Beauty Contest - Cat.9

Since this is the final category in the Beauty Contest (for southern African birds) today's entries represent quite a "potpourri" of birds.


This Laughing dove is 'designated' to represent the entire dove family in this contest, because the pigeons are vying for more 'space'!






Although it's a common bird in southern Africa, a Rock pigeon is a handsome specimen + therefore deserves a place in this contest.







A less common resident (= only found in certain parts of the country) is the Green pigeon - often difficult to locate because of its habit to remain still amongst the foliage + therefore concealed by its cryptic colouring.



A Rameron pigeon is similarly 'constrained' to specific regions + is best found on treetops in the late afternoon, where they go to roost early + to sun themselves.


Like the Laughing dove, this Yellowbilled hornbill is also the sole representative of the entire hornbill family (To view e.g. the impressive Ground hornbill, SEE 2 of my previous blog-entries: "While on Tour", posted Sat. 26 July 2008 OR "Exemplary Birds", posted Tues. 22 April 2008).


A Grey Lourie (lately classified as one-of-a-kind) might be rather 'drab' to enter a Beauty Contest, but so what - who dares to stop it when IT CAN?






According to the latest bird classifications this is no longer called a Knysna lourie; instead it's classified as a touraco - 1 of many respectively handsome birds in this family.








Last but not least an African penguin - previously called a Jackass penguin because of its donkey-like braying. It's the only penguin permanently frequenting the southern African coastline.






What do we have here?

A vagrant!

This Rockhopper penguin occasionally comes ashore on the Cape coast, but tends 'to live' on Bouvet, Marion & Prince Edward islands.


So this is it! The end of the Beauty contest. Who deserves to win?

You be the judge.