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Sociable Weaver
The sociable weaver (''Philetairus socius'') is a species of bird in the weaver family that is endemic to southern Africa. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Philetairus''. It is found in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. but their range is centered within the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. They build large compound community nests, a rarity among birds. These nests are perhaps the most spectacular structure built by any bird. Taxonomy and systematics The sociable weaver was first described by ornithologist John Latham in 1790. Alternative names include the common social weaver, common social-weaver, and social weaver. Formerly, four sub-species were recognised but the species is now considered monotypic. The sociable weaver is the only extant species in the genus ''Philetairus''. Phylogeny Based on a 2017 DNA-analysis, ''Philetairus socius'' belongs to the group of sparrow weavers (subfamily Plocepasserinae) and is most related to the genus ''Pseu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
The Tswalu Kalahari Reserve is a privately owned game reserve in the Northern Cape, South Africa. It is South Africa's largest private game reserve, covering an area of over 111,000 hectares. History The Tswalu Game Reserve in the Southern Kalahari was created by Stephen Boler. He bought dozens of farms to create a conservation reserve, introducing African wildlife back into their natural habitat, including lions, rare types of antelope, giraffes, buffalos, and zebras. The reserve is home to the world's largest population of black rhinos. To control the numbers and create a form or revenue to support the estate, there was a controversial hunting side called Tarkuni. After Stephen Boler's untimely death in 1998 on his way to Tswalu, he specified in his will that Nicky Oppenheimer should have first refusal on Tswalu, and the Oppenheimer family now owns and operates it. Hunting was stopped by the Oppenheimers and some man-made structures, farm buildings and fences were removed. Ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Offspring
In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or, in the case of sexual reproduction, two organisms. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way. This can refer to a set of simultaneous offspring, such as the chicks hatched from one clutch of eggs, or to all the offspring, as with the honeybee. Human offspring ( descendants) are referred to as children (without reference to age, thus one can refer to a parent's " minor children" or " adult children" or " infant children" or " teenage children" depending on their age); male children are sons and female children are daughters (see kinship). Offspring can occur after mating or after artificial insemination. Offspring contains many parts and properties that are precise and accurate in what they consist of, and what they define. As the offspring of a new species, also known as a child or f1 generation, consist of genes of the father and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Cobra
The Cape cobra (''Naja nivea''), also called the yellow cobra, is a moderate-sized, highly venomous species of cobra inhabiting a wide variety of biomes across southern Africa including arid savanna, fynbos, bushveld, desert and semi-desert regions. The species is diurnal and is a feeding generalist, preying on a number of different species and carrion. Predators of this species include birds of prey, honey badgers and various species of mongoose. The Cape cobra is also known as the "geelslang" (yellow snake) and "bruinkapel" (brown cobra) in South Africa. Afrikaans speaking South Africans also refer to the Cape cobra as "koperkapel" ("copper cobra"), mainly because of a rich yellow colour variation. This species has no known subspecies. Etymology ''Naja nivea'' was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The generic name ''naja'' is a Latinisation of the Sanskrit word () meaning "cobra". The specific epithet ''nivea'' is derived from the Latin words eith ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is the capital and largest city of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is located approximately 110 km east of the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The city has considerable historical significance due to its diamond mining past and the siege during the Second Anglo-Boer war. British businessmen Cecil Rhodes and Barney Barnato made their fortunes in Kimberley, and Rhodes established the De Beers diamond company in the early days of the mining town. On 2 September 1882, Kimberley was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere and the second in the world after Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States to integrate electric street lights into its infrastructure. The first stock exchange in Africa was built in Kimberley, as early as 1881. History Discovery of diamonds In 1866, Erasmus Jacobs found a small brilliant pebble on the banks of the Orange River, on the farm ''De Kalk'' leased from local Griquas, near Hopetown, which was h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polihierax Semitorquatus
The pygmy falcon (''Polihierax semitorquatus'') or African pygmy falcon is a bird species native to eastern and southern Africa. It is the smallest bird of prey on the continent. Description Adult pygmy falcons are white below and on the face, grey above, and females having a chestnut back. There are white "eye spots" on the nape. Juveniles have a brown back, duller than adult females, with a rufous wash on the breast. The flight feathers of the wings are spotted black and white (more black above, more white below); the tail is barred black and white. The flight is low and undulating. In size, pattern, and the habit of perching upright on an exposed branch or treetop, this species resembles some shrikes. The call is "a high-pitched ''kikiKIK'', repeated" (Kenya) or "a 'chip-chip' and a 'kik-kik-kik-kik'" (southern Africa). Diet and feeding Pygmy falcons prey on reptiles and insects, but will occasionally prey on small birds as well as rodents. They hunt from a perch, swoopi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashy Tit
The ashy tit (''Melaniparus cinerascens'') is a species of bird in the family Paridae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and dry savanna. The ashy tit was formerly one of the many species in the genus ''Parus ''Parus'' is a genus of Old World birds in the tit family. It was formerly a large genus containing most of the 50 odd species in the family Paridae. The genus was split into several resurrected genera following the publication of a detailed mo ...'' but was moved to '' Melaniparus'' after a molecular phylogenetic analysis published in 2013 showed that the members of the new genus formed a distinct clade. References External links * Ashy tit Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds ashy tit Birds of Southern Africa ashy tit Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Paridae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Familiar Chat
The familiar chat (''Oenanthe familiaris'') is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is a common resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara in rocky and mountainous habitat and around human habitation. Taxonomy The familiar chat was illustrated and described by the French naturalist François Levaillant in Volume 4 of his ''Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique'' published in 1805. He named the bird, "Le Traquet Familier" but did not give the species a binomial name. The binomial name ''Motacilla familiaris'' was introduced by the English publisher John Wilkes in 1817. The species was subsequently placed in the genus ''Cercomela'' introduced by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1856. Molecular phylogenetic studies published in 2010 and 2012 found that the genus ''Cercomela'' was polyphyletic with five species, including the familiar chat, phylogenetically nested within the genus '' Oenanthe''. As part of a reorganization of the species to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rosy-faced Lovebird
The rosy-faced lovebird (''Agapornis roseicollis''), also known as the rosy-collared or peach-faced lovebird, is a species of lovebird native to arid regions in southwestern Africa such as the Namib Desert. Loud and constant chirpers, these birds are very social animals and often congregate in small groups in the wild. They eat throughout the day and take frequent baths. Coloration can vary widely among populations. Plumage is identical in males and females. Lovebirds are renowned for their sleep position in which they sit side-by-side and turn their faces in towards each other. Also, females are well noted to tear raw materials into long strips, "twisty-tie" them onto their backs, and fly substantial distances back to make a nest. These birds are common in the pet industry. Taxonomy It was described by the French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot in 1818. It was originally named ''Psittacus roseicollis'' but later moved to the genus ''Agapornis'' with the other lovebirds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red-headed Finch
The red-headed finch (''Amadina erythrocephala'') (also known as the paradise finch) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,600,000 km2. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Males have vibrant red heads and chests while the females are duller. The resemblance to the cut-throat finch is unmistakable. The red-headed and cut-throat finch are the only members of the genus ''Amadina''. ''Amadinas'' with their heavy beaks resemble members of the ''Lonchura'', so they are actually more closely related to the ''Pytilias'' such as the Melba finch. Taxonomy The red-headed finch was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his '' Systema Naturae'' under the binomial name ''Loxia eryocephala'', a misspelling of ''Loxia erythrocephala''. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek ''eruthros'' meaning "red" with ''-keph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colophospermum Mopane
''Colophospermum mopane'', commonly called mopane, mopani, balsam tree, butterfly tree, or turpentine tree, is a tree in the legume family ( Fabaceae), that grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus ''Colophospermum''. Its distinctive butterfly-shaped (bifoliate) leaf and thin seed pod make it easy to identify. In terms of human use it is, together with camel thorn and leadwood, one of the three regionally important firewood trees. Range and habit It is native to Southern Africa, including Southern Angola, Zambia, Southern Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa. It grows in alkaline (high lime content) soils which are shallow and not well drained. It also grows in alluvial soils (soil deposited by rivers). Where it occurs, it is often the dominant tree species, frequently forming homogeneous stands. In Northern South Africa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is a national park in northwestern Namibia and one of the largest national parks in Africa. It was proclaimed a game reserve in March 1907 in Ordinance 88 by the Governor of German South West Africa, Friedrich von Lindequist. It was designated as ''Wildschutzgebiet'' in 1958, and was elevated to the status of a national park in 1967 by an act of parliament of the Republic of South Africa. It spans an area of and gets its name from the large Etosha pan which is almost entirely within the park. With an area of , the Etosha pan covers 23% of the total area of the national park. The area is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including several threatened and endangered species such as the black rhinoceros. The park is located in the Kunene region and shares boundaries with the regions of Oshana, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa. History Areas north of the Etosha pan were inhabited by Ovambo people, while various Otjiherero-speaking groups ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aloidendron Dichotomum
''Aloidendron dichotomum'', formerly ''Aloe dichotoma'', the quiver tree or kokerboom, is a tall, branching species of succulent plant, indigenous to Southern Africa, specifically in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, and parts of Southern Namibia. Naming Known as ''choje'' to the indigenous San people, the quiver tree gets its English common name from the San people practice of hollowing out the tubular branches of ''Aloidendron dichotomum'' to form quivers for their arrows. The specific epithet ''"dichotomum"'' refers to how the stems repeatedly branch into two ("dichotomous" branching) as the plant grows. This species was moved to the genus '' Aloidendron'' as ''Aloidendron dichotomum'' in 2013. Related species Three separate species, ''A. dichotomum'', '' A. pillansii'' and '' A. ramosissimum'' inhabit the same arid areas of the Richtersveld and the Namib Desert around the South African-Namibian border. The three have been given different ratings on the IUCN R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_young_males_fighting.jpg "Click for more on -> Tswalu Kalahari Reserve")
_flock.jpg "Click for more on -> Rosy-faced Lovebird")
