Birds - Flora & Fauna

Brown above, grayish below with pinkish red legs and feet. Dark brown eye and chest patch (immature usually has small eye patch and no breast patch). The females have richer voice and males make a hissing noise. The Egyptian Goose is a very common resident and highly gregarious apart from when it pairs when breeding.

A distinctive stork, often found near carcasses, the Marabou Stork is coloured black and white with orange/red air-sacs on its hind neck and throat. Contrary to belief; these are not used for digestion or even ballooning but instead indicate sexual maturity and dominance as well as being used in thermo-regulation.

Male is black with white parts whilst the female is brownish grey with white parts. Chicks are striped buff and black on the head and neck, black and white on body. Once they reach one month old they can reach adult speeds of 50-60 kms/h.

A large bird of prey, most closely related to the vultures, the Secretary Bird is mainly found in monogamous pairs, hunting the grasslands on foot at a pace of nearly 3kms/h. The name is thought to be derived from the quills on the neck, but a likely explanation also lies in being derived from the Arabic name ‘Saqr-et-Tair’ which means the ‘hunter bird’.

The Tawny Eagle is more common than the Steppe Eagle and can be solitary or even gregarious at good food supply: Which includes mammals, termites, hares, reptiles, carrion and other birds.