African wattled lapwings are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are large brown waders with a black crown, white forehead and large yellow facial wattles. The tail is white, tipped black, and the long legs are yellow. In flight, the upper wings have black flight feathers and brown coverts separated by a white bar. The underwings are white with black flight feathers. The African wattled lapwing has a loud peep-peep call.
The hadeda is a large (about 76 cm long), grey-to-partly brown species of ibis. It has a narrow, white, roughly horizontal stripe across its cheeks. This is sometimes called the “moustache” though it does not reach the mouth corners. The plumage over the wings has an iridescent purple sheen. The bird has blackish legs and a large grey-to-black bill with a red stripe on the upper mandible. The upper surfaces of the toes are of a similar red. The wings are powerful and broad, enabling quick take-offs and easy manoeuvring through dense tree cover. It has an extremely loud and distinctive “haa-haa-haa-de-dah” call—hence the name.
The Red-knobbed Coot is largely black except for the white facial shield. As a swimming species, it has partial webbing on its long strong toes. During the breeding season, the adults develop two dark red knobs at the top of the frontal shield. Outside the breeding season, these are reduced in size and not as brightly coloured. They inhabit freshwater lakes and ponds. They are common on open water but mostly confined to the West. They are rare on the coast and absent from the arid desert regions. They usually form flocks which range in size from small groups of 10-12 individuals to larger, loose-knit groups.
