| Bird enthusiasts flock to Kruger National Park for one of the widest varieties of birds found anywhere in the world. From birds of prey, to waterfowl, to scavengers, Kruger boasts enough diversity to keep you busy for weeks We'll start with the predators. The crested (above left) and bataleur (above right) eagles are high soaring hunters who feed on small monkeys and marsupials, snakes, and just about anything else that moves. The bataleur eagle (above right) was searching the road for insects and rodents in Kruger National Park. The crested eagle was photographed in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. |
| This ostrich (right top) was a very strange sight...it was just wandering alone in the middle of Kruger National Park. A ranger later told me she had never seen one there. The other birds (right bottom) were another strange sight. We still don't know what they are! We think they are scavengers of some sort, but aren't sure. We do know they were very large (about 1.5 ft tall) and very ugly. |   |
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You can't talk about scavengers without talking about our old friend the vulture. Despite having faces that only a mother could love, vultures--indeed, all scavengers--play an important role in the environment. By consuming decaying flesh, they prevent disease and facilitate decomposition. We had a chance to see the cycle in process in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve, where several vultures were dining on a buffalo carcass (left, top). The scene was fascinating (we were about 15 yards away) until we caught the aroma of the deceased buffalo. Let's just say it wasn't exactly pleasant! During the 2001 trip, we visited Kruger National Park just after a major fire. Since the fire was started by lightning, the rangers let it burn unimpeded. When we arrived a few days later, there were still hot spots and the land was scorched for dozens of square miles. There were also vultures (left, bottom)....a lot of them (no doubt feeding off the fire's victims). |
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| We close with the distinctive yellow hornbill. At first, you can't take your eyes off this colorful bird. Within a few minutes, however, you see several hundred more and they lose their novelty. Still, it is a beautiful bird with great coloration. |  |