Here on the Portfolio Travel Blog we have Monument Mondays, Tasty Tuesdays, Wildlife Wednesdays - and now we add Birding Thursdays to our weekly regular slots. We hope you enjoy!
We'll be using this slot to learn more about South African birds, as well as giving tips on great places to enjoy bird watching in South Africa, and promoting Avitourism events as well.
For our very first Birding Thursday we look at our national bird
South Africa's National bird: The Blue Crane
Name:This tall ground dwelling bird is also known as the Stanley Crane and the Paradise Crane.
Appearance: It is actually fairly small by the standards of the
crane family. and stands between100–120 cm. As its name suggests, this crane is a pale blue-gray in colour with a white crown, a pink bill, and long, dark gray wingtip feathers which trail to the ground. Very pretty!
Habitat and location: Blue cranes lay their eggs in the bare veld, often close to water. They are common in the Karoo, but are also seen in the grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal and the highveld, usually in pairs or small family parties.
Call: Although usually quiet, the blue crane can emit a distinctive high-pitched and rattling croak which can be heard from some distance.
Info Source: and www.southafrica.info and Wikipedia
