Spotted Thick-knee.. not a sickness I have…

Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis)

Oh this bird just amuses me, not because of it’s nature but because of it’s name… I have posted on this bird before and to see that post CLICK HERE.

The poor birds name sounds like a strange sickness that you must beware of when walking in the forest… I found these two sitting quietly observing what I was up to…

Does he not look unhappy about the name he has been given ?? Sounds like a schoolboy nickname for some un-sporty type…

And her sitting on eggs too… or hiding her thick knees… not sure which…

A Dikkop.. that grew thick knees..

Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis)

A Spotted Dikkop that became a thick-knee.. I have known this bird all my life as a dikkop… why is it now known as a thick knee, did it develop water on the knee without me noticing.??

As bird names change.. (although I don’t know why).. it becomes more difficult to Identify them.. “Look at the dikkop..” answered by “You mean the thick-knee”. Why has it become necessary to change the names?

The spotted thick-knee, which can reach up to 18 inches in height, has long legs and a brown-and-white speckled coat. It ranges widely through sub-Saharan Africa, where it occupies dry grasslands and savannahs. The spotted dikkop’s brown, spotted feathers provide camouflage, making it difficult to spot in the grasslands where it lives.

The species hunts exclusively on the ground, feeding on insects, small mammals and lizards. It also nests on the ground, lining a scrape with grasses, feathers, pebbles and twigs. The female typically lays two eggs, and males and females rear offspring together, with both bringing food back to the nest. The birds will even fake injuries to lead predators away from the nest.