African Birdlife last conducted a comparative binocular review in the March/April 2013 issue. One of the best models was the Zeiss Conquest, which sits between Zeiss’s top-end Victory and entry-level Terra series. Costing only half the price of the premium Swarovski, Leica and Zeiss Victory models, the Conquest combined excellent optics with a robust, no-nonsense...

The African rail (Rallus caerulescens) is a handsome bird, with a blueish breast, red legs, eyes and bill, prominent barring on the flanks, chestnut upper parts, and long toes. It also has a characteristic trilling call. This wetland dweller is only found in sub-Saharan Africa, with a concentration in South Africa’s Western Cape province.  The species is one of...