Kenya Francolin and Others (1 Viewer)

Hi, everyone.

I have received a bunch of photos from a friend who visited Amboseli Nakuru and Masai Mara at the beginning of May. There are a few photos which I couldn't work out despite spending time on the books.

1 and 2 seem to be (two different) Francolins or possibly Quails or Button-quails. They have features that match some of the book illustrations, but the total set of either bird doesn't seem to match anything I can find. Or am I completely wrong and they are something else?

3 is a starling with a red eye, which I thought would mean Hildebrandt's but the colours are wrong. Yet the red eye seems quite clear.

4, I think is a Steinbuck; is this right?

Hi,

1. Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
2. Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
3. Greater Blue-eared Starling
4. Kirk's Dik-dik

Patrick
www.bird-picture.eu

Thanks

Thanks Patrick,

Sandgrouse is great - in the books they are separated by a lot of birds that don't look anything like francolins, and then they are there. Something can be said for phylotypic sorting.

The Dikdik I accept. I've seen Kirk's Dikdik and I thought this looked slimmer and bigger, but I didn't take the photo, so I guess that's right.

For the starling, I had thought of your identification: but the eye is really red - is it just a trick of the light?

I got the same problem in the past regarding eye's color with Starlings.

It appears that their eye's color is changing during the breeding season.

You can find in a group some individuals with yellow eyes and some with red eyes.

Best regards,
Patrick

Thanks very much indeed Patrick.