Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania • All rights reserved

Bird name: African Hawk Eagle
Latin: Aquila spilogaster
Other: Aigle fascié (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Eagles, Birds of Prey
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa, ex Congo basin
Similar:

An African Hawk-Eagle in Tanzania. Thanks to Tom C. for photo.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania

Bird name: Martial Eagle
Latin: Polemaetus bellicosus
Other: Aigle martial (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Eagles, Birds of Prey
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

The Martial Eagle in Tanzania, sent in by Tom. Below, feeding chicks in nest.More photos...

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania

Bird name: Eastern Chanting Goshawk
Latin: Melierax poliopterus
Other: Pale Chanting Goshawk • Autour à ailes grises (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Chanting Goshawks, Birds of Prey
Range: East Africa
Similar:

An Eastern Chanting Goshawk sent in by Tom from Tanzania. Juvenile ?

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania

Bird name: Dark Chanting Goshawk
Latin: Melierax metabates
Other: Autour sombre (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Chanting Goshawks, Birds of Prey
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa (not Congo basin), Morocco, Yemen etc
Similar:

And two Dark Chanting Goshawks from Tom in Tanzania.More photos...

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania

Bird name: Long Crested Eagle
Latin: Lophaetus occipitalis
Other: Aigle huppard (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Eagles, Birds of Prey
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa - non arid zones
Similar:

A Long-crested Eagle in Tanzania. Thanks to Tom again for the photo.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania • All rights reserved

Bird name: Augur Buzzard
Latin: Buteo augur
Other: Buse augure (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Buzzards, Birds of Prey
Range: Ethiopia to Angola, Namibia, incl Tanzania
Similar:

An Augur Buzzard from Tanzania - thanks to Tom for this nice shot.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania

Bird name: African Harrier Hawk
Latin: Polyboroides typus
Other: Gymnogène d'Afrique (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Hawks, Harriers, Birds of Prey
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

Likely an African Harrier-Hawk, sent in by Tom from Tanzania.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Tanzania • 2011

Bird name: Striped Kingfisher
Latin: Halcyon chelicuti
Other: Martin-chasseur strié (Fr)
Family: Alcedinidae • Kingfishers
Range: Tropical Africa

Thanks to Tom for this shot of a Striped Kingfisher in Tanzania.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Do not copy • Tanzania

Bird name: Saddle Billed Stork
Latin: Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Other: Jabiru d'Afrique (Fr)
Family: Ciconiidae • Storks
Range: Widespread Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

Thanks to Tom for adding these photos of the Saddle-billed Stork. A huge bird standing 1.50 high, wth a wingspan of 2.5m. Pictured above, a male, from the dark irises - females have yellow irises.More photos...

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania, July 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Headed Heron
Latin: Ardea melanocephala
Other: Héron mélanocéphale (Fr)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar
Similar: Grey Heron

The Black-headed Heron is a large African Heron similar to the Grey Heron but with black or very dark grey top of head and back of neck.
More photos...

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania, Aug 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Goliath Heron
Latin: Ardea goliath
Other: Héron goliath (Fr)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar: Purple Heron, which is smaller.

The world’s largest heron - about 1.5 metres tall - seen here in Tanzania. Thanks to Tom for this photo.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Tanzania • August 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Hadada Ibis
Latin: Bostrychia hagedash
Other: Hadada • Ibis hagedash (Fr)
Family: Threskiornithidae • Ibises
Range: South, Central and East Africa - Sudan to South Africa
Similar:

White moustache is diagnostic for the Hadada Ibis. Thanks to Tom for sending in this shot from Tanzania.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Tanzania • August 2011

Bird name: Pearl Spotted Owlet
Latin: Glaucidium perlatum
Other:
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Africa south of the Sahara
Similar:

A Pearl Spotted Owlet spotted by Tom in Tanzania.

Copyright: TC/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Tanzania • August 2011

Bird name: Verreaux's Eagle Owl
Latin: Bubo lacteus
Other:
Family: Strigidae • Owls
Range: Widespread Africa
Similar:

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl spotted by Tom in Tanzania.

Copyright: AS/monacoeye • Tanzania Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Ruff
Latin: Philomachus pugnax
Other: Combatente (Pt) • Combattant varié (Fr) • Kampfläufer (De) • Combatiente (Es) • Combattente (It)
Family: Scolopacidae • Sandpipers
Range: Breeds in Eurasia, winters S&W Europe, Africa, S Asia, Australia

I believe these are Ruff. Above in Tanzania, October, below (in more photos) in Danube Delta, May. The male in breeding plumage (not pictured here) is quite spectacular.

Orange legs protrude past tail in flight.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Victoria • Oct 2009

Bird name: Lesser Masked Weaver
Latin: Ploceus intermedius
Other:
Family: Ploceidae • Weavers

This probable Lesser Masked Weaver was seen at Lake Victoria in Tanzania.

The IDs of these yellow weavers should probably be treated with care - there are quite a number of possibles and significant variations in breeding, non-breeding, juvenile and female plumages.

Below, in “more photos”, more examples from Congo.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Serengeti, Oct 2009

Bird name: Tawny Eagle
Latin: Aquila rapax
Other:
Family: Accipitridae • Eagles

A couple of nice shots of Tawny Eagles, sent in by André, taken in the Serengeti. These large eagles breed in Africa and Asia, and all the way to India.

Aquila eagles can be identified by their feathered legs. The Tawny Eagle is known for its slightly scruffy appearance.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Serengeti, Oct 2009

Bird name: Yellow Billed Kite
Latin: Milvus aegyptius
Other:
Family: Accipitridae • Kites, Birds of Prey
Range:
Similar:

The Yellow-billed Kite was thought conspecific with the Black Kite, but is increasingly regarded as a separate allopatric (i.e. divided geographically, in evolutionary terms) species, confined to Africa.

As you can see from these photos, sent in by André and taken in the Serengeti, the Yellow-billed Kite has a yellow bill, whereas the Black Kite has a black-tipped bill.
More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Tanzania, Oct 2009

Bird name: Common Bulbul
Latin: Pycnonotus barbatus
Other: Dark-capped Bulbul, Black-eyed Bulbul
Family: Pycnonotidae • Bulbuls

Nice shot of a Common Bulbul near Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. This bird is widespread throughout Africa. I understand the Tanzanian subspecies is likely to be the Dark-capped Bulbul, with yellow near the base of the underside.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Lake Victoria, Oct 2009

Bird name: Blue Capped Cordon Bleu
Latin: Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
Other:
Family: Estrildidae • Cordon-bleus

And one slightly blurry shot of a Blue-capped Cordon-Bleu seen at Lake Victoria in Tanzania. This bird is native to East Africa.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Serengeti, Oct 2009

Bird name: Magpie Shrike
Latin: Urolestes melanoleucus
Other: African Long-tailed Shrike
Family: Laniidae • Shrikes

Here are a couple of Magpie Shrikes seen in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

Identified by their long tail feathers and black and white markings.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Tanzania, Oct 2009

Bird name: Purple Grenadier
Latin: Uraeginthus ianthinogaster
Other:
Family: Estrildidae • Estrildid Finches

A couple of record shots of a male Purple Grenadier taken near Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, by André, showing the main distinguishing features.More photos...

copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Serengeti, Oct 2009

Bird name: Marabou Stork
Latin: Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Other:
Family: Ciconiidae • Storks
Range:
Similar:

The Marabou Stork is a huge bird, with a wingspan of about three and a half metres. It often scavenges at rubbish tips and at carcasses with vultures. This rather grizzly-looking bird is sometimes called the undertaker bird.

Marabou Storks are found in sub-Saharan Africa. André took these photos in Amboseli and Serengeti National Parks in east Africa.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Serengeti, Oct 2009

Bird name: Yellow Billed Oxpecker
Latin: Buphagus africanus
Other:
Family: Buphagidae • Oxpeckers

These Yellow-billed Oxpeckers are picking ticks off an Eland in the Serengeti in Tanzania.

The Yellow-billed Oxpecker can be differentiated from the Red-billed Oxpecker by the yellow base to its bill. It lives in a wide band of sub-Saharan Africa.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro • Oct 2009

Bird name: Red Winged Starling
Latin: Onychognathus morio
Other:
Family: Sturnidae • Starlings

The characteristic red patch of this male Red-winged Starling is hidden behind the plants.

The Red-winged Starling lives in eastern Africa - this photo was taken in Ngorongoro in Tanzania.More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Lake Manyara • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Spotted Morning Thrush
Latin: Cichladusa guttata
Other:
Family: Muscicapidae • Palm Thrushes

The Spotted Morning-thrush is found in eastern sub-Saharan Africa. These were seen at Lake Manyara and Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania.

The Spotted-morning thrush is identified by its strongly spotted chest. Here also with rufous tail.

This ID probably needs confirmation…

More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Lake Victoria • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Red Chested Sunbird
Latin: Cinnyris erythrocerca
Other: Nectarinia erythrocerca
Family: Nectariniidae • Sunbirds

The Red-chested Sunbird is found in eastern sub-Saharan Africa.

This presumed Red-chested Sunbird was seen in Tanzania at Lake Victoria. The red chest is not visible on the above photo, but can be seen on the original photo.More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Lake Manyara • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: African Grey Hornbill
Latin: Tockus nasutus
Other:
Family: Bucerotidae • Hornbills

Nice shots of a female African Grey Hornbill at Lake Manyara in Tanzania. Its range extends throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and into Arabia.

The female African Grey Hornbill can be distinguished from the male by the red she has on her bill, where the male’s bill is black.

More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Red Billed Hornbill
Latin: Tockus erythrorhynchus
Other:
Family: Bucerotidae • Hornbills

Thanks to André for sending in photos (below in “more photos”) of the Red-billed Hornbill in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

The Red-billed Hornbill is found in sub-Saharan Africa.More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Serengeti • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Von Decken’s Hornbill
Latin: Tockus deckeni
Other:
Family: Bucerotidae • Hornbills

Here is a male Von Decken’s Hornbill in the Serengeti in Tanzania. The male has red on the bill whereas the female has a black bill. The range of Von Decken’s Hornbill extends from Tanzania into other parts of east Africa.

The Hornbills sometimes get their own 56-species order, the Bucerotiformes. Otherwise they are placed in the Coraciiformes with Kingfishers, Rollers and Bee-eaters. Superb birds!More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Serengeti • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Silvery Cheeked Hornbill
Latin: Bycanistes brevis
Other:
Family: Bucerotidae • Hornbills

Fantastic looking Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, seen here feeding at Lake Manyara in Tanzania, by André.

They have a huge cream-coloured casque on the bill (males’, above, is larger) dark plumage with a white stripe running down the back.

In “more photos” you can see how delicately they can hold a small fruit in that huge bill of theirs.

More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Serengeti • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Little Bee Eater
Latin: Merops pusillus
Other:
Family: Meropidae • Bee Eaters

The Little Bee-eater is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa.

There are 24 species of Bee-eater worldwide, mostly in the genus Merops. Bee-eaters live in the Old World from Africa to Australia, with the highest number in Africa.

They almost exclusively eat insects, usually catching them on the wing, with a predilection for bees and wasps. Insects with stings are knocked against a hard surface then rubbed, with the bird’s eyes closed, to discharge the venom.

Thanks to André for sending in these pictures from Tanzania.More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Serengeti • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Yellow Throated Sandgrouse
Latin: Pterocles gutturalis
Other:
Family: Pteroclididae • Sandgrouse

The Yellow-throated Sandgrouse lives in sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of 16 species of Sandgrouse which now have their own order Pteroclidiformes - previously they were lumped with Pigeons in Columbiformes.

Glad to have these photos of the first Sandgrouse on the site, sent in by André. I spent a fruitless afternoon last year marching around La Crau in southern France, in search of the elusive Pin-tailed Sandgrouse.

The general distribution of the other members of the Sandgrouse family is Africa and Asia, with two species in southern Spain, one of which, as mentioned, sometimes ventures into France.

These Yellow-throated Sandgrouse were seen in the Serengeti in Tanzania. The female is pictured above and has strongly contrasting feathers and facial stripe. The male, below left, is duller with a dark neck stripe and also with facial stripe.

More photos...

Photos copyright: AS/monacoeye • Ngorongoro • Oct 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: European Bee Eater
Latin: Merops apiaster
Other: Guêpier d'Europe (Fr) • Gruccione (It) • Abejaruco europeo (Es)
Family: Meropidae • Bee Eaters

Around the 8th of September each year, hundreds of European Bee-eaters fly along the mountains behind Monaco (below in “more photos”), parallel to the coast, in their annual southwestern migration, down to Spain and then on to Africa.

They seem to come through in groups of twenty to fifty birds, at roughly half-hour intervals, with a one-day peak of several hundred individuals.

These small colourful birds have a fluttering flight, which appears quite haphazard, yet they manage to progress in a generally westward direction, parallel to the coast. They can be heard approaching by their flutey, whistling song, which sounds a little like singing electrical wires, which they make as they fly.

André, has just sent in the photo (above) of a European Bee-Eater in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, in October.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/TC/monacoeye • Tanzania

Bird name: Grey Headed Kingfisher
Latin: Halcyon leucocephala
Other: Gray-headed Kingfisher
Family: Alcedinidae • Kingfishers
Range:
Similar:

These Grey-headed Kingfishers were seen on the Serengeti River and Lake Manyara in Tanzania. Their range covers much of sub-Saharan Africa into southern Arabia.

The Grey-headed Kingfisher hunts insects and small lizards - not fish.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Kenya • Oct 2009

Bird name: Ostrich
Latin: Struthio camelus
Other:
Family: Struthionidae • Ostrich

The Ostrich is the largest ratite, an ancient group of flightless birds originating in Gondwanaland. They have no keel on their sternum (ratis is Latin for raft), so would not be able to fly even with more developed wings.

Ostriches are native to many parts of tropical Africa, particularly east Africa. Males are generally black and white and females brown.

These ostriches were photographed in Amboseli and the Serengeti.

More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Tanzania • Oct 2009

Bird name: African Openbill
Latin: Anastomus lamelligerus
Other:
Family: Ciconiidae • Storks
Range:
Similar:

The bill of the African Openbill Stork does not close fully, but instead meets at the tip.

The African Openbill is one of a total of 19 species of stork. Seen here in Lake Victoria with Black-winged Stilts.


More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Kenya • Oct 2009

Bird name: Lappet Faced Vulture
Latin: Torgos tracheliotus
Other: Nubian Vulture
Family: Accipitridae • Old World Vultures, Birds of Prey
Range:
Similar:

These Lappet-faced Vultures were photographed in the Masai Mara in Kenya and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.

I am less certain of the ID of the juvenile below (in “more photos”), so really need confirmation.

Comparison photo with White-backed Vulture here.

The Lappet-faced Vulture is classed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Tanzania • Oct 2009

Bird name: D'Arnaud's Barbet
Latin: Trachyphonus darnaudii
Other:
Family: Lybidiidae • Barbets

D’Arnaud’s Barbet is a small east African bird. The Barbets’ closest relatives are the Toucans and then the Woodpeckers. Photographed here by André in the Serengeti.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro • Oct 2009

Bird name: Speke’s Weaver
Latin: Ploceus spekei
Other:
Family: Ploceidae • Weavers

This seems likely to be a Speke’s Weaver, taken at Ngorongoro in Tanzania, but ID needs confirmation.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Serengeti • Oct 2009

Bird name: Speckle Fronted Weaver
Latin: Sporopipes frontalis
Other:
Family: Ploceidae • Weavers

The two different birds which look like Speckle-fronted Weavers to me, but need checking. Above taken in the Serengeti, below at Lake Manyara.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Serengeti • Oct 2009

Bird name: White Headed Buffalo Weaver
Latin: Dinemellia dinemelli
Other:
Family: Ploceidae • Weavers

A nice photo of a White-headed Buffalo-weaver seen in the Serengeti in Tanzania. Quite common in East Africa.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Victoria • Oct 2009

Bird name: Slender Billed Weaver
Latin: Ploceus pelzelni
Other:
Family: Ploceidae • Weavers

This presumed Slender-billed Weaver was seen at Lake Victoria in Tanzania.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Nakuru • Oct 2009

Bird name: Superb Starling
Latin: Lamprotornis superbus
Other:
Family: Sturnidae • Starlings

The aptly named Superb Starling lives in East Africa, seen here above at Lake Nakuru in Tanzania.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro • Oct 2009

Bird name: Greater Double Collared Sunbird
Latin: Cinnyris afer
Other:
Family: Nectariniidae • Sunbirds

The Greater Double-collared Sunbird photographed near Ngorongoro Crater.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro • Oct 2009

Bird name: Grey Crowned Crane
Latin: Balearica regulorum
Other: Gray Crowned Crane
Family: Gruidae • Cranes

The Grey Crowned Crane is found on dry savannah in sub-Saharan Africa - photographed here In Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. A large bird, about one metre tall. A stunning plumage.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro Crater • Oct 2009

Bird name: Blacksmith Plover
Latin: Vanellus armatus
Other: Blacksmith Lapwing
Family: Charadridae • Lapwings

The Blacksmith Plover is quite abundant in Kenya wetlands. Seen here in the Ngorongoro Crater.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro Crater • Oct 2009

Bird name: Kori Bustard
Latin: Ardeotis kori
Other:
Family: Otididae • Bustards

The Kori Bustard is a large, heavy bird, which stands at about 85 cm tall and is capable of flight. Spotted here in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, by André.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Manyara • Oct 2009

Bird name: Nubian Woodpecker
Latin: Campethera nubica
Other:
Family: Picidae • Woodpeckers

The Nubian Woodpecker is found in Central and Eastern Africa. Seen here at Lake Manyara, Kenya.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Kenya • Oct 2009

Bird name: Pied Crow
Latin: Corvus albus
Other:
Family: Corvidae • Crows
Range:
Similar:

These Pied Crows were on a roof top near the border of Kenya and Tanzania.

The Pied Crow is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro Crater • Oct 2009

Bird name: Rufous Tailed Weaver
Latin: Histurgops ruficauda
Other: Histurgops ruficaudus
Family: Passeridae • Old World Sparrows

Some nice pics of a Rufous-tailed Weaver in Ngorongoro. The Rufous-tailed Weaver is endemic to Kenya and Tanzania.
More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Olduvai Gorge • Oct 2009

Bird name: Secretary Bird
Latin: Sagittarius serpentarius
Other:
Family: Sagittariidae • Secretary Bird

The curiously anthropomorphic Secretary Bird, which looks a bit like a dancer with one outstretched leg (below), or a cartoon character looking for clues (above), photographed here in the Serengeti.

The Secretary Bird is a bird-of-prey in the Accipitriformes order, but in its own family, the Sagitarridae, which, in evolutionary terms, is older than the hawks, eagles and falcons, but not as old as the old-world vultures.

The Secretary Bird is a like a hawk on crane’s legs, hunting for food on foot, stamping on small prey or striking with its bill.

More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Olduvai Gorge • Oct 2009

Bird name: Red and Yellow Barbet
Latin: Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
Other:
Family: Columbidae • Doves

I believe that’s a female Red-and-yellow Barbet above, without the black crest, taken at Olduvai Gorge, and a male, with black crest, below seen at Lake Manyara.

More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Olduvai Gorge • Oct 2009

Bird name: Laughing Dove
Latin: Stigmatopelia senegalensis
Other:
Family: Columbidae • Doves

The Laughing Dove lives in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It has a characteristic speckled black crop (front of neck). Seen here in Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Manyara • Oct 2009

Bird name: Fork Tailed Drongo
Latin: Dicrurus adsimilis
Other:
Family: Dicruridae • Drongos

These Fork-tailed Drongos were seen near Lake Manyara in Tanzania. There are about 28 species of Drongo in the world, living in tropical Africa, Asia and Australasia. The Fork-tailed Drongo is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Serengeti • Oct 2009

Bird name: Lilac Breasted Roller
Latin: Coracias caudatus
Other:
Family: Coraciidae • Rollers

Great photos from André of the colourful Lilac-breasted Roller, which is found in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsular. These photos were taken in the Serengeti, in Tanzania.

There are 11 species of Roller in the Old World, three of them now featured on this site!More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: • Oct 2009

Bird name: Water Thick Knee
Latin: Burhinus vermiculatus
Other: Water Dikkop
Family: Burhinidae • Thick-knees

You can hardly blame André for not wishing to get any closer to this Water Thick-Knee on the banks of the Serengeti River!

Water Thick-knees tend to live by the side of lakes and rivers, throughout sub-Saharan Africa.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Victoria • Oct 2009

Bird name: Hamerkop
Latin: Scopus umbretta
Other: Hammerkop
Family: Scopidae ? • Hamerkop

The taxonomy of the Hamerkop is unclear. These photos were taken near Lake Victoria by André.

Other names for this bird: Hammerkop, Hammerkopf, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted Umber and AnvilheadMore photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Serengeti • Oct 2009

Bird name: White Bellied Bustard
Latin: Eupodotis senegalensis
Other: Senegal Bustard
Family: Otididae • Bustards

A nice shot of a White-bellied Bustard taken in the Serengeti, by André. The first Bustard on the site…More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Tanzania • Oct 2009

Bird name: White Browed Coucal *
Latin: Centropus superciliosus *
Other: Rainbird
Family: Cuculidae • Coucals

* ID needs confirmation

This presumed White-browed Coucal was photographed near Lake Victoria, in Tanzania.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Serengeti • Oct 2009

Bird name: Southern Ground Hornbill
Latin: Bucorvus leadbeateri
Other:
Family: Bucerotidae • Hornbills

The Southern Ground-Hornbill is the largest species of Hornbill - over a metre in length. Seen here in the Serengeti.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Nakuru • Oct 2009

Bird name: Lesser Flamingo
Latin: Phoenicopterus minor
Other:
Family: Phoenicopteridae • Flamingos

The Lesser Flamingo looks similar to the Greater Flamingo, but is smaller with more black on the bill and a red patch at the tip. Large numbers congregate in Lake Nakuru.

More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lake Victoria • Oct 2009

Bird name: Yellow Backed Weaver
Latin: Ploceus melanocephalus
Other: Black-headed Weaver
Family: Ploceidae • Weavers

Thanks to André for sending this mystery bird in, taken near Lake Victoria, Tanzania, October 2009.

It has been identified as an immature or female Yellow-backed Weaver, principally from the russet chest, bill shape and dark irises.More photos...