Malachite Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

This Jewel-like little bird has become a frequent visitor to garden fishponds in many parts of Africa south of the Sahara. Since it arrives silently, and because of its size, it is frequently overlooked and may take many small fish from your pond before departing.  It perches on foliage close to the water and plunge-dive for its pray before setting off like an arrow for the next fishpond. 

In common with the Giant Kingfisher, the Malachite excavates a tunnel in a bank with a nest-chamber at the far end, the tunnel being up to a meter in length.   Three to five eggs are laid. The Malachite Kingfisher has a black bill which indicates an immature bird.  The Adults has a red bill.  After some time the nest-chamber becomes littered with fish bones and insect remains.  

The Kingfisher eats small fish, tadpoles, frogs and dragonflies and can only be attracted by a garden pond.  The introduction of small indigenous fish will prove less costly than slow-breeding goldfish.  It is a good idea to provide a perch in the pond for the Malachite Kingfisher.  This can take the form of a rock or a stick and has a real advantage for kingfisher-watchers in that the kingfisher will return to the rock or stick with its catch and proceed to immobilise it by beating it on the rock before swallowing. 

Attract a Hoopoe

Hoopoe

This dove-sized Cinnamon-brown bird with its conspicuous erectile chest and curved bill is well

known and unmistakeable, being equally at home in the bushveld or the average garden.  Its flight is low and undulating with a butterfly-like quality, an impression created by its black and white wing barring.

The Hoopoe also known as the Hoephoep (Upupa epops) feeds mostly on insects and their larvae or worms obtained by probing in the ground with its bill, but it will also eat small lizards and small snakes when the opportunity occurs.  The sexes are similar, the female being a little duller, while the juvenile is a small, scruffy version of the female. 

The Hoopoe nests in a cavity in a wall, an old tree, termite mound or beneath the eaves of a house sometimes using the same nest in successive years.  The nest is unlined and the two to six eggs are incubated by the female for 17 days.  The chicks remain in the nest for up to 32 days and fed by both parents.  The nest assumes a strong musky odour.  When laid the Hoopoe’s eggs are bluish-white or olive-green, but during incubation they fade to brownish or greyish colour.

The Hoopoe is a common garden bird in Europe, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and Asia. The most northern populations migrate to tropical regions during the winter months. The birds populating Africa and Southeast Asia are resident in their range.  It may however be difficult to attract a Hoopoe to a bird table.  Where bone-meal is regular provided it is possible that the Hoopoe will take to picking up the fallen scraps and may, thereafter, take it directly from the table.

A different method to try to attract a Hoopoe

A different method to try to attract a Hoopoe would be to place an artificial nest of the correct dimensions, a horizontally placed pipe or hollow log being ideal. The inside dimensions should measure approximately 45 - 60 cm x 20 cm.  One end should be well sealed and the opening at the opposite end reduced to a narrow vertical slit not more than 8 cm wide x 10 cm deep. (The Hoopoe likes to squeeze though the entrance gap).  The pipe or log should be securely fixed to a tree or a high wall well before the start spring.

Giant Kingfisher Habitat

Giant Kingfisher

This, the largest of our kingfishers, has become a frequent visitor to garden fishponds in many parts of South Africa, especially where properties border quiet rivers.  It has a voracious appetite and will often attempt to seize a fish too large for it to handle.  On the other hand, on rivers it consumes many crabs as well as fish. 

The Giant Kingfisher is unmistakable, with dark plumage, large crested head and massive bill; the male with a chestnut breast and female with a chestnut belly.

The Giant Kingfisher breeds August-January and excavates a tunnel a meter or more in length in a riverbank.  A chamber is excavated at the far end in which three to five eggs are laid.  It is known that both parents feed the young while they are in the nest and for some time after fledging.

Hadeda Ibis Nesting Habits

Hadeda Ibis

This large bird has entered urban areas in many parts of South Africa and has become a frequent

garden visitor in some reagents.  It forges about in flowerbeds, on lawns and in compost heaps, probing the ground with its long curved bill in search of subterranean insects and their larvae.  It does not eat seeds or plants and so is a useful ally to the gardener and soon become remarkably tolerant of human presence.  An unmistakable bird, its size and bill shape and, in good light, a bright, coppery-pink sheen on the folded wing revealing its identity.

It is unlikely that the Hadedas will visit garden bird tables, but provided they are resident in the urban district, will visit the average large garden to forage, and may perch on trees, walls and rooftops.

Attract the Hamerkop

Hammerkop

This largish, all-brown bird with its strange, backwards-projecting chest and long black legs is unmistakable and well know as a bird of inland waterways.  Yet, in many urban areas close to rivers, the Hammerkop (Scopus umbretta) becomes a regular fishpond visitor, especially in the cooler months.  At the fishpond, it is mainly interested in frogs, but will certainly seize a fish if it can.  Often, in order to flush out its pray, it will walk quickly across floating lily leaves, and then suddenly turn around to see if anything has been disturbed.

The Hamerkop’s nest must be the larges of any bird in Africa.  A massive dome of sticks, reeds and sorted debris measuring some one and a half meters across and placed in the fork of a tree or on a rock near the water. 

Hamerkop in the garden

Any garden pond is likely to attract the Hamerkop if it consists of frogs or fish.  Favoured visit times are the early hours of the morning, and it will often herald its approach by calling in flight.  At other times, it might arrive silently and may spend much time in the pond with out being detected. 

Eco Owl Boxes

If you are not superstitious, you will welcome any owl on your roof, hunting small rodents and other delicious creatures that are swallowed whole.  Hunting takes place at night, and although they have good eyesight, they rely mostly on their sense of hearing to locate their prey. Their ears, set one higher than the other, helps them to pinpoint sound. The left ear captures sounds from below while the right ear receives sounds from above.

These beautiful creatures provide us with an environmental friendlier alternative to pest control.  Instead of making use of  harmful pesticides to manage rodent and pest infestations, home owners are encouraged to put up owl nesting boxes to increase the number of owls in the area, and reduce the numbers of pests in the garden.

If you are considering an location for your own owl box these suggestions may be helpful. 
Owl's do not necessarily hunt close to their owl box and may rather adopt a box located in a area that is away from human activity, roads and railways where food supply is dependable. Place the box facing an open area that is not to close to dense trees.  Admittedly, it may be difficult to attract an owl to adopt a box.  If you need a little help, try attracting garden friendly insect, worms, frogs.

Under normal circumstances barn owls lay about 5 to 6 eggs at 2-3 day intervals. Each egg hatches after about 31 days incubation; so by the time the last egg hatches the eldest owlet could be three weeks old. The owlets do not fly very well at first and will sit and play close to the ground. A truly unforgettable experience to watch!

Once owls have bred in a box they will continue to use it year after year and will remain in the vicinity in order to protect their territory.

Nocturnal Bird Feeder

Lots of birds, especially nocturnal types like owls and the water dikkop, love to eat moths.  To
prepare a delicacy that will not only attract moths but nocturnal birds too.  A swath of this broth painted on a tree is sure to attract all moths you need.

You will need:

A rotten banana, peach or yellow pear.

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

1 paintbrush

1 plate

Preparation

• Mash the rotten fruit
• Add the brown sugar and water and mix to form a thin past
• Pour the paste onto a plate and leave in the sun for two days, taking care to bring the plate indoors at night.
• After two days paint the broth onto a smooth tree trunk in a dark spot of your garden.  Take care not to choose a tree close to the house, remember moths attracted to indoor lights you may leave on at night.
• Sneak up at night to see how many moths are eating the broth.
• Make yourself comfortable and watch who comes to dine on the moths.

You may also keep a dish of moth broth near an outside light, as this will attract insects other than moths and in turn, some less shy birds.  Hang a light near a pond to attract insects that frogs and toads like to eat.  If you have frogs in your garden you may be lucky enough to attract the spotted eagle owl.