Cape turtle dove

 Acrylics on board, 20 x 15 cm:

Also known as ring-necked doves, these critters are found over much of southern and eastern Africa. They are very common around here in my neck of the woods, and their characteristic call something of a soundtrack to local scenery. Because they're so common, people hardly notice them, but I think they're rather beautiful and a worthy subject to paint.

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Two birds

 Both in acrylics on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

Black-eyed bulbul, a common garden bird around here in South Africa:

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And crowned lapwing, very common in grasslands, including parks and sport fields:

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Lilac-breasted roller

Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

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Cape turtle dove

Acrylics on Masonite, ACEO (= 2.5 x 3.5 inch = 64 x 89 mm):

This item may be for sale on my Bid-or-Buy store. 

Red-billed hornbill

Acrylics on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

The hornbills have a rather strange system of breeding. They breed in hollows in trees. The opening is mostly blocked off with a plaster made of mud and droppings, leaving only a narrow opening through which the male feeds the female and her chicks. When the hole becomes too small for its occupants, the female breaks out; the opening is then resealed as before, and the chicks fed by both parents until they are ready to leave the nest.

This item may be for sale on my Bid-or-Buy store. 

White-bellied sunbird

Acrylics on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

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These small birds are fairly common around here where I live, in parks and gardens, as well as wooded wild areas. But they are not seen all that often because of their small size and wooded habitat. Not easy to photograph either, because they seem never to remain still for more than a fraction of a second at a time. Only the males have bright, iridescent colors; the females, like the females of other sunbirds, are drab grey-brown. They have a similar lifestyle to those of the hummingbirds of the Americas, and live on nectar, small insects and spiders.

Southern Red Bishop

Acrylics on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

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The bishop birds are part of the weaver family, and like other weavers, in the breeding season the males turn into bright colors, build woven nests and engage in mating displays in an attempt to attract females. In the non-breeding season, they lose their bright feathers and turn drab like the females.

Orange-breasted waxbill

Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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These colorful critters are fairly common along water courses in the eastern half of southern Africa. They're pretty small and elusive though, so usually you have sit quietly for a while before you wil see them, often in small groups, flitting from perch to perch.

Cape white-eye

Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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White-fronted bee-eaters

Acrylic on Masonite, 25 x 20 cm:

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Malachite kingfisher

Acrylic on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

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Black-eyed bulbul

Acrylic on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

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Common garden birds in the eastern half of South Africa. In the west, the are replaced by the red-eyed bulbul, which is almost identical, except for a red ring around the eye.

Cape robin-chat

Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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These birds used to be known simply as Cape robins - not difficult to see why, as they look rather like European robins, but are found in South Africa. Then, some years ago, the powers that be in bird nomenclature made extensive changes to the common names of lots of birds, presumably in an attempt to standardize names, and the Cape robin also got renamed. 

Early bird (hoopoe)

Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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I saw this hoopoe in the early morning gloom, looking for breakfast - the early bird does indeed get the worm. Took a quick reference photo or two. The light was so low that the photo came out fuzzy and grainy, but it was still suitable as reference.

Cape sparrow

Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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Orange-breasted bush shrike

Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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A bird and a big beast

Red-headed finch on a branch. Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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A big beast in a small painting: Grazing elephant. Acrylic on Masonite, ACEO, i.e. 2.5 x 3.5 inch (64 x 89 mm):

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Masked weaver

More precisely, Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) male, building a nest. Acrylic on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

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Laughing dove

Laughing dove, Spilopelia senegalensis. Acrylic on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

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