© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Fine-spotted Woodpecker
Latin: Campethera punctuligera
Other: Pic à taches noires
Family: Picidae • Woodpeckers
Range: Central and West Africa, incl Gambia, Senegal
Similar:

I saw Fine-spotted Woodpecker outside Farakunku Lodge and again a few times upriver. Female, above, black moustachial stripe. Male, below, red stripe.

Thanks to Danielle for the shot of a pair of Fine-spotted Woodpeckers in Senegal, further below.

Below, male Fine-spotted Woodpecker on termite nest, Gambia, Mar 2013.


Danielle J • female and male Fine-spotted Woodpeckers • Senegal
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Cardinal Woodpecker
Latin: Dendropicos fuscescens
Other: Fr: Pic cardinal
Family: Picidae • Woodpeckers
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

The male Cardinal Woodpecker has a red cap. The female (further below) a black cap.

Below, male Cardinal Woodpecker looking out, Gambia, Feb 2013.
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: African Grey Woodpecker
Latin: Dendropicos goertae
Other: Pic goertan (Fr)
Family: Picidae • Woodpeckers
Range: Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia to W Ethiopia to NW Tanzania, S Gabon, NW Angola & SC Zaire
Similar:

The female African Grey Woodpecker has a plain grey head - the male has a red crest. Plain shoulders and chest. Several seen at Farakunku Lodge.

Below, female African Grey Woodpecker, Gambia, Feb 2013


More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Oriole Warbler
Latin: Hypergerus atriceps
Other: Noircap loriot (Fr)
Family: Cisticolidae • Cisticolas
Range: W Africa
Similar:

The Oriole Warbler has a black hood, with white-bordered feathers, black chest, yellow-green upper parts and yellow underneath.

I saw them at Bijolo and near the beach at Tujereng. Good-looking bird.

Below, Oriole Warbler, Bijolo, Gambia, Feb 2013.
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved. Gambia, March, 2013

Bird name: Little Swift
Latin: Apus affinis
Other: Martinet à croupion gris (Fr)
Family: Apodidae • Swifts
Range: Africa, India etc
Similar:

The Little Swifts were too fast for my camera - but here were their nests.

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Common Bulbul
Latin: Pycnonotus barbatus
Other: Bulbul des jardins (Fr)
Family: Pycnonotidae • Bulbuls
Range: NE, N, W, C Africa
Similar:

I saw the Common Bulbul frequently in Gambia, often at lodges. A fairly plain looking brown bird, noisy and conspicuous.

Pycnonotus barbatus inornatus, Common Bulbul found in Gambia. S Mauritania and Senegal to W Chad and N Cameroon. Darker brown head merges gradually into lighter belly. All brown.

Dark-capped Bulbul (with yellow vent) treated here as a separate species.

1. Pycnonotus barbatus inornatus, Common Bulbul, Gambia, Feb 2013.


Below, Common Bulbul, Gambia, Feb 2013.
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Mar 2013. 1. M. f. flavissima ?

Bird name: Western Yellow Wagtail
Latin: Motacilla flava
Other: Bergeronnette printanière (Fr)
Family: Motacillidae • Wagtails
Range: Temperate Europe and Asia, migrates to Africa, S Asia.
Similar: Grey Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail

The Yellow Wagtail varies in appearance depending on subspecies. Pictured here:

1. Above, possibly Motacilla flava flavissima, Yellow-crowned Wagtail - Gambia, March.

2. Directly below, probably Motacilla flava dombrowskii - Danube Delta, Romania, May.

3. Possibly, Motacilla flava flavissima, Yellow-crowned Wagtail - Gambia, February

4. Possibly Motacilla flava flava, Blue-headed Wagtail - Gambia, March

5. Motacilla flava cinereocapilla, Ashy-headed Wagtail - NW Italy, April

2. Small white supercilium, dark cap, yellow underside, M. f. dombrowskii, Romania, May.


3. Yellow supercilium, throat, belly; brown eyestripe, white chest, Gambia, Feb, 2013


4. White supercilium, striped face, yellow throat, chest and belly, Gambia, Mar, 2013


5. Below M. f. cinereocapilla – Ashy-headed Wagtail. Arma di Taggia, Italy, April
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, March 2013

Bird name: Tree Pipit
Latin: Anthus trivialis
Other: Pipit des Arbres (Fr)
Family: Motacillidae • Pipits
Range: Europe, temperate Asia, migrating to India, Africa, incl Gambia
Similar: Meadow Pipit

Above a migrant Tree Pipit seen in Kartong, Gambia.

There's an art to differentiating Tree Pipits from Meadow Pipits - one that I do not claim to have mastered.

But the principal differences are that the Tree Pipit has a larger supercilium, (a thick white mark above the eye), with a whitish dot around the ear. The Meadow Pipit has a more strongly marked back - the Tree Pipit's is dull in comparison. The Tree Pipit has fine marks on the flanks. They both have pinkish legs, unlike the Water Pipit which has dark legs.

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Wire-tailed Swallow
Latin: Hirundo smithii
Other: Hirondelle à longs brins (Fr)
Family: Hirundinidae • Swallows & Martins
Range: Widespread Africa, Asia
Similar:

Just one Wire-tailed Swallow seen on the road outside Marakissa River Lodge.

Below, Wire-tailed Swallow on dirt road near bridge, Marakissa River Camp, Gambia
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Brazil, Aug 2011

Bird name: White-banded Swallow
Latin: Atticora fasciata
Other: Golondrina fajiblanca (Es) • peitoril, andorinha-de-cinta-branca, andorinha-de-faixa-branca (Br), Hirondelle à ceinture blanche (Fr)
Family: Hirundinidae • Swallows & Martins
Range: Amazonia: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyanas, Peru, Venezuela
Similar:

The White-banded Swallow was a typical swallow found on and near small tributaries of the Amazon. I saw them in Ecuador and Brazil. Easy to recognise - all dark with white band on underside.

Below, White-banded Swallows, Rio Azul Lodge, Brazil, 2011


Below, White-banded Swallow in flight, Liana Lodge, Ecuador, Mar 2011
More photos...