3-10 南非—观鸟胜地

South Africa -- The Birding Mecca1

South Africa’s diverse habitat and vegetation provides a perfect breeding ground for a lively and varied 1 selection of birdlife. It ranks as one of the top birding destinations in the world. The country’s vast stretches of bush-land and woodlands are home to an astonishing array2 of bush birds, including giant birds of prey 2. Slender-legged waders3 and gracious waterbirds inhabit a network of wetlands and coastlines. The thick indigenous 34 forests are home to many exquisitely 45 coloured and unique birds, while a veritable6 flurry7 of species occur throughout South Africa’s grasslands 5, deserts and mangrove 68 swamps9.

Of the 850 or so species that have been recorded in South Africa, about 725, or 85％, are resident or annual visitors and about 50 of these are endemic10, or near-endemic to South Africa and can not be seen elsewhere. Apart from the resident birds, South Africa hosts birds from further north in Africa, the Arctic, Europe, Central Asia, China and Antarctica during the year. Almost half of the estimated 850 bird species recorded in South Africa can be seen in the Kruger National Park, which makes it one of the most rewarding birding spots in the world.Of special interest are the 95 endemics -- those species found in southern Africa and nowhere else -- and the 72 near-endemics -- species whose distribution extends just beyond southern Africa. Hornbills, starlings, vultures, rollers, bee-eaters and shrikes typify the ubiquitous11 avifauna12 of the Kruger.

Every summer more than 100 species of birds migrate from the northern hemisphere to South African shores. The most common migrants are the waders of the sandpiper family, but they also include other birds ranging in size from herons to shrikes. The Benguela Current13 along the southern and southwestern coastline supports a rich supply of fish that in turn attracts scores of seabirds, such as the large flocks of cormorants 7 which fly in characteristic V-shape formation. Spectacular colonies of Cape 8 gannets can be seen at Lambert’ s Bay and on small islets such as Bird Island on the west coast.

Nylsvley Nature Reserve in Northern Province is a pristine 914 wetland that attracts the highest number of birds in the southern hemisphere during the rainy summer months. The reserve is transformed into an endless sheet of warm, tea-coloured water that is literally 10 a bird airport. Higher up in the crags15 of the nearby Waterberg mountains, roosts the world’s largest colony of Cape vultures. South Africa is one of the world leaders in vulture conservation, and is also globally renowned 11 for the bird-friendly electricity powerlines.

注释：

1. mecca [5mekE] n. [亦作m～]胜地；向往的地方

2. array [E5rei] n. 大量；显眼的一系列；整齐的一批

3. wader [5weidE(r)] n. 涉禽（如鹤、鹭等）

4. indigenous [in5didVinEs] adj.（尤指动、植物分布）本地的，本土的

5. exquisitely [5ekskwizitli] adv. 赏心悦目地；精美地

6. veritable [5veritEbl] adj. 名副其实的；十足的

7. flurry [5flQri] n. 阵风；混乱

8. mangrove [5mAN^rEuv] [植] n. 红树属树木

9. swamp [swCmp] n. 沼泽；沼泽地

10. endemic [en5demik] adj. （动、植物或风俗习惯等）某地特有的；亦作n.本地特有的动物（或植物）

11. ubiquitous [ju:5bikwitEs] adj. 普遍存在的，无所不在的

12. avifauna [7eivi5fC:nE] n.（某一地区、时期或环境内的）鸟类；鸟类志

13. Benguela [ben5^eIlE] Current本格拉海流（在南大西洋沿西南非洲海岸向北流动的一支强流）

14. pristine [5pristain] adj. 原始（状态）的，未触动过的

15. crag [krA^] n. 险崖

南非—观鸟胜地

南非多种多样的栖息环境和丰富的植被资源为生机勃勃、品种多样的鸟类提供了一个完美的生息繁衍之地。它是世界上观察研究鸟类最佳的目的地之一。该国大片的灌木丛和森林是数量惊人的丛林鸟类的家园，包括大型猛禽。长着细长双腿的涉禽和姿态优美的水禽,栖息在湿地和海岸线所组成的区域。茂密的本土森林是很多色彩艳丽的稀有鸟类的家园，同时还有众多的鸟类遍布南非的草原、沙漠和红树林沼泽。

　　在南非已经记录在案的850来种鸟类里，约有725种(或85％)是留鸟或每年来此的候鸟，其中约50种是其他地方见不到的南非特有或接近特有的品种。除了留鸟，南非全年都“接待”来自非洲最北部、北极、欧洲、中亚、中国和南极洲的各种鸟类。在克鲁格国家公园，几乎可以见到南非已经记录在案的约850种鸟类中的一半，这使它成为世界上最值得去的观鸟地之一。主要的景观有：95种本地特有鸟类——那都是些南非有而别处无的品种——和72种近本地特有鸟类——其他地方也只分布在南非附近。犀鸟、椋鸟、秃鹫、金丝雀、蜂虎和伯劳是克鲁格常见鸟类中的典型品种。

　　每年夏天，有100多种鸟从北半球迁徙到南非海岸。最常见的候鸟是鹬鸟家族里的涉禽，但也包括大到鹭小至伯劳的其他鸟类。沿着南部和西南部海岸的本格拉海流带来丰富的鱼类，从而吸引了大量海鸟，如飞行呈V字型的大群鸬鹚。在兰伯特湾和西海岸的小岛（如鸟岛）上能见到南非鲱鸟群落奇观。

　　北方省的尼尔斯弗莱自然保护区是片原始湿地，它在多雨的夏季吸引着南半球数目最为众多的鸟类。整个保护区变成了一大片无边无际的温暖的褐色水面，简直就是个鸟的飞机场。附近的瓦特山高处陡崖上，栖息着世界上最大的南非秃鹫群落。南非是世界上秃鹫保护方面的领先者之一，而且也因其对鸟类安全的电线而闻名于世。