BIRD BIODIVERSITY IN YOUR SCHOOL GARDEN

HOW MANY OF THESE BIRDS CAN YOU FIND IN YOUR SCHOOL YARD?

HOUSE SPARROW
Details: medium size bird (± 15cm), has grey rump, legs and feet pinkish-brown, male and female look different; male has grey crown, reddish brown back, black throat and white cheeks, short, thick, conical (cone-shaped) black bill; female and juvenile are dull grey-brown with off-white eye-stripe; occurs all over the world, in cities and rural areas, always associated with human settlement; eats mainly seeds; in pairs, family groups or large flocks. /
COMMON MYNA
Details: medium sized bird (± 21-25cm), head and breast glossy black, white patch on wing, tail black with white tip, rest of body brown but white under the tail, bill, face and legs yellow; occurs all over the world; always near human settlement; eats fruit, seeds, insects, scraps, lizards; in pairs or groups. /
CAPE WHITE_EYE
Details: small (± 12cm) greenish-yellow bird, obvious white ring around the eye, small, sharp bill; very common in KZN in forests, woodland, gardens; usually found among leaves where it searches for food; eats mainly insects and spiders, but also small fruits and nectar - makes a hole in the flower to reach the nectar; very useful for control of aphids and beetles that eat our flowers and plants; usually in pairs or small family groups; loves to bath. /
DARK-CAPPED BULBUL
Details: medium-sized bird (± 22cm), head black, slight crest, back greyish brown, breast dark brown, belly white, 'bum' yellow, legs and feet black, bill black, sharp; common in KZN, Gauteng, Mpumalanga; occurs in woodland, forest edges, gardens; eats mainly fruit but also nectar and insects; mostly in pairs. /
SPECKLED MOUSEBIRD
Details: smallish brown bird with long pointed tail, black face, slight crest, bill short and thick, black above and paler below, legs and feet purplish-brown to dull red; common in eastern South Africa; occurs in bushveld, edges of dense vegetation, gardens - usually in vegetation not on ground; eats mainly fruit; usually in groups. /
LAUGHING DOVE
Details: medium-sized bird (± 25cm), chest deep red-rust colour with black spots, head pinkish grey, back cinnamon, wings cinnamon and blue, belly white, bill black, legs and feet purplish-red; common all over South Africa; in most habitats, in gardens, usually forages (searching for food) on the ground; eats mostly seeds; solitary (alone), in pairs and flocks; likes to sun-bathe on the ground with wings stretched out. /
VILLAGE WEAVER
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WHITE-BELLIED SUNBIRD
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COMMON FISCAL
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YELLOW-BILLED KITE
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HADEDA
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BARN SWALLOW
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BARN OWL
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