CHECKLIST9 specialstospotintheOkavangoDelta
1.Pel’sFishingOwlis undoubtedlythe‘biggest
catch’forbirdersin theOkavango.Thebeggingcall
ofthejuvenileowlwasoncefancifullydescribed
as‘acryofa lostsoulfallingintoa bottomlesspit’
byOswaldFynneyinthefirsteditionofRoberts
Birds, 1940.Buthowheknewofthatsoundas
comparisonis a pointofmysteryandmirth.
2.PairsofAfricanPygmyGeeseresemblelittle
paintedtoysastheyfloatacrosslagoonsanddive
forwater-lilyseeds.Unusualforwaterfowl,the
eggsarelaidina treecavity.Taxonomically,this
is actuallya ‘woodduck’andnota gooseatall.
3.ThegregariousHartlaub’sBabblerclosely
resemblesthefamiliarandevennoisierArrow-
markedBabbler, andthetwospeciessometimes
foragetogether.Thewhite-rumpofHartlaub’sis the
maindiagnosticfeatureofthis‘OkavangoSpecial’.
4.Thelargestmemberofitsfamily,theCoppery-
tailedCoucalinhabitspapyrusandreedbeds,but
typicallyforagesforfrogsinwaterloggedareas.
5.OftenreferredtobyitsformernameHeuglin’s
Robin,theWhite-browedRobin-Chathas
a gloriouslyliquid,stridentcallgivenatdawn,
whichawakensmanyOkavangocampers.
6.TheSlatyEgretcanbeconfusedwiththeBlack
Heron,butit hasa rufousthroatandyellow(not
black)legs.It’susuallyseenfeedingalongside
otherfrogandfishstabbers.7.A secretivehunteroflargeinsects,lizards,
frogsandnestlingbirds,theSwampBouboumale
whistleswhilethefemalerattles,andthisloud,
duetcallis oneoftheevocativesoundsofriparian
woodlandsandthickets.
8.TheDeltais thestrongholdforthemagnificent
WattledCranewhichis otherwiseEndangered
acrossitsrange.(PicturePeteHancock)
9.TheDickinson’sKestrelcanbeseenhunting
frombare-branchedtreesontheedgeofdry
floodplainsandinopen,palmsavanna.Pairsnest
ina holeinthetrunkofthelalapalms.Theselittle
raptorsfeedprimarilyonlocusts,grasshoppers
anddragonflies.❽
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http://www.countrylife.co.za 077 September 2019