Beautiful Botswana Birds

Lilac Breasted Roller

Birds!  Birds!  Birds!

We went to Botswana wanting to see animals.  Big Animals!  Isn't that what everyone goes for?  What we weren't expecting was to find that there are over 550 recorded species of birds in Botswana.  Their habitat ranges from wet delta to desert bush and they have both waterbirds and dry-country species. There are dazzlingly brilliantly colored birds.  Others have vivid patterns.  Some are quietly designed to blend in.  The total equals amazing sights.  October through April they have great numbers of migratory birds. While it helps to have a keen eye and good binoculars, better yet is a skilled guide pointing out the birds. The guides we had were amazing.  They are superb multi-taskers.  They can drive, follow the tracks of all sorts of wildlife, listen to the messages from the animals and birds, and spot creatures of all sizes from high up in the tree tops to those scurrying to hide under a bush.  All this while helping us with our cameras, teaching us about our surroundings, and answering all our questions.

These birds were all photographed at the Duma Tau Camp.

I call this my Christmas Tree.

 The tree was filled with African Bee Eaters.

African Bee Eaters.

Saddle Billed Stork before his dance.

This stork performed the most magnificent fishing ballet.  I've published only a few of the many pictures I took.

His partner joined the stage.

Yellow Billed Hornbill

Guinea Fowl

Lapwing Plover

Starling

Red-Crested Korhaan

Tawny Eagle

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Helmeted Guinea fowl

Pied Kingfisher

Fish Eagle

I gave up trying to learn the names of all the birds.