Bulletin 380 - Uganda #24 - Barbets and Tinkerbirds

 After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

The African Barbet family consists of 42 species. 75% of them occur in the East Africa area and I photographed 11 in Uganda. They all have large bills.

The 7" Gray-throated Barbet (Gymnobucco bonapartei) is  brown-bodied bird with mostly gray head. He has a light colored eye.

Gray-throated Barbet

The 7" Hairy-breasted Barbet (Tricholaema hirsuta) has a striped face and pale yellow underparts - heavily spotted on the belly.

Hairy-breasted Barbet

The 5.5" Spot-flanked Barbet (Tricholaema lacrymosa) has a stiped head and black bib with heave black spotting on his flanks

Spot-flanked Barbet

The 7.5" White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus) has a black body, white head and chest and white spots in the wings.

White-headed Barbet

The 6.5" Red-faced Barbet (Lybius rubrifacies) is a brown barbet with red cheeks.

Red-faced Barbet

The 6.5" Black-billed Barbet (Lybius guifsobalito) is very similar to the previous bird except he has a red throat as well as the red face.

Black-billed Barbet

The 9" Double-toothed Barbet (Lybius bidentatus) is dark brown above and has a red face and breast. There are 2 'teeth' on his upper mandible and a yellow patch around the eye. The bill is pale.

Double-toothed Barbet

The 9" Crested Barbet (Tachyphonus vaillantii) is a peculiar red and black and yellow bird with a black crest.

Crested Barbet

Tinkerbirds are smaller barbets. The 4.5" Speckled Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus scolopaceus) is brown above and streaked underneath.

Speckled Tinkerbird

The 5" Red-rumped Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus atroflavus) has a yellow striped face, yellow underparts and a red rump not visible in this photo.

Red-rumped Tinkerbird

The 4" Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus bilineatus) has a white-striped face, white throat and yellow belly.

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 15 of the 42 species of African Barbets

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2021 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 379 - Uganda #23 - Thrushes, Shrikes, Starlings, Mongooses, Warthog

 After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

Thrushes are favorite birds of birders and non- birders alike due to theirs colors and beautiful songs. They are a worldwide family of 169 species. I photographed 2 new species in Uganda and of course both were life birds. The 8.5" African Thrush (Turdus pelios) is similar to our American Robin but with a paler breast.

African Thrush

The 7.5" Fraser's Rufous Thrush (Stizorhina fraseri) is a bright rufous bird with a gray head.

Fraser's Rufous Thrush

I also had 2 lifer shrikes in Uganda. The 10" Gray-backed Fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides) is all white below, with a gray crown and back and the typical black mask and wings. His hooked beak is readily seen.

Gray-backed Fiscal

The 8" Mackinnon's Shrike (Lanius mackinnoni) is similar but smaller and with a reduced size of the black mask.

Mackinnon's Shrike

Starlings form part of a large old world family of 118 species. I found 3 new ones for the trip.

The 14" Rüppell's Starling (Lamprotornis purpuroptera) is a glossy blue long tailed bird. He has a black face and yellow eye.

Rüppell's Starling

The 9" Waller's Starling (Onychognathus walleri) is a black starling with a red wing patch seen when the bird flies.

Waller's Starling

The last is the amazing 12" Splendid Starling (Lamprotornis splendidus). This is a glossy blue starling but in sunlight has all sorts of colors. He is difficult to photograph to see the various colors. He has a yellow eye.

Splendid Starling

Here is another in the sunlight.

Splendid Starling

And a third.

Splendid Starling

The Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) has dark stripes across the lower 1/2 of his back. We were birding and suddenly a large group of perhaps 50 animals ran across a grass airstrip. They ran right up to us and the babies played at our feet.

Banded Mongoose

The Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) was a life mammal for me. It is the smallest carnivore in Africa, with the adults weighing only 3/4 pound.  A mutualistic relationship has evolved between dwarf mongooses and hornbills, in which hornbills seek out the mongooses in order for the two species to forage together, and to warn each other of nearby raptors and other predators.

Common Dwarf Mongoose,

The ugly Common Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) I had seen before, but I had not seen one kneel down to eat like this. In short grass, they cannot browse as their neck is too short, so they have to 'kneel' down to reach the grass. Nature always has interesting behaviors if we look and have curiosity.

 

I put the different bird and mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 50 of the 169 species of thrushes

I have photos of 8 of the 33 species of  shrikes

I have photos of 18 of the 118 species of  starlings and mynahs

I have photos of 7 of the 35 species of  mongooses

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2021 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 378 - Uganda #22 - Falcons, Turacos

 After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

The worldwide 19" Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is well known to all birders as the fastest flyer in the world in its dives. This is the subspecies south of the Sahara Desert, (F p minor). It is listed as uncommon in East Africa. We did not see it until the last morning.

Peregrine Falcon

There were 3 smaller falcons. The first is the 13" Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). It is a fierce looking all brown falcon with black streaking on the breast. He has the typical moustache like most falcons.

Common Kestrel

The 13" Gray Kestrel (Falco ardosiaceus) is all gray with bare yellow skin around the eye.

Gray Kestrel

Lastly is the 14" Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo). This bird resembles our American Kestrel. It is a winter migrant to Africa.

Eurasian Hobby

Turacos are a small family of large, long-tailed, showy birds endemic to Africa. 3 of them are national birds. The 19" Bare-faced Go-away Bird (Corythaixoides personata) has a white head, neck and breast, a black face and the rest of the bird is brown. There is a large crest and a long tail.

Bare-faced Go-away Bird

The 20" Eastern Plantain-eater (Crinifer zonurus) is charcoal colored with some spots, a long tail and bushy crest.

Eastern Plantain-eater

Next is the fantastic 30" Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata). This is an enormous blue bird with a crest and long tail. It is an easy ID.

Great Blue Turaco

Lastly is the stunning 21" Ross's Turaco (Turaco rossae). This is a royal blue bird with a yellow beak and facial skin and a red crest. It is an easy ID and it was the most spectacular bird for the whole trip.

Ross's Turaco

I put the different bird and mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 17 of the 65 species of falcons

I have photos of 7 of the 23 species of  turacos

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2021 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 377 - Uganda #21 - Waxbills, Mannikins and others

 After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

The estrildidae family of Old World songbirds are small, often brightly colored birds that are popular in the pet trade. There are 141 species in this bird family and I photographed 9 of them in Uganda. I will present them from the plainest to the most colorful (in my opinion.)

The 3.5" Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata) has a brown back, light breast, streaking on belly, and a black face and throat. It is often found in the USA as escaped cage birds.

Bronze Mannikin - male

His cousin the male 3.5" Black-and-White Mannikin (Lonchura bicolor) is just as his name suggests.

Black-and-White Mannikin - male

The 5.5" Gray-headed Nigrita (Nigrita canicapillus) is black with a gray head and nape and a few white spots on his shoulders. The red eye adds a bit of color.

Gray-headed Nigrita

His cousin, the 4.5" White-breasted Nigrita (Nigrita fusconotus) is snow white underneath with a black head and brown back - not seen in the photo.

White-breasted Nigrita

The 4" Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula) is black and white and gray with some red on the wings and rump.

Black-crowned Waxbill

The 4" Orange-cheeked Waxbill (Estrilda melpoda) is brown backed with gray underparts and an orange face and bill. It is a recent arrival in southwestern Uganda as its range has extended northwards from Burundi through Rwanda into southwestern Uganda in the past decade.

Orange-cheeked Waxbill

The male 4" Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala) is red all over - so a nice cage bird.

Red-billed Firefinch - male

The 4" Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Coccopygia quartinia) has a gray head, olive back and wings, yellow belly and a red rump and lower mandible.

Yellow-bellied Waxbill

Drum roll please for our champion - the amazing 5" Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus). He is such a cute little bird.

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 23 of the 141 species of waxbills and others

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 376 - Uganda #20 - Sandpipers and other water birds, baboon

After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

There are many lakes and rivers in Uganda, so they have a diversity of resident and migrant shore birds and other water birds.

I was hoping to see some new sandpipers from Eurasia and I did get one lifer, the 8.5" Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea). It is IDed in winter plumage here by the slight droop at the end of the bill. In breeding plumage, it is a beautiful chestnut color on the head and underparts.

Curlew Sandpiper - non-breeding

The 16"  Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is a winter resident. It is IDed by the long straight 2 toned bill. This was only my second time to see this bird.

Black-tailed Godwit

The 13" Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) has greenish legs and a slightly upturned bill.

Common Greenshank

The 8" Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucus) is identical to our Spotted Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage. The white spot on the shoulder is the ID mark.

Common Sandpiper

The 9" Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) is similar to the Solitary Sandpiper here, with the eye ring, dark wings with white spots.

Green Sandpiper

The 8" Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) has spotted wings and back and yellow legs.

Wood Sandpiper

Snipes tend to be secretive, so it is always nice to see them in the open as this 11" Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago). It is similar to our Wilson's Snipe with the long bill and stripes along the back.

Common Snipe

An exciting find was another lifer, but it is a member of a closely related family - the painted-snipes. This is a tiny family of 3 species. The 9.5" Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis) is a secretive bird in marshes. I had looked for this bird in rice paddies in China without success. 

Greater Painted-snipe

The 6.5" Lesser Jacana (Microparra capensis) is a small, secretive marsh bird. This was another lifer and the only one of this species for the trip. It has long legs and a rufous crown.

Lesser Jacana

I saw my second baboon species in Uganda, the Olive Baboon (Papio anubis). It is a large gray to olive brown monkey with a range across central Africa.

Olive Baboon

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 50 of the 93 species of sandpipers

I have photos of 5 of the 8 species of  jacanas

I have photos of 9 of the 135 species of  old world monkeys

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.