Systemmatic list - part 28: Estrildids
East African Swee (Yellow-bellied Waxbill) Coccopygia quartinia (or Estrilda quartinia) [c40]
This species seemed to replace Blue Waxbill on Zomba Plateau with c20 seen there on 16th and a similar number next day.
These are sometimes treated as a race of Swee Waxbill Coccopygia melanotis (or Estrilda melanotis)
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East African Swee, above Ku Chawe (Zomba Plateau), 16th May 2011
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East African Swee, Zomba Plateau, 17th May 2011
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Green Twinspot (Green-backed Twinspot) Mandingoa nitidula [1]
1 heard Zomba 15th - pointed out by John Wilson in his garden.
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild [34]
4 Lake Chilwa 15th, 5 Zomba Plateau 16th, 10 along the entrance to Lengwe plus 12 in Lengwe 20th and 1 Dzalanyama 24th.
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Common Waxbills, Lake Chilwa, 15th May 2011 (left) and Zomba Plateau, 16th May 2011 (right)
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Common Waxbill, Dzalanyama, 24th May 2011
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Lesser Seedcracker Pyrenestes minor [1]
A juvenile was skulking in the dambo at Dzalanyama 24th.
I had seen an adult in exactly the same location on my last visit - a good strike rate for this range-restricted speceis.
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Lesser Seedcracker, Dzalanyama, 24th May 2011
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Blue Waxbill (Blue-breasted Cordonbleu, Southern Cordonbleu) Uraeginthus angolensis [c150]
One of the commonest passerines:
1-6 Malosa 14th and 17th, 4 Cape Maclear and 4 between Cape Maclear and Otter Point 18th, 6 between Cape Maclear and Mangochi 19th, 4 between Blantyre and Lengwe 20th, 25-50 Lengwe 20th-21st, 10 Nyala Park 21st, 2-6 between Lilongwe and Dzalanyama 22nd and 24th, 4 Dedza 25th, 15-20 Liwonde 26th-27th and 4 on the exit from Liwonde 27th.
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Blue Waxbill, Cape Maclear, 18th May 2011
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Blue Waxbill, Malosa, 14th May 2011
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Blue Waxbill, Liwonde, 27th May 2011
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Green-winged Pytilia (Melba Finch) Pytilia melba [2]
2 Lengwe 21st.
Orange-winged Pytilia (Golden-backed Pytilia) Pytilia afra [12]
6 Lengwe 20th, 4 Dzalanyama 23rd and 2 there 24th.
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Orange-winged Pytilias, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011
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Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala [40+]
The commonest and most widespread Firefinch:
4 along the entrance to Lengwe 20th, up to 25 Lengwe 20th-21st, 8 Nyala Park 21st, 1 Dedza 25th and singles Liwonde 26th and 27th.
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Red-billed Firefinches, Lengwe, 21st May 2011
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Red-billed Firefinch, Dedza, 25th May 2011
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African Firefinch (Blue-billed Firefinch) Lagonosticta rubricata [4]
2 Zomba Plateau 16th and 2 Dzalanyama 23rd.
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African Firefinches, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011 (left) and Zomba Plateau, 16th May 2011 (right)
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Cut-throat Finch Amadina fasciata [5]
3 Cape Maclear 18th and 2 between Cape Maclear and Mangochi 19th.
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Cut-throat Finches, Cape Maclear, 18th May 2011
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Cut-throat Finches, south of Cape Maclear, 19th May 2011
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Orange-breasted Waxbill (Zebra Waxbill, Orange Waxbill) Amandava subflava (or Sporaeginthus subflavus) [5]
2+ Lake Chilwa 15th and 3 along the exit road from Lengwe 21st.
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Orange-breasted Waxbills, entrance to Lengwe, 21st May 2011
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Orange-breasted Waxbill, Lake Chilwa, 15th May 2011
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Locust Finch (or Locustfinch) Ortygospiza locustella (or Paludipasser locustella) [3]
3 flew into the dambo along the track up to Chongoni 25th.
Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullatus [54]
The only Mannikin seen away from the Zomba Plateua this time:
6+ Cape Maclear 18th, 6 Lengwe 20th, 6 Lengwe entrance 21st, 10-12 Dzalanyama 22nd-23rd, a different 12 Dzalanyama 24th and 12 Chongoni 25th.
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Bronze Mannikins, Dzalanyama, 23rd May 2011
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Red-backed Mannikin Spermestes (bicolor) nigriceps [c18]
Up to 10 Zomba Plateau 15th-17th. Judging from my photos I appear to have overlooked another in the dambo at Dzalanyama 24th - I only noticed Bronze Mannikins at this site but the one below right is surely too reddish-backed for that species?
These are often regarded as a race of Black-and-white Mannikin.
Or here to return to the start of the sytemmatic list
