Kenya, January 2025 - Some passerines (1 Viewer)

[JayFeatherPL]

Hello,
Could someone confirm these birds' ID?
Kenya, January 2025
Amboseli NP, Lake Nakuru NP, Masai Mara Reserve
Numbering in the top right corner

1-4. Stout Cisticola (Cisticola robustus)?
5-6. Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonesis)?
7. Little Rock Thrush (Monticola rufocinereus)?
8-11. African Plain Martin (Riparia paludicola)?
12-14. African Grey Flycatcher (Bradornis microrhynchus)? Or Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)? Is it possible to tell them apart with no frontal views?
15. Greater Blue-eared Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)?
17. Hildebrandt's Starling (Lamprotornis hildebrandti)? Apart from the Superb Starling.
18-19. Rüppell's Starling (Lamprotornis purpuroptera)?
20-21. White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides)?

 

[JayFeatherPL]

And another 3 birds:
22-23. Northern Anteater Chat (Myrmecocichla aethiops)?
24-25. Northern White-crowned Shrike (Eurocephalus rueppelli)?
26. Two Northern Anteater Chats? Doesn't the upper bird show too much rufous in the primaries? Maybe a red-winged starling (Onychognathus sp.) with a broken tail (tail too short for a typical starling)? Perhaps, the rufous shade is a light issue, but the bird above seems much paler than the bird below (and anteater chats don't show such differences).

 

[THE_FERN]

And another 3 birds:
22-23. Northern Anteater Chat (Myrmecocichla aethiops)?
24-25. Northern White-crowned Shrike (Eurocephalus rueppelli)?
26. Two Northern Anteater Chats? Doesn't the upper bird show too much rufous in the primaries? Maybe a red-winged starling (Onychognathus sp.) with a broken tail (tail too short for a typical starling)? Perhaps, the rufous shade is a light issue, but the bird above seems much paler than the bird below (and anteater chats don't show such differences).

Suspect the "anteater chats" are sooty chat. The latter can have pale bill but the former not [and bill shape wrong]

 

[MacNara]

Sorry, but I think most of these photos are too dark, or from the wrong angle to be sure except possibly for a few super-experts.

I think your Cisticola (1 & 2) is just Rattling (bill too slender for Stout). (3 & 4) - who knows?

White-crowned Shrike OK.

White-fronted Bee-eater OK.

I can't see any reason for the sparrow to be Parrot-billed. I think it's just Swahili Sparrow.

As for the others - maybe someone else has an opinion. For example the Martin ought to be identifiable, but I can't work it out.

 

[THE_FERN]

As for the others - maybe someone else has an opinion. For example the Martin ought to be identifiable, but I can't work it out.

Why not plain Martin..?

 

[MacNara]

Why not plain Martin..?

I just thought it should be browner? The first three photos are very white on the breast. Is it a juvenile?

 

[THE_FERN]

I just thought it should be browner? The first three photos are very white on the breast. Is it a juvenile?

There are similar photos in Macauley. Don't know if immature

 

[JayFeatherPL]

Sorry, but I think most of these photos are too dark, or from the wrong angle to be sure except possibly for a few super-experts.

I think your Cisticola (1 & 2) is just Rattling (bill too slender for Stout). (3 & 4) - who knows?

White-crowned Shrike OK.

White-fronted Bee-eater OK.

I can't see any reason for the sparrow to be Parrot-billed. I think it's just Swahili Sparrow.

As for the others - maybe someone else has an opinion. For example the Martin ought to be identifiable, but I can't work it out.

Thanks. Regarding the cisticola, I grouped birds 1,2 and 3,4 as one (1-4) - they're the same individual.

About the sparrow, I though that Swahili Sparrow (and other similar sparrow) is excluded by a grey throat, uniform with the underside. Swahili and other similar sparrows would show white throat, clearly separated from dark grey underside.

 

[THE_FERN]

About the sparrow, I though that Swahili Sparrow (and other similar sparrow) is excluded by a grey throat, uniform with the underside. Swahili and other similar sparrows would show white throat, clearly separated from dark grey underside.

I see a white throat clearly separated... I think the problem is the image is so dark [adjusted attached]. The bill isn't "parrot" enough for me.

 

[JayFeatherPL]

Thank you. And any ideas about the the starlings and flycatchers? Are my IDs correct?

 

[THE_FERN]

13 looks like spotted (crown streaks). The others are different individuals, or at least 12 is
15 perhaps but on range as image isn't identifiable
17 I see nothing I can identify here except a couple of superb. Don't see Hildebrandt's
18,19 probably is

 

[JayFeatherPL]

13 looks like spotted (crown streaks). The others are different individuals, or at least 12 is
15 perhaps but on range as image isn't identifiable
17 I see nothing I can identify here except a couple of superb. Don't see Hildebrandt's
18,19 probably is

Thank you!

And yes, 12 is a different individual. 13,14 is one. Sorry for confusion, my mistake. Is 12 still Spotted Flycatcher?

In regard to the starlings, I thought that the birds without white breast bands (the left ones) might be Hildebrandt's. I think I also saw one bird having red eyes. Are they just Superb immatures?

 

[JayFeatherPL]

These are the starlings, that I thought might be potential Hildebrandt's.

 

[THE_FERN]

Thank you!

And yes, 12 is a different individual. 13,14 is one. Sorry for confusion, my mistake. Is 12 still Spotted Flycatcher?

In regard to the starlings, I thought that the birds without white breast bands (the left ones) might be Hildebrandt's. I think I also saw one bird having red eyes. Are they just Superb immatures?

I should have said I chose spotted over African grey mainly on jizz, especially head shape (both have crown streaks)

I thought 12 might be pale flycatcher but I don't think it is. It is very dark brown and the primary projection is very long (no crown streaks)

I see nothing identifiable apart from superb starling in the starling image. I would expect hildebrandt's pale underpants to be visible here if it were present

 

[tconzemi]

Hi JayFeather
When coming home from an unusual place it's a great idea to post the pictures of not yet identified birds here on BF. Birding East Africa is particularly challenging as you can have more bird species in a region than in the entire Western Palearctic, e.g. there is one sunbird species in WP, in East Africa you have 53, same for cisticolas and many other families. For many species like sunbirds and cisticolas you need very good views, location including habitat and elevation above sea level and very often song.
To post less perfect pictures here on BF is perfectly OK and pretty often jizz is enough for ID. And these threads are fun and great education.
I would suggest though to keep these threads small with just one family as you did with egrets, it's easier to follow and more fun.
And some birds will just finish unidentifiable.
For fun and for educational purposes here a sunbird picture I took in January 2025, after some most interesting discussions on the FB site of Birding Tanzania with the fundis, it was agreed to leave it as unidentifiable, a male in full breeding plumage!
Location: Mwanza, southern shore of Lake Victoria, scrubland close to a swamp, did not call or sing.

 

[JayFeatherPL]

I should have said I chose spotted over African grey mainly on jizz, especially head shape (both have crown streaks)

I thought 12 might be pale flycatcher but I don't think it is. It is very dark brown and the primary projection is very long (no crown streaks)

I see nothing identifiable apart from superb starling in the starling image. I would expect hildebrandt's pale underpants to be visible here if it were present

Thank you!

I think the apparent lack of streaks on crown might be due to rain (the bird's wet).

And by the way, could you elaborate on the differences between the head shapes of Muscicapa and Bradornis? In my guide, the heads of Spotted and African Grey Flycatchers are identical.

Hi JayFeather
When coming home from an unusual place it's a great idea to post the pictures of not yet identified birds here on BF. Birding East Africa is particularly challenging as you can have more bird species in a region than in the entire Western Palearctic, e.g. there is one sunbird species in WP, in East Africa you have 53, same for cisticolas and many other families. For many species like sunbirds and cisticolas you need very good views, location including habitat and elevation above sea level and very often song.
To post less perfect pictures here on BF is perfectly OK and pretty often jizz is enough for ID. And these threads are fun and great education.
I would suggest though to keep these threads small with just one family as you did with egrets, it's easier to follow and more fun.
And some birds will just finish unidentifiable.
For fun and for educational purposes here a sunbird picture I took in January 2025, after some most interesting discussions on the FB site of Birding Tanzania with the fundis, it was agreed to leave it as unidentifiable, a male in full breeding plumage!
Location: Mwanza, southern shore of Lake Victoria, scrubland close to a swamp, did not call or sing.

No problem! And actually, I upload the worst images, because they're the most difficult to ID! Almost every good photo has already been identified by me

 

[njlarsen]

For fun and for educational purposes here a sunbird picture I took in January 2025, after some most interesting discussions on the FB site of Birding Tanzania with the fundis, it was agreed to leave it as unidentifiable, a male in full breeding plumage!
Location: Mwanza, southern shore of Lake Victoria, scrubland close to a swamp, did not call or sing.

Tom,
Out of curiosity, which species were considered the more likely?
Niels

 

[tconzemi]

Tom,
Out of curiosity, which species were considered the more likely?
Niels

It is between Mariquo and Purple Banded SB, actually nobody knows reliable field markings except the call and song. Purple Banded is also marginally smaller.

 

[THE_FERN]

Thank you!

I think the apparent lack of streaks on crown might be due to rain (the bird's wet).

And by the way, could you elaborate on the differences between the head shapes of Muscicapa and Bradornis? In my guide, the heads of Spotted and African Grey Flycatchers are identical.

Suggest you look at ebird headline photos. Hopefully you'll come to the same conclusion. As I noted, the primary projection seems far too large on 12 for it to be one of these