Michael´s Second Year

[michael-ibk]

406/ZZ24.) White-Faced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna viduata) / Witwenpfeifgans

407/ZZ25.) Knob-Billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) / Glanzente

 

Lake Itezhi Tezhi, 7/10

 

 

408/ZZ26.) Red-Billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha) / Rotschnabelente

 

Lake Itezhi Tezhi, 7/10

 

 

-/ZZ27.) Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) / Nilgans

 

Lufupa River, 12/10

 

 

Spur-Winged Goose was also regularly seen but (since I already had it in the bag) no photos taken.

[Peter Connan]

wonderful shots of the Openbil and the Yellowbill. I never knew they had a pinkish tint under the wings!

[TonyQ]

A great start with birds from your latest African trip. I have been waiting for these! It is interesting to see the overlap with Ethiopia.

[lmSA84]

I've been looking forward to this update. Great start!

[michael-ibk]

409/ZZ28.) White-Headed Vulture (Trignonoceps occipitalis) / Wollkopfgeier

 

Busanga Plains, 14/10. Much rarer than its cousins, first time I´ve taken pictures of this species. But they are doing quite well in Kafue, we saw them many times.

 

 

And the other three Vulture species seen:

 

-/ZZ29.) White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) / Weißrückengeier

 

Busanga Plains, 14/10

 

 

-/ZZ30.) Lappet-Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus) / Ohrengeier

 

Musekese, 11/10.

 

 

-/ZZ31.) Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) / Kappengeier

 

Musekese, 11/10

 

Edited December 9, 2017 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

410/ZZ32.) Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) / Gaukler

 

Lake Itezhi Tezhi, 7/10

 

 

And one from Musekese, 12/10

 

 

-/ZZ33.) Western Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) / Fischadler

 

Lake Itezhi Tezhi, 7/10

 

 

-/ZZ34.) African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) / Schreiseeadler

 

Kafue River, 12/10

 

[michael-ibk]

411/ZZ35.) Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) / Kampfadler

 

Musekese, 12/10. Only one sighting of this powerful raptor.

 

[michael-ibk]

412/ZZ36.) Wahlberg´s Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi) / Silberadler

 

Mana Pools Floodplains, 18/10

 

 

-/ZZ37.) Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) / Raubadler

 

Lake Itezhi Tezhi, 8/10

 

[michael-ibk]

413/ZZ38.) African Hawk Eagle (Aquila spilogaster) / Afrikanischer Habichtsadler

 

Kanga Pan, 23/10

 

 

-/ZZ39.) Ayre´s Hawk Eagle (Aquila ayresii) / Fleckenadler

 

Mana Pools Floodplains, 18/10

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

414/ZZ40.) Brown Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinereus) / Einfarb-Schlangenadler

 

Lake Itezhi Tezhi, 8/10

 

 

-/ZZ41.) Black-Chested Snake Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) / Schwarzbrust-Schlangenadler

 

Busanga Plains, 14/10

 

 

It took me quite a while to figure out that this one (Busanga Plains, 13/10) is a juvenile Black-Chested.

 

[michael-ibk]

415/ZZ42.) Western Banded Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinerascens) / Bandschlangenadler

 

Kanga Pan, 24/10

 

 

[michael-ibk]

416/ZZ43.) Steppe Buzzard (Buteo vulpinus) / Falkenbussard

 

Busanga Plains, 13/10. Buzzard taxonomy is pretty complex, some sources treat this as just a subspecies of Common Buzzard. "Birds of Southern Africa" give it full status - good enough for me.

 

 

-/ZZ44.) Yellow-Billed Kite (Milvus parasitus) / Schmarotzermilan

 

Busanga Plains, 14/10. As in many areas, the most common bird of prey we saw.

 

 

-/ZZ45.) Black-Shouldered Kite (Elanus caeuleus) / Gleitaar

 

Musekese, 12/10. The only sighting of this bird.

 

[michael-ibk]

417/ZZ46.) African Marsh Harrier (Circus ranivorus) / Froschweihe

 

Busanga Plains, 13/10. Very common in Kafue´s wetlands - of course the perfect habitat for them.

 

[michael-ibk]

418/ZZ47.) African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro) / Afrikahabicht

 

Kanga Pan, 23/10. We saw the two adults and the juvenile here. With hundreds, maybe thousands of Doves coming in each day they have found the perfect hunting grounds here.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

419/ZZ48.) Little Sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus) / Zwergsperber

 

Kana Pan, 24/10. Always tricky to tell from memory but this bird was appreciably smaller than the Goshawks. And the cere is yellowish (not grey as in a Goshawk).

 

 

-/ZZ49.) African Harrier-Hawk aka Gymnogene (Polyboroides typus) / Höhlenweihe

 

Konkomoya, 8/10. I actually saw the cere changing from red to yellow when I was watching this one.

 

 

And a younger one from Mana Pools, 21/10

 

 

-/ZZ50.) Bat Hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus) / Fledermausaar

 

Mana Pools, 21/10. Saw them twice on the Flood Plains but only in the dark. Too poor even for an ebc so I won´t include it in the main count.

 

[michael-ibk]

420/ZZ51.) Dickinson´s Kestrel (Falco dickinsoni) / Schwarzrückenfalke

 

Lake Itezhi Tezhi, 8/10. Not too many Falcons on this trip, and none of them in a mood to pose.

 

 

-/ZZ52.) Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) / Lannerfalke

 

Busanga Plains, 14/10

 

[xelas]

15 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Too poor even for an ebc so I won´t include it in the main count.

 

It is a good decision, IMO. In fact, for Big Year 2018 we should post only those photos that a bird can be recognised also by viewers on this side of the screen.

[PeterHG]

An impressive raptor collection, @michael-ibk ! Lots of great photos, too. I especially like your White-headed Vulture.

[Dave Williams]

Excellent additions there Michael. Looks like you had a brilliant trip.

[michael-ibk]

421/ZZ53.) Crested Guineafowl (Guttera pucherani) / Kenia-Haubenperlhuhn

 

Kanga, 24/10. Not uncommon away from the flood plains. Also one sighting in Kafue, near Lake Itezhi Tezhi.

 

 

-/ZZ54.) Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) / Helmperlhuhn

 

Seen pretty much everywhere in Zimbabwe and Zambie. Here from Mana Pools, 20/10

 

 

They look a bit different in Kafue, with a more golden crown - gives them a more striking look IMO. Here at Kafue River, 11/10. This is apparently the subspecies marungensis, occurring in the Southern Congo basin to Angola and Western Zambia.

 

[michael-ibk]

422/ZZ55.) Natal Spurfowl (Pteristis natalensis) / Natalfrankolin

 

Pioneer Camp, 6/10.

 

[michael-ibk]

423/ZZ56.) Red-Necked Spurfowl (Pternistis afer) / Rotkehlfrankolin

 

Musekese Camp, 9/10. The most common of the genus in Kafue.

 

[michael-ibk]

424/ZZ57.) Swainson´s Spurfowl (Pternistis swainsonii) / Swainsonfrankolin

 

Mana Pools Floodplains, 21/10. Similar to Red-Necked but note the different bill colour.

 

 

The fourth Francolin species seen was Crested (in Southern Kafue).

Edited December 12, 2017 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

425/ZZ58.) Common Buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus) / Laufhühnchen

 

Busanga Plains, 15/10. Very ebc. Seen a couple of times crossing the roads but only ever after dark or before sunrise.

 

[michael-ibk]

426/ZZ59.) African Finfoot (Podica senegalensis) / Binsenralle

 

Kafue River, 11/10. A rarely seen species and therefore a birding highlight of this trip. We saw a couple of them on the river. The adults were very shy and fled immediately on the banks, the juvenile was much more relaxed about us.