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Umdoni Bird Sanctuary
Umdoni Bird Sanctuary is situated in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The sanctuary is often simply referred to as The Bird Park by locals or as Amanzimtoti Bird Sanctuary. The area is roughly 4 hectare, ha of land including a dam on a tributary of the Amanzimtoti River. There are picnic areas and forest trails. A kilometer-long trail runs through the sanctuary. There are three hides on the trail from which visitors can watch some of the 150 species of birds that inhabit the sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to large flocks of Plectropterus gambensis, Spur-winged geese and Dendrocynga viduata, White-faced ducks. The sanctuary was also home to the southernmost breeding pair of Gypohierax angolensis, Palm-nut vultures in 2009. Apaloderma narina, Narina trogons are also often sighted here and the endangered Zoothera guttata, Spotted ground-thrush has been seen. Blue duiker and endangered Cape clawless otters frequent the sanctuary. Gallery [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amanzimtoti
Amanzimtoti is a coastal town just south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is well known for its warm climate and numerous beaches, and is a popular tourist destination, particularly with surfers. The annual sardine run attracts many to the Toti beaches. Etymology According to local legend, when the Zulu king Shaka led his army down the south coast on a raid against the Pondos in 1828, he rested on the banks of a river. When drinking the water, he exclaimed "Kanti amanzi amtoti" (isiZulu: "So the water is sweet"). The river came to be known as Amanzimtoti ("Sweet Waters"). The Zulu word for "sweet" is actually ''mnandi'', but, as Shaka's mother had the name Nandi, he invented the word ''mtoti'' to replace ''mnandi'' out of respect not to wear out her name. Locals frequently refer to the town as "Toti".Howard, G. (April 2000). South Coast Sun: ''Times of Toti''. In 2009 the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Geographical Names Committee recommended changing the town's name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Duiker
The blue duiker (''Philantomba monticola'') is a small antelope found in central, southern and eastern Africa. It is the smallest duiker. The species was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1789. 12 subspecies are identified. The blue duiker reaches at the shoulder and weighs . Sexually dimorphic, the females are slightly larger than the males. The dark tail measures slightly above . It has short, spiky horns, around long and hidden in hair tufts. The subspecies show a great degree of variation in their colouration. The blue duiker bears a significant resemblance to Maxwell's duiker. Activity is diurnal (limited to daytime). Secretive and cautious, the blue duiker confines itself to the forest fringes. Territorial, individuals of opposite sexes form pairs and occupy territories, nearly large and marked by preorbital gland secretions. The blue duiker feeds on fallen fruits, foliage, flowers and pieces of bark, provided mainly by the forest canopie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bird Sanctuaries Of South Africa
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the ostrich. There are about ten thousand living species, more than half of which are passerine, or "perching" birds. Birds have whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimmi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Mother-of-pearl Umdoni 14 06 2010 1
Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally common land, now a park in London, UK * Common Moss, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Lexington Common, a common land area in Lexington, Massachusetts * Salem Common Historic District, a common land area in Salem, Massachusetts People * Common (rapper) (born 1972), American hip hop artist, actor, and poet * Andrew Ainslie Common (born 1841), English amateur astronomer * Andrew Common (born 1889), British shipping director * John Common, American songwriter, musician and singer * Thomas Common (born 1850), Scottish translator and literary critic Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Common'' (film), a 2014 BBC One film, written by Jimmy McGovern, on the UK's Joint Enterprise Law * Dol Common, a character in ''The Alchemist'' b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey (''Chlorocebus pygerythrus''), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus '' Chlorocebus''. The five distinct subspecies can be found mostly throughout Southern Africa, as well as some of the eastern countries. Vervets were introduced to Florida, St. Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, and Cape Verde. These mostly herbivorous monkeys have black faces and grey body hair color, ranging in body length from about for females, to about for males. In addition to behavioral research on natural populations, vervet monkeys serve as a nonhuman primate model for understanding genetic and social behaviors of humans. They have been noted for having human-like characteristics, such as hypertension, anxiety, and social and dependent alcohol use. Vervets live in social groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals, with males moving to other groups at the time of sexual ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spur-winged Geese
The spur-winged goose (''Plectropterus gambensis'') is a large bird in the family Anatidae, related to the geese and the shelducks, but distinct from both of these in a number of anatomical features, and therefore treated in its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae. It occurs in wetlands throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Description Adults are long and weigh on average , rarely up to , with males noticeably larger than the females. The wingspan can range from .Ogilvie & Young, ''Wildfowl of the World''. New Holland Publishers (2004), One source claims the average weight of males is around and the weight of females is around . However, 11 geese of this species banded in South Africa were found to average only , with a range of .''CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses, 2nd Edition'' by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (2008), . Another study in South Africa found that 58 males weighed an average of and measured in total length; while 34 females averaged in weight and in tota ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Egyptian Geese
The Egyptian goose (''Alopochen aegyptiaca'') is a member of the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley. Egyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians, and appeared in much of their artwork. Because of their popularity chiefly as an ornamental bird, escapees are common and feral populations have become established in Western Europe, the United States, and New Zealand. Taxonomy The Egyptian goose is believed to be most closely related to the shelducks (genus ''Tadorna'') and their relatives, and is placed with them in the subfamily Tadorninae. It is the only extant member of the genus ''Alopochen'', which also contains closely related prehistoric and recently extinct species. mtDNA cytochrome ''b'' sequence data suggest that the relationships of ''Alopochen'' to ''Tadorna'' need further investigation. Etymology The generic name ''Alopochen'' (literally, ''fox-goose'') is based on Greek (''alōpó ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Peafowl
The Indian peafowl (''Pavo cristatus''), also known as the common peafowl, and blue peafowl, is a peafowl species native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been introduced to many other countries. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are referred to as peahens, even though peafowl of either sex are often referred to colloquially as "peacocks". Indian peafowl display a marked form of sexual dimorphism. The peacock is brightly coloured, with a predominantly blue fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers and is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colourful eyespots. These stiff feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. Despite the length and size of these covert feathers, peacocks are still capable of flight. Peahens lack the train, have a white face and iridescent green lower neck, and dull brown plumage. The Indian peafowl lives mainly on the ground in o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Clawless Otter
The African clawless otter (''Aonyx capensis''), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub-Saharan Africa. It is characterised by partly webbed and clawless feet, from which their name is derived. The word 'aonyx' means clawless, derived from the prefix a- ("without") and onyx ("claw/hoof"). Taxonomy ''Aonyx capensis'' is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and of the order Carnivora. The earliest known species of otter, ''Potamotherium valetoni'', occurred in the upper Oligocene of Europe: ''A. capensis'' first appears in the fossil record during the Pleistocene. ''Aonyx'' is closely related to the extinct giant Sardinian otter, ''Megalenhydris''. Subspecies ''Mammal Species of the World'' lists six subspecies of the African clawless otter: * ''A. c. capensis'' (Schinz, 1821) * ''A. c. hindei'' (Thomas, 1905) * ''A. c. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zoothera Guttata
The spotted ground thrush (''Geokichla guttata'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and possibly Mozambique. Description These birds are about 23 cm in length, with brown upper parts and white to off-white lower parts which are darkly spotted. Habitat Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. Biology and behaviour The spotted ground thrush spends much of its time in leaf-litter on the forest floor where it flicks through the leaves in search of small invertebrates, and despite its distinctive colouration, it is often difficult to see.M. Purves, 2010 In KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean and sharing borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city is Durban. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, with slightly fewer residents than Gauteng. Two areas in KwaZulu-Natal have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. These areas are extremely scenic as well as important to the surrounding ecosystems. During the 1830s and early 1840s, the northern part of what is now KwaZulu-Natal was established as the Zulu Kingdom while the southern part was, briefly, the Boer Nata ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apaloderma Narina
__NOTOC__ The Narina trogon (''Apaloderma narina'') is a largely green and red, medium-sized (32–34 cm long), bird of the family Trogonidae. It is native to forests and woodlands of the Afrotropics. Though it is the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of the three ''Apaloderma'' species, their numbers are locally depleted due to deforestation. Some populations are sedentary while others undertake regular movements. The species name commemorates Narina, mistress of French ornithologist François Levaillant, whose name he derived from a Khoikhoi word for "flower", as her given name was difficult to pronounce. Description left, 160px, It is sexually dimorphic, with males more brightly coloured. Both sexes have vivid, gingery green upperpart plumage. The tail feathers have a metallic blue-green gloss. The outer three rectices on each side are tipped and fringed white, giving the undertail of perched birds a characteristic white appearance (compare bar-tailed trogon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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