Tag: Birding the magical 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

Orange-breasted Bushshrike (Telophorus sulfureopectus)

Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike,Malaconotus sulfomiopectus,Maanzoni.

Also know as Sulphur-breasted Bush shrike is an easy specie to pick in the field especially if you are birding the dry country side of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. It prefers the canopy of acacia tortilis, but its presence is always betrayed by its unmistakable  call.   This Bush shrike main diet is invertebrates.

Another interesting natural history fact about this specie is that it is monogamous, it will only seek a new breeding mate  in the event that his partner dies. The bird lays eggs which are green in colour and number between 1-3. A real beauty in the field.