Many of the 174 new bird species we saw in Botswana—and thanks mainly to our very knowledgeable guides actually identified—a considerable number were true gems, little flying jewels. Of course photographs are pale compared to seeing them in real life . Regardless, here are a few.

One of the best parts of seeing the Lilac-breasted Roller was hearing the name pronounced by our several guides, all of whom rolled the “r’s” with a variation of a Scottish brogue—presumably connected to the person from whom they learned English in their younger days! The bird itself does roll back and forth in flight when viewed from front or back.

The Little Bee Eater, just one of many of this family, was common and, for both that reason and its amazing coloration, always appreciated.

There were several Kingfishers, all special. The Malachite Kingfisher, whenever we saw it, always brought delight.

 

05 Mar This entry was published on March 5, 2014 at 10:57 am. It’s filed under Africa, Botswana, Photograph and tagged Africa, birds, Botswana, Lilac-breasted Roller, Little Bee Eater, Malachite Kingfisher. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.