Wildlife images from Tanzania safari

In message
Liz wrote:

In message .com
"Bill Hilton" wrote:

Liz writes ...

The Spurfowl is very puzzling - did you get any other pix of it?

The driver seemed to know what it was but I didn't write it down ...
here's another angle showing a bit more of the breast ... from the EXIF
data this guy was only on the log for 22 seconds or 9 frames and never
turned directly towards us so this is all I have to go on ...
http://members.aol.com/bhilton665/ta...pegs/spur_fowl
_T1509.jpg

OK, it's incredible how difficult it is to ID birds from even
excellent pics.
I'll post your pic to our local RSPB reserve manager, who's a
Tanzanian, and see if he can shed any light on it. Might take a wee
while for him to get back to me.

Hi again Bill -
Zul got back to me today, he's just back from Tanzania himself.
He's pretty certain it's a Hildebrandt's Francolin.

Slainte

Liz


--
Virtual Liz: http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm

Liz writes ...

Zul got back to me today, he's just back from Tanzania himself.
He's pretty certain it's a Hildebrandt's Francolin

Thanks Liz! I can see how the colors are similar to the male Francolin
in my ID book but the spurs are quite a bit longer on the one I
photographed compared to the book painting, which is why I thought it
was a spur-fowl.

We have photos of 73 different birds from Africa and have ID'ed most
but can't figure this one out ... can you ID it or ask Zul for his
thoughts? I *think* it's a shrike due to the bill and open perch (Lake
Manyara, late Jan) but can't quite match it to any species in my bird
book ... I prefer the Peterson-type ID guides since they point to a
known mark that separates a species from others and the book I have
doesn't do that ...
http://members.aol.com/bhilton665/ta...2006/dunno.htm

Bill

In message . com
"Bill Hilton" wrote:

Liz writes ...

Zul got back to me today, he's just back from Tanzania himself.
He's pretty certain it's a Hildebrandt's Francolin

Thanks Liz! I can see how the colors are similar to the male Francolin
in my ID book but the spurs are quite a bit longer on the one I
photographed compared to the book painting, which is why I thought it
was a spur-fowl.
That's what I thought.
I don't think I've seen a francolin with such distinctive spurs.

We have photos of 73 different birds from Africa and have ID'ed most
but can't figure this one out ... can you ID it or ask Zul for his
thoughts? I *think* it's a shrike due to the bill and open perch (Lake
Manyara, late Jan) but can't quite match it to any species in my bird
book ... I prefer the Peterson-type ID guides since they point to a
known mark that separates a species from others and the book I have
doesn't do that ...
http://members.aol.com/bhilton665/ta...2006/dunno.htm

I'm pretty sure it's either juv. Red-backed, Lanius collurio or juv.
Isabelline/Red-tailed, Lanius isabellinus. However, I've not seen
either species in East Africa (they visit in the northern winter) and
I've only seen breeding adults in Europe, quite a few years ago.
I'll look up BWP, but suspect it might show different sub-species.
I'll also email Zul & see what he says. He's much more expert than I
am!

Slainte

Liz
--
Virtual Liz: http://www.v-liz.com
Kenya; Tanzania; Namibia; India; Seychelles; Galapagos
Photo blog of Make Povery History rally in Edinburgh 2 July 2005:
http://www.v-liz.com/g8rally/protest.htm

In message
Liz wrote:

In message . com
"Bill Hilton" wrote:

We have photos of 73 different birds from Africa and have ID'ed most
but can't figure this one out ... can you ID it or ask Zul for his
thoughts? I *think* it's a shrike due to the bill and open perch (Lake
Manyara, late Jan) but can't quite match it to any species in my bird
book ... I prefer the Peterson-type ID guides since they point to a
known mark that separates a species from others and the book I have
doesn't do that ...
http://members.aol.com/bhilton665/ta...2006/dunno.htm

I'm pretty sure it's either juv. Red-backed, Lanius collurio or juv.
Isabelline/Red-tailed, Lanius isabellinus.

Zul emailed me back today, and says it's almost certainly one of these
two, but he wouldn't like to stick out his neck and say which. He says
he saw lots of both species in Feb. (He was leading a Naturetrek
birding trip). He says the only other possibility is Red-becked, but
it's not very likely in Jan.

Looking forward to seeing your rainy season pix


Safari njema,

Liz

In message
Liz wrote:

He says the only other possibility is Red-becked, but
^ Whoops, 'backed'.

Slainte

Liz