Southern Malawi header: Lilian's Lovebirds

Systemmatic list - part 13: Barbets, Honeyguides and Woodpeckers

 

Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii [2]

2 Liwonde 26th, in the Rhino enclosure.

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Crested Barbets, Liwonde, 26th May 2011

 

White-eared Barbet Stactolaema leucotis [6]

About 6 around Ku Chawe (Zomba Plateau) 16th with 1 next day.

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White-eared Barbets, Ku Chawe (Zomba Plateau), 16th May 2011

 

Whyte's Barbet Stactolaema whytii [3]

3 briefly in the dambo at Dzalanyama 23rd.

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Whyte's Barbet, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011

 

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Golden-rumped Tinkerbird) Pogoniulus bilineatus [1+]

One Tinkerbird photographed (badly) at Zomba Plateau on 17th appears to be this species and several other Tinkerbirds heard in the Zomba area 15th-17th may well have been this species too.

A Tinkerbird was called by John Wilson in his garden on 15th but I forgot which species he said it was. Another photographed there on 17th but only from below.

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Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Ku Chawe (Zomba Plateau), 16th May 2011

 

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysoconus [-]

A number of Tinkerbirds were heard calling, especially in the Zomba area, but most were not seen and none were seen well, and I'm not sufficiently experienced with their calls to distinguish between the species. Yellow-fronted is the most widespread Tinkerbird in Malawi but Yellow-rumped is common in some areas too.

Those heard at Dzalanyama 23rd and Chongoni 25th were outside the range of Yellow-rumped but in both of those locations I think the much rarer Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus leucomystax is another possibility with a similar call.

 

Green-backed Honeybird (Green-backed Honeyguide, Slender-billed Honeyguide) Prodotiscus zambesiae [1]

1 Dzalanyama 23rd, between the Lodge and the river. This is a scarce species and there are hardly any photos on the internet - which makes it all the more satisfying that I managed to see and photograph it (albeit not terribly well) on both of my trips to Africa. This time it was the only Honeyguide I saw.

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Green-backed Honeybird, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011

 

Bennett's Woodpecker Campethera bennettii [1]

1 Dzalanyama 23rd.

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Bennett's Woodpecker, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011

 

Green-backed Woodpecker (Little Spotted Woodpecker) Campethera cailliautii [1]

1 Dzalanyama 23rd.

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Green-backed Woodpecker, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011

 

Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens [4]

Four singles:

1 in Susannah's garden at Malosa 14th, 1 Zomba Plateau 15th, 1 Lengwe 20th and 1 Dzalanyama 24th.

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Cardinal Woodpecker, Dzalanyama, 24th May 2011

 

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Cardinal Woodpeckers, Malosa, 14th May 2011 (left) and Zomba Plateau, 15th May 2011 (right)

 

Stierling's Woodpecker Dendropicos stierlingi [2]

2+ Dzalanyama 23rd. This species only occurs in Malawi and its immediate vicinity and Dzalanyama is probably one of the best places to find it.

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Stierling's Woodpecker, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011

 

 

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