Tanzania - overwhelming number of birds that all look similar (3 Viewers)

[01101001]

Here's a nice preview with some useful information for cisticolas, sandpipers, robins and nightjars (don't be deterred by the fact that it says 'kids'):

Kids book

The first edition is completely sold out :( ...but you can get the new one from 7/7/23 I hope you're ready for a life of adventure! If not, please don't buy this book. Put it down and walk away. There are some other nice books

faansiepeacock.com

EDIT: Also check out the previews at the already linked

LBJs Book

Available in hard copy. Click here to buy your book. Available as a pdf ebook. Click here to download your copy. Back in stock as of March 2021!

faansiepeacock.com

and the following three for seawatching:

South African Seabird guide p1 - faansiepeacock.com

Albatrosses and Giant Petrels. All images and text by Faansie Peacock.

faansiepeacock.com

South African Seabird Guide p2 - faansiepeacock.com

Petrels and Shearwaters. All images and text by Faansie Peacock.

faansiepeacock.com

South African Seabird Guide p3 - faansiepeacock.com

Storm Petrels, Prions, Skuas and Gulls. All images and text by Faansie Peacock.

faansiepeacock.com

 

[KTG]

Hello everybody.

I live on a regenerative farm, and we have around one hundred bird species here. Thousands of birds really. There are over 500 species in the wider area. A lot of them look pretty similar, like all the cisticolas, female weavers, prinias, female indigobirds etc.

I have been birdwatching for about a year now, but I still struggle with all those similar birds. Any tips on how I might improve this? Many birds here are very elusive as well, as they are hunted (and eaten) just outside our farm. So I often only see them from far away, or they fly away as soon as I try to watch them through my binoculars. So I only get to see them for a very short time.

Thanks a lot for any help!

I can't help with any bird information but it sounds like a wonderful place to live and great that you are restoring it and getting more birds

 

[Elkhornsun]

Two suggestions are to buy an inexpensive new or used camera to photograph the birds and the other is to use something like the Merlin sound ID app on your smartphone. I go to an area where there are 4 species of terns during the year and the Merlin app helps me to identify ones that are flying high overhead.

I get various sparrows and finches around my house and they can be moving too fast to easily identify some of the species. Taking a photograph makes it easier to study the bird and review bird ID guides at my leisure. Even a $155 Kodak Pixpro AZ2255 with its 25x zoom lens will work well enough for bird ID photos.