SOUTH AFRICAN BIRDS AND THEIR DIET 



the farmers' crops ; or in reed and rusli-covercd lands. The 

 larvae of insects are eagerly sought for by these birds. Some 

 species also eat seeds, berries, wild fruits, and sip the nectar from 

 the flowers of the aloe and protea. Some of the chats frequent 

 cattle kraals and the resorts of cattle in the bush and veld, and 

 feed on the gorged female ticks which fall from the animals. 



The Fly-Catcher. 



(Genera — Lioptilus^ Chloropeta^ Bradyornis^ Music apa^ Hyliota^ 

 Pachyprora^ Platystira^ Alseonax^ Smithornis^ Btas^ Ery- 

 throcercus^ Trochosereus^ and Terpsiphone.) 



Diet. — There are a large number of species of fly-catchers 

 grouped under the above thirteen genera in South Africa. Their 

 diet consists entirely of insects and kindred forms of life which 

 they capture in the air, on the ground, and in the midst of 

 trees and shrubs. 



Examination of the stomach contents of the majority of the 

 fly-catchers when I was studying the economic side of bird life 

 in Natal revealed small insects, their eggs, and larvae only. A 

 goodly proportion of the stomach contents were mature winged 

 insects which, unless destroyed, would have laid thousands 

 of eggs. 



All the species of fly-catchers render the highest services to 

 man in his war on injurious insects. 



The Drongo. 

 Katekorve, Bijvreter, Black Fork-Tail, Smoke Bird, 



Intengu. 



(Genus — Dicrwiis.) 



Diet. — The drongos, of which there are two species in 

 South Africa, feed on insects which are usually taken on the 

 wing. 



The drongo [Dicrurus afer)y to which the above vernacular 

 names apply, is particularly fond of bees, and feeds on little 



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