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

Bird name: Northern Black Flycatcher
Latin: Melaenornis edolioides
Other: Gobemouche drongo (Fr)
Family: Muscicapidae • Old World Flycatchers
Range: W, C, E Africa incl Gambia, Kenya etc
Similar:

The Northern Black Flycatcher, all black …More photos...

© Tom C - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Tanzania/Kenya, July

Bird name: Long Tailed Fiscal
Latin: Lanius cabanisi
Other: African Long-tailed Shrike
Family: Laniidae - Shrikes
Range: Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania
Similar:

Thanks to Tom C for this collection of Fiscals from Tanzania/Kenya.

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

Bird name: Pied Crow
Latin: Corvus albus
Other: Corbeau pie (Fr)
Family: Corvidae • Crows
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

The Pied Crow is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In Gambia, they were seen in most locations, often flying overhead, or mobbing raptors, but they usually kept their distance.

Alexia W, Pied Crows on the river bank, Kinshasa, DRC
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© Tom C - monacoeye • Tanzania, July 2011 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Black Headed Heron
Latin: Ardea melanocephala
Other: Héron mélanocéphale (Fr)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar
Similar: Grey Heron, Western Reef 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, white throat. Outer wings and back are grey, feet are black, differentiating it from the black Western Reef Heron.

We saw some in a creek near Tendaba, and occasionally elsewhere in coastal Gambia. Thanks to Tom for the photo above from Tanzania.

Below, Black-headed Heron near Tendaba, Gambia, Mar 2013
More photos...

© André S - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Serengeti, Oct 2009

Bird name: Marabou Stork
Latin: Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Other: Marabout d'Afrique (fr),
Family: Ciconiidae • Storks
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

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

We saw Marabou Storks at various locations on the Gambia River, sometimes with Pink-backed Pelicans.

Below, Marabou Stork in tree with Pink-backed Pelicans, Gambia, Mar 2013


Below, Marabou Stork in flight, Gambia River, Mar 2013
More photos...

© André S. - monacoeye • All rights reserved, Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: African Spoonbill
Latin: Platalea alba
Other: Spatule africaine (Fr)
Family: Threskiornithidae • Spoonbills
Range: Africa
Similar: European Spoonbill

The African Spoonbill has a red face and legs, unlike the Eurasian Spoonbill. Bare facial skin differentiates the juvenile from the European Spoonbill.

It is one of six Spoonbill species in the world.

Below, African Spoonbill, Kartong Bird Observatory, Gambia, Mar 2013
More photos...

© Faye L. - monacoeye • All rights reserved, Tanzania, June

Bird name: African Fish Eagle
Latin: Haliaeetus vocifer
Other: African Sea Eagle. Pygargue vocifer (Fr)
Family: Accipitridae • Birds of Prey, Eagles, Sea Eagles
Range: Sub-saharan Africa
Similar:

The African Fish Eagle is found across sub-Saharan, near lakes and rivers. It is a large powerful bird with a two-metre wingspan.

Thanks to Faye L and André S for these photos from Tanzania.

Also seen in Gambia near Janjanbureh and on Gambia River - see comments for pic.

© André S. - African Fish Eagle, perched on tree in lake, Tanzania, Oct 2009
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© André S. - monacoeye • All rights reserved, Amboseli, Oct 2009

Bird name: White Backed Vulture
Latin: Gyps africanus
Other: African White-backed Vulture
Family: Accipitridae • Old World Vultures, Birds of Prey
Range: Africa
Similar: Rüppel’s Vulture
IUCN status: Near-threatened

The adult White-backed Vulture has a white collar, white downy feathers on neck, and dark bill, the latter differentiating it from the Rüppel’s Vulture. I understand the darker birds are juvenile White-backed Vultures.

Seen now and then up river in the Gambia.

Below, record shot of White-backed Vulture in flight, Gambia, Feb 2013
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© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved, Gambia, 2013

Bird name: African Jacana
Latin: Actophilornis africanus
Other: Jacana à poitrine dorée (Fr), jacana africana (Es), jacana-africana (Pt), Blaustirn-Blatthühnchen (De), grootlangtoon (Af)
Family: Jacanidae • Jacanas
Range: Sub-saharan Africa incl Gambia
Similar:

The African Jacana breeds throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Like all Jacanas it is able to walk over floating lily pads and other floating vegetation.

In Gambia, it was quite common in locations with floating vegetation, but surprisingly difficult to photograph.

The adult African Jacana has a blue frontal head shield, white face and neck, black eye stripe and nape, the juvenile is light brown.

African Jacana walking on lily pads, Gambia, Feb 2013


Juvenile African Jacana is all brown, Kartong, Gambia, Feb 2013
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© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013.

Bird name: Spur Winged Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus spinosus
Other: Spur-winged Plover, Vanneau à éperons (fr), Spornkiebitz (De)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings & Plovers
Range: E Mediterranean to Arabian Peninsular and sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

The Spur-winged Lapwing has shoulder spurs, which it uses to charge down predators and intruders, but they are generally not visible.

In Gambia the Spur-winged Lapwing was one of the most typical birds near water, irrigated gardens etc. Seen in most locations with water.

Spur-winged Lapwing, Gambia, Feb 2013.


Spur-winged Lapwing, Gambia, Feb 2013.
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • Gambia, Mar 2013.

Bird name: Common Greenshank
Latin: Tringa nebularia
Other: Chevalier aboyeur (fr), archibebe claro (es), perna-verde-comum (pt), Grünschenkel (De), groenpootruiter (Nl), Gluttsnäppa (Sv), Gluttsnipe (No)
Family: Scolopacidae • Sandpipers
Range: Europe, Asia, Africa
Similar: Spotted Redshank

The Common Greenshank was the most common of the Tringa waders that we saw in Gambia. Upriver and in wetlands, like Kartong. Slightly upturned bill. Stockier than the Spotted Redshank. Yellow green legs. Black bill.

Greenshank at Kartong Bird Observatory, Gambia, Mar 2013


Several Greenshanks with egrets, stilts, herons and the odd Redshank, Gambia, Mar 2013
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© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved, Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Speckled Pigeon
Latin: Columba guinea
Other: African Rock Pigeon
Family: Columbidae • Pigeons, Doves
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

The Speckled Pigeon is a sub-Saharan Pigeon, seen here on several occasions in the Gambia.

More photos...

© Faye L - monacoeye • All rights reserved, Kenya

Bird name: White Browed Coucal
Latin: Centropus superciliosus
Other: Rainbird, Coucal à sourcils blancs (Fr), Cucal dai sopraccigli bianchi (It)
Family: Cuculidae - Cuckoos, Coucals
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
Similar: Burchell's Coucal

Many thanks to Faye L and Tom C for providing these shots of White-browed Coucal in Tanzania.

More photos...

© AS - monacoeye • Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: African Hoopoe
Latin: Upupa africana
Other: Upupa epops africana • Eurasian Hoopoe, Huppe d'Afrique (Fr),
Family: Upupidae - Hoopoes
Range: Africa
Similar: European Hoopoe

The African Hoopoe is often classed as a subspecies of Eurasian Hoopoe.

Nice shots here sent in by André S and Tom C taken in Amboseli National Park and Tanzania.

They look to me to have different colouring, so may be different subspecies.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Gambia, Feb 2013 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Purple Roller
Latin: Coracias naevia
Other: Rufous Crowned Roller • Rollier varié (Fr), Strichelracke (De)
Family: Coraciidae • Rollers
Range: Sub-saharan Africa, incl Gambia to Namibia to Tanzania
Similar:

The Purple Roller (also called Rufous-crowned Roller) lives in sub-Saharan Africa, including the Gambia, where the picture above was taken.

The Purple Roller has a streaked chest and face, whitish supercilium, mostly purple with blue shoulders sometimes visible.

Further below, a photos sent in by André, taken near Lake Nakuru in Kenya.More photos...

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

Bird name: Red Billed Oxpecker
Latin: Buphagus erythrorhynchus
Other:
Family: Buphagidae • Oxpeckers

Red-billed Oxpeckers picking ticks off White Rhino at Lake Nakuru in Kenya.

Red-billed Oxpeckers live in East Africa.

Oxpeckers have been classed in Sturnidae, the Starlings, in the past, but here are placed in their own family the Buphagidae.More photos...

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

Bird name: Rüppel's Vulture
Latin: Gyps rueppellii
Other: Rueppel’s Vulture • Ruppel’s Vulture • Rüppel’s Griffon
Family: Accipitridae • Old World Vultures, Birds of Prey
Range:
Similar:

Rüppel’s Vulture is found in central Africa, and photographed here in the Masai Mara in Kenya.

Rüppel’s Vulture is a large bird, a metre in length, with a wingspan of 2.6 metres. It has a white-brown underside, white collar, yellowish bill, white fluff on neck. The light bill distinguishes it from the similar White-backed Vulture.

It was recently moved to Near-Threatened status on IUCN Red List.More photos...

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

Bird name: Lesser Blue Eared Glossy Starling
Latin: Lamprotornis chloropterus
Other: Lesser Blue Eared Starling
Family: Sturnidae • Starlings

This is probably a Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling but there is a similar, larger, bird: the Greater Blue-eared Starling.More photos...

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

Bird name: Holub's Golden Weaver
Latin: Ploceus xanthops
Other:
Family: Ploceidae • Weavers
Range:
Similar:

Holub’s Goden Weaver is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Seen here in the Masai Mara, Kenya.

There are many similar-looking yellow weavers, so caution should be used with this photo ID. This looks like a male Holub’s Golden Weaver from the dark bill.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: 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: 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: Masai Mara • Oct 2009

Bird name: Black Headed Oriole
Latin: Oriolus larvatus
Other: African Black Headed Oriole
Family: Oriolidae • Orioles

The Black-headed Oriole lives in sub-Saharan Africa, seen here in the Masai Mara.More photos...

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

Bird name: White Eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Latin: Melaenornis fischeri
Other:
Family: Muscicapidae • Old World Flycatchers

A nice photo of the White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, which lives in the highlands of East Africa.More photos...

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

Bird name: African Pied Wagtail
Latin: Motacilla aguimp
Other:
Family: Motacillidae • Wagtails

An African Pied Wagtail spotted here by André at his lodge near Mount Kenya.More photos...

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

Bird name: Red Capped Lark
Latin: Calandrella cinerea
Other:
Family: Alaudidae • Larks

The Red-capped Lark lives in the highlands of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the East.More photos...

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

Bird name: Helmeted Guineafowl
Latin: Numida meleagris
Other:
Family: Numididae • Guineafowl

The Helmeted Guineafowl is native to Africa but has been domesticated around the world.More photos...

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

Bird name: Bateleur
Latin: Terathopius ecaudatus
Other:
Family: Accipitridae • Eagles, Birds of Prey
Range:
Similar:

The Bateleur is a strongly marked medium-sized eagle, with a very short tail, which makes it easy to identify in flight.More photos...

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

Bird name: Crowned Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus coronatus
Other: Crowned Plover
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings

The Crowned Lapwing is easily identifiable by the white band on its crown.More photos...

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

Bird name: Long Toed Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus crassrostris
Other:
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings

The Long-toed Lapwing photographed here by André in Amboseli, Kenya. There are 24 species of Lapwing in the world.More photos...