Name the five birds...

[Game Warden]

You most want to see in Africa next year. Why?

[kittykat23uk]

well I don't even know if I will go to Africa next year. But if I was going to name my top five birds that I want to see in Africa as a whole.

 

1. Shoebill - just because it is unlike anything else

2. Pel's Fishing Owl- because owls are cool and this is the holy grail of many birders

3. Massive flocks of flamingos- because of the amazing spectacle that would be.

4. African Pitta- because I like pretty birds.

5. a pretty looking turaco or trogon.

[kittykat23uk]

Ah yes, either of those would be great. I have seen Purple-crested Turaco in Berg-en-Dal, that was fab. and Blue-crowned Trogon in Brazil.

[armchair bushman]

1. Narina Trogon,

2. Sokoke Scops Owl

3. Great Blue Turaco (Kakamega)

4. Pel's Fishing Owl

5. Bearded Vulture (Seen one before, but I' NEED to see another. If I can't get up to Ethiopia or down to SA, I'll be heading into the Cherangani hills looking for the only known pair left in Kenya).

[inyathi]

For next year I’d have to say any five species I haven’t seen before

 

But just generally I’d say

 

Congo peacock – Maiko NP in the DRC is the place to go so not likely anytime soon

 

White-necked picathartes – Ghana, Ivory Coast or Sierra Leone

 

Red-crested turaco – Angola or maybe the similar Bannerman’s – Cameroon

 

And because I’ve seen a few pittas but never in Africa

African and Green-breasted pittas I’m not sure where’s best for the former but the latter species can be seen in Kibale Forest in Uganda if you have the right guide.

[Bugs]

I still want to see the Buff spotted Flufftail. - only because I like the name.

Pels

Shoebill

Palm nut Vulture

green twin spot.

[Geoff]

Ha. i'd just love to get to Africa in 2013. That's not going to happen but I'd love to see a Pearl-spotted owl again someday.

Edited January 7, 2013 by Geoff

[madaboutcheetah]

I'll keep my list acheivable and possible ........

 

1.) Martial Eagle

2.) Crimson breasted shrike

3.) Goliath heron

4.) Batleur Eagle

5.) Decent in-flight shot of a LBR (if i come back without one of these, will only be my fault (or) cheetahs all over the place for me not to attempt this

[kittykat23uk]

LBR?

[Game Warden]

That's an anacronym for BBI to look up

[kittykat23uk]

Could be lilac breasted roller I suppose...

[Safari Cal]

Any 5 I haven't seen before, I love seeing new species

[marg]

It is so much easier to say LBR than the full name quickly on a sighting. It's sort of like when Peter picked his pickled peppers.....

[Sharifa]

Still have many on my list but would maybe give an arm and a leg for the

 

@@kittykat23uk put it very nicely and it tops my list

 

2. Pel's Fishing Owl- because owls are cool and this is the holy grail of many birders

 

Pel's Fishing Owl

Narina Trogan

Taita Falcon

Racket-tailed Roller

Blue Swallow

[Peter Connan]

Not asking for much here, just a nice pic of a Malachite Kinfisher or any of the bee-eaters in flight...

 

Or even an LBR

[Soukous]

1 - Vulturine Guinea Fowl - I need better photos of these vibrantly coloured birds and it also means I'll probably be in Samburu, my favourite Kenyan park

2 - Yellow Collared Lovebird - where there's one there are usually many. Wonderfully gregarious and noisy

3 - Cordon Bleu - up close please - they're tiny and always moving - hard to get a good photo.

4 - Carmine Bee Eater - gorgeous colours

5 - Pel's Fishing Owl - Preferably somewhere I can get a good photo.

[Don't Run]

Does it have to be next year? I'm off to the Congo next month! My wish list for there (my wishes may well include fantasies) are:

 

Vermiculated Fishing Owl

Black Bee-eater

African Grey Parrot (common, but I'll still be very excited to see it)

Great blue turaco

Chocolate=backed kingfisher

 

As for next year, like so many others here anything new.

[Game Warden]

Great list @@Don't Run - do you think you'll be successful? Are you going to Odzala?

[Don't Run]

I think I have a good chance with all but the fishing owl - it has been heard at Odzala (for yes, that is where I am off to!) but better birders than I haven't managed to see it yet. As time goes on that place will develop a very impressive list, and one that is not comparable with any other safari area so very exciting.

[Tom Kellie]

On 12/23/2012 at 4:01 AM, kittykat23uk said:

well I don't even know if I will go to Africa next year. But if I was going to name my top five birds that I want to see in Africa as a whole.

 

4. African Pitta- because I like pretty birds.

 

~ @kittykat23uk

 

In these intervening years, did you ever spot and photograph the African Pitta?

 

Tom K.

[kittykat23uk]

45 minutes ago, Tom Kellie said:

 

~ @kittykat23uk

 

In these intervening years, did you ever spot and photograph the African Pitta?

 

Tom K.

Sadly I did not as I never went anywhere that they were found. However, I  did get to see several pittas in Borneo. 

 

In fact looking at my list,  I did see big flocks of flamingos near Marrick but distant. I did get a  pretty turaco- well two actually, purple -crested and Schlaow's and I also got Narina trogon doing my stint with Wildlife Act.

 

No luck with Pel's but the Blackiston's fish owl in Japan was very special as was the very distant snowy owl I managed to twitch in Norfolk last year!

 

I am, however very glad I did not attempt to twitch the Tengmalm's owl that briefly appeared up in Shetland earlier this week. 

 

it's fair to say that my African trips have been planned around mammalian targets more than birds and in that regard I did quite well!

[Tom Kellie]

17 minutes ago, kittykat23uk said:

Sadly I did not as I never went anywhere that they were found. However, I  did get to see several pittas in Borneo. 

 

~ @kittykat23uk

 

Thank you for this update. It's very useful.

 

The reason why I asked you about whether or not you ever saw and photographed Pitta angolensis, African Pitta, is because I've been unable to find it in Safaritalk's database of African birds.

 

It may be that I'm looking in the wrong place, or using inappropriate search keywords.

 

Surely several Safaritalk birders have photographed it and posted images. Yet somehow such images are eluding me.

 

I've seen it in Kenya...twice. Confirmed sightings in very low light, with a loud call and motion on branches moderately low to the ground.

 

When I found a reference to it in your post on this thread, I asked. 

 

Whenever you're next in Africa, may an African Pitta call and leap on a branch near your lens!

 

Tom K.

[Peter Connan]

@Tom Kellie, I actually can't remember seeing an African Pitta here. It may however be that @Galana , @Dave Williams or @michael-ibk has one in one of their Big Year threads? 

 

They are pretty scarce and very secretive, and I know several people who have tried for years and never seen them.

[kittykat23uk]

Thank you @Tom Kellie.  Well I don't expect to see any African Pittas this year but I may hope to reconnect with some of the bornean ones! Hopefully mop up on one or two that I missed if I am really lucky. 

[Dave Williams]

No, never seen a Pitta in Africa but as my experience is limited and as they are hard to find it's not surprising. I was really delighted when I found one ahead of the guide on a trip in Yala NP, Sri Lanka though.

Indian Pitta    Sri Lanka by Dave Williams, on Flickr