After living in Durban for 25 years of my life, I had to ask my informant, “Am I in Cuba? Are you on ‘iJuba?” So, you can imagine my reaction to the name changes to South African birds, which were made in 2005! You’re kidding me?! After remembering strange names like apalis, brubru and cisticola, I have to go back to ABC and start again?
After 30 years of birding, I had to accept new names and spelling to almost 300 of our 950-plus species! I still gag at calling a loerie a turaco, a dikkop a thick-knee, and a korhaan a bustard (which is pretty close to what I’d call the dude that changed all these names!). One bird group name change I am happy with, however, are the lapwings, previously called plovers. The plover group is large and complicated and they are very difficult to tell apart, but the lapwings are in a field of their own (very punny, I know).
Still members of the ‘plover’ family, the South African ‘lapwings’ are eight in number, and are easy to identify due to their larger size, bold colouring, active habits, and very loud calls. The easiest one to find in the uMhlanga Globe area is the Blacksmith Lapwing (Roberts 258), but out of city limits, the Crowned Lapwing (Roberts 255) is probably the most common. Less common are the African Wattled and Senegal Lapwings (Roberts 256 and 260), but are easy to find on the Eastern Shores of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. And, there are still dozens of plovers here for you to lap up too!
By the way, I found a great second-hand bookshop at 91 Problem Mkhize Road. I’ll give you a clue where it is, so you don’t have a problem finding it, it’s The Book Base (083 658 7425) in the Cowey Centre, in Durban. I found a good few antique, and some recent, bird books in good condition there, to add to my collection.
