Sagittarius serpentarius Secretarybird Sekretarisvoël
Grootfontein, Nov 2018
A breeding resident. Uncommon. Single birds or pairs occur widely but very sparsely across the Waterberg (recorded in 16% of the Waterberg pentads). They are largely confined to open landscapes where past or present cultivation has replaced woodland with open, mostly treeless country. Pairs may breed at any time of the year and their nest, which may be reused in successive breeding attempts, is a large platform of sticks placed on a flat-topped tree. A nestling ('Bling') from a nest at Sondela Nature Reserve (Bela Bela) was fitted with a tracker in Jan 2013 and it ranged as far as Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana before returning in Dec to the Springbok Flats where it eventually killed itself by flying into powerlines.
A breeding resident. Uncommon. Single birds or pairs occur widely but very sparsely across the Waterberg (recorded in 16% of the Waterberg pentads). They are largely confined to open landscapes where past or present cultivation has replaced woodland with open, mostly treeless country. Pairs may breed at any time of the year and their nest, which may be reused in successive breeding attempts, is a large platform of sticks placed on a flat-topped tree. A nestling ('Bling') from a nest at Sondela Nature Reserve (Bela Bela) was fitted with a tracker in Jan 2013 and it ranged as far as Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana before returning in Dec to the Springbok Flats where it eventually killed itself by flying into powerlines.
Welgevonden Game Reserve, Nov 2010
Modimolle
These birds nest and roost on top of flat-crowned trees, in this instance, an Umbrella thorn, Vachellia tortilis
These birds nest and roost on top of flat-crowned trees, in this instance, an Umbrella thorn, Vachellia tortilis
Loubad, Aug 2009
Dorset, Jun 2018
The nest here is on top of a Naboom, Euphorbia ingens
The nest here is on top of a Naboom, Euphorbia ingens