Southern Malawi header: Lilian's Lovebirds

Systemmatic list - part 26: Buntings, Canaries and Sparrows

 

Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting (Cinnamon-breasted Bunting) Emberiza tahapisi [9+]

2+ Dzalanyama 23rd and up to 7 Chongoni 24th-25th.

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Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011

 

Cabanis's Bunting Emberiza cabanisi [4]

3+ Dzalanyama 23rd and 1 Chongoni 25th.

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Cabanis's Buntings, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011

 

Cabanis's Bunting, Chongoni, 25th May 2011

 

Yellow-fronted Canary (Yellow-eyed Canary) Serinus mozambicus [29]

Common:

6 Cape Maclear/Otter Point area 18th, 5 between Blantyre and Lengwe (Shire), 10 along the entrance to Lengwe and 4 in Lengwe 20th, 2 Dzalanyama 23rd and 2 Liwonde 25th.

I'm still intrigued as to why this species was ever called Yellow-eyed Canary!

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Yellow-fronted Canaries, Otter Point, 18th May 2011 (left) and Dzalanyama, 24th May 2011 (right)

 

Southern Citril Serinus hyposticutus [15+]

2 Zomba 15th and 3-6 Zomba Plateau 15th-17th.

This species was formerly regarded as a race of African Citril Serinus citrinelloides .

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Southern Citrils, Zomba Plateau, 17th May 2011

 

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Southern Citrils, Zomba Plateau, 15th May 2011 (left) and 16th May 2011 (right)

 

Brimstone Canary (Bully Canary) Serinus sulphuratus [16]

3 along the entrance to Lengwe 21st, 1 Dzalanyama 24th and 12 Chongoni 25th.

Birds in southern Malawi belong to the race shelleyi.

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Brimstone Canaries, Lengwe approach road, 21st May 2011 (left) and Chongoni, 25th May 2011 (right)

 

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Brimstone Canary, Dzalanyama, 24th May 2011

 

House Sparrow Passer domesticus [36+]

Last time I only found these at two locations but they seemed a bit commoner this time - maybe that was coicidence?

1-3 Blantyre 14th-28th, 3 between Blantyre and Zomba 14th and about 30 Cape Maclear 18th-19th. I think there were a few more which I forgot to write down.

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House Sparrows, Cape Maclear, 18th May 2011

 

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House Sparrow, between Blantyre and Zomba, 14th May 2011

 

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus [36]

Common:

1 Blantyre 14th, up to 10 Cape Maclear 18th-19th, 1 along the exit from Cape Maclear 19th, 6 Lengwe 20th and 21st and 1 Dedza 25th.

Two forms of Grey-headed Sparrow occur in Malawi: stygiceps in the Lower Shire Valley and south end of Lake Malawi and mosambicus throughout the country. Most authorities treat both of these forms as races of Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, however in The Birds of Malawi, Dowsett-Lemaire & Dowsett suggest that mosambicus might be better placed with (Northern) Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus. They also suggests that the form stygiceps might be of hybrid origin.

I can't identify them anyway! Dedza falls outside of the range plotted in The Birds of Malawi for stygiceps so that one at least should be mosambicus; those at Lengwe (and Blantyre?) should be stygiceps on range.

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Southern? Grey-headed Sparrows, Cape Maclear, 18th May 2011 - I assume race stygiceps?

 

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Southern? Grey-headed Sparrows, Dedza, 25th May 2011 (left) and south of Cape Maclear, 19th May 2011 (right) - the Dedza one should be mosambicus on range

 

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Southern? Grey-headed Sparrows, Lengwe, 21st May 2011 (left) and south of Cape Maclear, 19th May 2011 (right) - the Lengwe one should be stygiceps on range

 

Yellow-throated Petronia Petronia superciliaris [c12]

Up to 6 Dzalanyama 23rd-24th and 4 Chongoni 24th.

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Yellow-throated Petronias, Dzalanyama, 24th (left) and 23rd (right) May 2011

 

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Yellow-throated Petronias, Chongoni, 25th May 2011

 

 

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