I have never been a big bird expert. When I started working as a tourist guide I went to a lot of effort to increase my birding knowledge, but a LBJ (little brown job) and an Overtheroadian were still the most common answers I gave when something flashed across the road as we drove along somewhere. Addo Elephant National Park has a bird checklist of over 400 species with about 200 occurring within the main game area. In all the years that I worked as a guide and visited Addo, my favourite bird to spot was probably the Pale Chanting Goshawk. Don’t ask me why. I just liked this light grey bird with its bright orange beak and legs.
The Pale Chanting Goshawk is a bird of prey of the family Accipitridae. It is found all over southern Africa and usually a resident of dry, open areas with low rainfall. This species grow 56 – 65 cm long with a wingspan of about 105 cm. They eat a variety of vertebrate prey, mainly lizards, but also small mammals and birds as well as large insects. This one I spotted on my last visit to Addo sitting on top of a thorn tree, but they often walk around on the ground as well.
Plus the PCG often poses very nicely. Great shot. Like the new header.
Very nice shot :-)My father-in-law is quite an expert on birds – he was involved with bird ringing for tracking migratory patterns.