoopoos are legends too.

Difficult one. My favourite is the saddle-billed stork for his looks, the southern ground hornbill for his attitude, the fish eagle for his sound (I'm not in the bush if I don't hear his call) and the martial eagle for his strength, agility and just the feeling I get when I see one. Whenever I see the martial eagle I remember the words: "Soar like an eagle, because My love carries you".

Well I guess this is my favourite, as I chose it for my avatar, or maybe just because it's one of the prettier ones. It's from the Kruger park.

We'd booked our trip through a specialist travel agency, and planned most of it ourselves. But we let the travel agency book the Kruger trip, and we really had no idea what we would happen. So we made our way to the bus station at
Jburg/intl and waited, eventually a truck converted to a bus turned up and we got on. It turned out that it was a Nomad trip and they'd just come back from Botswana and the Victoria falls, there were four of the original group and I
think 5 new people . so there was plenty of space, they were all young except us. We had a cook called Liz and a guide/driver called JP, we got a bit worried when they started talking about camping, we weren't prepared for that, but it turned out that the rest of the bus camped, the seniors got to sleep in a rondavel. That caused an adventure, because we ate with them down by the campsite at Satara, and then walked back up to our Rondavel. I'm sure you realise what
happened, we were in circle E, but hadn't understood how big the place was and how many circles. I think it took us an hour to find our way home in the dark.

Sorry I'm rambling. In the truck we cruised along slowly, looking for animals, JP and Liz loved birds, and pretty soon we were on the same wavelength, so he'd suddenly yell into the back for instance "Neil, Purple roller on your left" and stop perfectly lined up, sun behind and at the right height thanks to that big old truck chassis. It was wonderful, and here is the Purple roller.
/Neil
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2409/218 ... ed82_b.jpg