Ethiopia 2008
27th October – 5th November
Following this brief report of a trip made in 2008 in the company of Barry Howes and the excellent Meseret Mecuria (our guide), there follows a list of the 531 bird species that I have seen on my four trips to Ethiopia.
Itinerary
This first, of only nine days, took in a necessarily limited number of sites and we did not venture north to the Ali Dege Plains nor to the marvellous region around Negele Borena and the Liben Plains.
Day 1 – Addis Ababa to Awash National Park via Debre Zeit and Lake Basaka
Day 2 – Awash NP to Wondo Genet via Lake Ziway
Day 3 – Wondo Genet to Bale Mountains National Park
Day 4 – Bale Mountains NP
Day 5 – Bale Mountains NP to Lake Awasa
Day 6 – Awasa to Yabello
Day 7 – Yabello region
Day 8 – Yabello to Lake Langano via Lake Awasa
Day 9 – Lake Langano to Addis Ababa birding en route at Lake Ziway, Koka Dam and Debre Zeit
Day 10 – Addis Ababa early morning birding thence to London
The people and the cattle are thin in this land; a country torn through the middle by the Great Rift Valley, running from the Danakil Depression in the north down across the Kenyan border and beyond to the vast plains of the Serengeti.
At the end of the fifth day, after a bone-shaking eleven hour drive along a dirt road, pitted and waterlogged through the rainy season, we arrived in Awasa, a large town about 180km. south of Addis Ababa situated on the shores of a lake of the same name.
For the past three days we had, in the words of Woodie Guthrie, ‘been hitting some hard travelling.’ But now, nearing the midway point of the trip, I was able to settle down after a hot shower and a cold beer to look over my notes and quietly run through an extraordinary species list, with so many lifers on one of the days that it was difficult to assimilate the amount of new information flying, often as more than just a figure of speech, my way.
There are about thirty species of bird endemic to Ethiopia and Eritrea (though some field guides, with possibly a slight degree of over-enthusiasm, grant several sub-species full specific status) and on this short exploratory trip I was hoping to find most of them. But, really, I had come for the two species of endemic corvids, as part of some unaccountable desire on my part to see all of the world’s crow species; these being the enigmatic Stresseman’s Bush-Crow, found only in the Yabello region of southern Ethiopia and the more widespread, monstrous looking Thick-billed Raven.
But, for the first few days our birding would take us east of Addis Ababa to the quintessentially African landscape of open plains dotted with acacia trees and scrub bushes that make up Awash National Park.
It is worth pulling up at Lake Basaka, situated just outside the park boundary, to scan the shores for waders and other waterbirds. Spur-winged, Kittlitz’s and Three-banded Plovers feed in the marginal shallows while Intermediate Egret, Goliath Heron and Yellow-billed Stork all wade in the deeper areas. A few Pink-backed Pelicans are usually present; their prehistoric heads hunched into their shoulders as they fly in to settle on the water with the grace and elegance so often associated with large birds.
One of the great joys birding is the early start! And a place like Awash certainly repays the effort to be breakfasted and in the field just after 6a.m. as the equatorial sun comes up and the darkness of night gives way, without the ceremony of dawn, to the brightness of day.
Most of us do our birding abroad on a limited budget of time, often moving on too quickly from one area to the next, but this is not an area to be rushed. A three-night stay at Awash, giving two full days birding in the park, is the minimum a visitor to the area ought to plan for. This will give time to find most of the more common birds, such as whydahs, hornbills, buffalo-weavers and several species of bee-eater, finch and raptor. But it will also allow time to search for the less common or more elusive species; Secretary Bird, Arabian Bustard, Scissor-tailed Kite and Lanner were among those that rewarded time and patience.
From Awash the tarmac road leads past five Great Rift Valley lakes on its way to the junction town of Shashamene where we were to leave the comfort of the metalled surface for the slower going of a dirt road as we headed off to the hot springs resort of Wondo Genet. Driving past the lakes with only the occasional brief stop was a frustrating experience, softened only by the comfort of knowing that we would spend time birding them on the return leg of our journey.
Our accommodation at Wondo Genet was once a holiday retreat of the last emperor, Haile Selassie, and is now a resort hotel based around the area’s hot springs in a region of lush montane forest. It makes a good place for an overnight stop on the way to the Bale Mountains National Park, about 160kms. to the east.
The hotel rooms hold an interesting selection of local invertebrates (!) whilst, outside, the hotel grounds and surrounding woodland are rich in a wider variety of wildlife.
A walk around the area before breakfast produced a good number of birds including three species of sunbird, Double-toothed Barbet, Black Saw-wing, White-cheeked Turaco and Montane White-eye.
The 160km. drive to Goba took pretty much a full day. The difficulty of navigating the dirt road contributed to the time needed to make the journey, but the dozen or so stops we made en route did nothing to hasten our arrival – but there was no hurry.
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Long-billed Pipit and Thick-billed Raven are among the species one can expect on the early part of the journey before the climb through the towns of Kofele and Dodola take one into a different landscape where trees gradually give way to a vast expanse of high plains, devoted largely to arable farming. Here, in this fertile, open landscape Erlanger’s Lark, Imperial and Verreaux’s Eagles and the endemic Wattled Ibis and Ethiopian Cisticola all occur.
We reached the edge of the Bale Mountains National Park in late afternoon but had enough daylight left to spend a bit of time birding a small area of wetland. This large pond, situated on the road into the park, before the town of Dinsho, holds the endemic Rouget’s Rail and Blue-winged Goose as well as Yellow-billed Duck, Red-knobbed Coot and several species of wader. Along the road we also came across Moorland Francolin, Mountain Wagtail and Groundscraper Thrush.
Next morning we headed out with our guide, Meseret Mercuria, for a full day in the Park. Our schedule only allowed for a two-night stay in Goba and, in hindsight, we should have benefited from another night in this vast and extraordinary area.
As our Toyota Land Cruiser climbed to 4,200m (13,650ft) the air temperature dropped and a cold drizzle started to fall. Cloud swept across the top of the plateau, the largest area of Afro-Alpine moorland on the continent and for a while it obscured the sweeping views that we had enjoyed across this flat, treeless landscape dominated by the yellow and white flowers of Helichrysum and heather that carpet the area. Dotted across the plateau, growing up to a height of about 10m were numerous endemic Giant Lobelias looking like huge Yucca plants. These plants served as lookout posts for the striking Augur Buzzards that hunt the area in search of meadow rats. Smaller birds such as Moorland Chat and the endemic Abyssinian Black-headed Siskin and Spot-breasted Lapwing also provide food for the high altitude raptors. As well as Augur we also came across Steppe and Long-legged Buzzards, Steppe, Tawny and Golden Eagles, Peregrine and Great Sparrowhawk. Fortunately at this time of year the cloud and drizzle do not last long and they soon blew over allowing us to explore on foot, thankful that we had brought fleeces with us, as we trod our way carefully through this boggy landscape.
The highland area is home to many lakes of varying sizes; these provide a good stopover point for migrating waders, but they also harbour the rare and beautiful Wattled Crane, two of which we were lucky to find feeding at one of the larger lakes.
The following morning, leaving the National Park with the feeling that we should have had more time there we retraced our tracks to the comfort of the tarmac road and then headed south, arriving in the large town of Awasa, where, in late afternoon with about forty minutes of daylight left, we had a lake to view.
African Fish Eagle, Marabou Stork and Silvery-cheeked Hornbill flew around the large trees at the lake’s edge whilst the reedbeds held African Jacana, Black Crake, Allen’s Gallinule and Reed Cormorant. Hadada and Sacred Ibis and Hammerkop fed in the shallows with numerous waders. A Moorhen, swimming from the cover of the reeds into open water caught my eye and as I turned my bins towards it a Hippopotamus surfaced behind it, opened its huge jaws, took a gulp of air and submerged again leaving me staring, awestruck, at the rippling water.
Other birds found around the lake include five species of kingfisher and the endemic Black-winged Lovebird.
And this is where my story began – at the end of our fifth day – tired from the rough roads but euphoric at the birds we had seen and overcome by the beauty and diversity of the country we had driven through.
In an early morning walk along the lake shore before our departure we found about 70 species including Nubian Woodpecker, Paradise Flycatcher and Spur-winged Goose, while Vervet Monkeys played and chattered in the trees.
As we climbed into our vehicle my excitement rose at the thought of our journey south to the remote Yabello region; to the small area that is home to one of the loveliest and most obscure of corvids, Stresseman’s Bush-Crow.
The journey added more species to our list. At one point we stopped to buy fresh guavas from some children by the roadside and were rewarded with Greater Spotted Eagle overhead and Orange-bellied Parrot and Woolly-necked Stork nearby. But the search for the Bush-Crow proved a frustrating affair as we came across many old nests, sure signs that we were in the right area, but saw none of the birds themselves. So, following a fruitless morning search we headed into the small town of Dubuluk for a lunch, delicious in spite of our disappointment, of fried lamb with garlic and chilli, served in a traditional earthenware dish over a base of hot charcoal that kept the food sizzlingly hot. But the afternoon gave us an equally difficult and frustrating time as we continued to find nothing more than signs of the birds’ presence until, with the light about to fade, we called it a day and headed in quiet resignation to our lodgings in Yabello.
The light of morning brought with it new hope and we set off at 6.20a.m. to search the area again, with Meseret saying that he knew of a couple of other places to try. Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Somali Bunting and Abyssinian Oriole all showed themselves to our eager eyes but again no sign of our target. We stopped and brewed some tea in silence by the roadside knowing that we had the long journey to Lake Langano ahead and that precious little time remained to find the Bush-Crow. And then, as we drove off again, I saw a flash of white in a tree and yelled out ‘Ka-ka’, the local name for the Crow that we had all been using, certain only that I had seen some white on a bird about the size of a Jackdaw. Meseret hit the brakes hard and we all lurched forward as Barry, in the middle of changing a camera lens, cursed me loudly. But there they were; four Stresseman’s Bush-Crows in a bare tree not fifteen yards from the road, and we were soon to find another eight or more nearby.
Ticking these birds off a list became suddenly so unimportant and irrelevant; the whole beauty and diversity of nature was manifested here in a bird found only in a remote corner of a distant land, and symbolised everything that I have always loved in nature and that has kept me travelling our world in search if her marvels.
1 |
Somali Ostrich |
Struthio molybdophanes |
2 |
White-faced Whistling-duck |
Dendrocygna viduata |
3 |
Fulvous Whistling-duck |
Dendrocygna bicolor |
4 |
White-backed Duck |
Thalassornis leuconotus |
5 |
Blue-winged Goose |
Cyanochen cyanoptera |
6 |
Comb Duck |
Sarkidiornis melanotos |
7 |
Egyptian Goose |
Alopochen aegyptiaca |
8 |
Ruddy Shelduck |
Tadorna ferruginea |
9 |
Spur-winged Goose |
Plectropterus gambensis |
10 |
African Pygmy-goose |
Nettapus auritus |
11 |
African Black Duck |
Anas sparsa |
12 |
Yellow-billed Duck |
Anas undulata |
13 |
Northern Shoveler |
Anas clypeata |
14 |
Red-billed Duck |
Anas erythrorhyncha |
15 |
Northern Pintail |
Anas acuta |
16 |
Hottentot Teal |
Anas hottentota |
17 |
Garganey |
Anas querquedula |
18 |
Cape Teal |
Anas capensis |
19 |
Southern Pochard |
Netta erythrophthalma |
20 |
Helmeted Guineafowl |
Numida meleagris |
21 |
Vulturine Guineafowl |
Acryllium vulturinum |
22 |
Common Quail |
Coturnix coturnix |
23 |
Chestnut-naped Francolin |
Pternistis castaneicollis |
24 |
Scaly Francolin |
Pternistis squamatus |
25 |
Yellow-necked Francolin |
Pternistis leucoscepus |
26 |
Crested Francolin |
Francolinus sephaena |
27 |
Coqui Francolin |
Peliperdix coqui |
28 |
Moorland Francolin |
Scleroptila psilolaema |
29 |
Little Grebe |
Tachybaptus ruficollis |
30 |
Greater Flamingo |
Phoenicopterus roseus |
31 |
Lesser Flamingo |
Phoeniconaias minor |
32 |
African Openbill |
Anastomus lamelligerus |
33 |
Abdim's Stork |
Ciconia abdimii |
34 |
Woolly-necked Stork |
Ciconia episcopus |
35 |
Eurasian White Stork |
Ciconia ciconia |
36 |
Saddle-billed Stork |
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis |
37 |
Marabou Stork |
Leptoptilos crumenifer |
38 |
Yellow-billed Stork |
Mycteria ibis |
39 |
White-breasted Cormorant |
Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus |
40 |
Long-tailed Cormorant |
Phalacrocorax africanus |
41 |
African Darter |
Anhinga rufa |
42 |
Great White Pelican |
Pelecanus onocrotalus |
43 |
Pink-backed Pelican |
Pelecanus rufescens |
44 |
Hamerkop |
Scopus umbretta |
45 |
Grey Heron |
Ardea cinerea |
46 |
Black-headed Heron |
Ardea melanocephala |
47 |
Goliath Heron |
Ardea goliath |
48 |
Purple Heron |
Ardea purpurea |
49 |
Great Egret |
Ardea alba |
50 |
Intermediate Egret |
Mesophoyx intermedia |
51 |
Little Egret |
Egretta garzetta |
52 |
Western Reef-heron |
Egretta gularis |
53 |
Black Heron |
Egretta ardesiaca |
54 |
Cattle Egret |
Bubulcus ibis |
55 |
Squacco Heron |
Ardeola ralloides |
56 |
Striated Heron |
Butorides striata |
57 |
Glossy Ibis |
Plegadis falcinellus |
58 |
Sacred Ibis |
Threskiornis aethiopicus |
59 |
Hadada Ibis |
Bostrychia hagedash |
60 |
Wattled Ibis |
Bostrychia carunculata |
61 |
Eurasian Spoonbill |
Platalea leucorodia |
62 |
African Spoonbill |
Platalea alba |
63 |
Secretary-bird |
Sagittarius serpentarius |
64 |
Osprey |
Pandion haliaetus |
65 |
Black-winged Kite |
Elanus caeruleus |
66 |
Scissor-tailed Kite |
Chelictinia riocourii |
67 |
African Harrier-hawk |
Polyboroides typus |
68 |
Lammergeier |
Gypaetus barbatus |
69 |
Egyptian Vulture |
Neophron percnopterus |
70 |
White-headed Vulture |
Trigonoceps occipitalis |
71 |
Lappet-faced Vulture |
Torgos tracheliotos |
72 |
Hooded Vulture |
Necrosyrtes monachus |
73 |
White-backed Vulture |
Gyps africanus |
74 |
Rueppell's Griffon |
Gyps rueppelli |
75 |
Eurasian Griffon |
Gyps fulvus |
76 |
Bateleur |
Terathopius ecaudatus |
77 |
Black-breasted Snake-eagle |
Circaetus pectoralis |
78 |
Brown Snake-eagle |
Circaetus cinereus |
79 |
Martial Eagle |
Polemaetus bellicosus |
80 |
Long-crested Eagle |
Lophaetus occipitalis |
81 |
Lesser Spotted Eagle |
Clanga pomarina |
82 |
Greater Spotted Eagle |
Clanga clanga |
83 |
Booted Eagle |
Hieraaetus pennatus |
84 |
Ayres' Hawk-eagle |
Hieraaetus ayresii |
85 |
Tawny Eagle |
Aquila rapax |
86 |
Steppe Eagle |
Aquila nipalensis |
87 |
Eastern Imperial Eagle |
Aquila heliaca |
88 |
Golden Eagle |
Aquila chrysaetos |
89 |
Verreaux's Eagle |
Aquila verreauxii |
90 |
African Hawk-eagle |
Aquila spilogaster |
91 |
Dark Chanting-goshawk |
Melierax metabates |
92 |
Eastern Chanting-goshawk |
Melierax poliopterus |
93 |
Gabar Goshawk |
Micronisus gabar |
94 |
Eurasian Marsh Harrier |
Circus aeruginosus |
95 |
Pallid Harrier |
Circus macrourus |
96 |
Montagu's Harrier |
Circus pygargus |
97 |
African Goshawk |
Accipiter tachiro |
98 |
Shikra |
Accipiter badius |
99 |
Little Sparrowhawk |
Accipiter minullus |
100 |
Ovampo Sparrowhawk |
Accipiter ovampensis |
101 |
Eurasian Sparrowhawk |
Accipiter nisus |
102 |
Black Goshawk |
Accipiter melanoleucus |
103 |
Yellow-billed Kite |
Milvus migrans parasitus |
104 |
African Fish-eagle |
Haliaeetus vocifer |
105 |
Common Buzzard |
Buteo buteo |
106 |
Mountain Buzzard |
Buteo oreophilus |
107 |
Long-legged Buzzard |
Buteo rufinus |
108 |
Augur Buzzard |
Buteo augur |
109 |
Arabian Bustard |
Ardeotis arabs |
110 |
Kori Bustard |
Ardeotis kori |
111 |
White-bellied Bustard |
Eupodotis senegalensis |
112 |
Buff-crested Bustard |
Eupodotis gindiana |
113 |
Black-bellied Bustard |
Lissotis melanogaster |
114 |
Rouget's Rail |
Rougetius rougetii |
115 |
Black Crake |
Amaurornis flavirostra |
116 |
Allen's Gallinule |
Porphyrio alleni |
117 |
African Swamphen |
Porphyrio madagascariensis |
118 |
Eurasian Common Moorhen |
Gallinula chloropus |
119 |
Lesser Moorhen |
Gallinula angulata |
120 |
Red-knobbed Coot |
Fulica cristata |
121 |
Black Crowned-crane |
Balearica pavonina |
122 |
Wattled Crane |
Bugeranus carunculatus |
123 |
Common Crane |
Grus grus |
124 |
Senegal Thick-knee |
Burhinus senegalensis |
125 |
Spotted Thick-knee |
Burhinus capensis |
126 |
Black-winged Stilt |
Himantopus himantopus |
127 |
Pied Avocet |
Recurvirostra avosetta |
128 |
Grey Plover |
Pluvialis squatarola |
129 |
Pacific Golden-plover |
Pluvialis fulva |
130 |
Spur-winged Plover |
Vanellus spinosus |
131 |
Black-headed Lapwing |
Vanellus tectus |
132 |
Black-winged Lapwing |
Vanellus melanopterus |
133 |
Crowned Lapwing |
Vanellus coronatus |
134 |
Wattled Lapwing |
Vanellus senegallus |
135 |
Spot-breasted Lapwing |
Vanellus melanocephalus |
136 |
Kittlitz's Plover |
Charadrius pecuarius |
137 |
Snowy Plover |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
138 |
Common Ringed Plover |
Charadrius hiaticula |
139 |
Little Ringed Plover |
Charadrius dubius |
140 |
Three-banded Plover |
Charadrius tricollaris |
141 |
Lesser Jacana |
Microparra capensis |
142 |
African Jacana |
Actophilornis africanus |
143 |
Common Sandpiper |
Actitis hypoleucos |
144 |
Green Sandpiper |
Tringa ochropus |
145 |
Spotted Redshank |
Tringa erythropus |
146 |
Common Greenshank |
Tringa nebularia |
147 |
Marsh Sandpiper |
Tringa stagnatilis |
148 |
Wood Sandpiper |
Tringa glareola |
149 |
Common Redshank |
Tringa totanus |
150 |
Black-tailed Godwit |
Limosa limosa |
151 |
Ruff |
Calidris pugnax |
152 |
Curlew Sandpiper |
Calidris ferruginea |
153 |
Temminck's Stint |
Calidris temminckii |
154 |
Sanderling |
Calidris alba |
155 |
Little Stint |
Calidris minuta |
156 |
Common Snipe |
Gallinago gallinago |
157 |
African Snipe |
Gallinago nigripennis |
158 |
Temminck's Courser |
Cursorius temminckii |
159 |
Three-banded Courser |
Rhinoptilus cinctus |
160 |
Collared Pratincole |
Glareola pratincola |
161 |
Black-winged Pratincole |
Glareola nordmanni |
162 |
Gray-headed Gull |
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus |
163 |
Black-headed Gull |
Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
164 |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
Larus fuscus |
165 |
Gull-billed Tern |
Gelochelidon nilotica |
166 |
Caspian Tern |
Hydroprogne caspia |
167 |
White-winged Tern |
Chlidonias leucopterus |
168 |
Whiskered Tern |
Chlidonias hybrida |
169 |
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse |
Pterocles exustus |
170 |
Feral Pigeon |
Columba livia 'feral' |
171 |
Speckled Pigeon |
Columba guinea |
172 |
White-collared Pigeon |
Columba albitorques |
173 |
Rameron Pigeon |
Columba arquatrix |
174 |
Lemon Dove |
Columba larvata |
175 |
Dusky Turtle-dove |
Streptopelia lugens |
176 |
African Collared-dove |
Streptopelia roseogrisea |
177 |
White-winged Collared-dove |
Streptopelia reichenowi |
178 |
African Mourning Dove |
Streptopelia decipiens |
179 |
Red-eyed Dove |
Streptopelia semitorquata |
180 |
Ring-necked Dove |
Streptopelia capicola |
181 |
Laughing Dove |
Streptopelia senegalensis |
182 |
Emerald-spotted Wood-dove |
Turtur chalcospilos |
183 |
Blue-spotted Wood-dove |
Turtur afer |
184 |
Tambourine Dove |
Turtur tympanistria |
185 |
Namaqua Dove |
Oena capensis |
186 |
Bruce's Green-pigeon |
Treron waalia |
187 |
White-cheeked Turaco |
Tauraco leucotis |
188 |
Prince Ruspoli's Turaco |
Tauraco ruspolii |
189 |
Bare-faced Go-away-bird |
Corythaixoides personatus |
190 |
White-bellied Go-away-bird |
Corythaixoides leucogaster |
191 |
Eastern Plantain-eater |
Crinifer zonurus |
192 |
Pied Cuckoo |
Clamator jacobinus |
193 |
Levaillant's Cuckoo |
Clamator levaillantii |
194 |
Great Spotted Cuckoo |
Clamator glandarius |
195 |
Common Cuckoo |
Cuculus canorus |
196 |
Klaas' Cuckoo |
Chrysococcyx klaas |
197 |
Dideric Cuckoo |
Chrysococcyx caprius |
198 |
Blue-headed Coucal |
Centropus monachus |
199 |
White-browed Coucal |
Centropus superciliosus |
200 |
Cape Eagle-owl |
Bubo capensis |
201 |
Grayish Eagle-owl |
Bubo cinerascens |
202 |
Verreaux's Eagle-owl |
Bubo lacteus |
203 |
Pearl-spotted Owlet |
Glaucidium perlatum |
204 |
African Wood-owl |
Strix woodfordii |
205 |
African Long-eared Owl |
Asio abyssinicus |
206 |
Abyssinian Nightjar |
Caprimulgus poliocephalus |
207 |
Plain Nightjar |
Caprimulgus inornatus |
208 |
Star-spotted Nightjar |
Caprimulgus stellatus |
209 |
Slender-tailed Nightjar |
Caprimulgus clarus |
210 |
Alpine Swift |
Apus melba |
211 |
Common Swift |
Apus apus |
212 |
Nyanza Swift |
Apus niansae |
213 |
Horus Swift |
Apus horus |
214 |
White-rumped Swift |
Apus caffer |
215 |
African Palm-swift |
Cypsiurus parvus |
216 |
Speckled Mousebird |
Colius striatus |
217 |
Blue-naped Mousebird |
Urocolius macrourus |
218 |
Narina Trogon |
Apaloderma narina |
219 |
Eurasian Hoopoe |
Upupa epops |
220 |
Green Woodhoopoe |
Phoeniculus purpureus |
221 |
Black-billed Woodhoopoe |
Phoeniculus somaliensis |
222 |
Black Scimitar-bill |
Rhinopomastus aterrimus |
223 |
Abyssinian Scimitar-bill |
Rhinopomastus minor |
224 |
Abyssinian Ground-hornbill |
Bucorvus abyssinicus |
225 |
Hemprich's Hornbill |
Lophoceros hemprichii |
226 |
African Gray Hornbill |
Lophoceros nasutus |
227 |
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill |
Tockus flavirostris |
228 |
Von Der Decken's Hornbill |
Tockus deckeni |
229 |
Northern Red-billed Hornbill |
Tockus erythrorhynchus |
230 |
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill |
Bycanistes brevis |
231 |
Half-collared Kingfisher |
Alcedo semitorquata |
232 |
Malachite Kingfisher |
Corythornis cristatus |
233 |
African Pygmy-kingfisher |
Ispidina picta |
234 |
Gray-headed Kingfisher |
Halcyon leucocephala |
235 |
Woodland Kingfisher |
Halcyon senegalensis |
236 |
Striped Kingfisher |
Halcyon chelicuti |
237 |
Giant Kingfisher |
Megaceryle maxima |
238 |
Pied Kingfisher |
Ceryle rudis |
239 |
Little Bee-eater |
Merops pusillus |
240 |
Blue-breasted Bee-eater |
Merops variegatus |
241 |
White-throated Bee-eater |
Merops albicollis |
242 |
Madagascar Bee-eater |
Merops superciliosus |
243 |
European Bee-eater |
Merops apiaster |
244 |
Northern Carmine Bee-eater |
Merops nubicus |
245 |
European Roller |
Coracias garrulus |
246 |
Abyssinian Roller |
Coracias abyssinicus |
247 |
Lilac-breasted Roller |
Coracias caudatus |
248 |
Rufous-crowned Roller |
Coracias naevius |
249 |
Red-and-yellow Barbet |
Trachyphonus erythrocephalus |
250 |
Yellow-breasted Barbet |
Trachyphonus margaritatus |
251 |
D'arnaud's Barbet |
Trachyphonus darnaudii |
252 |
Red-fronted Tinkerbird |
Pogoniulus pusillus |
253 |
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird |
Pogoniulus chrysoconus |
254 |
Red-fronted Barbet |
Tricholaema diademata |
255 |
Black-throated Barbet |
Tricholaema melanocephala |
256 |
Banded Barbet |
Lybius undatus |
257 |
Black-billed Barbet |
Lybius guifsobalito |
258 |
Double-toothed Barbet |
Lybius bidentatus |
259 |
Green-backed Honeyguide |
Prodotiscus zambesiae |
260 |
Greater Honeyguide |
Indicator indicator |
261 |
Eurasian Wryneck |
Jynx torquilla |
262 |
Rufous-necked Wryneck |
Jynx ruficollis |
263 |
Nubian Woodpecker |
Campethera nubica |
264 |
Abyssinian Woodpecker |
Dendropicos abyssinicus |
265 |
Cardinal Woodpecker |
Dendropicos fuscescens |
266 |
Bearded Woodpecker |
Dendropicos namaquus |
267 |
African Gray-headed Woodpecker |
Dendropicos spodocephalus |
268 |
Pygmy Falcon |
Polihierax semitorquatus |
269 |
Lesser Kestrel |
Falco naumanni |
270 |
Eurasian Kestrel |
Falco tinnunculus/rupicolus |
271 |
Greater Kestrel |
Falco rupicoloides |
272 |
Gray Kestrel |
Falco ardosiaceus |
273 |
Amur Falcon |
Falco amurensis |
274 |
Sooty Falcon |
Falco concolor |
275 |
Eurasian Hobby |
Falco subbuteo |
276 |
Lanner Falcon |
Falco biarmicus |
277 |
Peregrine Falcon |
Falco peregrinus |
278 |
Black-winged Lovebird |
Agapornis taranta |
279 |
Red-bellied Parrot |
Poicephalus rufiventris |
280 |
Yellow-fronted Parrot |
Poicephalus flavifrons |
281 |
Brown-throated Wattle-eye |
Platysteira cyanea |
282 |
Gray-headed Batis |
Batis orientalis |
283 |
Black-headed Batis |
Batis minor |
284 |
White Helmetshrike |
Prionops plumatus |
285 |
Brubru |
Nilaus afer |
286 |
Northern Puffback |
Dryoscopus gambensis |
287 |
Black-crowned Tchagra |
Tchagra senegalus |
288 |
Three-streaked Tchagra |
Tchagra jamesi |
289 |
Red-naped Bushshrike |
Laniarius ruficeps |
290 |
Tropical Boubou [aethiopicus] |
Laniarius aethiopicus |
291 |
Tropical Boubou |
Laniarius major |
292 |
Slate-colored Boubou |
Laniarius funebris |
293 |
Rosy-patched Bushshrike |
Rhodophoneus cruentus |
294 |
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike |
Telophorus sulfureopectus |
295 |
Gray-headed Bushshrike |
Malaconotus blanchoti |
296 |
Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike |
Campephaga phoenicea |
297 |
Red-backed Shrike |
Lanius collurio |
298 |
Isabelline Shrike |
Lanius isabellinus |
299 |
Southern Gray Shrike |
Lanius meridionalis |
300 |
Lesser Grey Shrike |
Lanius minor |
301 |
Gray-backed Fiscal |
Lanius excubitorius |
302 |
Taita Fiscal |
Lanius dorsalis |
303 |
Somali Fiscal |
Lanius somalicus |
304 |
Northern Fiscal |
Lanius humeralis |
305 |
Common Fiscal |
Lanius collaris |
306 |
Masked Shrike |
Lanius nubicus |
307 |
Woodchat Shrike |
Lanius senator |
308 |
White-rumped Shrike |
Eurocephalus rueppelli |
309 |
African Golden Oriole |
Oriolus auratus |
310 |
Dark-headed Oriole |
Oriolus monacha |
311 |
African Black-headed Oriole |
Oriolus larvatus |
312 |
Fork-tailed Drongo |
Dicrurus adsimilis |
313 |
African Paradise-flycatcher |
Terpsiphone viridis |
314 |
Stresemann's Bush-crow |
Zavattariornis stresemanni |
315 |
Red-billed Chough |
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax |
316 |
Cape Crow |
Corvus capensis |
317 |
Pied Crow |
Corvus albus |
318 |
Somali Crow |
Corvus edithae |
319 |
Fan-tailed Raven |
Corvus rhipidurus |
320 |
Thick-billed Raven |
Corvus crassirostris |
321 |
Singing Bushlark |
Mirafra cantillans |
322 |
Flappet Lark |
Mirafra rufocinnamomea |
323 |
Gillett's Lark |
Mirafra gilletti |
324 |
Sidamo Lark |
Heteromirafra sidamoensis |
325 |
Foxy Lark |
Calendulauda alopex |
326 |
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark |
Eremopterix leucotis |
327 |
Black-crowned Sparrow-lark |
Eremopterix nigriceps |
328 |
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-lark |
Eremopterix signatus |
329 |
Erlanger's Lark |
Calandrella erlangeri |
330 |
Somali Short-toed Lark |
Calandrella somalica |
331 |
Thekla Lark |
Galerida theklae |
332 |
Plain Martin |
Riparia paludicola |
333 |
Sand Martin |
Riparia riparia |
334 |
Banded Martin |
Riparia cincta |
335 |
Rock Martin |
Ptyonoprogne fuligula |
336 |
Barn Swallow |
Hirundo rustica |
337 |
Red-chested Swallow |
Hirundo lucida |
338 |
Ethiopian Swallow |
Hirundo aethiopica |
339 |
Wire-tailed Swallow |
Hirundo smithii |
340 |
White-tailed Swallow |
Hirundo megaensis |
341 |
Red-rumped Swallow |
Cecropis daurica |
342 |
Lesser Striped-swallow |
Cecropis abyssinica |
343 |
Mosque Swallow |
Cecropis senegalensis |
344 |
House Martin |
Delichon urbicum |
345 |
Black Sawwing |
Psalidoprocne pristoptera |
346 |
Gray-rumped Swallow |
Pseudhirundo griseopyga |
347 |
White-winged Black-tit |
Melaniparus leucomelas |
348 |
Somali Tit |
Melaniparus thruppi |
349 |
White-backed Black-tit |
Melaniparus leuconotus |
350 |
African Spotted Creeper |
Salpornis salvadori |
351 |
Spotted Creeper |
Salpornis spilonotus/salvadori |
352 |
Northern Brownbul |
Phyllastrephus strepitans |
353 |
Common Bulbul |
Pycnonotus barbatus |
354 |
Northern Crombec |
Sylvietta brachyura |
355 |
Red-faced Crombec |
Sylvietta whytii |
356 |
Somali Crombec |
Sylvietta isabellina |
357 |
Brown Woodland-warbler |
Phylloscopus umbrovirens |
358 |
Willow Warbler |
Phylloscopus trochilus |
359 |
Common Chiffchaff |
Phylloscopus collybita |
360 |
Wood Warbler |
Phylloscopus sibilatrix |
361 |
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler |
Iduna pallida |
362 |
Upcher's Warbler |
Hippolais languida |
363 |
Icterine Warbler |
Hippolais icterina |
364 |
Sedge Warbler |
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus |
365 |
Marsh Warbler |
Acrocephalus palustris |
366 |
Eurasian Reed Warbler |
Acrocephalus scirpaceus |
367 |
Basra Reed-warbler |
Acrocephalus griseldis |
368 |
Lesser Swamp-warbler |
Acrocephalus gracilirostris |
369 |
Cinnamon Bracken-warbler |
Bradypterus cinnamomeus |
370 |
Yellow-breasted Apalis |
Apalis flavida |
371 |
Grey-backed Camaroptera |
Camaroptera brachyura |
372 |
Red-fronted Warbler |
Urorhipis rufifrons |
373 |
Gray Wren-warbler |
Calamonastes simplex |
374 |
Singing Cisticola |
Cisticola cantans |
375 |
Boran Cisticola |
Cisticola bodessa |
376 |
Rattling Cisticola |
Cisticola chiniana |
377 |
Ashy Cisticola |
Cisticola cinereolus |
378 |
Ethiopian Cisticola |
Cisticola galactotes lugubris |
379 |
Stout Cisticola |
Cisticola robustus |
380 |
Tiny Cisticola |
Cisticola nana |
381 |
Fan-tailed Cisticola |
Cisticola juncidis |
382 |
Pectoral-patch Cisticola |
Cisticola brunnescens |
383 |
Buff-bellied Warbler |
Phyllolais pulchella |
384 |
Tawny-flanked Prinia |
Prinia subflava |
385 |
Pale Prinia |
Prinia somalica |
386 |
Yellow-vented Eremomela |
Eremomela flavicrissalis |
387 |
Yellow-bellied Eremomela |
Eremomela icteropygialis |
388 |
Green-backed Eremomela |
Eremomela canescens |
389 |
Abyssinian Catbird |
Parophasma galinieri |
390 |
African Hill-babbler |
Sylvia abyssinica |
391 |
Blackcap |
Sylvia atricapilla |
392 |
Banded Warbler |
Sylvia boehmi |
393 |
Lesser Whitethroat |
Sylvia curruca |
394 |
Brown Warbler |
Sylvia lugens |
395 |
Greater Whitethroat |
Sylvia communis |
396 |
Broad-ringed White-eye |
Zosterops poliogastrus |
397 |
White-breasted White-eye |
Zosterops abyssinicus |
398 |
Rufous Chatterer |
Turdoides rubiginosa |
399 |
White-rumped Babbler |
Turdoides leucopygia |
400 |
Pale Flycatcher |
Bradornis pallidus |
401 |
African Gray Flycatcher |
Bradornis microrhynchus |
402 |
Abyssinian Slaty-flycatcher |
Melaenornis chocolatinus |
403 |
Northern Black-flycatcher |
Melaenornis edolioides |
404 |
Spotted Flycatcher |
Muscicapa striata |
405 |
African Dusky Flycatcher |
Muscicapa adusta |
406 |
Rufous Scrub-robin |
Cercotrichas galactotes |
407 |
Red-backed Scrub-robin |
Cercotrichas leucophrys |
408 |
Rueppell's Robin-chat |
Cossypha semirufa |
409 |
White-browed Robin-chat |
Cossypha heuglini |
410 |
White-crowned Robin-chat |
Cossypha albicapillus |
411 |
Spotted Morning-thrush |
Cichladusa guttata |
412 |
Thrush Nightingale |
Luscinia luscinia |
413 |
Common Nightingale |
Luscinia megarhynchos |
414 |
Common Redstart |
Phoenicurus phoenicurus |
415 |
Little Rock-thrush |
Monticola rufocinereus |
416 |
Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush |
Monticola saxatilis |
417 |
Blue Rock-thrush |
Monticola solitarius |
418 |
Ethiopian Stonechat |
Saxicola torquatus albofasciatus |
419 |
Rueppell's Chat |
Myrmecocichla melaena |
420 |
Mocking Cliff-chat |
Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris |
421 |
White-winged Cliff-chat |
Thamnolaea semirufa |
422 |
Familiar Chat |
Cercomela familiaris |
423 |
Blackstart |
Cercomela melanura |
424 |
Moorland Chat |
Cercomela sordida |
425 |
Northern Wheatear |
Oenanthe oenanthe |
426 |
Abyssian Black Wheatear |
Oenanthe lugubris |
427 |
Pied Wheatear |
Oenanthe pleschanka |
428 |
Cyprus Wheatear |
Oenanthe cypriaca |
429 |
Black-eared Wheatear |
Oenanthe hispanica |
430 |
Isabelline Wheatear |
Oenanthe isabellina |
431 |
Red-breasted Wheatear |
Oenanthe bottae |
432 |
Heuglin's Wheatear |
Oenanthe heuglini |
433 |
Abyssinian Ground Thrush |
Geokichla piaggiae |
434 |
Groundscraper Thrush |
Psophocichla litsitsirupa |
435 |
Abyssinian Olive Thrush |
Turdus abyssinicus abyssinicus |
436 |
African Thrush |
Turdus pelios |
437 |
African Bare-eyed Thrush |
Turdus tephronotus |
438 |
Wattled Starling |
Creatophora cinerea |
439 |
Rosy Starling |
Pastor roseus |
440 |
Slender-billed Starling |
Onychognathus tenuirostris |
441 |
Red-winged Starling |
Onychognathus morio |
442 |
Bristle-crowned Starling |
Onychognathus salvadorii |
443 |
Magpie Starling |
Speculipastor bicolor |
444 |
Sharpe's Starling |
Pholia sharpii |
445 |
Shelley's Starling |
Lamprotornis shelleyi |
446 |
Rueppell's Glossy-starling |
Lamprotornis purpuroptera |
447 |
Golden-breasted Starling |
Lamprotornis regius |
448 |
Superb Starling |
Lamprotornis superbus |
449 |
White-crowned Starling |
Lamprotornis albicapillus |
450 |
Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling |
Lamprotornis chalybaeus |
451 |
Red-billed Oxpecker |
Buphagus erythrorhynchus |
452 |
Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird |
Anthreptes orientalis |
453 |
Collared Sunbird |
Hedydipna collaris |
454 |
Scarlet-chested Sunbird |
Chalcomitra senegalensis |
455 |
Hunter's Sunbird |
Chalcomitra hunteri |
456 |
Tacazze Sunbird |
Nectarinia tacazze |
457 |
Beautiful Sunbird |
Cinnyris pulchellus |
458 |
Mariqua Sunbird |
Cinnyris mariquensis |
459 |
Shining Sunbird |
Cinnyris habessinicus |
460 |
Variable Sunbird |
Cinnyris venustus |
461 |
Western Yellow Wagtail |
Motacilla flava |
462 |
Grey Wagtail |
Motacilla cinerea |
463 |
Mountain Wagtail |
Motacilla clara |
464 |
White Wagtail |
Motacilla alba |
465 |
African Pied Wagtail |
Motacilla aguimp |
466 |
African Pipit |
Anthus cinnamomeus |
467 |
Long-billed Pipit |
Anthus similis |
468 |
Plain-backed Pipit |
Anthus leucophrys |
469 |
Tree Pipit |
Anthus trivialis |
470 |
Red-throated Pipit |
Anthus cervinus |
471 |
Abyssinian Longclaw |
Macronyx flavicollis |
472 |
House Bunting |
Emberiza striolata |
473 |
Golden-breasted Bunting |
Emberiza flaviventris |
474 |
Somali Bunting |
Emberiza poliopleura |
475 |
Yellow-crowned Canary |
Serinus flavivertex |
476 |
Yellow-fronted Canary |
Serinus mozambicus |
477 |
Abyssinian Siskin |
Serinus nigriceps |
478 |
African Citril |
Serinus citrinelloides |
479 |
Reichenow's Seedeater |
Serinus reichenowi |
480 |
Yellow-rumped Serin |
Serinus xanthopygius |
481 |
Yellow-throated Serin |
Serinus flavigula |
482 |
Northern Grosbeak-canary |
Serinus donaldsoni |
483 |
Streaky Seedeater |
Serinus striolatus |
484 |
Brown-rumped Seedeater |
Serinus tristriatus |
485 |
Shelley's Rufous-sparrow |
Passer shelleyi |
486 |
Swainson's Sparrow |
Passer swainsonii |
487 |
Yellow-spotted Petronia |
Petronia pyrgita |
488 |
Bush Petronia |
Petronia dentata |
489 |
Red-billed Buffalo-weaver |
Bubalornis niger |
490 |
White-headed Buffalo-weaver |
Dinemellia dinemelli |
491 |
White-browed Sparrow-weaver |
Plocepasser mahali |
492 |
Gray-headed Social-weaver |
Pseudonigrita arnaudi |
493 |
Black-capped Social-weaver |
Pseudonigrita cabanisi |
494 |
Red-headed Weaver |
Anaplectes rubriceps |
495 |
Baglafecht Weaver |
Ploceus baglafecht |
496 |
Little Weaver |
Ploceus luteolus |
497 |
Spectacled Weaver |
Ploceus ocularis |
498 |
Northern Masked-weaver |
Ploceus taeniopterus |
499 |
Lesser Masked Weaver |
Ploceus intermedius |
500 |
Vitelline Masked-weaver |
Ploceus vitellinus |
501 |
Rueppell's Weaver |
Ploceus galbula |
502 |
Speke's Weaver |
Ploceus spekei |
503 |
Village Weaver |
Ploceus cucullatus |
504 |
Chestnut Weaver |
Ploceus rubiginosus |
505 |
Red-billed Quelea |
Quelea quelea |
506 |
Yellow Bishop |
Euplectes capensis |
507 |
White-winged Widowbird |
Euplectes albonotatus |
508 |
Red-collared Widowbird |
Euplectes ardens |
509 |
Grosbeak Weaver |
Amblyospiza albifrons |
510 |
Yellow-bellied Waxbill |
Coccopygia quartinia |
511 |
Green-backed Twinspot |
Mandingoa nitidula |
512 |
Abyssinian Crimson-wing |
Cryptospiza salvadorii |
513 |
Crimson-rumped Waxbill |
Estrilda rhodopyga |
514 |
Common Waxbill |
Estrilda astrild |
515 |
Black-cheeked Waxbill |
Estrilda charmosyna |
516 |
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu |
Uraeginthus bengalus |
517 |
Purple Grenadier |
Granatina ianthinogaster |
518 |
Green-winged Pytilia |
Pytilia melba |
519 |
Orange-winged Pytilia |
Pytilia afra |
520 |
Red-billed Firefinch |
Lagonosticta senegala |
521 |
Black-faced Firefinch |
Lagonosticta larvata |
522 |
African Firefinch |
Lagonosticta rubricata |
523 |
Cut-throat |
Amadina fasciata |
524 |
Bronze Mannikin |
Spermestes cucullata |
525 |
Black-and-white Mannikin |
Spermestes bicolor |
526 |
African Silverbill |
Euodice cantans |
527 |
Pin-tailed Whydah |
Vidua macroura |
528 |
Eastern Paradise-whydah |
Vidua paradisaea |
529 |
Straw-tailed Whydah |
Vidua fischeri |
530 |
Village Indigobird |
Vidua chalybeata |