I will show some animals that love palm tree dates!
The high palm tree is situated at the front door of our cottage and I cannot tell you what a mess I have to sweep up below the tree every morning.
Some of the complex residents suggested that I should cut the tree down, but then what would the wild animals eat?
A bit of sweeping is not going to kill me and the tree's fruit is loved by the animals.
Come let me show you!
First up this morning was the Red-faced Mousebird!
Look at the beauty of this indigent bird!
Local in South Africa and neighboring countries in Africa!
They can move their toes independently and I suppose they are called mousebirds because they love to crawl through the bushes!
Here's a little Cape White-eye happily singing his song!
Ah! Ever seen a squirrel eating palm tree dates?
At first he gave me a look to say; "Hey, I am eating breakfast here"!
Ah that one date nut looks like a suitable candidate for his stomach!
Happiness is a palm tree fruit in the mouth!
Finally, here is the Palm Tree at the front of our cottage!
Here is some information on the Red-faced Mousebirds!
"The red-faced mousebird (Urocolius indicus) is a species of mousebird or coly. It is a common in southern Africa from Zaire, Zambia and Tanzania south to the Cape. Its habitat is savanna with thickets, fynbos scrub, other open woodland, gardens and orchards".
"This bird is about 34 cm (13 inches) long, with the tail comprising approximately half the length. The crested head and breast are pale cinnamon with a red bill and eye mask. The rest of the upperparts and tail are blue-grey apart from a paler grey rump. The belly is whitish".
"The sexes are similar, but juveniles lack the crest and have a green mask. Their call is a "tree-ree-ree whistle", and regularly called in multiple repetitions. Red-faced mousebirds make the same call whether in-flight or perched".
"The red-faced mousebird is a frugivore which subsists on fruits, berries, leaves, seeds and nectar. Its flight is typically fast, strong and direct from one feeding area to another".
"This is a social bird outside the breeding season, feeding together in small groups, normally of about half a dozen birds, but sometimes up to 15 or more. They fly and interact in tight collections. It engages in mutual preening and roosts in groups at night. It is more wary than other mousebirds".
"These sedentary birds breed between June to February. The nest is a large untidy cup of plant material lined with material such as sheep wool. The clutch is 2-6 eggs which hatch in about two weeks".
Source of the sections marked "...",
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-faced_mousebird
And That's All Folks!
Note: All photos and photo descriptions are my own and the information section about the Red-faced Mousebirds was duly cited with the source.
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