Peacocks & Picathartes – Reflections on Africa's Birdlife by Rupert Watson

When I was 12, most kids my age were into ... well, whatever it was that they were into. Me, on the other hand, I was into birdwatching. Armed with a brand-spanking new copy of the Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, I set about figuring out the names of the birds around me. It was something of an obsession. And while today I have the trusty Sasol eBirds of Southern Africa app, not much has changed. Friends and family still look at me like I'm a little sad and strange when I interrupt the discussion to go, "Oh, look, a Southern Boubou."

So it goes without saying that I was overjoyed when Rupert Watson's Peacocks & Picathartes: Reflections on Africa's Birdlife arrived on my doorstep. Although he was born in England, Watson has lived in Kenya for a large portion of his life, and his love for, nay fascination with, our beautiful continent's birdlife shines through in every word. I must also give a shout out to illustrator Peter Blackwell, whose characterful graphite drawings of various birds are used as chapter headers, and add much joy to the book.

There is no denying how special Africa and its natural heritage is, and there are many species found here and nowhere else. Climate change and the impact of human activities on the environment, be it encroaching agriculture, urbanisation, and forestry – these all are massive threats to our natural biodiversity. By highlighting birds, their habitats and distribution, Watson reminds us of the fragile balance in nature.

Watson maintains a factual account of the birds' habits and characteristics, peppered with often amusing anecdotes of his own adventures in seeing some of the rarer species, particularly the occasions he sought out the Congo Peacocks and Picathartes that lend their names to the book's title. He divides the book into sections that focus on birds that are found only in Africa, those that are mainly in Africa, and then six species that are iconic, such as the Egyptian Goose many of us love to hate; the Udzungwa Forest Partridge; the Congo Peacock; the Bateleur; and not to be outdone, the Hadada Ibis whose raucous calls many of us know all too well at 5am on a Sunday when we'd rather be sleeping in.

If birdwatching and conservation are your passions, then don't miss out on this book. 

Stuarts' Field Guide to the Tracks & Signs of Southern, Central & East African Wildlife

First things first, Stuarts' Field Guide to the Tracks & Signs of Southern, Central & East African Wildlife by Chris and Mathilde Stuart is an enormous book despite the disarming 'field guide' size. Also, if you're an amateur game ranger like me, this book is no doubt going to find its way into your luggage the next time you go on a trip to the country. 

While the topic the Stuarts cover in this tome is extremely broad, they do an excellent job of going over the various signs you might encounter if you're out in the veld. Initially when I'd picked up this book I thought that it would just cover tracks, but I was oh so wrong. I forgot at the time all about the fact that one often will encounter not just tracks but also ... yes...  poop. And nests, shelters, the remains of prey and other signs of feeding. Or the fact that an elephant or buck might rub against a tree regularly to scratch an itch, or hell, if you're an elephant, just uproot the whole darned tree. 

(So now I know that it's porcupines that have been galumphing around on my favourite walk. I saw their poop.)

What I like about this book as well is that it's not just a laundry list of spoor and signs, but rather that it is structured to help you narrow down your options. Is the spoor showing paws or hooves? Are the hooves cloven or non-cloven? You get the idea. Of course it also helps if you have a general knowledge of what sorts of animals are already present in your environment – so I do think this book will be valuable for those who already possess more than just a passing interest in and knowledge of wildlife. 

Due to size constraints and the sheer abundance of data that's gone into this book, don't expect detailed information about the critters – that you'll have to look for in other sources. Tracks & Signs focuses primarily on exactly what it says it does, in as much detail as space allows.