Tag: Arjan Dwarshuis Guide in Kenya

Bird Photography, Uncategorized

Beautiful Sunbird (Cinnyris pulchellus)

Photo by Tony Crocetta

Given the array of color presented by the male’s plumage the name seems appropriate: a pair of yellow bands on either side of a red chest, green on head and back, blue on the lower back and black on the belly and tail. The females are plumaged instead to be inconspicuous and safer from predators: yellowish chest and belly with gray-brown back. Beautiful sunbirds take flower nectar and insects as food. It is a very common species in arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya especially Samburu, Tsavo West,Lake Baringo and Amboseli.

They generally frequent flowering plants and therefore provide necessary conditions for photography.

Bird of the Week, Bird Photography, Bird watching

Grey-Headed Bush-Shrike (Malaconotus blanchoti)

Grey-headed Bush-shrike is the biggest Bush-shrike in our region. It is a very colorful bird to watch and know to be flying low in the vegetation, when hunting. It generally occupies wooded areas, especially Miombo, Acacia and riverine woodland, but it occasionally moves into suburban gardens and alien tree plantations adjacent to indigenous forest. Is presence easily know by is loud call which which normally not mistaken when known.

Grey-headed Bush-shrike.
Photo by Jan Van Duinen

In Kenya, is a widely distributed bird and can be seen in Samburu, Buffalo and Shaba game reserve, Masai Mara, Nairobi national park, Lake Baringo, Nakuru, Bogoria and Magadi road.