Dikkop Birds at De Zeekoe

In Southern Africa it is fairly common to come across a Burhinus Capensis (Spotted thick-knee, Spotted dikkop).
Yesterday I saw a group of 10 nestling around looking for food; these birds mainly eats insects, doing most of its foraging in a plover-like manner, repeatedly running forward, stopping then jabbing prey with its bill.
Usually they are quiet during the daytime, but tend to get noisy after sundown as this is the time when they are most active.
The spotted dikkop are usually monogamous (have only one mate) and outside the mating season, they tend to be quite mellow. However, males can become aggressive and territorial when they are protecting or defending the young. They build nests on the ground with twigs, straws and leaves.
These nests are usually placed under a bush to protect the eggs and the young from predators.
Visit de Zeekoe Guest farm and have a change to see these birds in their own habitat.