The Hole Story- Part 1 Burrowing Birds

The hole story- Part 1 Burrowing Birds

In our last edition we looked at some of the mammals which spent a good part of their lives underground. As you might recall, one mammal - the Naked Molerat - spends its entire life below the ground.

Although no bird species actually live underground, many excavate or make use of burrows in which they lay their eggs and rear their young.

In Africa, all members of the bee-eater family tunnel into sandbanks and make a chamber in which to lay their eggs. Colonies of Carmine Bee-eaters - sometimes numbering in the hundreds - are one of the most spectacular of sights. Although usually in much smaller colonies, the White-fronted and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters are very eye-catching. Like their close relatives, the kingfishers, bee-eaters have two of their toes fused at the base which allows them to be used as little shovels when the birds are pushing soil away and out of the hole which they dig.

All kingfishers are hole nesters, but many take over old woodpecker nests rather than make their own. The massive Giant Kingfisher does make its own burrow, invariably on a steep sandy cliff alongside a river. The Pied, Malachite, Pygmy and Brown-hooded also breed in sand bank burrows, while the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher of central Africa excavates its nest hole in the arboreal nest of cocktail ants.

Other habitual burrowers are the European Roller, Ground Woodpecker, Red-and-yellow Barbet, D'Arnaud's Barbet and Usambiro Barbet.

The Ant-eating Chat and Sooty Chat frequently lay their eggs in a burrow made by an Aardvark or other large burrowing mammal. Quite remarkably, the South African Shelduck also chooses to rear its young in such an underground situation. Few people are aware that this waterfowl starts its life below the ground!

Almost all swallows and martins are mud nesters, but most actually build a cup-shaped nest under house eaves, branches or in a cave. The Brown-throated Martin and European Sand Martin do, however, breed in burrows which they make themselves in sand banks. Sharing this habit, is the Horus Swift.

Elsewhere in the world, many other birds choose to breed underground with puffins and shearwaters well-known examples. Perhaps the most distinctive and surprising of ground hole nesters is the Burrowing Owl of North and South America, which is also unusual among its kind by being gregarious.

-Duncan Butchart-

Posted: Other by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006