Spotted 'Dikkop' Burhinus Capensis

I Found this family of about 20 birds in our estate this morning! I was driving down to the gate that goes out to the dam when I spotted one, which eventually turned out to be a whole lot of them so well camouflaged that I nearly missed them.

I had a few very good blips of this interesting little bird, but I preferred this one, see if you can spot the third one on this picture!! Aren't they clever little buggers?

'Dikkop' translates literally to 'thick head', and sometimes these charming birds do seem a little slow. Dikkops rely on their excellent camouflage for protection and will not budge unless approached quite closely. They have a high pitched piping call, and will emit growling alarm notes when distressed. They prefer open areas interspersed with bush clumps or trees.

Dikkops are crepuscular (active at twilight) or nocturnal (hence the big eyes), but will also be active on cloudy days. They are more vocal at night, on heavily cloudy days and just after rain.

They eat mainly insects, crabs, snails, grass seeds, and sometimes even frogs. The nest is usually a shallow scrape on the ground, but once the female sits down, she virtually disappears from view, so good is her camouflage!