Diary of a birding princess

April 22, 2011: Magamba Forest, Tanzania

Dear Diary,

It´s 2 pm. I´ve been hiking in a drizzle all morning. It’s cold, it's muddy and I ran out of Pepto-Bismol hours ago. All I want is a hot shower and a clean, dry set of clothes.

Monkeying around

Red-tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius) in Mpanga Forest Reserve,
Uganda.

Grey-cheeked mangabey (Lophocebus albigena) in Mabira Forest
Reserve, Uganda.

Guereza colobus (Colobus guereza) in Arusha National Park, Tanzania.
Note the fully white fluffy tail- this is the East African highland form.

Guereza colobus (lowland form) in Kasoingere Forest, Uganda.
Note the black arms and thin white-tipped tail.

Angola pied colobus (Colobus angolensis) in Magamba Forest, Tanzania.
Note its white arm fur and thin white-tipped tail.

Patas monkeys (Cercopithecus patas) in Murchison Falls National
Park, Uganda.

L'Hoest's monkey (Cercopithecus l'hoesti) in Nyungwe Forest National
Park, Rwanda

Gentle blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) in swamps surrounding
Lake Mugesera, Rwanda

Vervet monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus) in Akagera National Park,
Rwanda

Olive baboon youngster (Papio anubis) in Arusha National Park, Tanzania

Welcome to the jungle! Let's explore Nyungwe rainforest

Rainforests present a conundrum for visitors. They harbor as much biodiversity as any habitat on the planet, and yet you are unlikely to see most of their wonders.

The sun rises over the forested mountains... what lives in these
blankets of green? The pictures below show just a fraction of forest life.

Michele and I camped for three nights in Nyungwe Forest National Park here in Rwanda. As some of these pictures show less-than-clear views, you can imagine that birding in a rainforest can be a challenge. Sometimes the best view is hardly a view at all.

Nyungwe covers over 1,000 square kilometers. Before
massive deforestation in recent human history, the whole forest
stretched from Uganda through Burundi. The main patch left in Rwanda
is protected as Nyungwe Forest National Park. 

Mostly you see plants. Bugs are pretty common too, but at above 2000 meters, most of the nasty bugs are excluded from Nyungwe.

Angola pied colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis) live in large groups
and spend most of their lives in trees.

Still, there is much to be seen in a rainforest; you might just have to be patient to see what you want to see. 

The great blue turaco (Corythaeola cristata) is large and blue with a
bright yellow bill and a black mohawk. It is a spectacular blue turaco
if you ask me! 

Out of 278 possible bird species, Michele and I saw 68 species in our three days there. For comparison, at Agahozo, a mostly agricultural spot in Eastern Rwanda, I have seen 65 species in one day. In Nyungwe, however, quality reigns over quantity. We saw 14 species of birds that are endemic to montane forests of the Albertine Rift (restricted in range and found no where else). One of them, the red-collared mountain babbler (Kupeornis rufocinctus) is apparently extremely hard to see anywhere else in the Albertine Rift. 

L'Hoest's mountain monkeys (Cercopithecus l'hoesti l'hoesti) prowl the
ground for fruits.

The best part about visiting is that the fees support conservation in Rwanda. Trail permits and camping at Nyungwe are not cheap, but paying for them provides a market for preserving the rainforest. Even if you do not see it all in Nyungwe, your entrance fee helps make sure the forest and its inhabitants are still there blanketing the hills.

A lizard hides in the brush. Most of Nyungwe's animal residents
are not seen easily, and this is generally characteristic of most
rainforest organisms, whichever forest you might be in.

Carruther's mountain squirrel (Funisciurus carruthersi) is one of five
squirrel species that patrols the trees of Nyungwe.

The strange weaver, Ploceus alienus, is another bird found
only in the mountains of the Albertine Rift. The Albertine Rift refers to
the divergent tectonic plate boundaries that shape this part
of Africa, giving rise to mountains, deep lakes, and volcanoes.

This black-and-white casqued hornbill (Bycanistes subcylindricus) is
one of the largest birds of the forest. Its name comes from the
bicolored keratin growth above its bill.

As bright as it is, the bar-tailed trogon (Apaloderma vittatum)
blends in quite well in the forest.

One of the nine species of snakes known to inhabit Nyungwe slithers
on a trail. I spotted it as our group walked right past it... don't worry,
this is not a venomous snake. In fact, there is only one venomous
snake species known to live in all of Nyungwe.

The olive-breasted mountain greenbul (Andropadus kikuyuensis) lives
only in highland forests of East Africa, mainly along the Alberitne Rift.

Can you find the Ruwenzori turaco (Gallirex johnstoni)? It is found only
in the mountains of the Albertine Rift, in Uganda,
Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although
it features blue, purple, red, and green feathers, its overall dark
appearance helps it blend into the shadows.

Crowned hornbills (Tockus alboterminatus) live in Nyungwe and
in many other African forests as well.

See anything besides leaves and branches?

A closer look: Sharpe's starling (Pholia sharpii) is an uncommon resident
of montane forests and is found only in East Africa.

The watersheds of two mighty rivers are divided
upon the ridge we stand in Nyungwe. One rain cloud
can empty into this area; some of its contents will
rush into the Atlantic Ocean out of Western Africa
and some will pour into the Mediterranean Sea from Egypt.

Where the Blue Monkeys climb: our journeys through the swamp

From the top of our hill, Lake Mugesera and the swamp appears to be just a short walk away. Six kilometers later, you look back, and realize that the six kilometers back are uphill. Fortunately, the wildlife is worth it.

Welcome to the swamp!

There are several routes one can take to reach the lake. Sometimes great birds are found along the way; sometimes hordes of children swarm a few meters behind you. Whatever the route, although it is only 5km to the lake as the crow flies, your path will wind at least 6km past farms, homes, and through swamp.

Swamp-jumping! We have yet to have a full fall-in. If that happens,
we'll definitely get pictures! 

The swamp that fringes Lake Mugesera is actually much better for spotting wildlife than the lake itself. We have seen only around four species on the lake water in five trips, but dozens live in the swamp.

The muck and water can past your knees. Expect to get a little wet.

Much of the swamp has been cleared and cultivated (rice is a major crop in former swamps). Local residents harvest the papyrus and use it to cover soil to prevent unwanted plants from growing. Still, some native vegetation remains.

Papyrus dominates the swamp. What lives inside is a mystery unless you
are lucky enough to have something pop out. 

Patience is required at the swamp. Some spots hardly even afford a view. The potential in a swamp is high, but at the same time, you may walk away with seeing only common species.

Hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedesh) forage among the swamp grasses.
They are one of three ibis species found in Rwanda.

We have yet to find any of the regional papyrus-endemic species in our local swamp (endemic means that a species is unique to some area, whether it be a habitat type or region). However, if we do find one, it would be quite the treasure. Shoebills, papyrus gonoleks, papyrus canaries, Carruther's cisticolas, and white-winged warblers are all known to live in swamps in Rwanda.

Find the bittern! Clue: look for its outstretched neck.

The allure of the swamp is mainly different birds than we are used to seeing. Every once in a while, we find a species new to us. Our swamp is the only place we have seen little bitterns, cape wagtails, northern brown-throated weavers, and slender-billed weavers.

The little bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii) is spectacular bird, and we
believe there is a pair nesting in this piece of swamp (we have
seen them in the same spots over a three-month period).

There are plenty of butterflies and dragonflies that dazzle along. Sometimes frogs jump from the side and plop into the watery muck of the swamp. We have yet to see any snakes, but this is a habitat where several species could thrive. Locals say there are no crocodiles, and our observations confirm that. People have told us that hippos and elephants used to live here- can you imagine looking down from the hill and seeing elephants?

We found a troop of twelve gentile blue monkeys (Cercopithecus species)
traversing the swamp. They came out on the opposite side to raid
some banana trees.

If you are interested in seeing the swamp and the lake near where Michele and I live, plug in these coordinates to Google Earth or another similar program:  Latitude: 2° 4'13.31"S Longitude: 30°22'5.07"E. That spot is a small cove surrounded by swamp that is favored by both human residents for water and by birds for its prominent perches and abundant food. You can see the swamp (full of small squares that are now cultivated) going north until it forms the top of a "Y." Welcome to the local swamp!

The electric malachite kingfisher (Alcedo cristata) is great to see,
unless you are a fish, amphibian, or giant insect. It uses its long,
spear-like bill to snag its prey while in swooping down at the water.

The pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a widespread species that is very
easily seen at the swamp and hovering over the lake.

The blue-headed coucal (Centropus monchus) is a species that lives
primarily in swamps. Although it sometimes calls while resting in the open,
most of the time it is secretive as it forages among the swamp grasses.

The sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) stands here on some cropland
just outside the swamp. It is generally looks for macroinvertebrates
and snatches them with its long, curved bill.

Cape wagtails (Motacilla capensis) are reportedly common in southern
Africa,  but here in East Africa they are considered "local" residents that
can only be found near their territories. Indeed, at the swamp is the only
place Michele and I have seen them.

The black-headed gonolek (Laniarius erythrogaster) is a brilliant-looking
bird.  Jet black on the head, back and wings with a blood-red throat and
belly, it is always a pleasure to see. 

The swamp flycatcher (Muscicapa aquatica) is only found around,
you guessed it, swamps and lakeside vegetation.

Once we are satisfied or if rain clouds or darkness approach, it is time to turn our backs to the lake and begin the long walk climbing from 1335 meters above sea level to our house at 1538 meters above sea level. The lake and swamp is not for everyone; in fact, some might say it is for the birds! So it is, and also for bird lovers like us.

Swamp creatures!

Happy Mother's Day (and baby animals)!!!

Michele and I recently visited Tanzania to look for birds and other wildlife. Many big mammals of East Africa breed and then give birth to their young to coincide with the rainy seasons (November-May), which provide the most grazing (and hunting!). At this time of year, when grasses are high, trees are covered in leaves, and food abounds, wild babes have stronger chances at survival. Most of these photos also highlight the adults, usually the mothers and female groups, that help raise them to adulthood.

A lioness (Panthera leo) with her two cubs trek along the Tarangire River bed in Tarangire National Park. Cubs can run by the time they are one month old but depend on their mother until about 16 months old.

A baby African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) stays close to its mother in Tarangire National Park. African elephants have a gestation period of nearly two years (about 21 months) before the baby is born. On average, the elephant young breast feeds for about 78 months. Happy Mother's Day indeed!

African buffalo females (Syncerus caffer) from strong bonds with their young. The young females remain with their mothers until they reproduce on their own (five years to sexual maturity). Young males join other male groups after two years. (Arusha National Park)

Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) actually breed in the rainy season and have their young in the dry season. However, this young giraffe will stay with its mother for about 14 months. (Arusha National Park)

A young olive baboon (Papio anubis) hitches a ride on an adult's back, possibly the mother's, judging from the size and apparent lack of a facial mane. Males also carry the young although the mothers do most of the rearing. Baboons, can live in large groups with many males, females, and young; these two baboons were photographed in a group with more than 45 individuals in Arusha National Park.

Happy Mother's Day!

Works cited:

• Harrington, E. and P. Myers. 2004. "Panthera leo" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Panthera_leo.html. 
• Kingdon, Jonathan. The Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004. 
• Maisano, S. and A. Fraser. 2006. "Giraffa camelopardalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Giraffa_camelopardalis.html. 
• Newell, T. 2000. "Syncerus caffer" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Syncerus_caffer.html. 
• Norwood, L. 2002. "Loxodonta africana" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Loxodonta_africana.html. 
• Shefferly, N. 2004. "Papio anubis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 07, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Papio_anubis.html.

Safari at Akagera National Park, second visit

A visiting teacher to Agahozo from New York was interested in a safari and told me she was a “wannabe birdwatcher.” I jumped at the idea… let’s split the cost and go birdwatching at Akagera National Park!

A vervet monkey on the move! (Cercopithecus aethiops pygerythrus)

Our driver was an hour late to pick us up this past Sunday, but it did not matter much as it rained from around 6:30am to 10am. Dark grey clouds loomed in all directions, and it did not look like a promising day for birds or any sort of fun.

Hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) are easy to see at Akagera

We got to the outskirts of the park around 8am in our 4x4 jeep. The road up to the park entrance goes through some rather flat woodland. From what we saw in the rain, I estimate that it would be some excellent birding on a sunny day. There were of course common birds like grey-headed sparrows, red-eyed doves, red-cheeked cordon-bleus, ring-necked doves, black-lored babblers, and white-browed robin-chats. We also picked up white-headed black chats, grey-backed fiscals, Ruppell’s long-tailed starlings, European bee-eaters, greater blue-eared starlings, and lilac-breasted rollers, which are all pretty nice looking birds. We were treated to some helmeted guineafowl along the side of the road, and three African grey hornbills rested all wet from the rain in a tree. We drove up a hill to reach the gate, as the rain still fell.

Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)

At the entrance gate, we stopped at the welcome desk. We filled out a form, met our park ranger, and paid our $30/person entrance fee. As we were walking out the door, the receptionist noted that we were birding and that the fee would actually be $70/person. I could not find any extra services we would be offered for the higher fee so I informed her that we would not look at birds and would just stick with the $30 “game drive.” The guides are pretty good with their birds, but of the two I have had at Akagera, they do not always know the birds at the species level (bee-eaters are bee-eaters, starlings are starlings, etc.). Plus, birds are the easiest group of wildlife to see. If they expect to get a premium price from birders, they better up the services, because I can bird just as successfully for $30 as I can for $70.

Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)

With our guide, we backtracked slightly to take the giraffe viewing road. We spotted one giraffe in the woodland, but the rain still poured. We picked up a neat mammal, a small antelope called a bush duiker, along the way. The only new birds we added were sooty chats and a lonely Senegal lapwing.

Olive baboon (Papio anubis)

The end of the giraffe road is back at the entrance gate, and I had our driver take us up to the Akagera Safari Lodge. I stopped in at the desk to get their most up-to-date contact information, as the Bradt guide and all the internet sources I have found were not current. Two olive baboons did show some interest in our car but quickly wandered off. We went to the lodge to look for the red-faced barbets that supposedly nests in a dead branch of a tree in the parking lot (I have seen in two sources, so I thought it was worth checking out). We found the ficus tree near the entrance to the parking lot that supposedly hosts the barbets, but the only dead branch had broken off and lay on the ground. We did get out and look around in the light rain, but did not find the barbets, which is a species endemic (found only) to the area west of Lake Victoria and in between the mountains separating Uganda/Rwanda/Burundi from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I had hoped to see this bird, but we missed it here and on the day overall.

Hildebrandt's Francolins (Francolinus hildebrandti)

As we descended a giant hill toward Lake Ihema (the biggest lake at Akagera), we saw two fairly large antelope, waterbucks,  foraging in the grass. We found hildebrandt’s francolins, emerald-spotted wood doves, white-browed coucals, and a soaring African fish eagle. As we reached the edge of the lake, a few vervet monkeys captured our attention; they are very cute, a mostly grey-furred monkey, with a black face surrounded by white. A woodland kingfisher, Egyptian geese, African open-billed storks, and squacco herons populated the banks and nearby vegetation. A lone hippopotamus swam in the waters offshore. And then, some stunning blue-cheeked bee-eaters landed in a bush not far away! These, according to the African Bird Club list for Rwanda and the Birds of East Africa, are migrants and do not breed in Rwanda. They were very pretty, and the rain was finally stopping enough for me to take a few pictures through my spotting scope.

Blue-cheeked Bee-Eaters (Merops persicus)

We continued along the lakeshore, picking up African jacana, marabou storks, spur-winged lapwings, and long-toed lapwings along the way. We drove past a fishing village and through some woodland to another much smaller lake called Shakani. Here we saw a great white egret (same as great egret In Americas but here it is a different subspecies), numerous cattle egrets (many in breeding plumage), one intermediate egret, two little egrets, glossy ibis (same species as in Americas), hadada ibis, some great cormorants, and a grey heron. We had one sandpiper, but we had a poor view and did not bother to identify it at the species level. The highlight of this lake was a single yellow-billed stork, which we had previously only seen from afar; this bird was close, and modeled for our cameras. A single Nile crocodile swam across the lake, showing just enough to be seen- if you are looking- but it posed a certain danger to any unsuspecting bird or mammal.

Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis)

On the road away from Shakani, we checked the mousebirds but only found speckled mousebirds (no blue-naped). A bare-faced go-away bird and an African green pigeon hung around on separate branches for some great views, and we added long-crested eagle, fork-tailed drongo, and white-winged black tit to our day’s list. We passed some bushbuck (a bovine mammal) and arrived at Lake Birengero. There is an area that you can get close to the lake and scan the papyrus along the shore of the opposite side for the shoebill, an absolutely unique and amazing bird. The shoebill is only found in Africa, is specialized to eat lungfish in mainly papyrus swamps, and is not easy to see. The rain had stopped and the sky was clearing so we stayed for around 40 minutes, scanning the shore, back and forth. We did not find the shoebill. This is a bird that Akagera and tour operators advertise, and it is frustrating how hard it is to access in “one of the most accessible shoebill haunts” (Bradt Guide). Much of the opposite shore is not visible, being blocked by trees, reeds, and papyrus that are on our side of the lake. The shore is far enough away that even if you did find the shoebill, it would not be a great view. It would be easy to put an observation tower here. While canopy towers in the rainforest might be expensive to construct (with trees 150-200 feet tall), the trees by Birengero are much shorter. A tower would be unobtrusive to the habitat of the shoebill and allow Akagera to actually show one of its top animals. If the shoebill were reliably seen here, I have no doubt that many more birders would come to this park. On Birengero itself, we found a single grey heron, a great cormorant, an African fish eagle, and one grey-crowned crane.  As we looked for the shoebill, a white-headed saw-wing whizzed around, common bulbuls sat in a tree, some common waxbills darted around the reeds, and a spectacular double-toothed barbet landed low in the vegetation to our left. The Fanshawe illustration in Birds of East Africa does not do this barbet species justice; it is so much prettier in person. No shoebill though. We moved on, sad to miss this species for the day (we did not see it in other marshes in the park).

Lake Birengero (the papyrus marshes are mainly
to the right across the lake, so are not shown in this picture,
but may hold resident shoebills)

We saw yellow-fronted longclaws, little bee-eaters, and a spot-flanked barbet on the way to our picnic spot on Lake Hago.African grey hornbills and lilac-breasted rollers were particularly showy here, and they looked sharper than in the rain earlier. Some hippos nearly joined us for lunch, as they exited the water down shore and eyed us cautiously. A few pied kingfishers rested on bare branches next to the lake and African wattled lapwings were also present. We ate our hard-boiled eggs, wheat rolls, amadazi (fried dough rolls), pineapple, and bananas while contemplating what we had seen and what we might see next. On the drive to our next spot, we found an immature black-chested snake eagle, Levaillant’s cuckoo, and one of the finds of the day, a black-bellied bustard standing atop a termite mound in the distance.  Our guide pointed out the bustard and much credit to him for the difficult spot. It would be the first of three black-bellied bustards we would see that day. And also, perhaps my favorite of Akagera’s mammals, the common warthogs trotted about, looking silly with their tails sticking straight up. We had good luck with warthogs after this and saw quite a few (no pictures though).

Black-bellied Bustard (Eupodotis melanogaster)
(the last bustard we saw- picture taken on the plains)

We arrived at Plage de Hippos (hippo beach) to look for ducks and waders. We saw hippos and basking crocs; we saw three white-faced whistling ducks, spur-winged geese, Egyptian geese, water thick-knees, and a malachite kingfisher. A large number of African open-bill storks were around, so many that they were actually blocking the views of most of the ducks and geese. A Eurasian marsh harrier flew by, but we turned up no other birds and decided to move on. A black-headed gonolek flew in front of the car, but other than me, no one got good looks at it.

Two crested barbets (Trachyphonus vaillantii)

On our drive to the plains, we spotted three great birds. The first, perhaps the find of the day, was a pair of crested barbets. They flew into a fruiting tree and snacked, only giving a great view at the end. The birds we saw had much more red faces than Fanshawe illustrates, but otherwise the drawing was accurate. Stevenson’s text notes that it has a red-speckled yellow face; it looked nearly all red to me. In any case, it is a spectacular-looking bird, and it was Michele’s favorite of the day. As we drove on, a Ross’s Turaco flew by and a green wood-hoopoe also flew by, showing its orange bill and spotted and lined wings.

A large topi (Damaliscus lunatus) looks at us
 with the much smaller Bohor reedbuck (Redunca redunca)
to the right in the grass

As we reached the plains, black-headed gonoleks gave much better views for all to see. We found some African buffalo with yellow-billed oxpeckers on their backs. Many topi (an antelope with a black face and leg patches) dotted the savanna and a Bohor reedbuck went sprinting by. We found many more buffalo and checked every oxpecker to see if we could pick out a red-billed, but they all were yellow-billed. Crowned lapwings, Senegal lapwings, and many African wattled lapwings surrounded the mud holes or scattered in the grasses. A single black-shouldered kite rode the otherwise empty sky. Two giraffe roamed a hillside in the distance. We found one European roller in a bush and finally got a good picture of the black-bellied bustard. The sun was nearly behind the hills, and it appeared that we might miss zebra altogether. We hoped our visiting friend would see this unique animal. As we left the plains, and drove toward the exit in the hills, common zebra finally showed themselves. We had some sacred ibis fly overhead, and two unidentified nightjars (with white-wing spots) flew in front of the car. We drove out of the park in the dark and started the 2-hour journey home.

Common zebra (Equus quagga) finally showed themselves
just before dark

Although we missed some birds we wanted to see (shoebill, red-faced barbet), we left the park having identified 73 species of birds and 13 species of mammal. Looking at the list of birds, it is heavily skewed toward larger birds. Entirely missed are many groups of smaller birds. We did see many of these birds, but from a moving car it is very difficult to ID them. Even if a small bird lands in open view, we must get the driver to stop, possibly back up, possibly get out of the car, and then look for the bird. This is not easy to do for every little bird, especially if you are trying to cover the whole park (we wanted our visitor to see the plains game in the north, and we also wanted to look for certain birds in the south). Numerous cisticolas, warblers, sunbirds, and two cuckoos did go by, but we did not get the chance to ID them. For future reference or for other birders, if you want to go for smaller birds or concentrate on certain species, you must cover less ground. For this trip, I am glad we did go the whole distance as two of our top birds (crested barbet, black-bellied bustard) all came from the north.

Sunset over savannah and wooded hills in Akagera

Mammals:

Olive Baboon

Vervet monkey

Common Zebra

Hippopotamus

Common Warthog

Giraffe

African Buffalo

Bushbuck

Bush duiker

Bohor Reedbuck

Waterbuck

Impala

Topi

+2 species of mongoose, but I am unsure which ones (one small, one larger)

Reptiles:

Nile crocodile

Tortoise, unsure which species

Birds (73 species):

Great Cormorant

Cattle Egret

Squacco Heron

Little Egret

Great Egret

Intermediate Egret

Grey Heron

Yellow-billed Stork

African Openbill

Marabou Stork

Glossy Ibis

Hadada Ibis

Sacred Ibis

Egyptian Goose

Spur-winged Goose

White-faced Whistling-Duck

Black-shouldered kite

African Fish-Eagle

Black-chested Snake-Eagle

Western Marsh-Harrier

Long-crested Eagle

Helmeted Guineafowl

Hildebrandt's Francolin

Red-necked Spurfowl

African Jacana

Grey Crowned-Crane

Black-bellied Bustard

Long-toed Lapwing

Spur-winged Lapwing

African Wattled Lapwing

Senegal Lapwing

Crowned Lapwing

African Green-Pigeon

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

Ring-necked Dove

Red-eyed Dove

Ross's Turaco

Bare-faced Go-away-bird

Levaillant's Cuckoo

White-browed Coucal

Speckled Mousebird

Pied Kingfisher

Woodland Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

Little Bee-eater

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

European Roller

Lilac-breasted Roller

Green Woodhoopoe

African Grey Hornbill

Spot-flanked Barbet

Double-toothed Barbet

Crested Barbet

Barn Swallow

White-headed Sawwing

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Common bulbul

White-browed Robin-Chat

African Thrush

Sooty Chat

White-headed Black-Chat

Black-lored Babbler

White-winged Black Tit

Grey-backed Fiscal

Black-headed Gonolek

Fork-tailed Drongo

Yellow-billed Oxpecker

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling

Village Weaver

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Common Waxbill