Xakanaxa Lagoon – Part 2
Botswana – Okavango | Anno 2022
The yellow-billed stork attracts attention not only with its long, yellow beak and blood-red facial mask, but also…
…with its unusual behaviour. It constantly extends its left wing. This casts a shadow over the water, making it easier to see what's in it
A blacksmith plover is mainly found near lagoons and lakes. It will always ensure that water is within flying range
With its long pointed beak the marsh sandpiper collects aquatic insects, molluscs and small crustaceans from shallow water
The little egret differs from its larger namesake mainly in its yellow toes and black bill. It searches for food by wading in shallow water
Carmine bee-eaters build their nests in steep riverbanks. They are social birds, often found in flocks
This southern ground hornbill isn't exactly a pretty bird. In the female, the featherless throat pouch is partly blue-violet, …
…while in the male, it's completely red
Southern ground hornbills live in groups of two to eight individuals
Buffaloes also like to seek shade
Males often clash among themselves over group hierarchy or the right to mate with a female. They then reinforce their position with their impressive horns
Lions easily sleep for twenty hours a day. Only the king of the animal kingdom can afford to do that during the day without fear
Lions usually live in small family groups, …
… in this case a lioness with three four-year-old sons …
… and three one-year-old cubs
In an adult lion, the claws can grow up to four centimetres long. They usually retract to avoid damage
Lions prefer to hunt in open savanna
A zebra foal instinctively hides behind its mother, but cannot contain its curiosity
Western colonialists attempted to domesticate zebras, since a mount resistant to African diseases is a valuable asset. But it proved impossible to break their instinct to panic when danger threatens
The bush elephant spends twelve to sixteen hours a day feeding
At rest, the saddle-billed stork's wings appear black
Only when he spreads his wings are his white flight feathers noticeable
Like other storks, the saddle-billed stork flies with its neck extended. However, its heavy bill hangs atypically lower than its body. Its wingspan is 270 centimetres
The grey heron is about a foot taller than the little egret. Its distinctive features include the black stripe behind its eye and the gracefully drooping black crest
The great egret stands motionless in the water for a long time until prey unwisely approaches it. It then impales its victim with its dagger-shaped beak
Outside the breeding season, the great egret's beak is yellow and the base of the bill is greenish-yellow. During the breeding season, it turns a beautiful emerald green
The great egret is about the same size as the grey heron, and is more closely related to it than to the little egret
The tawny eagle catches live prey in a dive, but also acts as a scavenger and even a kleptoparasite. If it sees an opportunity, it steals the prey of another bird of prey
As soon as this ibis returned from the south, the ancient Egyptians knew the Nile's flooding was imminent. Thoth, the god of the calendar, was therefore depicted with the head of this ibis. This is how this ibis came to be known as the sacred ibis
Although one of the heaviest long-legged waders in Africa, the wattled crane is a graceful bird. Its tail feathers hang almost to the ground
It is the largest flying bird in Africa
The wattled crane's main food source is the tubers and rhizomes of submerged sedges and water lilies. Therefore, they prefer shallow, marshy environments
Don't underestimate these helmeted guinea fowl. If danger threatens, they run like the wind. If necessary, they'll cover ten kilometres a day. They can fly, but they prefer not to
Bees and hornets are primarily on the menu of this little bee-eater. It removes the dangerous stingers by repeatedly hitting the insect against a hard surface
Burchell’s starling prefers lightly wooded areas and savannas with open, grazed ground, so that it can quickly spot grasshoppers, termites, ants and beetles
Fish between 10 and 16 cm long are the grey heron's favourite daily meal. But it also catches frogs, reptiles, insects, worms, young birds, moles, mice, and even rabbits
This bird seems to call ‘Go away’ often. Its name is therefore go-away-bird
Lechwes and vervet monkeys forage among the trees
Vervet monkey
Vervet monkeys sleep in a tree at night, during the day they usually sit on the ground looking for food
The African wild dog's dentition is specifically designed for tearing prey apart. After the spotted hyena, it has the largest dentition of any mammal relative to its body weight
The wild dog has little in common with domesticated dogs. Evolution has turned it into a veritable killing machine
The spot pattern and colour of the spots varies greatly from individual to individual
Wild dogs always hunt in packs. They successfully hunt impalas and Thomson's gazelles, as well as blue wildebeest and greater kudu. They can even kill zebras and giraffes. Their specialty is not their speed, but their endurance
Only the group leader is allowed to mark the territory with his urine
Impalas are quite wary when wild dogs are around
In profile, the chacma baboon shows its characteristic kinked tail
Jaak Palmans
© 2025 | Version 2025-08-29 14:00