Sighting of the Quarter

5/15/2013

A spectacular sighting occurred at Kwando in northern Botswana last month with approximately 10,000 quelea visiting the pool. The birds had been drinking at the camp waterhole but were disturbed by a large number of raptors swooping down to hunt them.

In a mass exodus the quelea removed to the swimming pool where the raptors were too wary of humans to follow. Unfortunately, the sheer number of birds combined with the high sides of the pool caused many to drown in their pursuit of water. Eventually camp staff managed to install a type of mesh covering, but the problem was not effectively ameliorated until the quelea decided to move off in search of safer drinking grounds.