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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · 2d

🕊️ Woodland Kingfishers migrate 4000 km from South Africa to South Sudan, flying at night up to 2890 m. Their journeys show intra-tropical migrations can rival long-distance flyways.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
#AfricanOrnithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · 4d

💡Did you know? Woodland Kingfishers are intra-African migrants. They spend the non-breeding season further north, then flood into southern Africa with the rains, bringing color and sound to the summer months.
#WoodlandKingfisher #AfricanOrnithology

FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · 9d

🐦 Bird of the Month: Woodland Kingfisher 🌍
With its electric-blue plumage and distinctive calls, this summer visitor is impossible to miss in African woodlands.
#BirdOfTheMonth #WoodlandKingfisher #AfricanOrnithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · 11d

👀 BEARDED VULTURES have an extraordinary visual system. Their forward-facing eyes give them a hawk-like binocular view—perfect for spotting bones across vast mountain ranges. They can detect carcasses and bone fragments from kilometers away.
www.projectvulture.org.za
#AfricanOrnithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · 18d

🪶 Juvenile BEARDED VULTURES look strikingly different from adults, with dark brown plumage that gradually lightens over 6–8 years. This slow maturation is one of the longest among raptors, reflecting their extended life history strategy.
www.projectvulture.org.za
#Beardedvulture #Africanornithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · 25d

🔬 Unlike other vultures, BEARDED VULTURES rarely eat carrion flesh. Up to 90% of their diet is bone, making them highly specialized scavengers and critical recyclers in mountain ecosystems. Their unique niche helps reduce disease spread from decomposing remains.
#AfricanOrnithology #Beardedvulture

FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Sep 8

🧪 BEARDED VULTURE stomach acid is so strong (pH ~1) that it dissolves bone completely, extracting fat and calcium. This adaptation allows them to survive on resources inaccessible to almost any other animal.
www.projectvulture.org.za
#AfricanOrnithology #beardedvulturerecoveryprogramme

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Sep 6

🦅 Today is International Vulture Day!
Vultures may not always get the spotlight, but they are vital to healthy ecosystems. Today, we celebrate Africa’s incredible vulture diversity. Let’s give vultures the recognition they deserve. 🌍
@vultureday
#VultureDay #AfricanOrnithology #BeardedVulture

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Sep 3

🦅 Bird of the Month: BEARDED VULTURE
Ahead of International Vulture Day, we’re spotlighting one of the world’s most remarkable scavengers.
@vultureday
projectvulture.org.za
#AfricanOrnithology #BeardedVulture #VultureDay #BeardedVultureRecoveryProgramme #ProjectVulture

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 30

💡Did you know? On Marion Island, invasive house mice prey on chicks and, more recently, have begun attacking adults, posing a serious threat to a species that matures slowly and can live for decades.
📸Michelle Risi & Christopher Jones
#Wanderingalbatross #Africanornithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 29

💡Did you know? leg-mounted archival tags has recorded birds circumnavigating the Southern Ocean between breeding, covering more than 20 000 km.
📸: Michelle Risi & Peter Ryan
#Wanderingalbatross #africanornithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 28

💡Did you know? Wandering albatrosses typically have dark brown eyes, but a small proportion have blue eyes, so far only recorded in males.
📸: Christopher Jones
#Wanderingalbatross #Africanornithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 27

💡Did you know? Since the 1970s, the FitzPatrick Institute has monitored wandering albatrosses on Marion and Prince Edward Islands, home to almost half the global population. Prince Edward’s Albatross Valley has the world’s highest nesting density.
📸: Michelle Risi & Peter Ryan
#AfricanOrnithology

FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 26

💡Did you know?
These majestic seabirds are long-lived, with some individuals reaching over 50 years of age. Their slow reproductive rate—just one chick every two years—makes them especially vulnerable to threats.
📸: @lonehydrangea
#AfricanOrnithology #Wanderingalbatross

FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 21

🚨 Applications closing soon!
Don’t miss your chance to apply for the FitzPatrick Institute’s MSc in Conservation Biology. Dive into hands-on research, fieldwork, and expert mentorship. Apply now!

Deadline: 31 August 2025
More details and application documents: bit.ly/4796g1O
#AfricanOrnithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 20

💡Did you know?
Wandering albatrosses breed on a few isolated islands such as South Georgia, Marion, and Crozet. These remote sites are essential refuges, but their limited number makes the species globally vulnerable.
📸: @lonehydrangea
#Africanornithology #AlbatrossBreeding

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 19

💡 Did you know? Pairs of wandering albatrosses form long-term monogamous bonds, returning to the same nesting grounds, often on sub-Antarctic islands like Marion or South Georgia💍
📸: @lonehydrangea
#Africanornithology #Wanderingalbatross

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 15

💡 Did you know? Wandering albatrosses can travel over 500 km in a single day, rarely flapping their wings. Their flight efficiency is unmatched in the animal kingdom.
📸: @lonehydrangea
#africanornithology #wanderingalbatross

FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 11

💡Did you know? Wandering albatrosses have the largest wingspan of any living bird—reaching up to 3.5 metres! This allows them to glide effortlessly for hours without flapping, conserving energy during long-distance oceanic flights.
📸: @lonehydrangea
#AfricanOrnithology #wanderingalbatross

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Aug 7

🌟Bird of the Month: Wandering Albatross
With the longest wingspan of any bird, the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) is a true icon of the Southern Ocean—gliding for hours without a single wingbeat. A master of wind and distance!
#BirdOfTheMonth #WanderingAlbatross #Africanornithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Jul 31

Starling trapping week at UCT! 🐦
Last week, Red-winged Starling Project team members and volunteers carefully trapped starlings across Upper Campus to fit them with unique colour or alphanumeric rings. These rings help us identify them for tracking weight, survival, and breeding. #AfricanOrnithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Jul 29

A key aspect of ecology we study is the effect of climate change on wild birds. This starling is showing how heat affects them. They can't sweat, so to keep cool they must pant instead. This affects their foraging time and how much water they need to drink. 📸: Leslie Bayanza #AfricanOrnithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Jul 29

Join UCT experts & the African Research Society to explore how editing, citing & contributing African knowledge on Wikipedia can drive real-world impact. 🌍📚
📅 14 Aug | 🕐 12h50–13h45
📍 Leslie Social Science, Room 5F
🔗 RSVP by 10 Aug: bit.ly/WikipediaEvent3000
#UCT #AfricanResearch #AfricanOrnithology

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FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Jul 28

💡Did you know? Red-winged starlings are fiercely devoted parents—both mom and dad share feeding duties and will bravely dive-bomb passersby to protect their chicks! 🐥🐣 They regularly defend their nests against creatures much bigger than themselves💪
#Africanornithology #RedWingedStarling

FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology @africanornithology.bsky.social · Jul 24

Here, one of our favourite birds, GMOP (Green-Metal-Orange-Pink), is participating in an experiment on whether or not starlings can taste sugar - a fascinating aspect of their evolutionary biology! Photo: Celiwe Ngcamphalala.

#AfricanOrnithology

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