Khwai River – Part 1
Botswana – Okavango | Anno 2022
Seventy percent of the Okavango Delta islets formed around a termite mound
The yellow-billed stork prefers wetlands, shallow lakes and mudflats
Yellow-billed stork
Aggression is a trademark of the Egyptian goose, not only when defending its territory, but also when taking over another bird's nest
The African spoonbill is characterised by its bare red skin on its face
The number of African jacanas is estimated at one million, a number that remains stable over the years
Yellow-billed storks can stand motionless in the water for extended periods, waiting for prey. They possess extremely fast reaction times. Prey rarely, if ever, escapes them
Hippos are found throughout Africa as long as there is grass and plenty of deep water
Hippos are the main builders of the Okavango Delta. They are the ones who keep the channels open so the water can continue to flow
Nile geese are on the list of invasive alien species in the European Union, partly because of their aggressive behaviour
Spoonbills hunt by touch. Their flattened, open bills wave back and forth in the water. As soon as they sense prey, their mouth snaps shut
White-faced whistling ducks always live in groups. They often stand together, gazing in the same direction in a rather amusing way
This dragonfly is a beautiful creature. It's a carnivore, feeding exclusively on smaller animals, primarily insects
From a high branch, a fish eagle watches the surroundings. A familiar sight is that in southern Africa
The wingspan is about two meters in males and two meters forty in females
Less impressive but no less beautiful is the flight of the blacksmith plover
Nothing escapes the sharp eyes of the yellow-billed kite
Egyptian geese
Barely visible among the aquatic plants is a Nile crocodile searching for prey
With a Nile crocodile nearby, a lechwe is not safe
Females and young lechwes usually graze in wet areas, males are more likely to be found on dry land
Plains zebras and blue wildebeest often spend time together. Together they are stronger when it comes to spotting predators
Blue wildebeest are herd animals. But you won't find huge herds like those in the Masai Mara or the Serengeti in southern Africa
Even in the stiff mane of the zebra, the characteristic stripe pattern continues
Is this zebra laughing at us? No, he curls his upper lip back, closes his nostrils, and breathes through his mouth for a few seconds. This allows Jackson's organ to properly analyse the inhaled air. This behaviour is called flehmen
The long-toed lapwing is only found in watery areas. Its red iris is striking
Slightly larger is the crowned lapwing, easily recognisable by the white band that runs like a diadem over its black crown
The beautiful colours of an adult saddle-billed stork …
…are still to be seen in this young saddle-billed stork
In a young southern ground hornbill the typical colours are not yet visible – a blue throat pouch in the females, a red one in the males
The striking feature of the great white pelican is its impressive yellow lower beak and the hook at the tip of its upper beak. It uses this to grab its prey before swinging it into its throat pouch
This young pelican will have to wait a while for its beautiful colours to appear. Although the tip of its beak is already turning a bit yellow
Great white pelicans, a sacred ibis, an marabou stork and a black-winged stilt
Once mature, the head, beak and neck of this young sacred ibis will be black
In the pied kingfisher, males have a double breast band and females have a single, interrupted breast band (like this one) |
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With its long grey coat, thin white legs, bald pink head and white beard, this marabou stork can immediately start working as an undertaker |
The white circle around their tail makes waterbucks easily recognisable. Under their skin, they secrete an oily substance that gives their meat an unpleasant odour. Lions therefore leave them alone, hyenas don't
Standing on a hillside on the lookout is the favourite pastime of common tsessebes. Both males and females bear lyre-shaped horns
They are quite large animals with a strikingly beautiful colour pattern
African wild dogs are becoming very rare
Wild dogs always hunt in packs. They kill their prey by ripping open its abdomen and tearing out the entrails. The prey then goes into shock and dies
This may seem like an exceptionally cruel form of killing, but scientific research has shown that the death struggle of the victim in wild dogs is shorter than in lions or leopards
Red-billed hornbills are excellent flyers, but you'll almost always see them on the ground foraging for food
You also often see crowned lapwings foraging on the ground
Mr. and Mrs. Warthog are not at ease. At the slightest sign of danger, they will run away. They owe their name to the bumps under their eyes and on their snouts
When a warthog runs, it holds its tail straight up
Helmeted guinea fowl usually live in flocks of about twenty-five individuals. Like chickens, they scratch and root around in the ground for food. They readily devour seeds, fruit, snails, spiders, and worms, as well as frogs, lizards, small snakes, and even small mammals
They owe their name to the bony knob on their head
A hamerkop wades through shallow water in search of prey. It slides its feet along the bottom to chase them
If the lilac-breasted roller sees prey on the ground, it will dive for it and seize it with its beak. If it's small, it swallows it immediately. If it's large, it will swat it until it disintegrates
Jaak Palmans
© 2025 | Version 2025-08-29 14:00