In previous Posts, I have pointed out that fynbos (South Africa), although ostensibly the ecological counterpart of kwongan (Australia), is considerably more fertile.
One of the problems with intercontinental comparisons of this kind is that the biotas are so different that it is hard to disentangle phylogenetic constraints from ecological adaptations.
For example, the marsupial Notamacropus irma (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1453435-Notamacropus-irma) metabolises, grows, and reproduces more slowly than its ostensible counterpart, the bambi Raphicerus melanotis (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/42376-Raphicerus-melanotis). Is this really because kwongan is nutrient-poorer, and more prone to wildfire, than fynbos, or is it merely because two fundamentally different clades of mammals are represented?
There are, however, a few genera of plants and animals are shared between these two continents, and these provide an opportunity for relatively straightforward comparison.
In the case of birds, the shared genera are mainly raptors and owls. This limits their relevance, because their position at the top of food-pyramids means that they have little interaction with soils and plants.
This reduces the relevant genera to Turnix (Turnicidae), Coturnix (Phasianidae), Zosterops (Zosteropidae), and Mirafra (Alaudidae).
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TURNIX
Australia
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/20907-Turnix-various
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/20866-Turnix-velox
South Africa
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/980032-Turnix-hottentottus
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/20887-Turnix-sylvaticus
COTURNIX
Australia
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/825-Coturnix-pectoralis
South Africa
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/804-Coturnix-coturnix
ZOSTEROPS
Australia
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/202505-Zosterops-lateralis
South Africa
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/472770-Zosterops-virens
COLUMBA
The genus Columba is indigenous to both Australia and South Africa.
In South Africa, Columba guinea (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3036-Columba-guinea) probably foraged in fynbos even before anthropogenic disturbance. Columba arquatrix (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3012-Columba-arquatrix) occurs marginally to fynbos, being dependent on patches of fire-free afromontane forest (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/143639756). It forages on e.g. Kiggelaria africana (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/119178-Kiggelaria-africana), which marginally penetrates fynbos.
By contrast, in Australia Columba leucomela is absent from heathlands (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3069-Columba-leucomela).
MEROPS
Australia
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/2238-Merops-ornatus
South Africa
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/2191-Merops-apiaster
CAPRIMULGUS
Australia
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/204476-Caprimulgus-macrurus
South Africa
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/19392-Caprimulgus-pectoralis
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/19519-Caprimulgus-tristigma
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