Exploring Pigeon Valley: The Southern Boubou
The riches of Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve explained by Glenwood resident and chair of the Friends of Pigeon Valley.
This is the 96th article in an ongoing series that highlights the riches of Pigeon Valley, the urban nature reserve in the heart of Glenwood. The focus of this article is on the Southern Boubou.
When I am with new visitors to Pigeon Valley, listening to the bird calls, the most frequent request for species identification is about a striking call and response. At first, people may not realise that these are two birds, but at times it is clear that the call comes from one place and the response from another. There is no single version, but a choice of different calls, each with its own response.
These duets involve the male and female pair of the Southern Boubou.While these calls are unlike that of any other species, when you travel either north or south from here, there seem to be different accents, maybe even different dialects spoken by these birds. The alarm calls include what I call a ‘flat battery’ sound as if the starter motor cannot turn the engine, or a harsh churr.As is often the case with birds, the male has stronger, more clearly defined colours, with a distinctly white front.
ALSO READ: Exploring Pigeon Valley: African Firefinches
These birds are shrikes and take a wide range of food: insects, snails, geckos, fruit and the occasional egg, and are often seen searching for food on the ground or clambering through thickets. At an alate emergence, they do well by getting the ‘flying ants’ as they emerge from the ground, instead of going to the trouble of hawking them in the air.
Crispin Hemson chairs the Friends of Pigeon Valley, a group that undertakes clearing of alien plants, keeps records of bird and mammal sightings and alerts management to any problems.
The Friends have a monthly walk at 7.30am on the second Saturday of each month. Email: friendsofpigeonvalley1@gmail.com.
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple
