NFA Bird Podcast

I think I am good at fishing!

>>Listen to the story about Pel's Fishing-owl

#30 (En)Pel's fishing owl.mp3

Pel's Fishing-owl

(Scotopelia peli)

Photo By Francesco Veronesi from Italy

(Pel's Fishing-Owl - Malawi_S4E1943)

[CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Where can I find Pel's Fishing-owl in Uganda?

This bird can be found on the river side of Budongo Forest.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

30. Pel's Fishing-owl

(Scotopelia peli)

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha. The bird for today is a Pel's Fishing-Owl

A Pel's Fishing-Owl is a huge owl that is unlikely to be confused with any other bird, in the Strigidae family.

It is one of the largest owl species in the world with a length of about 60cm, a wing span of 153cm and about 2-2.35 kg.

It is a bright orange-rufous heavily barred dusky above, and a little paler below with variable dark spots and bars.

Sexes look similar only the male is more rufous than the female, but there is considerable individual variation.

It feeds nocturnally on fish and fronts snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers.

They prefer slow moving rivers with large overhanging trees to roost and forage from like at the bottom of the Murchison falls.

Unlike most owls, they have minimal feathers on the toes and the tarsus, thus minimising the amount plumage that gets wet while fishing.

Pel's Fishing-Owl nests in hollows, rocks, and the forks of large trees.

Two eggs are laid but only one chick is raised.

Like diurnal raptors that specialise in fish, they have spiky scales on the bottom of their feet that help them grip slippery fish.

Since hearing and auditory stealth is not important to its hunting techniques, this owl does not have strong hearing and does not have the soft edges to its flight feathers that most owls share, which makes them almost impossible to hear in flight.

They have a white throat that is usually obscured but puffed up in displaying birds during courtship.

The Pel's Fishing-Owl has distinctly dark eyes, often black in colour.

The song of the male Pel's Fishing-Owl is a deep, sonorous, horn-like boom.

The female's songs are similar but are higher pitched and even in a double-note.

They are monogamous and territorial, claiming a stretch of river or lakeshore for themselves.

The eggs are laid when water's are starting to fall, so that brood feeding coincides with low water and concentrated prey.

The female does the incubation for about a month, while the male feeds her.

At the first sight of danger, both parents engage in distraction displays to protect their offspring.

These could be behaving as if injured, to draw the attention of the potential predator.

The bird for today is a Pel's Fishing-Owl and am Johnnie Kamugisha

One of our colleague knew 150 words!

>>Listen to the story about Grey Parrot

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#31 (En) African Grey Parrot.mp3

Grey Parott

(Psittacus erithacus)

Photo by Tomo Akiyama

Go to his website to see more great photos!

http://www.wildlifejapan.com/wildlifejapan/

***The copy right of this photo belongs to Tomo Akiyama

Where can I find

Grey Parrot in Uganda?

This bird distributes the middle parts of Africa.

Uganda is the eastern edge of their distribution.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

29.Grey Parrot

(Psittacus erithacus)

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha.

The bird for today is the African Grey Parrot.

This is one of the most intelligent birds in the world.

They imitate several other species as well as man.

Every morning, they come to say hello to me at my house, as they fly away to go to field.

It is 30cm long that is from the tip of the bill to the tail end.

It is one of the birds that live long.

It can live for up to 50 - 100 years in the wild and in captivity respectively, meaning it will live 50 years in captivity, and if it is left in the wild it will live up to 100 years.

Their diet includes seed, fruits, palm nuts, but they may feed on leaves as well.

They like their food meaning they like eating.

Because of the destruction of their habitat, they are now found even in urban areas.

The bird for today is the African Grey Parrot and am Johnnie Kamugisha.

My wife and I always sing together!

>>Listen to the story about Brown-throated Wattle-eye

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#28 (En) Brown throated wattle eye.mp3

Recorded by Mr. James and David Bradley

Source: xeno-canto website Brown-throated Wattle eye

Brown-throated Wattle-eye

(Platysteira cyanea)

Photo by Lars Petersson

Go to his website to see more great photos!

***The copy rights of this photo belongs to Lars Petersson

Where can I find

Brown-throated Wattle-eye in Uganda?

This bird distributes the middle parts of Africa.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

28.Brown-throated Wattle-eye

(Platysteira cyanea)

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha.

The bird for today is a Brown-throated Wattle-eye.

Brown-throated Wattle-eye also known as the Common Wattle-eye is a small, insectivorous passerine bird.

Brown-throated Wattle-eye is a stout bird about 14cm in length.

They have short legs and an upright stance while patched.

They were previously classed as a subfamily of the Old World Flycatcher family Muscicapidae but are now separated from that family.

Brown-throated Wattle-eye is found in secondary forest and other wooded areas, including gardens.

Brown-throated Wattle-eye build a small neat lichen and cobweb cup like nest low in a tree or bush.

The breeding male has has glossy black upper parts, and white underparts with a neat black breast band.

They have a strong white wing bar, and fleshy red wattles above the eye.

The females are grey-black above, and also have the white wing bar and the red wattles.

They have a small patch of white below the bill, the throat and breast are maroon, separated from the white belly by the black breast band.

Brown-throated Wattle-eyes are usually found in pairs and small groups.

Brown-throated Wattle-eye has a very characteristic six not call. My boys in Bwindi told that it sound like "please come for breakfast."

Their main diet is insects, although spiders, millipedes and scorpions are also taken, and there are records of small lizards being eaten too.

They also use the advantage of foraging with mixed species feeding flocks.

They can be found in forests like Budongo, Kibale, Bwindi, Echuya among others.

The bird for today is the Brown-throated Wattle-eye and am Johnnie Kamugisha

We like the edge of Uganda!

>>Listen to the story about Blue-headed Sunbird

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#27 (En)Blue-headed Sunbird.mp3

Blue-headed Sunbird

(Nectarinia alinae)

Photo by Kilian Wasner

Go to his website to see more great photos!

***The copy rights of this photo belongs to Kilian Wasmer

Where can I find

Blue-headed Sunbird in Uganda?

This bird distribute to Albertine Lift areas.

In Uganda, they can be found in the south western part.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

27.Blue-headed Sunbird

Nectarinia alinae

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha. The bird for today is the Blue-headed Sunbird

Sunbirds are from the family Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds.

The Blue-headed Sunbird has the head, throat and upper breast iridescent dark blue with a violet sheen.

Its mantle is dark saffron-olive and belly blackish.

Blue-headed Sunbird has bright red eyes.

When looked at well, one will see that the Blue-headed Sunbird has creamy-yellow pictorial tufts.

The Blue-headed Sunbird is a nectar lover but is particularly fond of Balthasarea and Loranthus flowers.

Flower tubes that bar access to nectar because of its shape, are simply punctured at the base near the nectaries. Cleaver birds. isn't it?

Although they feed largely on nectar, they also take insects and spiders, most especially when feeding young.

It makes spitted zit call often in flight and its unusual song is a long loud, rolling, spitted series that undulates as a sine wave.

They have a fast and direct flight on their short wings and they are 13cm.

The Blue-headed Sunbird has counterparts in two very distinctly related groups: the Hummingbirds of the Americas and the Honeyeaters of Australia.

The resemblances are due to convergent evolution brought about by similar nectar-feeding lifestyle.

Some sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a humming bird, but have to perch to feed.

They are generally monogamous and often territorial, although a few species of Sunbirds have lekking behaviour.

They generally build purse-shaped, enclosed, suspended from thin branches with generous use of spiderweb.

The Blue-headed Sunbird is one of the albertine rift endemic birds that occur in Uganda.

They can be found in forests like Bwindi, Echuya and Mgahinga.

The bird for today is the Blue-headed Sunbird and am Johnnie Kamugisha

コスト計算ならおまかせ！

>>ルリガシラタイヨウチョウの声を聞いてみる

自動再生されない場合はここをクリック！

#27 ルリガシラタイヨウチョウ.mp3

Blue-headed Sunbird

（Nectarinia alinae)

写真提供：Kilian Wasmerさん

無断コピーはお控えください

Kilian Wasmerさんのアフリカで見られる鳥を見てみる↓

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/blue-headed-sunbird-cyanomitra-alinae/blue-headed-sunbird-cyanomitra-alinae

ルリガシラタイヨウチョウは

ウガンダのどこで見られるの?

ルリガシラタイヨウチョウはアルバータイン地溝帯で付近に分布しています。

ウガンダでは、南西部のエチュヤ森林保護区、ブゥインディ国立公園でも観察することができます。

番組のスクリプトを読むには”もっと読む”をクリックしてください。

＃２７　ルリガシラタイヨウチョウ

（Nectarinia alinae）

こんにちは　NFA バードポッドキャスト、アフリカ、ウガンダから田中加奈子がお伝えします。

今日ご紹介するウガンダの鳥は、ルリガシラタイヨウチョウです。

なんか、くすぐられて笑いが止まらなくなっちゃったって感じの鳴き方じゃないですかね。

ルリガシラタイヨウチョウはウガンダ、ルワンダ、コンゴ、ブルンジの４カ国にまたがる、アルバータイン地溝滞というプレートの境界線部分でしか見られない貴重な鳥です。

タイヨウチョウの仲間は世界に１００種類ぐらいいて、ウガンダでは１７種類ぐらい観察されています。

ウガンダでは意外と地味な鳥が多いいのですが、タイヨウチョウは配色がカラフルで目立ちますし、羽に光沢があってキラキラしてまして、そのへんが目を引くんですね。

このルリガシラタイヨウチョウは、背中とお腹は焦げ茶色っぽくて地味ですが、あたまから胸にかけてきれいに光るブルーがキラキラまぶしんです。

くちばしから尾の先までが１３cmですが、この５分の１はくちばしの長さです。

というのも、この鳥は花の蜜を吸って生きているので、吸いやすいように、くちばしが細長く三日月カーブを描いていて、ストローみたいな形をしています。

同じように蜜を吸い、ストローみたいなくちばしを持っている鳥にハチドリというのがいます。

見た目似ているので、種類として近いのかなと思ってしまいますが、ハチドリとタイヨウチョウは全然違うんですね。

ハチドリは、アマツバメ目ハチドリ科で、南北アメリカにだけ生息している鳥ですが、タイヨウチョウはスズメ目タイヨウチョウ科で、アジア、アフリカ、オセアニアに生息しています。

これ、以前サイチョウを紹介したときに説明した収斂進化というやつで、種類が違っても似たような環境で似た様なものを食べていると見た目が似てくるというやつですね。

でもタイヨウチョウはハチドリほどホバリングが上手ではないそうです。

タイヨウチョウは、計算高い鳥なんです。

まとまって花が咲いているエリアを、２パターンに使い分けます。

その花が咲いている間自分のだけのなわばりとして守りつつ蜜を独占する場合もあれば、特に独占しないで自由に利用する方法をとることもあります。どちらを選ぶか、、これ、コスト計算しているようなんです。

要するに、縄張り守るために使ったエネルギーをきちんと補えるか、それ以上の花の蜜が確保できると判断すれば、縄張り化するし、その見込みがなければ、守りに労力はかけずに、自由に花の蜜を探して吸うということなんです。

ドラッガーも感心しそうなマネジメントぶりですね。

以上、今回はルリガシラタイヨウチョウをご紹介しました。

NFA Bird Podcastこの番組はNational Forestry Authority と　Nature Ugandaの協力でお伝えしました。

参考資料　

Bird of East Africa (Book),

鳥の雑学事典　山階鳥類研究所著

Ornithology, Frank B Gill著

IUCN Red Data website,

Do you need a nest? Let me make it with my bill!

>>Listen to the story about Yellow-breasted Apalis

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#26 (En)Yellow-breasted Apalis.mp3

Yellow-breasted Apalis

(Apalis flavida)

Photo by Casper Badenhorst (Birding Limpopo)

Go to his website to see more great photos!

***The copy rights of this photo belongs to Casper Badenhorst

Where can I find

Yellow-breasted Apalis in Uganda?

This bird distribute to Sub-saharan Africa

In Uganda, they can be found forest, bush and woodland except north western regeion.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

27. Yellow-breasted Apalis

(Apalis flavida)

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha.

The bird for today is a Yellow-breasted Apalis.

This a complex species with several races which have been variously placed in two groups based on tail colour.

All forms are greenish above with yellow across the breast, and have varying amounts of grey on the crown.

Many have a small black spot spot.

It mainly eats insects, often restlessly foraging in the foliage of the canopy, gleaning prey from leave and twigs.

It builds a nest in an oval ball shape with a side entrance.

Its nest is made from grass, bark, tendrils, dead leaves, lichen, flowers, shrub among others mostly near old man's- beard lichen.

Egg laying season is from about October-March peaking around October-November.

It lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about two weeks.

The chicks are looked after by both parents, leaving the nest after about two weeks.

They also make an interesting call that sound almost similar to Grey-backed Camaroptera like two stone being knocked together.

Pairs are common and wide spread in a variety of woodland.

The bird for today is the Yellow-breasted Apalis and am Johnnie Kamugisha

Yes, I am small, but I am confident!

>>Listen to the story about Grey Backed Camaroptera

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#25 (En)Grey Backed Camaroptera.mp3

Grey-backed Camaroptera

(Camaroptera brevicaudata)

Photo by Fran Trabalon

Go to his website to see more fabulous photos!

***The copy rights of this photo belongs to Fran Trabalon.

Where can I find

Grey-backed Camaroptera in Uganda?

This bird distribute to the middle part of Africa.

.

In Uganda, they can be found in Budongo, Echuya forest among lots more.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program26. Grey-backed Camaroptera

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha. The bird for today is the Grey-backed Camaroptera

The Grey-backed Camaroptera also known as bleating Warbler occur in two distinct groups.

They are grey birds with green wings, distinguished by its lack of green mantle.

Grey-backed Camaroptera is one of four species in its genus, the others being Green-backed, Olive-green and Yellow-browed. They are placed in into Cisticolidae, a family consisting 110 small passerines.

The Grey-backed Camaroptera is very vocal, and gets its alternate name bleating warbler from its alarm call.

They also make an interesting call that sound like two stone being knocked together.

Grey-backed Camaroptera's skulk around in dense brush and are often heard than seen may be if you have Johnnie's eagle eye.

They bind large leaves together by piercing at the edges and then sew them together with bark fibre and cobwebs low in the bush and then build a grass nest inside them.

Egg-laying season is from Oct - April

It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated for about 2 weeks.

It is 10cm long.

Grey-backed Camaroptera are insectivores and behave much like wrens, skulking around in the undergrowth.

They mainly eat invertebrates, doing most of the foraging in the undergrowth, gleaning prey from leaves and stems.

They may eat insects like, beetles, flies, locusts among others.

It has been recorded as a prey of African Goshawk and possibly Pear-spotted Owlet.

It has been recorded as host of Honeyguides.

They can be found in forests like Budongo forest, Echuya forest among lots more.

The bird for today is the Grey-backed Camaroptera and am Johnnie Kamugisha

#24 Olive Thrush

I can tell which fruits is yummy by color!

>>Listen to the story about Olive Thrush

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#24 (En) Olive Thrush.mp3

Olive Thrush

(Turdus olivaceus)

Photo by THE FLACKS photography

Enjoy more photo of their photo

http://www.theflacks.co.za/

***The copy rights of this photo belongs to THE FLACKS.

Where can I find

Olive Thrush in Uganda?

This bird distribute to east and south Africa.

In Uganda, they can be found in the west edge and the east edge,

such as Echuya forest reserve.

The Turdus thrush are very similar, but in the main have different ranges, habitat preference and altitudinal limits.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

24. Olive Thrush

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha.

The bird for today is the Olive Thrush

The Olive Thrush is in its range, one of the most common members of the thrush family.

Olive Thrush is predominantly a forest loving bird that also occurs on forest margins, riverine thickets and wooded parks and gardens.

The tail and the upper parts are coloured dull olive brown. The vent is white and the rest of the underparts orange; bill and legs yellow.

The throat is speckled with white spots.

It feeds on insects, earthworms, fruits, spiders and snails.

There is belief that Olive Thrushes select fruit on the basis of fruit colour.

The Olive Thrush can reach a length of 24 cm and a weight of 100 gm.

It builds a cup nest, typically up to 6 meters above the ground in a tree.

The 2 - 3 blue eggs are incubated mainly by the female for about 2 weeks.

The scientists have tried to find out why some birds lay blue eggs, but they haven’t come up with answer.Because at first they thought it was a good camouflage, laying blue eggs in the dark nests with the ridges in the trees above, predators wouldn’t able to see them. But one scientists tried to that with different colored egg, blue spotted put into the nest, but the predators found them and ate them in the same ways. So the answer has not been found why some birds produces blue eggs though some still thinks some birds has got gland in them that has got bluish star that goes in to eggs as well.

They can be found in forests like Bwindi, Echuya among others.

The bird for today is the Olive Thrush and am Johnnie Kamugisha

Find me in the forest!

>>Listen to the story about Western Nicator

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#22 (En) Western Nicator.mp3

Recorded Data: Louis Boon

Western Nicator

(Nicator chloris)

Photo: Tomo Akiyama

Enjoy his great photos from http://www.wildlifejapan.com/wildlifejapan/

Eastern Nicator

(Nicator gularis)

This is one of Nicator genus. Eastern and Western are very much alike.

Photo by Alan Manson

Enjoy his wonderful photo!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12457947@N07/

Where can I find

Western Nicator in Uganda?

Uganda is the eastern edge of their distribution,

therefore they can be found in western Ugana,

for example, Kaniyo-Pabidi ecotourism site, Busingiro ecotourism site

and Echuya forest reserve.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

22. Western Nicator

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha. The bird for today is a Western Nicator

Nicator is a genus of songbirds endemic to Africa and the genus contains three medium sized passerine birds.

There is still an argument about the grouping of the Nicator genus.

Some authorities placing it with Bulbuls and the other authorities placing with Bush-shrikes.

These are Western Nicator, eastern Nicator and the Yellow-throated Nicator.

The Nicators are endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Western Nicator has a mostly continuous distribution from Senegal to Eastern Uganda and Northen Angola.

The Western Nicator is very similar to eastern Nicator only that the sides of its face and crown are olive-green.

It is best identified by its range and call or call it vocalisation but the size is the same 23cm.

It can be found in forests like Budongo, Kibale, Echuya among others.

The bird for today is the Western Nicator and am Johnnie Kamugisha.

I am neither Cuckoo nor Shrike.

>>Listen to the story about Grey Cuckoo-shrike

Cannot listen? Download the sound file from here!

#21 (En) Grey Cuckoo Shrike.mp3

Recorded Data: Charles Hesse

http://www.tropicalbirding.com/

Photo by Tomo Akiyama

Enjoy his great photos from http://www.wildlifejapan.com/wildlifejapan/

Where can I find

Grey Cukoo-shrike in Uganda?

This bird can be found in high altitude area, such as north eastern and south western Ugana, for example, Echuya forest reserve.

Press "read more" for the full Script of the program

21. Grey Cuckoo Shrike

NFA bird Podcast: I am Johnnie Kamugisha. The bird for today is a Grey Cuckoo shrike

Grey Cuckooshrike are are small to medium-sized arboreal passerine bird species, generally long and slender.

They are predominantly greyish although the wings are slightly darker with blackish loses and chin, conspicuous large dark eyes with a pale eye-ring.

Cuckooshrikes are closely related neither to the Cuckoos nor to the Shrikes;

The name probably comes from the grey colour of many of the Cuckooshrikes.

Some of the species bear a superficial resemblance to Cuckoos, and have a similar undulating flight.

Grey Cuckooshrikes are forest dwellers and are 22 cm long, can be found singly, in pairs, and in small family groups.

Grey Cuckooshrikes are mainly insectivorous, but can eat hairy caterpillars as well.

They may eat small vertebrates, fruit, seeds and other plant material.

Grey Cuckooshrikes are territorial and maintain these territories year round.

They are believed to be monogamous, with the pair bonding throughout the year.

Grey Cuckooshrikes lay about four eggs in a cup like nest in a tree; with an incubation of about two weeks.

They can be found in forests like Bwindi, Echuya among others.

The bird for today is a Grey Cuckooshrike and am Johnnie Kamugisha.