GAME-BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



out and eat potatoes. Their favourite food, however, is a 

 small bulb forming portion of the root of a species of rush, 

 some varieties of which are found wherever I have been in 

 South Africa. These birds wiU also eat grubs, beetles, 

 locusts and ants. When locusts are about in the wingless 

 stage these birds become excessively fat, but I have not 

 known their flesh to have a rank flavour from this food, as is 

 the case with some of the Bustards. I presume that the 

 vegetable diet corrects the tendency of this food to make 

 the flesh rank. They nest in the spring, from September 

 to December as a rule, but sometimes as late as March 

 and April. The time of nesting very much depends upon 

 the rains. 



" Grey- wing are noisy birds, having a clear ringing caU, 

 generally to be heard at sunrise and sunset, particularly when 

 there is a change of weather coming. 



" When flushed, Grey- wing generally rise with shrill 

 squeaks from aU the members of the covey, which is a very 

 distinctive feature of this species, quite sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish it from the other species I know. 



" The feeding time of these birds is from sunrise to about 

 10 a.m., and from 4 p.m. till dusk, during the winter months, 

 and in sunimer they feed earlier in the morning and later m 

 the afternoon. 



" The scratchings of this bird can generally be distinguished 

 from those of Larks and small animals by the mark of the bill 

 at the apex of the scratchings, where it was inserted to lever 

 out the bulb or root that was being searched for. 



" The chief enemies of the Grey- wing, other than man, 

 appear to be the numerous Hawks found in the Karroo and 

 the Secretary Birds, but I have no doubt that wild cats, 

 jackals, and red meercats do a fair share in the killing. I have 



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