Kenya - Masai Mara (2 Viewers)

[Sasquatch Fingers]

I can't find my African field guide since the move, I could use some help with this raptor.



I only have Fork-tailed on my list, but I think this might be a Square-tailed Drongo.



Um... my first thought was a Longclaw sp. but I see no hint of a collar. Some sort of Pipit, maybe?



Little Brown Job. Cisticola?



Violet-backed Starling?

 

[Bewick]

On my phone so not going to attempt the others yet, but the first one is a juvenile bateleur.

 

[James Lowther]

Bateleur
Northern black flycatcher
Yellow throated longclaw
Cisticola sp.
Violet-backed starling

Cheers
James

 

[THE_FERN]

I'd guess black-backed cisticola.

 

[James Lowther]

according to my field guide, black-backed is a rarity in Kenya?
It’s a relatively delicate, streak backed, streak crowned species which should rule a lot out. Maybe zitting?
James

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Cisticola could be a Pectoral-patch. Any other pics? Even poor ones?

 

[Butty]

Maybe zitting [cisticola]?

I can't see anything to make that wrong.

 

[THE_FERN]

according to my field guide, black-backed is a rarity in Kenya?
It’s a relatively delicate, streak backed, streak crowned species which should rule a lot out. Maybe zitting?
James

It is zitting as it's got pale tail tips: black-backed is the confusion species. It's definitely at the mara, one of its hot spots (saw it there); apart from the tail tips there's little difference. The zitting I saw there were less heavily marked than this

Edit: (for anyone following this thread.) Actually black-backed has pale tail tips too. Afaics, these aren't as extensive and are sometimes invisible. Fanshawe says it has a rufous hind neck but photos show this is not always obvious. A rufous rump is a more reliable character and this can spill over to the vent area (but rump is invisible here). Zitting may have slightly wider buff feather margins and has a less dark appearance. I think the combination of obvious pale tail tips, not clearly rufous hind neck and scrappy dark centred feathers which don't give a strongly dark-backed impression make this zitting

 

[Sasquatch Fingers]

Cisticola could be a Pectoral-patch. Any other pics? Even poor ones?

Here's what I have. I often did not get as many pictures from multiple angles like I would prefer because there were always five or six or eighteen other birds I was trying to get at least one bad picture of.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Still think this looks good for Pectoral-patch. Black lores, blacked edged unstreaked rufous forecrown don't seem to fit Zitting quite so well.

 

[Sasquatch Fingers]

Still think this looks good for Pectoral-patch. Black lores, blacked edged unstreaked rufous forecrown don't seem to fit Zitting quite so well.

I think I found a better picture. Or it is a completely different LBJ.



Never mind, completely different bird.

 

[James Lowther]

I reckon that is “Mara” Lark.

Until very recently considered to be a population of white-tailed lark, now believed to be an isolated population of melodious lark which otherwise only occurs in Southern Africa.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10336-022-02013-z.pdf

Cheers

James

 

[Sasquatch Fingers]

I reckon that is “Mara” Lark.

Until very recently considered to be a population of white-tailed lark, now believed to be an isolated population of melodious lark which otherwise only occurs in Southern Africa.

Not on eBird yet, but thanks. I will put it on my manual list.

 

[James Lowther]

I would wait and see if you get confirmation here. It’s a difficult ID.
Have you checked eBird for Melodious Lark? (Mara lark is just an informal name).
James

 

[Bewick]

I would wait and see if you get confirmation here. It’s a difficult ID.
Have you checked eBird for Melodious Lark? (Mara lark is just an informal name).
James

According to ebird- Melodious larks are found in Masai Mara national reserve.

 

[Sasquatch Fingers]

I would wait and see if you get confirmation here. It’s a difficult ID.
Have you checked eBird for Melodious Lark? (Mara lark is just an informal name).
James

I think I already have Melodious Lark on my list, but I'll double check tonight. Thanks.