Tag: tail

Fluff

The common eland is the slowest antelope, with a peak speed of 40 kph that tires them quickly. However, they can maintain a 22 kph trot indefinitely. Elands are capable of jumping up to 2.5 m from a standing start when startled. The common eland’s life expectancy is generally between 15 and 20 years. Eland herds are accompanied by a loud clicking sound that has been subject to considerable speculation. It is believed that the weight of the animal causes the two halves of its hooves to splay apart, and the clicking is the result of the hoof snapping together when the animal raises its leg. The sound carries some distance from a herd and may be a form of communication.

Fluff

Picture of the day, Wildlife

Perched

The African stonechat is a species of the Old World flycatcher family. The males have a black head, a white half-collar, a black back, a white rump, and a black tail; the wings are black with a large white patch on the top side of the inner wing. The upper breast is usually dark orange-red, with a sharp or gradual transition to white or pale orange on the lower breast and belly depending on subspecies. In a few, black replaces the orange breast feathers in part or entirely. Its scientific name refers to its appearance and habitat and means “collared rock-dweller”.
PS: First time I’ve seen a tick on a bird?

Perched

Picture of the day, Wildlife

Goose-step

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.

Goose-step

Picture of the day, Wildlife