NEW species for Tanzania - Nguru? Greenbul

Diversification across an altitudinal gradient in the Tiny Greenbul (Phyllastrephus debilis) from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Africa.

John Fjeldsaa and his team have made it again, and found a new species for Tanzania!
Read the exciting story of the Tiny Greenbul and the new (My suggestion (Nguru Greenbul) still unnamed?) greenbul from Nguru Mts. and W. Usambara Mts. The blue spots on the map shows where the new sp. occurs. This gives TZ at least 1130 species!!

Stein
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/11/117

Distribution of Phyllastrephus debilis; dots represent our sampling localities (blue: albigula; green, rabai; red, debilis). The painting depicts the typical plumage of P. d. albigula and P. d. rabai/debilis, respectively.

Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird

fantastic image of an adult female from Tony Evans, note the lack of colour on the face and then check the fieldguides.......
 

Neil

Cropped - see original below.

Furadan

HI

So, yesterday I asked in a couple of places about Furadan. I was told that it is not on the market or available to buy but there is old stock around, I also found out that Oikos have a guy here at the moment working on chemical usage in farming and this is one of the chemicals that is under discussion. Let me get this right, it is now illegal to distribute and sell, but what about the old stock, does that have to be destroyed and how?? Does the distributing company have to, legally, recall stock?

M.

Marc Baker
Director
Ecological Initiatives & Carbon Tanzania
+255 (0)784448761
Skype: babaniamh
www.ei-tz.com

Please help with this Kitulo Pipit!

Please help with this Pipit!
And RN Lark attached as an example.

Paul Oliver
Box 425
Arusha
Tanzania
+255754510741
pauloliversafarisuk@hotmail.com
www.paul-oliver.com

 

Paul,

 

Why is this NOT a Grassland Pipit ? hind claw looks good (would prefer it to be longer though) and those pale, close to white, tips to the secondary (greater) wing coverts suggest a juv / immature bird. Bill looks OK. There is tremendous variation in this bird, even within local populations. The classic STANDARD Anthus cinnamomeus hardly exists and it's VERY difficult for field guides to even begin to depict the variations.

 

If it's at all possible pipits can be more dificult than cisticolas so anyones comments on this individual would be most welcome.

 

I find the Faansie Peacock (2006) Pipits of Southern Africa to be really useful.

 

and yes, this high altitude race of Rufous-naped Lark has very dark, almost black upperparts.

 

as ever, great pics. 

 

Neil

Info for the book on carbofuran poisoning

Hello,

I am several days away from completion/submission the book on carbofuran poisoning. I am going through the chapter on Kenya and trying to tidy up some loose ends. I have anecdotal evidence that Furadan is still accessible in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. I have a personal communication on this from Uganda, but not for Tanzania or Rwanda. Can you or any of your colleagues substantiate this for me (ie, serve as a personal communication)?

Best wishes,

Ngaio
Ngaio.Richards@anglia.ac.uk

Ngaio Richards, PhD
Department of Forensic Science
Anglia Ruskin University
East Road
Cambridge CB1 1PT

Cape Parrot publications

a number of publications about the South African population are now on our web site
 

enjoy

 

Neil
Neil and Liz Baker

Subject: RE: African Parrot distributions.

http://tanzaniabirdatlas.com/maps/articles-pdf

ID help needed - please comment!

G'day all

I photographed two birds today which I would like help with please. The location is Katoke about 40 km south of Bukoba. Habitat is grassy hillside with scattered shrubs (don't know the species I'm sorry).

The first I think is Singing Cisticola but I'm not happy with that conclusion - mostly because of the uniformly whitish underparts. The only call it gave was a harsh scolding possibly because we were too close to a nest or chicks. Trilling Cisticolas were calling nearby.

The second I initially called as a Plain-backed Pipit but - as normally happens - the more I look in the field guides the more confused I get with pipits. It seems quite grey on the head and back to me. It didn't seem to have much white in the tail when it flew.

I've also attached a picture of my first Weyns's Weaver from the same location today.

Hope you can help with my Cisticola and Pipit.

Cheers
Steve Clark
Bukoba