Unknown birds, Uganda (1/4) (1 Viewer)

[Egretta]

I have some birds from Uganda from january-february last year, for which I could use some help/second opinion.

1 and 2: sparrowhawk, Kidepo NP, northern Uganda
3 Ashy Flycatcher? Bwindi NP
4-6: immature flycatchers, 4 is from Bwindi NP, 5 and 6 from Lake Bunyonyi, southern Uganda
7: wing of a nightjar, unfortunately the only nightjar I witnessed on the trip, Queen Elizabeth NP
8: Foxy Cisticola? Queen Elizabeth NP

 

[Butty]

It gets very difficult to keep track of so many photos and to refer to them.
Before anybody attempts it, I think it would be helpful if you deleted all but the first of your posts above and reposted each of them as a separate thread. No offence.

 

[Egretta]

It gets very difficult to keep track of so many photos and to refer to them.
Before anybody attempts it, I think it would be helpful if you deleted all but the first of your posts above and reposted each of them as a separate thread. No offence.

Thanks, I followed your advice. I thought about it, but did not want to clutter the forum with too many posts. Anyway, I split it up in 4 different posts now!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I think the raptor is Gabar Goshawk.

 

[Egretta]

I think the raptor is Gabar Goshawk.

Thanks, I considered immature Gabar Goshawk, but the fieldguide shows quite broad dark bands on the underwing that I don't see on the picture. I do agree that it is probably the most likely species.

 

[MacNara]

I think Photo 3 (Bwindi) is probably Dusky-blue Flycatcher. I think you have a blue colour cast that makes it look a bit darker and bluer than it actually is. Photo corrected to what I think is more realistic attached below. It could perhaps be Cassin's Flycatcher, but I think this is lighter in colour than your bird and has no supercilium which your bird shows slightly.

If I am right, then photo 4 (Bwindi 6) might be the juvenile of this species - at any rate it's the juvenile of one of the Muscicapa flycatchers, as (of a different Muscicapa flycatcher) is the bird shown in photos 5 and 6 (same bird in 5 and 6, I presume).

Is photo 7 a dead bird? I can't make it out.

As for the cisticola - if it's Foxy, then all the books I have are utterly misleading (maybe what they show is a breeding plumage, but also they show a completely uniform (no streaking at all) plumage. But some online photos of 'Foxy' seem to match your bird. And I can't find anything better.

 

[Brian J Small]

bwindi 6 - perhaps juvenile Equatorial Akalat?

Brian

 

[Egretta]

I think Photo 3 (Bwindi) is probably Dusky-blue Flycatcher. I think you have a blue colour cast that makes it look a bit darker and bluer than it actually is. Photo corrected to what I think is more realistic attached below. It could perhaps be Cassin's Flycatcher, but I think this is lighter in colour than your bird and has no supercilium which your bird shows slightly.

If I am right, then photo 4 (Bwindi 6) might be the juvenile of this species - at any rate it's the juvenile of one of the Muscicapa flycatchers, as (of a different Muscicapa flycatcher) is the bird shown in photos 5 and 6 (same bird in 5 and 6, I presume).

Is photo 7 a dead bird? I can't make it out.

As for the cisticola - if it's Foxy, then all the books I have are utterly misleading (maybe what they show is a breeding plumage, but also they show a completely uniform (no streaking at all) plumage. But some online photos of 'Foxy' seem to match your bird. And I can't find anything better.

View attachment 1487723

Thank you! It's a shame I didn't see any adults with the immature flycatchers. Dusky-blue Flycatcher seems right for the first picture. Numer 7 is indeed just the wing of a nightjar that got hit by a car, when I found it it was overrun a few times already I'm afraid, because only the wing was recognisable. I took the picture because maybe someone could identify the pattern on it.

 

[Egretta]

bwindi 6 - perhaps juvenile Equatorial Akalat?

Brian

Could also be possible, I did not see the adults unfortunately.

 

[MacNara]

bwindi 6 - perhaps juvenile Equatorial Akalat?

Brian

Hello Brian,

I accept that you are right and my Muscicapa juvenile ID was wrong for Bwindi 6.

But I would like to ask you, based on the illustrations in Birds of East Africa, both editions, which I think were by your colleague John Gale and not by you, why you would pick Equatorial Akalat over White-starred Robin which both appear to be isolated populations in Bwindi.

In the book, EqA has a lightly streaked back whereas W-sR has a strongly streaked back as does the OP's bird.

I'd (I expect We'd) value your opinion on the two photos of the Bunyoni bird - with the white belly and throat, what about Swamp Flycatcher?

Attached below because these three were just icons in the original post (I think this may simply be because of the size of the original file.

 

[Egretta]

Hello Brian,

I accept that you are right and my Muscicapa juvenile ID was wrong for Bwindi 6.

But I would like to ask you, based on the illustrations in Birds of East Africa, both editions, which I think were by your colleague John Gale and not by you, why you would pick Equatorial Akalat over White-starred Robin which both appear to be isolated populations in Bwindi.

In the book, EqA has a lightly streaked back whereas W-sR has a strongly streaked back as does the OP's bird.

I'd (I expect We'd) value your opinion on the two photos of the Bunyoni bird - with the white belly and throat, what about Swamp Flycatcher?

Attached below because these three were just icons in the original post (I think this may simply be because of the size of the original file.

View attachment 1488229

View attachment 1488227View attachment 1488228

The one from Bunyonyi could be both of your suggestions, there is not too much difference between the illustrations in the guide, except for streaking on the greater coverts in White-starred Robin, which my bird has, but I don't know if this would be a diagnostic difference.
Swamp Flycatcher is a good suggestion for the second bird I believe.

Many thanks for your help on all my questions!