The Speckled Thick Knee (Dikkop)
Behind our house in Kwaaiwater, Hermanus is a green belt that verges the Golf Course. On this stretch of land there is a fynbos garden. It is here that I came across a breeding pair of Speckled Thick Knee Birds. I was delighted to get these photo’s as I had the right lens on my camera at the time. All my previous attempts at a good photo had been in vain.
The spotted thick-knee, which can reach up to 45.5 cm in height, has long legs and brown-and-white speckled plumage which provides camouflage, making it difficult to spot the bird in the grasslands and savannas where it roams. Its head is large and round with a prominent yellow eye and a short, stout beak. When in flight or standing in a characteristic position with its wings raised, it shows a striking contrasting pattern. Its legs are long and yellow and the tibiotarsal joint is expanded, giving it the name “thick-knee”.
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