Raeesah Habib is a South African conservationist and freelance writer. She completed a diploma in nature conservation in 2016 through the University of South Africa (UNISA). During her internship, she spent a year working with wattled cranes on the Wattled Crane Recovery Programme (WCRP).
The program aims to prevent the local extinction of the wattled crane in Southern Africa through the release of captive-reared individuals into critically endangered wild populations across the country. During her time at the research facility, she was also responsible for the general monitoring and husbandry of other magnificent species, including blue cranes and secretary birds.
Following her internship, she was fortunate to have worked in some spectacular wilderness areas across the country, including the Cradle of Humankind, the Kruger National Park, and the northern Zululand. As a wildlife monitor, her responsibilities included conducting bird point counts. Birds surveys are a useful means to collect data on the avian populations in an area. The data helps researchers gain an understanding of population trends and ecosystem health.
When not in the field, Rae enjoys writing to share her passion, knowledge, and experiences with others.
The demure Amur falcon, Falco amurensis, is a small, migratory raptor of the falconidae family. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in spirit as each year the Amur falcon makes a treacherous journey south from the Far East across the Arabian Sea...
The skuas are predatory sea birds known for their aggressive feeding habits and long migration routes. Their seafaring relatives include gulls, auks, terns, skimmers, and waders, all belonging to the Lari suborder. The genus Stercorarius was...
Also known as the black-throated diver, the Arctic loon is a northern migratory waterbird of the Gaviidae family. Once considered conspecific with the closely related Pacific loon, these two birds are now regarded as sister species together with the...
The red-footed falcon is a small raptor of the Falconidae family. It is a migratory species native to Eastern Europe and Asia, spending winters in Southern Africa. Their population numbers are dropping rapidly, and the species is at risk due to...
Not only is this magnificent raptor the fastest bird in the world, but also the fastest animal on the planet. The peregrine falcon is capable of reaching speeds of over 320 kilometres per hour. There are nineteen subspecies of peregrine falcons...
Netta rufina is a large diving duck named for the lush, rufous crest of the drake. The species impressive fossil record spans Europe and Asia, tracing back to the Lower Pleistocene. More recent fossils were associated with early human settlements up...
The type species of the genus Aythya was first identified in the 18th century in Lapland, Finland; roots of a prehistoric relative trace back to the Early Pleistocene. In his ancient texts, Aristotle mentions an unidentified seabird that laid...
Emerging from the shadows of its bottomland forest habitat in the early 19th century, the disappearance of Bachman’s Warbler was almost as obscure as its existence. Naturalist John Bachman, a close friend and colleague of James Audubon, first...
As daffodils and crocuses start poking through the snow across the Northern Hemisphere, flocks of birds return from their southern wintering grounds. Goldfinches are among the first to announce the coming of spring, orioles ignite the landscape in...
The African savanna supports an abundance of wildlife. Characterised by an extensive cover of grasses and scattered trees, the savannah provides both nesting sites as well as suitable hunting grounds for a diversity of bird species. This element...