Malawi, September-October 2008
Page 12: Orioles to Oxpeckers
All dates between 22nd and 30th relate to September, all dates from 1st to 10th relate to October.
African Golden Oriole Oriolus auratus [6]
At Dzalanyama 4 1st and 2 chasing a pair of displaying Black-backed Puffbacks 2nd.
|
|
|
| |
|
African Golden Oriole, Dzalanyama, 2nd October
|
|
Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus [1]
This species can only be found at one site in Mozambique and two in Malawi. Before leaving for Malawi I had not been able to find any up to date information confirming whether or not they were still at one of these sites, Thyolo Mountain, or whether that deforestation had meant their total demise. However, I was pleased to find a single bird flying from one patch of forest to another at Thyolo Mountain on 30th.
Black-headed Oriole (Eastern Black-headed Oriole) Oriolus larvatus [3]
At Dzalanyama 1 behind the Lodge 1st and 2 at the Dambo 2nd.
|
|
|
Black-headed Oriole, Dzalanyama, 1st October
|
|
Common Fiscal (Fiscal Shrike) Lanius collaris [8]
1 juvenile Addis Ababa Airport 22nd, 1 Zomba 27th and at Nyika 3 5th and 3 7th. I thought I'd seen a couple more on the road but didn't note them down and can't recall where or when.
|
|
|
Common Fiscal, Nyika Plateau, 5th October
|
|
| |
|
Common Fiscal, Addis Ababa Airport, 22nd September
|
|
Black-backed Puffback (Southern Puffback) Dryoscopus cubla [10]
1 Malosa 23rd; at Liwonde 2 23rd and 2 24th; up to 2 Ruo Gorge (Mulanje) 28th-29th (1 displaying), 2 (displaying) Dzalanyama 2nd-3rd and 1 Makuzi 8th.
|
|
|
Black-backed Puffbacks, Liwonde, 23rd-24th September
|
|
| |
|
displaying Black-backed Puffback, Dzalanyama, 2nd October
|
|
Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalensis [2]
1 Liwonde 23rd and 1 Nyika 7th.
| |
|
Black-crowned Tchagra, Nyika, 7th October
|
|
Brown-crowned Tchagra (Brown-headed Tchagra) Tchagra australis [5]
At Liwonde 2 23rd and 2 25th; 1 Thyolo 30th. Also an unidentified Tchagra, either this species or Black-crowned between Blantyre and Lilongwe 30th.
|
|
|
Brown-crowned Tchagra, Liwonde, 23rd September
|
|
Tropical Boubou Tchagra senegalensis [13]
2 Lilongwe 22nd, 1 Malosa 23rd; at Liwonde 2 23rd and 1 25th; 3+ Vwaza Marsh 4th, 1 Nyika 6th, 1 Makuzi Lodge 8th and 2 Cool Runnings (Senga Bay) 9th-10th. Others were heard calling, including at Dzalanyama.
Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike (Sulphur-breasted Bush-Shrike) Telophorus sulfureopectus (or Malaconotus sulfureopectus) [3]
2 Liwonde 24th and 1 Vwaza Marsh 4th.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Vwaza Marsh, 4th October
|
|
Grey-headed Bush-Shrike Malaconotus blanchoti [1]
1 Dzalanyama 3rd seemed to be being mobbed by African Paradise-Flycatchers.
|
|
|
Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Dzalanyama, 3rd October
|
|
White Helmet-Shrike Prionops plumatus [4]
2 Liwonde 25th and at least 2 Dzalanyama 1st.
White Helmet-Shrike, Dzalanyama, 1st October
|
|
Retz's Helmet-Shrike (Red-billed Helmet-Shrike) Prionops retzii [6]
A party of 6 at Dzalanyama 2nd.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Retz's Helmet-Shrikes, Dzalanyama, 2nd October
|
|
Square-tailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii [9]
Up to 2 near Zomba Forest Lodge 26th-27th, up to 3 Ruo Gorge (Mulanje) 28th-29th and 4 Thyolo Mountain 30th.
|
|
|
Square-tailed Drongo, Ruo Gorge (Mulanje), 28th September
|
Square-tailed Drongo, near Zomba Forest Lodge, 26th September
|
Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis [27]
Up to 16 Liwonde 23rd-25th (probably over 25 in total) and up to 2 Dzalanyama 1st-3rd.
|
|
|
Fork-tailed Drongos, Dzalanyama, 1st-2nd October
|
|
Pied Crow Corvus albus [189+]
Generally extremely common around towns, much less so in rural areas. Counts included 65 between Blantyre and Lilongwe 30th; also seen at Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia.
|
|
|
Pied Crow, Thyolo Mountain, 30th September
|
|
|
|
|
Pied Crow, Zomba, 26th September
|
|
White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis [27]
2 Ku Chawe (Zomba Plateau) 27th, 3 between Lilongwe and Mzuzu 3rd; up to 20 Nyika (largest numbers heading to or from roost) 4th-7th and 2 Lilongwe Airport 10th.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
White-necked Ravens, Nyika Plateau, 5th October
|
|
Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling (Greater Blue-eared Starling) Lamprotornis chalybaeus [6]
At Liwonde 2 23rd and 4 24th. In addition unidentified Glossy Starlings were 1 Liwonde 23rd, 2 Vwaza Marsh 4th and 8+ Makuzi 8th - these were either more Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starlings or possibly Miombo Blue-eared Glossy Starlings Lamprotornis (chloropterus) elisabeth.
Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Liwonde, 24th September
|
|
Meves' Glossy-Starling (Meves' Starling, Southern Long-tailed Starling) Lamprotornis mevesii [60+]
At Liwonde 14+ 23rd, 35 24th and 40 25th. There may have been some duplication but over 60 birds probably involved.
|
|
|
Meves' Glossy Starlings, Liwonde, 23rd September
|
|
Violet-backed Starling (Amethyst Starling, Plum-coloured Starling) Cinnyricinclus leucogaster [11]
Up to 4 Dzalanyama 1st-2nd, 6+ between Nyika and Rumphi 7th and 1 Cool Runnings (Senga Bay) 9th.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Violet-backed Starlings, Dzalanyama, 1st-2nd October
|
|
Red-winged Starling (African Red-winged Starling) Onychognathus morio [2]
2 between Vwaza and Nyika 4th.
Slender-billed Starling Onychognathus tenuirostris [2]
2 near Chowo Forest (Nyika) 6th. These were rather distant (they were almost certainly in Zambia) and only in flight, but I think the distinctly longish tail renders the ID as safe.
Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri [2]
In rather similar circumstances to the last species (but a mile or two to the east), 2 red-winged starlings were seen in flight and the ID is assumed based on the length of the tail (in this case distinctly short compared to the birds identified as Red-winged Starlings on 4th).
Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus [13]
At Liwonde 6 23rd (on Hippopotamus), 1 in flight 24th and 6 25th.
|
|
|
Red-billed Oxpeckers, Liwonde, 23rd September
|
|
Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus [5]
2 (on Greater Kudu) Vwaza Marsh 4th and 3+ (on Roan Antelope) Nyika 5th.
|
|
|
Yellow-billed Oxpecker on Roan Antelope, Nyika Plateau, 5th October
|
|
or
cllck here to return to the Malawi trip index
