South Africa 2011: Kruger National Park Photo Report 2 – The Birds
On our self-drive safari adventure in Kruger National Park (see previous entry on the “Big Five” here) we were amazed at the sheer variety and exoticism of the birds we saw. Apparently over 400 species (resident and migratory) call Kruger home, at least for part of the year. The park is really well set-up for birdwatching, with many hides set up next to waterholes and so on, and while I would not in any way call myself a twitcher, I did at least take an interest in what birds crossed paths with me, which is more than I can say at other times in my life.
In any event, we were lucky enough to encounter these fellows during our time in Kruger:
Scops Owl
Common/Steppe Buzzard
Goliath Heron
Cape Glossy Starling
Southern Masked Weaver
Southern Ground-Hornbill with Scorpion
Common Bulbul in a Bird Bath
Lilac Breasted Roller
Martial Eagle in Flight
Crested Barbet
Guinea Fowl
A few more bird shots can be found on my Flickr set here.
Next up: some more of the fantastic creatures lurking around the Kruger…
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Mortal Coil 
I TOTALLY thought that was a fake bird in your Freshly Pressed pic. WOW!
Congrats, by the way — great post. 🙂
Very nice shots. Thank you for sharing, and happy thanksgiving!
Outstanding shots!
Thanks for sharing. Very interesting birds I’m surprised i haven’t seen a National Geographic on them
Which ones make that baby crying sound? I drove me nuts when I went to Africa this summer! Was it the third one? (I do miss that bird sound, makes me laugh in the middle of breakfast).
Have a great thanksgiving!
I think those are Hardida bird, there isn’t a pic of them here. They’re all over Johannesburg crying all the time! – Boring Cape Town Chick
I’m telling you, God makes some beautiful things. Connie
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wicked awesome shots…congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
blueskywoman
totally amazing creatures! the world is wonder
They’re all beautiful. I loved the bird in the fountain the best.
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Stunning shots! Especially The Crested Barbet…wow
Very nicely done photos. As an avid birder I thank you. Would be a great trip!
These photos are awesome!! Just beautiful!
I work with a couple of South Africans and they’re always talking about how beautiful the scenery and wildlife is there…now I finally know what they mean! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Love the hornbill — he seems to be thinking, “Well somebody’s gotta eat it.”
these are amazing photos
This is beautiful!
I was born, raised and live in South Africa, this country is beautiful and I am always amazed by what you can find on a single days trip in the Kruger 🙂
These birds are spectacular!
Fabulous, just fabulous. Thanks so much for sharing these. Awesome.
Fantastic pictures!!
These are beautiful pictures! Some almost seem like still lifes, while others are clearly captured moments in time (the bird in the fountain and the flying eagle with the gently bending feathers).
I’m coming to love birds more and more. These are simply gorgeous. Thanks for posting them!
Wow! Wonderul shots – beautiful birds.
Wow! You got all my fave birds there. Only one not tere is the Carmine Bee-eater. It’s also a stunner. Your shots are fantastic.
such beautiful beautiful pictures.. they are just amazing..Thanks for sharing with us.. 😀
thank you..
thanks.
Beautiful shots! We have many lovely birds here in Florida but they aren’t as colorful as the shots you took. Magical and amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, how beautiful!
amazing photos… amazing creatures… love your post
I fell inlove with the Cape Glossy Starling. She’s such a beauty. By the way, I hope that’s a female Cape Glossy Starling. Hehe …
Those are some magnificent photos and birds
Absolutely love the photo of the owl and the bird taking a bath – love bird photos:) Thanks for sharing and Congrats on being FP!
Really beautiful photos great work!
Hey great bird shots! Kruger is such a beautiful place to visit.
I miss that country. Nice job on bringing back old memories of these birds.
Very cool winged shares!
stunning photos! reminds me how precious our planet is. I hope these birds remain safe and flourish.
I am a bird lover so I think your photographs are amazingly beautiful and poetic. I am having one of those “wish I was there” moments.
This is my favourite Southern African bird. Boring in colours but any creature that hangs up it’s lunch in order to turn it into biltong is proudly South African! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Fiscal
What stunning shots! Some of those birds are amazing, the barbet and roller look like some of the art birds I’ve come across! We have a series of birds taken by naturalist photographers in various locations around the world, although we’re based in India. Here’s one of my favorite: http://raxacollective.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/bird-of-the-day-great-hornbill-gavi-india/
Congrats on the Fresh Pressing!
Just lovely! THanks for sharing~
Wow gorgeous pictures. What camera were you using?
such beautiful species! Thanks so much for capturing and sharing these nice shots!
Absolutely gorgeous!
It’s the first time I’ve seen a starling that looks good. Nice photos.
Wow, really great pics! This makes me excited, I’m going to visit Kruger in Dec. for the first time 🙂
On the night before Thanksgiving it was strange to see bird relatives of the turkey looking so colorful, alluring and beautiful.
Ronnie
Wow, just wow! Thanks for sharing your talent, and the gorgeous photos of the birds. What bought you to South Africa?
This is amazing. Congrats!
Amazing, that barbet is incredible!
it’s very naice…….naic still’
‘
Good photos and good to see South African photos make freshly pressed 🙂
Wow, great photos, that crested barbet is spectacular.
Thanks everyone for all the comments, compliments and notes. It’s great to see so much positive feedback!
Absolutely stunning photography…what beautiful birds grace our lovely country. Thanks for sharing…
Your photos are stunning and so colourfull! Been Kruger once and never forget it…
OMG this is brilliant!!!! I loved the pictures!!!! Great Job!! Such vivid colours. Which camera did you use?
Mite this is awesome pics.
great shotsssss.
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I love the Heron. Is that a croc behind it in the water?
Amazing birds, the Crested Barbet is such a beauty!
Amazing photos, combining wonderful action shots of birds in flight and the resplendent colours standing out on the stationery ones.
Thanks for sharing, Marc.
What kit do you use?
Fantastic images! Looks like you had a great time in my country 🙂
stunning pictures
Truly awesome capture:))
Wonderful shots of incredibly beautiful birds! My fav is the Lilac Breasted Roller – something tiny, but beautiful! Excellent work! Well done!
I love Bird. People do..,
There are must be endangered species that must be preserved.
Great Images and Have a ” Freshly Pressed ” Day 🙂
oh gosh this is GREAT photography!!!!!!! What camera do you use?
They are pretty 🙂
Wonderful pics, makes me want to return to South Africa
Wow, amazing pictures and very cool birds! Thanks for sharing and congrats on being freshly pressed!
Those are such a beautiful places and birds. I am dreaming of visiting South Africa in person one day! Thank you for sharing!
I was totally swept away with these beautiful shots! Amazing creatures, vivd colors, so full of life! Can I grab some of these photos to use for an online education site, if you don’t mind? of course, I’d like an approval first 🙂 thanks!
Beautifully done. Congrats on being FP’d.
Great photos!
😀
Lovely place really…I was in Kruger National Park two years ago
you can find animals big colection
Some beautiful pictures and amazing colours. Love the crested barbet.
beautiful
What awesome photos! They bring back wonderful memories of my time there of a few years ago. One of the most amazing moments was when our Zimbabwean guide took us to a watering hole at dusk and we sat there riveted watching a group of hippos glide silently through the water – unforgettable! I was on a professional wine trip to South Africa and this was a fantastic add-on to our trip.
If you have never seen it you need to check out Battle of Kruger:
Baie dankie.
Thanks for sharing this video clip…that is by far one of the most amazing bits of footage showing a battle for survival…not at all what your comment said…I didn’t see any hippos.
Lion against Buffalo with an intermezzo of crocodile (@3:44-4:12)…fascinating.
This was riveting…it ends better than you might think…worth the watch.
These bird shots are stunning!
Beautiful Birds
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COol photos.. Makes me drool to get me one of those expensive fast zoom lenses.
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Lovely pictures. My personal favourite is the Scops Owl.
That Goliath Heron is about to become lunch for a crocodile.
Love the prehistoric looking hornbill. Get that scorpion!
Loves «scops owl» and «southern masked weaver»! I hope one day can visit Krüger myself 😀
You have some excellent shots here! I recognize some of the birds from my own trip to Kruger. Very nice.
Brilliant! The scenes, the colours.. Just great! 🙂
I love the birdbath photo…
Beautiful bird pics, quite extraordinary! Brilliant colours.
Sweet Pics! Have not yet been to S. Africa but now we definitely have to.
Angel & Mariel
Great pix, but wow – that crested barbet is amazing!! All those colours!
Excellent shot Thumbs up 🙂
My parents used to take us camping in Kruger. Your pictures are beautiful and bring back good memories of my parents pouring over bird books, my Dad trying to help me identify birds and my big family fighting over the two pairs of binoculars we had! The best bird sighting we had was a pair of Fish Eagles mating. Spectacular!
Thanks for bringing back some good memories 🙂
Great collection of photos. Nature sure can mix and match any color and get away with it!!! Thanks for sharing.
That owl is majestic, if it’s eyes were closed might even be camouflage with the tree.
I love that pic
Cheers
-Ron
How to DJ
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This is amazing, my fav is Cape Glossy Starling, nice shoot.. and the eagle’s awesome !!
Wow! From someone who has spent time at both Kruger & the Okavanga Delta in Botswana, I can say that the birds are INCREDIBLY hard to photograph. They are all fantastic and beautifully, and you captured them so well!! (my pictures of the lilac breasted roller are pitiful in comparison). I hope you have enjoyed every minute! The nature there is awe-striking.
These are absolutely stunning shots!
Absolutely was awed by the Crested Barbet. I have never seen a colorful bird like this. Thanks for the Thanksgiving present. Really fabulous!
Fantastic photos. I really enjoy the positions you catch them in.
Refreshingly beautiful…feast for the eyes.
Incredibly beautiful. Wish I could take pictures like that. Wonder what kind of camera, lens, etc. were used. It’s a real feast for the eyes … thanks for sharing. A real privilege.
what an amazing set of photos. great work
The colours on the birds are a feast for the eyes . I love birds. Thanks for the pictures
Awesome photos of these kool & rare birds.Thanks for presenting a such informative stuff.:)
wow, they are so beautiful and special! thanks for sharing! Happy thanks giving day!
Wonderful pics, thanks for sharing them!
The bird bath shot is fantastic.
How did you get such sharp pictures? Really amazing 🙂
amazing pictures the colours in the birds are very nice to look at .
Amazing pictures!
So impressive, I have never seen those beautiful and colorful birds at one time.
Thanks for sharing, really nice shots.
Cool!
But I think our Philippine Eagle is better!
Although there are few left…
Sad…
😦
Wow!!!!!!!!!!! Superb, it was beautiful picts of the day for me.
Love to explore and share ,free our mind as the wing of them(birds).
Let’s fly high as you can do to the world……….
amazing pics!
Ilove those birds! Incredible photos!
Wow! Those pictures are great!
Great photos! I so love it. I hope those birds are well taken care of.
I love it…
Beautiful photos! Wow, you were right about the variety!
Amazing shots…totally psychedelic colors. Love it!
Wonderful! I really love birds and I’ve never seen such beautiful birds! And those colors! Great job!
Thank You…great photography!
Great photos. Want to go there!
Wow amazing bird shots!!! Scops owl – absolute favourite!
Beautiful birds, wonderful colours! 🙂
Wow! It seems to me a beautiful park! And the birds are beautiful, have beautiful colors and strange shapes, but very beautiful to see. Beautiful photos! I’d like to go to Kruger Park.
I love birds. These pictures are amazing!
beautiful shot
The pics feel like they’re in 3D….stunning…
As a South African I can happily agree…we have a country filled with awesome wildlife photo opportunities, sometimes even in our own backyards! Nice shots.
Hmm…I think those all are unusually birds I can see around me. Maybe because I’m trapped in the middle of tropical rainforest in Sumatra Island. Anyway, thanks for the sharing. Very great photos 🙂
amazing
beautiful bird in africa
Gorgeous!!!
The owl and the bulbull really capture my heart. Merci!
Just lovely. I could look at birds all day.
Beautiful birds. Wonderful photos.
Fantastic photos of the Bulbul and crested Barbet.
Outstanding photography! I especially like that magnificent Owl! God bless you & your sites visitors, amen.
Wow…great shots…I just love the massive variety of different creatures (especially birds) that there are out there. Their Starlings are just a little more glamorous than ours…!
Simply Stunning
I visited South Africa in August and didn’t see that many birds in the parks. I did go to Birds of Eden, near Plettenberg Bay and that was amazing. Lovely photos.
I live in Cape Town, I still need to head up to the Kruger sometime! Awesome pics!
Love the bird-bath photo! What a snap!
Hej from Sweden!
Oh my goodness what absolutely beautiful photos!! Thank you so much for sharing them with all of us!!!! What fantastic shots you were able to get. Love, love, love them all!!
You captured some wonderful moments! Well done!!
Love this post!
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Beautiful shots!
My favourite has to be the crested barbet. I should go on a safari it looks like its a great experience. You never know just how much there is in the world until you actually get out there and really look. 😀
Gorgeous photos . Wonderfull place.
wow really nice photos. keep traveling.
Pretty pictures!
amazing photo’s
What fabulous photos – congratulations! I adore the birds of Southern Africa and have tried so hard to get a good shot of my all-time favourite (to look at) The Crested Barbet – such an amazing bird, it’s hard to believe they’re not a figment of your imagination! Have you got any of Diedrick’s Cuckoo? When I hear this, I am back in Botswana/South Africa/Zimbabwe. Keep up the good work xx
I LOVE the Owl he is so adorable!
Very nice shots !!! I love the Owl too !! 😀 Just go on man.
Captivating photos! . . . Great resolution! Really feel like I’m “up close and personal” with that owl! Especially like the picture of the Bulbul taking a bath in the fountain!
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Awesome!!!
I love stuff like this, pics, nature shows…so inspiring. Love it. Thanks.
Dita
Love the shots!
Good pics for telling a 3yr old kid the different types of birds
Awesome pictures!
Wonderful! Not only did you capture the birds, you also captured their spirits!
An extraordinary task! Congratulations.
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That starling looks a lot bluer and glossier than the ones that sit in my backyard! Also, interesting pic of the hornbill–they’re funny looking birds, but kinda cute, too!
beautiful, I really like her picture
I love birds, and these are some of the most beautiful that I’ve seen.
The Lilac Breasted Roller is my favorite
colorful!!
not colorful…
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beautiful birds! Now, those are something I don’t see everyday. Thanks for taking these photos!
Like elegant paintings, beautiful shots!
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Nice Picture,, I like it
Really Nice Pics !!! Im Lovin it
wow cool! but are they really in national park? coz for me they seem like at the city park 😉
I am not able to find a word describe. Fantastic
these are the most amazing birds i have ever seen.Crested Barbet is the most colorful bird.
Wonderful photos. I like the birds bath the most.
That’s a really handsome shot of the owl there 🙂
The level of colour is also very nice. It gives me a heart-warming feeling when I look at it.
Lovely pics… its looking like someone have painted over them
Very Nice
Amazing!!!
These pictures are amazing. Great photography work
This is miraculous! So so beautiful it is almost unbelieveable such incredible birds live!
But the first owl got me laughing out loud – it looks exactly like my cat when she is angry 😀
Greetings from your Vaivalicious fan 😉
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As a bird lover and have a Red Vented Bulbul as my baby pet, I’ve never seen such colorful birds like the blue ones. Rare, Nice, Beautiful Pics. Great Photowork there. Aloha!
oh my….love love love your photo works for Birds, nice shot and very inspiring me….
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Astounding photographs!
Beautiful colorful birds! I love the Crested Barbet. Hoping to see a few of those on my luxury South Africa holiday next year.
This is amazing. Congrats!
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As you can probably tell from my avatar pix I love birds. These shots are fantastic!
wonderful!!!
totally amazing creatures! the world is wonder
Beautiful Gallery! These birds, the colours! Really great post! Inspiring.
-The Eye
http://theeyeoffaith.com
Wow! You captured the birds in all their glory… the colors are stunning. Thank you for sharing!
Wow,I never knew there were such a majority of bird species in Kruger. It’s awesome.
Did you took a picture of all this birds in one day? I know it’s lame to mention it, but I had three canarias birds .Do you have birds yourself?
Great pictures
Wonderful post highlighting the diversity of the birds in South Africa. They. Are quite beautiful.. congrats on FP.
Wonderful photos. Great shots of the birds up close.
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creativewritingforkids
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Great Owl! Thanks for sharing!
James LaForest
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some real fine images here, and congrats on being fp’d!
Nice shots!!! I liked the first one!!.
These guys are really cool. I like birdinhos. Wher we live the birdinhos are nuts. They fly close to your car when driving. They sit in the middle of the busy street. They fly on our porch. We have a birds nest nestled on the top of the porch.
What a wonderful adventure! My husband is from South Africa and is planning on taking me some day to meet the family and see the land. I have friends who have been to visit and say the wildlife there is absolutely amazing. You have captured beautiful pictures of these creatures. Thank you for sharing!
Reblogged this on Kenya Birding and commented:
Although this is not Kenya or East Africa I couldn’t resist posting these incredible photographs of Birds by Mortal Coil in Kruger National Park South Africa.
Enjoy my fellow birders!
– Joe