Malawi, September-October 2008
Page 5: Pigeons to Mousebirds
All dates between 22nd and 30th relate to September, all dates from 1st to 10th relate to October.
Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea [3]
At least 3 Addis Ababa Airport 22nd. Although ranging to the north and south of Malawi, this species does not occur in Malawi itself.
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Speckled Pigeon, Addis Ababa Airport, 22nd September
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Rameron Pigeon (African Olive Pigeon) Columba arquatrix [50]
At Nyika Plateau roughly 20 seen each day 4th-7th. Although there was presumably some duplication between sightings many would have been different birds as they were seen in very different locations. The majority were seen in flight only although a few were seen in trees, mainly near Chelinda; nearly all were seen either early morning or late afternoon.
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Rameron Pigeons, Chelinda (Nyika Plateau), 6th October
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Dusky Turtle Dove (Pink-breasted Turtle Dove) Streptopelia lugens [12]
At least 10 Nyika 5th and 2 6th. Nearly all were around Chelinda or the nearby dams.
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Dusky Turtle Doves, Chelinda (Nyika Plateau), 6th October
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African Mourning Dove Streptopelia decipiens [12]
Up to 12 Liwonde 24th-25th. Others were probably overlooked elsewhere.
African Mourning Dove, Liwonde, 24th September
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Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata [7]
At least 2 Liwonde 24th & 25th, 1 Satemwa Tea Estate (Thyolo) 30th and 2 Makuzi 8th. Others may have been overlooked as I nearly mistook the last two for Ring-necked Doves.
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Red-eyed Dove, Liwonde, 24th September
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Red-eyed Dove, Satemwa Tea Estate (Thyolo), 30th September
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Ring-necked Dove (Cape Turtle Dove) Streptopelia capicola [75]
Up to 15 Liwonde 23rd-25th, 15 between Dzalanyama and Lilongwe 3rd, 20+ between Rumphi and Vwaza and smaller numbers at several other places. This species appeared to be the commonest dove in most areas and I think I probably saw a lot more than I actually recorded.
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Ring-necked Doves, Liwonde, 24th-25th September
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Ring-necked Doves, Dzalanyama, 2nd October
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Laughing Dove (Palm Dove) Streptopelia senegalensis [2]
Following 3 probables seen too briefly to confirm around Vwaza/Rumphi on 3rd, a pair was finally seen well in the same general area (between Nyika and Rumphi) on 7th.
Laughing Dove, between Nyika and Rumphi, 7th October
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Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur chalcospilos [40]
Up to 36 Liwonde 23rd-25th, 1 Dzalanyama 1st, 2 Vwaza Marsh 4th October and 1 Nyika 7th. Unidentified Wood-Doves (probably this species) were also seen at Malosa, between Mzuzu and Nkhata Bay and at Senga Bay.
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Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Nyika, 7th October
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Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Liwonde, 23rd September
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Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Dzalanyama, 1st October
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Blue-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur afer [3]
Singles at Lujeri Tea Estate (Mulanje) 28th, Satemwa Guest House (Thyolo) 29th and Makuzi 8th.
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Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Lujeri Tea Estate (Mulanje), 28th September
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Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Makuzi, 8th October
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African Green Pigeon Treron calvus [12]
Singles at Liwonde 25th and Dzalanyama 3rd, and a flock of about 10 coming down to drink at the Lakeside on our arrival at Makuzi Lodge 7th.
African Green Pigeon, Dzalanyama, 3rd October
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Lilian's Lovebird Agapornis lilianae [61]
One of the speciality species of Liwonde where about 36 on 24th and 25+ on 25th.
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Lilian's Lovebirds, Liwonde, 24th-25th September (with Yellow-fronted Canaries and Southern Grey-headed Sparrows in lower right photo)
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Grey-headed Parrot Poicephalus (robustus) suahelicus [1]
1 in flight Liwonde 23rd. This species is often lumped with Cape Parrot and Brown-necked Parrot.
Brown-headed Parrot Poicephalus cryptoxanthus [3]
3 Liwonde 23rd.
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Brown-headed Parrots, Liwonde, 23rd September
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Livingstone's Turaco Tauraco livingstonii [10]
3 Zomba Forest Lodge 26th-27th, 4 Ku Chawe (Zomba Plateau) 27th, 1 heard Ruo Gorge (Mulanje) 28th and 3 plus 1 heard Thyolo Mountain 30th.
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Livingstone's Turaco, Thyolo Mountain, 30th September
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Livingstone's Turaco, near Zomba Forest Lodge, 27th September
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Schalow's Turaco Tauraco schalowi [3]
This species replaces the similar Livingstone's Turaco west of the Rift Valley: 2 Dzalanyama 1st-2nd, 1+ heard Nyika 6th and 1 Nyika 7th.
Purple-crested Turaco (Purple-crested Lourie) Tauraco porphyreolophus [3]
1 Lilongwe 22nd, 2 Liwonde 24th and 1 heard Liwonde 25th.
Grey Go-away-bird (Grey Lourie) Corythaixoides concolor [5]
At Liwonde 1 24th and 4 25th.
Grey Go-away-bird, Liwonde, 24th September
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African Cuckoo Cuculus gularis [1]
1 in flight Dzalanyama 1st, which I would have probably missed if it wasn't for Steve Bailey calling it promptly.
Burchell's Coucal Centropus (superciliosus) burchelli [5]
2 Liwonde 23rd and 24th and 1 Makuzi 8th. This species is sometimes split from White-browed Coucal but they intergrade in central Malawi. The bird at Makuzi was such an intergrade, closest in apperance to Burchell's but having obvious pale streaking around the shoulders. Some pale streaking on at least one of the birds at Liwonde was presumably down to White-browed influence too.
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Burchell's Coucal, Liwonde, 23rd September
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African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis [-]
1 was heard calling during a game drive at Liwonde on 24th.
Southern White-faced Owl Ptilopsis granti [-]
An owl seen briefly in the spotlight during a game drive at Liwonde on 24th may well have been this species but views were too brief to be certain.
Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus [1]
1 Liwonde 24th.
Spotted Eagle Owl, Liwonde, 24th September
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Pel's Fishing-Owl Scotopelia peli [1]
1 Liwonde 24th - one of the highlights of the holiday. This huge, rare and hard-to-see owl was enjoyed in full view during daylight as it sat in the top of a palm tree.
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Pel's Fishing-Owl, Liwonde, 24th September
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African Barred Owlet Glaucidium capense [1]
1 Liwonde 24th, discovered seconds after we'd finished enjoying the Pel's in an exciting owl-rich afternoon/evening.
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African Barred Owlet, Liwonde, 24th September
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Fiery-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis [-]
3+ heard calling Dzalanyama 2nd-3rd but unfortunately none showed themselves.
Rwenzori Nightjar Caprimulgus (poliocephalus/ruwenzori) guttifer [2]
Including those heard, up to 6 Nyika Plateau 5th-7th. Most were heard near Chelinda and 2 were seen in flight on 5th. Rwenzori Nightjar is sometimes treated as the same species as Montane (Abyssinian) Nightjar.
Square-tailed Nightjar (Mozambique Nightjar, Gabon Nightjar) Caprimulgus pectoralis [2]
1 on the road at Liwonde 23rd and what seems to be a second bird photographed in flight with a Bat Hawk! Additional birds heard calling Liwonde 24th and Dzalanyama 2nd.
Square-tailed Nightjar, Liwonde, 23rd September
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Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus [-]
4 possibles seen briefly on consecutive days at Lujeri Guest House (Mulanje) 28th-29th. Annoyingly although they reappeared a couple of times they never stayed in view long enough for me to clinch the ID (they may have been juvenile African Palm Swifts). They're supposed to be common in the highlands, including Mulanje, although the Guest House is not exactly on the highest ground at Mulanje.
African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus [100+]
The commonest swift in most places. 2 Lilongwe 22nd, up to 60 Liwonde 23rd-25th, 3 Thyolo and 10 Blantyre 30th, up to 3 Dzalanyama 1st-2nd, 6 between Lilongwe and Mzuzu 3rd, 5 Vwaza Marsh and 4 between Vwaza and Nyika 4th, 2 Makuzi 8th and 6 Senga Bay 10th.
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African Palm Swifts, Liwonde, 24th September
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Common Swift Apus apus and African Swift (African Black Swift) Apus barbatus [2]
1 Dzalanyama 1st showed no sign of the contrastingly pale secondaries that African Swift shows, and so was presumably an early migrant Common Swift (never numerous in Malawi before late October though small numbers noted in September in most years). However, given the difficulty of identifying members of this genus this identification should not be regarded as certain. 1 Nyika 4th was seen less well and could easily have been either species.
Little Swift Apus affinis [90]
Up to 70 over the tea factory at Satemwa (Thyolo) 29th-30th and at least 20 at various sites between Makuzi and Salima 8th (mostly around river bridges). Birds in Malawi belong to the blacker race aerobates.
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Little Swifts, Satemwa Tea Factory (Thyolo), 29th September
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Little Swifts, between Makuzi and Nkhotakhota, 8th October
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White-rumped Swift Apus caffer [7]
3 between Lilongwe and Mzuzu 3rd and 2 each at 2 locations between Makuzi and Salima 8th. All 7 were seen around river bridges.
Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus [19]
3 Satemwa Tea Estate (Thyolo) 30th, up to 5 Dzalanyama 1st-2nd, 4 Nyika 7th, 2 Makuzi 8th and up to 5 Senga Bay 9th-10th. Most of these would have belonged to the race berlepschi while those at Thyolo would have been integralis with purplish brown, rather than pinkish red legs.
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Speckled Mousebirds, Senga Bay, 9th-10th October
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Speckled Mousebirds, Makuzi Lodge, 8th October
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Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius idnicus [19]
3 Satemwa Tea Estate (Thyolo) 30th, up to 5 Dzalanyama 1st-2nd, 4 Nyika 7th, 2 Makuzi 8th and up to 5 Senga Bay 9th-10th.
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Red-faced Mousebird, Liwonde, 24th September
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