Another Tanzania Bird ID Request (1 Viewer)

[bronze sunbird]

We saw this bird at Tarangire National Park on Feb 25th, 2015. It's a smallish passerine and from the shape and bill I suspect it's a lark. But I haven't found anything in my field guide with this combination of strong white supercilium and buffy breast with light striping.

Any thoughts?

Anthony

 

[Waxwings]

Looks like Foxy Lark.

 

[bronze sunbird]

Thanks! I took a look at some EBird photos and it does look good for Foxy Lark.

Obviously I need a new field guide. I have been using the Helm Guide to Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania (2001). It does not include Foxy Lark or any of its alternate names: Abyssinian Lark, Abyssinian Fawn-coloured Lark or Somali Fawn-coloured Bush-Lark.

 

[MacNara]

Thanks! I took a look at some EBird photos and it does look good for Foxy Lark.

Obviously I need a new field guide. I have been using the Helm Guide to Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania (2001). It does not include Foxy Lark or any of its alternate names: Abyssinian Lark, Abyssinian Fawn-coloured Lark or Somali Fawn-coloured Bush-Lark.

In the 1999 edition, published under the Princeton Field Guides imprint (but the same book, in principle) Plate 72, bird 4 (picture) and page 415 (details)?

 

[bronze sunbird]

In the 1999 edition, published under the Princeton Field Guides imprint (but the same book, in principle) Plate 72, bird 4 (picture) and page 415 (details)?

In my book bird #4 on that plate is listed as Fawn-coloured Lark / ssp Mirafra africanoides intercedens. Not much help when I'm looking in the index for Foxy Lark / Calendulauda alopex.

When you get past all the taxonomic flux of the last 20 years it's apparently the same species. Which underlines the point that if I were to go back to East Africa I would need a new field guide.

 

[Brian J Small]

...'if I were to go back to East Africa I would need a new field guide'

You're in luck! Coming soon (mid November), a new edition of Birds of East Africa, with many new plates and updated text.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/field-guide-to-the-birds-of-east-africa-9781472984319/

Attached image of bluebills and seedcrackers.

Brian S

 

[Andy Adcock]

...'if I were to go back to East Africa I would need a new field guide'

You're in luck! Coming soon (mid November), a new edition of Birds of East Africa, with many new plates and updated text.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/field-guide-to-the-birds-of-east-africa-9781472984319/

Attached image of bluebills and seedcrackers.

Brian S

I had hoped to have it for my trip last year.

 

[bronze sunbird]

...'if I were to go back to East Africa I would need a new field guide'

You're in luck! Coming soon (mid November), a new edition of Birds of East Africa, with many new plates and updated text.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/field-guide-to-the-birds-of-east-africa-9781472984319/

Attached image of bluebills and seedcrackers.

Brian S

Looks good. At the moment I'm looking forward to the new Princeton guide to the birds of Argentina and the South Atlantic.

 

[MacNara]

...'if I were to go back to East Africa I would need a new field guide'

You're in luck! Coming soon (mid November), a new edition of Birds of East Africa, with many new plates and updated text.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/field-guide-to-the-birds-of-east-africa-9781472984319/

I have a copy on order Brian, even though I wonder when, even whether, we'll be able to go to Africa again.

And I'm happy for you to see that (if the Amazon illustration is correct) the illustrators get their names in the same size of type as the descriptors.