Tag: #Kenya Birding Tours

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Fischer’s Turaco (Tauraco fischeri),the Musophagidae family member found a long the East Africa Coast.

Fischer’s Turaco, Photo by Juhani Vilpo

Fischer’s Turaco is a commonly recorded species along the East Africa coast.Birders will surely encountered the species when birding subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest of Arabuko Sokoke forest,Shimba Hills national park and Amani nature reserve located in Eastern Usambara mountains.

Fischer’s turacos have amazing shades of green feathers marked with touches of red and white. Easy to distinguish with its crimson crest, nape, and primaries and inner secondaries. The crest is tipped with black at the tallest part, white on lower portion. The upper parts are green- blue to violet-blue, with lower belly being much darker. The red bill has white lines both above and below the black lore area; bare orbital skin is red and the eyes are brown. The wings are rather short and rounded; tail is long. Turacos are noted for peculiar and unique pigments, giving them their bright green, blue and red feathers.

Bird of the Week, Bird Photography, Bird watching

White-chinned Prinia also kown as White-chinned Warbler (Schistolais leucopogon)

Photo By Juhani Vilpo

White-chinned Prinia is one of the two species found in Kakamega tropical rain forest,the other one frequently recorded there is Banded Prinia.Both species are found in thick understory of forest,overgrown cultivation,and edge habitats.This species has unusual broad-tailed with a white throat,it is also important to note the black cheek and white in the outer rectrices.

Usually the species is found in small very actives groups always continuously moving inside the vegetation cover exposing themselves once in a while.When the birds are singing,they clearly line-up on an exposed horizontally lying branches proving excellent opportunities for photography.

In Kenya the species is only found the remnant patches of tropical rain forest of Kakamega and South Nandi,both in Western Kenya.

Bird of the Week, Bird Photography, Bird watching, Conservation

Welcome to Wattle-eyes World,where Females Decides your Name.

Wattle-eyes are grouped in two distinct genera;Platysteira are medium-sized,flycatcher like and resembles batises,while Dyaphorophyia are much smaller,dumpy and short-tailed.Both genera have broad strong bills and conspicuous fleshy,colorful wattles above their eyes.

Photo By Juhani Vilpo

Now most of this family species are named after the females plumage, like the widespread Brown-throated Wattle-eye appearing above is named for the throat colour of the female.They are found in pairs,family groups or with mixed-species flock,usually in forest.

In Kenya,five species occurs, with three of them restricted to the tropical rain forest remnant of Kakamega.Brown-throated and Black-throated Wattle-eye are frequently encountered at the right habitat,but Jameson’s, Chestnut and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye are a hard nut to crack in Kakakmega forest.

Watching Wattle-eyes for the first time foraging in the thick undergrowth of Africa tropical rain forest is an extraordinary experience.It will thoroughly blow your mind away.