a new collection of Flora, Fauna at South Africa

1. Long-tailed Widowbird, 长尾巧织雀, 長尾寡婦鳥, Euplectes progne, コクホウジャク

2. Pin-tailed Whydah, 针尾维达雀, 針尾維達雀, Vidua macroura, テンニンチョウ

3. Livingstone’s Turaco, 利氏蕉鹃, 綠頭冠蕉鵑, Tauraco livingstonii, リビングストンエボシドリ

4. Burchell’s Coucal, 白眉鸦鹃, 白眉鴉鵑, Centropus superciliosus burchellii, マミジロバンケン

5. European Roller, 蓝胸佛法僧, 藍胸佛法僧, Coracias garrulus, ニシブッポウソウ

6. Shaft-tailed Whydah, 箭尾維達雀, 箭尾维达雀, Vidua regia, ミカドスズメ

7. Dideric Cuckoo, 白眉金鹃, 白眉金鹃, Chrysococcyx caprius, ブロンズミドリカッコウ

8. Greater Flamingo, 大红鹳, 大紅鸛, Phoenicopterus roseus, ヨーロッパフラミンゴ

9. African Pygmy-Goose, 厚嘴棉凫, 厚嘴棉鴨, Nettapus auritus, アフリカマメガン

10. Gray Crowned-Crane, 灰冕鹤, 灰冠鶴, Balearica regulorum, ホオジロカンムリヅル

Beside Birds, here some mammals collection too

1001. South African giraffe, 南非长颈鹿, 南非長頸鹿, Giraffa camelopardalis

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1. Long-tailed Widowbird, 长尾巧织雀, 長尾寡婦鳥, Euplectes progne, コクホウジャク

update 202501

CANON R1, CANON RF100500mm, 1.4x South Africa update 202501 Finally, I’m back from my South Africa tour! One of the most fascinating “common” birds we encountered was the Pin-tailed Whydah. While it’s not a rare species, its long tail and unique flying style captured our attention more than any other bird. This particular moment happened while we were in the car—yes, shooting handheld through the window! After taking hundreds of photos of the male flying, displaying, and mating, I decided to switch to video. Although I recorded in 4K 60p, I slowed down the second half to highlight the incredible beauty of its dance.

终于从南非之旅回来了！旅途中看到的最迷人的“常见”鸟类之一就是针尾维达雀。虽然它并不罕见，但它那长长的尾巴和独特的飞行姿态比其他任何鸟类都更吸引我们的目光。这段拍摄是在车里完成的——是的，手持相机透过车窗拍摄！拍了几百张照片，记录下雄鸟飞行、炫耀和交配的瞬间后，我决定拍摄视频。虽然我用4K 60帧录制，但在后半部分慢放，展现它舞蹈的惊人美感。

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A fairly common bird in South Africa, often seen gracefully flying around with its stunning long tail, offering us an incredible view.

在南非，这是一种相当常见的鸟，常常可以看到它优雅地飞翔，拖着令人惊叹的长尾，为我们呈现出绝美的景象。

2. Pin-tailed Whydah, 针尾维达雀, 針尾維達雀, Vidua macroura, テンニンチョウ

update 202501

A male bird with a very long tail, black-and-white plumage, and a striking red beak is hard to miss. While the local guide claimed it was common, we didn’t spot many during our first seven days. However, we were fortunate to see one performing a display for a female, which thrilled everyone. Capturing the moment from the car was quite challenging, but it was an unforgettable experience.

一只拥有非常长尾巴、黑白羽毛和鲜红喙的雄鸟，非常显眼。虽然当地向导说这种鸟很常见，但我们在前七天里并没有看到很多。不过，我们很幸运看到了一只正在为雌鸟表演。这让我们所有人都非常兴奋，而在车内拍摄这景象也是一个不小的挑战，但这是一次难忘的经历。

3. Livingstone’s Turaco, 利氏蕉鹃, 綠頭冠蕉鵑, Tauraco livingstonii, リビングストンエボシドリ

update 202501

The overall green coloration, accompanied by a low crest and blue body, is a key target for our group. In the first few days, it seemed fairly common, as its calls and presence could be heard and seen by everyone. However, capturing a photograph proved to be quite challenging—much like our Malkoha, it kept moving between the trees and bushes. Fortunately, just before the heavy rain, we were lucky enough to find one that stayed still for a while, allowing us to capture it.

整体呈绿色，带有低冠和蓝色身体，这是我们团队的主要目标之一。在最初的几天里，它似乎相当常见，大家都能听到它的叫声并看到它的身影。然而，要拍到它的照片却相当困难——就像我们的鸦鹃一样，它总是在树丛间移动。幸运的是，就在大雨来临之前，我们有幸遇到了一只停留了很长时间，让我们成功捕捉到了它的身影。

4. Burchell’s Coucal, 白眉鸦鹃, 白眉鴉鵑, Centropus superciliosus burchellii, マミジロバンケン

update 202501

A fairly common coucal found in South Africa, which I’ve seen and photographed multiple times in various locations. However, this was a closer encounter, and I managed to capture a full series of flight shots. The distinctive tail band markings are clearly visible, making it easy to differentiate this species from others.

一种在南非相当常见的郭公鸟，我曾多次在不同地点看到并拍摄过。然而，这次距离更近，我成功捕捉到了一整组飞行照片。显眼的尾部条纹清晰可见，使其与其他物种容易区分开来。

5. European Roller, 蓝胸佛法僧, 藍胸佛法僧, Coracias garrulus, ニシブッポウソウ

update 20501

In South Africa’s western region, this season is perfect for birdwatching as many common species are abundant. It’s been an enjoyable time spotting various targets, with the bonus of encountering a few truly stunning birds along the way.

在南非的西部地區，這個季節是觀鳥的最佳時期，許多常見的鳥類都很活躍。我們在尋找各種目標的同時，也有幸看到了一些非常美麗的鳥類，讓人感到非常愉快。

6. Shaft-tailed Whydah, 箭尾維達雀, 箭尾维达雀, Vidua regia, ミカドスズメ

A small whydah with a reddish-orange bill and legs. The breeding male has buffy-orange underparts and neck, a dark cap, and 17-centimeter-long black tail feathers. The female and non-breeding male have streaky upperparts and pale buffy underparts. Breeding males hold territories in dry thorn scrub, but form flocks with other seedeaters after breeding. The species imitates the song of the Violet-eared Waxbill, which it parasitizes. Differs from the similar Pin-tailed Whydah by Shaft-tailed Whydah’s duller pink bill and streakier head in female and non-breeding male plumages, and black-and-buff plumage of the breeding male. [EBird]

一种小型织雀，具有橙红色的嘴和腿。繁殖期的雄鸟腹部和颈部呈橙黄色，头部为深色，并具有长达17厘米的黑色尾羽。雌鸟和非繁殖期的雄鸟则具有上部的条纹花纹和浅橙黄色的腹部。繁殖期的雄鸟在干燥的荆棘灌丛中占领领地，但繁殖后会与其他食种子鸟类混群。该物种模仿其寄生对象——紫耳蜡嘴雀的鸣叫声。与相似的针尾织雀相比，轴尾织雀的嘴较暗淡，为粉红色，雌鸟和非繁殖期雄鸟头部条纹更多，而繁殖期雄鸟则呈黑色与橙黄色的羽毛。

update 202501

What a beautiful little bird with its unique four racket-shaped tail feathers! Unfortunately, I couldn’t manage to capture any great shots of it this time. It’s definitely on my photography bucket list if I get the chance to visit Africa again. Despite the whole day of rain, we were lucky enough to witness some wonderful moments of it in flight.

Anyone want join me next visit ?

多么美丽的小鸟，拥有独特的四根球拍状尾羽！可惜这次没能拍到好的照片。如果有机会再来非洲，它绝对是我的摄影目标之一。尽管下了一整天的雨，我们还是很幸运地见到了它飞行的美好瞬间。

有人要来看他吗？

7. Dideric Cuckoo, 白眉金鹃, 白眉金鹃, Chrysococcyx caprius, ブロンズミドリカッコウ

A small, greenish cuckoo. The male has barred flanks, white flecking on the wing, white patches in front of and behind the eye, and a distinctly red eye surrounded by a red eye-ring. The bronzy-green female has a diagnostic white patch in front of the eye, a plain back, and white patches in the wings. This common resident and migrant is not a habitat specialist, but it prefers riverine and wetland areas where its preferred brood-parasite hosts, weavers and bishops, are common. The distinctive call is a loud, rising, high-pitched “deee-deee-deee-deee-dederik”. [EBird]

一种体型较小、呈绿色的杜鹃鸟。雄鸟体侧有横纹，翅膀上带有白色斑点，眼前和眼后有白斑，眼睛为鲜红色，周围有红色眼圈。雌鸟呈青铜绿色，眼前有明显的白斑，背部纯色，翅膀上有白斑。这种常见的留鸟和迁徙鸟对栖息地要求不高，但更偏好河流和湿地地区，因为那里有它们寄生繁殖的首选宿主——织巢鸟和红衣主教雀。其独特的叫声为响亮而逐渐升高的高音“deee-deee-deee-deee-dederik”。

update 202501

A very beautiful and common cuckoo, often heard in almost any environment. However, it rarely perches because its calls attract other birds, especially weavers, that chase it away. The best chances to spot it are while it’s in flight, and we were fortunate to see it flying past us many times.

一种非常美丽且常见的杜鹃鸟，几乎可以在任何环境中听到它的叫声。然而，它很少停栖，因为它的叫声会吸引其他鸟类，特别是织巢鸟，将它赶走。观察它的最佳机会是在飞行时，我们很幸运多次看到它从我们面前飞过。

8. Greater Flamingo, 大红鹳, 大紅鸛, Phoenicopterus roseus, ヨーロッパフラミンゴ

update 20250120

The flamingo was the final bird of our 18-day South Africa bird photography trip. During the morning session, we struggled with either facing the wrong direction or dealing with distance challenges. However, just before heading back, a few of them flew gracefully toward us in perfect light, as if bidding us farewell. We ended the trip with over 356 bird species, 20+ mammals, and several reptiles captured in photographs. It was an incredible journey filled with fun, great company, delicious food, and valuable lessons in patience (especially when waiting for meals).

火烈鸟是我们南非18天观鸟摄影之旅的最后一只鸟。在早晨的拍摄中，我们不是方向不对就是距离受限。然而，就在我们准备返程前，一些火烈鸟迎着完美的光线飞向我们，仿佛是在向我们告别。最终，我们拍摄了超过356种鸟类、20多种哺乳动物以及一些爬行动物。这是一段充满乐趣的旅程，有很棒的团队、美味的食物，还有耐心的宝贵训练（尤其是在等待食物的时候）。

9. African Pygmy-Goose, 厚嘴棉凫, 厚嘴棉鴨, Nettapus auritus, アフリカマメガン

update 202501

It was a rainy morning, but even after spotting our target bird, the Black Coucal, we didn’t let the weather stop us from birding. Just before our breakfast break, we were treated to great views of a Palm-nut Vulture and this tiny duck. We were lucky to see it flying around rather than staying hidden!

这是一个下雨的早晨，即使已经拍到目标鸟-黑胸鸦鹃，我们依然继续观鸟。就在早餐停下来之前，我们幸运地看到了棕榈鹫和这只小鸭子。很幸运能看到它在空中飞翔，而不是藏起来！

10. Gray Crowned-Crane, 灰冕鹤, 灰冠鶴, Balearica regulorum, ホオジロカンムリヅル

update 202501

This bird is incredibly beautiful, and while we may have seen it before in a zoo or bird park, spotting it in the wild and capturing its photo brings an entirely different level of excitement. Though it’s considered a common species, we only managed to see it 3-4 times during our 18 days of birding in South Africa.

这是一种非常美丽的鸟，尽管我们可能在动物园或鸟园里见过，但在野外看到并拍下它的照片，带来的兴奋感完全不同。虽然它被认为是常见的物种，但在我们南非18天的观鸟过程中，也只见到了3-4次。

1001. South African giraffe, 南非长颈鹿, 南非長頸鹿, Giraffa camelopardalis

update 202501

It’s such an adorable creature! Seeing it in the wild made us pause for a while to capture some photos of this charming animal—even though we were here primarily for the birds. Absolutely delightful!

它真是个可爱的生物！在野外看到它时，虽然我们主要是为了观鸟而来的, 我们停下来蛮久拍了好一会儿照片，但它实在太可爱了！

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