h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This weekend there was a bird ringing event in the Polokwane Game Reserve, hosted by Billy Attard and Derek Engelbrecht. A few others also helped out, and many of the people attending were given their own experience in ringing birds. The idea of bird ringing is to catch birds, then take careful measurements of them, then put small metal rings on their legs and then release them. The process enables individual birds to be identified … for instance some of the birds had already been ringed previously, so now when we catch them again, we can compare their stats. This helps a lot in determining birds’ movements, and also their lifespans.

First of all, very early in the morning the nets were set up in regions where birds are expected to be moving. The birds get caught in the nets, which aren’t easily visible, having a very fine mesh. The birds can get badly entangled, and getting them out again is a difficult and rather nerve-wracking (to me at least!) affair. The birds caught in these nets are mostly small species; larger ones are often able to free themselves on their own.

After the birds are removed from the nets, they’re placed in special cloth bags. They are ‘stored’ hanging in the bags from a line until they can be weighed, measured and ringed. The measurements are done very carefully using precision equipment. The measurements are of the birds’ bills, heads, wings, tails and lower legs. Their plumage is inspected for condition and moulting, they’re sexed, and it’s recorded if they’re adult or juvenile. We had quite a few juvenile birds. The rings are put very carefully around their lower legs, and then they are released.

The process can be quite stressful for the birds for many reasons, so they are handled very carefully and the measuring and ringing is done quickly. The attending members of the bird club got treated to close-up views of many species, and were taught some of the distinctive features of these species.

The ringing continued today (Sunday 8 March) but I didn’t go, so this is just yesterday’s ringing I’m describing.

Right, now for the photos!

Here are Derek and Billy, after the morning’s successful ringing:

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Derek%20en%20Billy_zpsymxr0mle.jpg

Billy measures a Threestreaked (or Brown-crowned) Tchagra. This small member of the bush-shrike family is common and widespread in thorny savannah in northern South Africa:

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Billy%20Meet%20Tjagra_zpszzkiq19c.jpg

Here’s the tchagra in Billy’s hand. Its tail feathers got bent out of shape in the bag.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Tjagra%20in%20hand%201_zpsly0musz8.jpg

Here’s another view of the tchagra. Note the sharpy hooked bill with which it catches its invertebrate prey.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Tjagra%20in%20hand%202_zpsfufjp6un.jpg

Here Billy measures the wing of a Brownhooded Kingfisher. All measurements are logged in the file you can see here. These kingfishers don’t really catch fish, but are actually insects hunters that live in woodland and savannah.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Bruinkopvisvanger%20word%20gemeet_zpstz5pwxzr.jpg

Derek is holding an Ashy Tit here. These tits are common in the reserve, their churring calls betraying their presence. They were not impressed with being handled, giving Derek a few hard nips!

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Derek%20en%20Mees_zpsbrkanssp.jpg

A very rewarding part of the experience was being able to compare similar species close-up. Here is a female Lesser Masked Weaver (on the left) and a female Southern Masked Weaver (on the right). The differences you can see here: the lesser masked weaver has a yellow eye, the southern masked weaver has a dark reddish eye; the lesser masked weaver is overall more yellow; the lesser masked weaver has bluish legs while the southern masked weaver has pinkish legs.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Kleingeelvink%20en%20Swartkeelgeelvink%20vergelyking_zps0gnunvmn.jpg

Here is a photo of the Lesser Masked Weaver female alone. These weavers are less frequent in our region than the southern masked weavers, and it was quite interesting to me that we caught them.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Kleingeelvink_zpskdrz03ge.jpg

The Melba finch, or Green-winged Ptylia, is a tiny member of the waxbill family. This is a male; the female lacks the bright red feathers on the head and throat. We caught a few of these. They are fairly common in the reserve.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Melbavinkie_zpsybjum2yy.jpg

One of the commonest waxbills around here is the Blue Waxbill. This is the male. We also caught Violeteared Waxbills, which are a bit larger and with bright red, reddish brown, violet and blue coloration. Unfortunately I didn’t get a shot of one of those.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Blousysie_zpsza1oq2eb.jpg

Another waxbill that is common in the reserve is the Black-cheeked Waxbill. Unfortunately this little one lost its tail while struggling in the bag. The feathers will regrow in time.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Swartwangsysie_zpstnqeyz9z.jpg

This is a Goldenbreasted Bunting. They’re related to canaries. It was interesting to me since I don’t think I’ve seen them in the reserve before. They do occur in the region, but aren’t particularly common.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Streepkoppie%202_zps9pumgzkf.jpg

Another view of the Goldenbreasted Bunting. This one was panting and must have been suffering from the heat and stress.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Streepkoppie_zpsgxnpaxnf.jpg

This is a Crested Barbet. These relatives of woodpeckers are widespread and common in South Africa, often entering gardens where their trilling calls are well known. They are mainly fruit and insect eaters, and use their stout bills to excavate their hole nests in soft wood.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Kuifkophoutkapper_zps8n2az4tz.jpg

This is a juvenile Diederik Cuckoo. It is named for its ‘Dee-Dee-Dee-Deederik’ call which is a very well known sound of the bushveld. These cuckoos migrate inside Africa, and breed here. They lay their eggs in the nests of smaller birds like weavers, who are then tasked with raising the gluttonous baby cuckoos. This youngster looks in fine condition.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Diederikkie%202_zpsccgfuevh.jpg

Here you see the lovely gloss and intricate patterns of the wing and back feathers of the cuckoo. The wings are long and strong since this young cuckoo will soon be flying (along with the others) to more northern African countries.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Diederikkie%201_zpssupldlgx.jpg

Here is another youngster, a Marico Flycatcher. These flycatchers are common in our region, hawking for flies and other flying insects from branches.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Maricovlieeumlvanger%202_zpsnmbp4sga.jpg

Here you can see the flycatcher’s wings. The white spotting on the wing mark it as immature. Adult Marico flycatchers are plain brown above and white below.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Maricovlieeumlvanger_zps3qnheqgt.jpg

Another juvenile, this time an African Paradise Flycatcher. It kept its eyes closed, maybe it was too bright outside for it. Adults have bluish bills and blue rings around their eyes. The adult male in the breeding season grows its central tail feathers out very long, for lovely flying displays.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Paradysvlieeumlvanger_zpsdhxjqekw.jpg

This was for me the most special catch - an Olive-tree Warbler! They breed in a small part of Europe and the Middle East around the Mediterranean Sea. The entire population then flies to Southern Africa to spend the European winter here in the African summer! These warblers have been recorded, but very sparsely, in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is probable that they are not uncommon, but rarely seen and recognized. They are very nondescript grey birds, the only colour being the bright orange insides of their mouths.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Olyfboomsanger_zpss6oqaxfr.jpg

Here is another view of the Olive-Tree Warbler. For a warbler it is quite large. It can be identified by its size and shape, being long and slender, and by its harsh churring call.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Olyfboomsanger%202_zpsnzr0fiux.jpg

Another warbler I haven’t positively identified until today is the Icterine Warbler. It is more yellow than the Olive-Tree Warbler, but can be greyish as well. Its song is higher-pitched than that of the Olive-Tree Warbler and it is smaller, with a comparatively shorter bill.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Spotvoeumll_zpsjxqzppuq.jpg

Here is a comparison between the Icterine Warbler and another similar one, a Willow Warbler. Again the differences are relative. Both are greenish-yellow in colour, but the Willow Warbler is much smaller, with a proportionally much shorter bill.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Spotvoeumll%20en%20Hofsanger_zpsy6paixk6.jpg

Another comparison between the Icterine and Willow Warbler. The Willow Warbler has a pale eyebrow stripe going back well beyond its eye. The Icterine Warbler’s eyebrow just goes to above its eye. Icterine and Willow Warblers are both migrants who breed in Europe and Asia and then come down here in our Spring and Summer to escape the cold.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Spotvoeumll%20en%20Hofsanger%202_zpslmn2smgk.jpg

Wrapping up, another migrant. This is a female Redbacked Shrike. She doesn’t have quite as bright reddish brown a back as the adult male does, and also lacks his distinct black mask. These shrikes also fly a very long distance down to southern Africa from Europe and Asia.

http://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo45/WillemvdMerwe/Rooiruglaksman_zpsjzd89fus.jpg

There were a few other catches that I wasn’t able to photograph successfully. At any rate, it was a very informative day and I wish to thank everyone involved!

Amazing and beautiful! What a day you had! I am envious, since I put in eight hours writing about the Spanish-American War.

I think we usually call it 'banding', so at first we thought you were ringing bells at the birdies. They used to have to count the peacocks at the Memphis Zoo. They'd let the kids chase them around. Peacocks are large and not easily injured.

What a fantastic outing! Thanks for the pics!

Fabulous pics of the beautiful little birdies, Willem and to hear about how the birds are ringed.

With your identification skills you would be a huge asset to a ringing team.

What opportunities Bird Club has opened up for you,it is a joy to share your experiences particularly so because I know what it took for you get there, but got there you did and have really made the most of it Well done you

Thanks for the beautiful pictures, Willem!

I didn't know that the Willow Warblers we get here go all the way to South Africa in our winter. I know that willow warblers and chiffchaffs are almost impossible to tell apart - except for their calls.

Hi everyone, I'm glad you like the piccies! Minorvogonpoet, over here there is no trouble separating the chiffchaff from the willow warbler. The reason being the chiffchaffs park themselves way up north, in the Sahel belt just south of the Sahara, and in East Africa. The never come all the way down here as the willow warblers do!

Amazing birdies, Willem! I've never seen birdies like this, all the colours! I love the Melba Finch and the Brownhooded Kingfisher. I love them all, dear birdies!

And interesting to learn what ringing is.

Thanks, great report!