Synopses & Reviews
Located in northern Tanzania, the Serengeti is one of the world's most famous wildlife regions.
Birds of the Serengeti is a groundbreaking and essential photographic guide, featuring more than 270 bird species most likely to be encountered in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This easy-to-use guide includes 480 dazzling color photos, an attractive and handy layout, and informative and accessible text that discusses interesting behaviors and provides insights into species background. Rich in detail, this indispensable volume uses a habitat-based approach, making it simple for everyone--from the novice to the experienced birdwatcher--to locate diverse birds in this fascinating area of the world.
- Looks at more than 270 bird species most likely to be encountered in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Speke Gulf
- Features major plumage variations
- Habitat-based approach
- Informative and accessible text
Review
"The bird you see in the field is often exactly what you find in the book, and equally clear is its habitat, such as a thorny acacia branch or a forest floor littered with dead leaves. Kennedy also avoids using intimidating jargon to describe bird species, opting instead to keep the tone of his descriptions light hearted while still being informative. . . . The overwhelming majority of photographs are of exceptionally high quality."--Derek Kverno, Birding in Tanzania
Review
"Essential book if you are heading for the Serengeti. . . . Excellent."--Derek Moore, Derek Bird Brain
Review
"Birds of the Serengeti: And Ngorongoro Conservation Area by Adam Scott Kennedy may be the best birding book available covering the general safari region for northwestern Tanzania and southern Kenya. Filled with firsthand accounts, excellent photographs, and broken down into chapters by habitats, Birds of the Serengeti: And Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the guidebook for the broader non-scientific community."--Gabriel Thoumi, MongaBay.com
Review
"The amateur birder will find this a helpful book to have in hand while in Tanzania."--Library Journal
Review
"[A] great companion to existing field guides to the region, so certainly earns its place in my bag."--Martin Sullivan, BTO News
Review
"[A]n attractive and handy layout, and informative and accessible text that discusses interesting behaviors and provides insights into species background. Rich in detail, this indispensable volume uses a habitat-based approach, making it simple for everyone--from the novice to the experienced birdwatcher--to locate diverse birds in this fascinating area of the world."--BASE
Review
"I'd like to praise the overall visual effect of the Birds of the Serengeti. The overwhelming majority of photographs are of exceptionally high quality, undoubtedly shot with the finest equipment, but also indicative of a high level of skill."--Birding Tanzania Blog
Review
"These two guides are keys to prepare you for your journey, whether it is an actual safari or an imaginary one from the comfort of your home."--Dan R. Kunkle, Wildlife Activist
Review
"This field guide is 'aimed at all levels of birding ability' and it is definitely suitable for novice birders and for those on a safari primarily for mammals and larger wildlife. The . . . quality of the photographs and text would make it a fine addition to field naturalist's library with an interest in East Africa."--Robert F. Foster, Canadian Field Naturalist
Review
"The result of this innovative approach is superb. It guides the layman on where to look for birds and what to look for. I wish there was such a field guide for every Important Bird Area (IBA) in East Africa!"--Fleur Ng'weno, Scopus
Review
"Superb layout . . . Both books have a thoroughly modern feel about them, thanks to the wizards of the WILDGuides production team . . . Those for whom these books are really intended will find their visits to these bird-rich regions hugely enhanced."--Martin Kelsey, IBIS, Journal of the British Ornithologists' Union
Review
"The friendly text is supported by a superb layout: hundreds of excellent photographs with great use of background tones means that colour leaps out of each page, yet the blocks of text are masterfully visible and easy to read."--Martin Kelsey, IBIS
Table of Contents
About this book 9
The habitats 12
Plains 13
Marsh and water 14
Woodland, scrub and garden 15
Acacia scrub 16
Village 17
Forest 18
Up in the air 19
Nightbirds 20
Lake Victoria specials 21
Map of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area - NCA 22
BIRDS OF THE PLAINS
The Big Ones: 1 - Ostrich 24
The Big Ones: 2 - Secretarybird and Grey Crowned Crane 26
Bustards - Kori, Black-bellied and White-bellied Bustards 28
Small plover and coursers - Double-banded and Temminck's Coursers and Kittlitz's Plover 30
Vanellus plovers - Crowned, Senegal and Black-winged Plovers 32
Sandgrouse - Black-faced, Yellow-throated and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse 34
Storks and ground hornbill - White and Abdim's Storks and Southern Ground Hornbill 36
At the carcass - Marabou Stork and Rüppell's and White-backed Vultures 38
Vultures - White-headed, Hooded and Lappet-faced Vultures 40
Vultures in flight - all species for comparison 42
Black-and-white eagles and Egyptian Vulture - Martial and Black-chested Snake Eagles and Egyptian Vulture 44
Black-and-white eagles - Verreaux's Eagle, Augur Buzzard and Bateleur 46
Brown raptors - Black Kite and Tawny and Steppe Eagles 48
Raptors in flight - all species for comparison 50
Grey raptors - Pallid and Montagu's Harriers and African Harrier Hawk 52
Large falcon and grey kite - Lanner Falcon and Black-shouldered Kite 54
Small falcons - Grey, Common and Lesser Kestrels 56
Rollers - Lilac-breasted and Eurasian Rollers 58
Oxpeckers and starling - Red-billed and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers and Wattled Starling 60
Little brown jobs or 'LBJs' - Pectoral-patch and Zitting Cisticolas and Red-capped and Rufous-naped Larks 62
Sparrow lark and chats - Fischer's Sparrow Lark and Sooty and Anteater Chats 64
Wheatears - Capped, Northern and Pied Wheatears 66
Upright birds of the plains - Yellow-throated and Rosy-breasted Longclaws and Buffy and Grassland Pipits 68
Bishop and widowbirds - Yellow Bishop and Yellow-mantled and Jackson's Widowbirds 70
BIRDS OF MARSH and WATER
Flamingos - Greater and Lesser Flamingos 72
Wetland storks - Woolly-necked, Yellow-billed and African Open-billed Storks 74
Stork and ibises - Saddle-billed Stork and Sacred and Hadada Ibises 76
Small herons - Hamerkop and Striated and Squacco Herons 78
Large, dark herons - Goliath, Grey and Black-headed Herons 80
Egrets - Cattle, Little and Great White Egrets 82
Fish eagle - African Fish Eagle 84
Smaller ducks - Red-billed Teal and White-faced Whistling and Fulvous Whistling Ducks 86
Larger wildfowl - Spur-winged and Egyptian Geese and Knob-billed Duck 88
Birds of the water's edge - Black-winged Stilt, African Jacana and Black Crake 90
Wetland plovers - African Wattled, Blacksmith and Spur-winged Plovers 92
Waders: 1 - Water Thick-knee and Ruff 94
Waders: 2 - Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper and Three-banded Plover 96
Waders: 3 - Wood, Common and Green Sandpipers 98
Kingfishers - Giant, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers 100
Wagtails and waxbill - Yellow and African Pied Wagtails and Common Waxbill 102
BIRDS OF WOODLand, SCRUB and GARDEN
Open woodland raptors - Brown Snake and Long-crested Eagles and Steppe Buzzard 104
Bustard, thick-knee and courser - Buff-crested Bustard, Spotted Thick-knee and Heuglin's Courser 106
Spurfowl - Red-necked, Grey-breasted and Yellow-necked Spurfowl 108
Gamebirds - Helmeted Guineafowl and Coqui and Crested Francolins 110
'Collared' doves - Ring-necked, African Mourning and Red-eyed Doves 112
Distinctive pigeons and doves - Speckled and African Green Pigeons and Emerald-spotted Wood Dove 114
Doves and mousebird - Namaqua and Laughing Doves and Speckled Mousebird 116
Parrots and hornbill - Fischer's Lovebird, Meyer's Parrot and African Grey Hornbill 118
Large cuckoos and relatives - White-browed Coucal, Red-chested Cuckoo and Bare-faced Go-away-bird 120
Three green gems - Klaas's and Diederik Cuckoos and Little Bee-eater 122
Bush kingfishers - Striped, Woodland and Grey-headed Kingfishers 124
Hoopoes - Green Wood-hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill and Hoopoe 126
Barbets - Usambiro and Spot-flanked Barbets and Red-fronted Tinkerbird 128
Honeyguides and woodpecker - Greater and Lesser Honeyguides and Bearded Woodpecker 130
Woodpeckers - Green-backed, Nubian and Cardinal Woodpeckers 132
Large bushshrikes and oriole - Grey-headed Bushshrike, Tropical Boubou and Black-headed Oriole 134
Small black-and-white birds - Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Chin-spot Batis and Black-backed Puffback 136
White-fronted shrikes - Common and Grey-backed Fiscals and Northern White-crowned Shrike 138
Black birds of woodland edge - Common Drongo, Slate-coloured Boubou and Northern Black Flycatcher 140
Tchagras and bulbul - Brown-crowned and Black-crowned Tchagras, Common Bulbul 142
Thrushes, scrub robin and babbler - Spotted Morning and Olive Thrushes,
White-browed Scrub Robin and Arrow-marked Babbler 144
Attractive flycatchers of woods and gardens - White-eyed Slaty and African Paradise Flycatcher 146
Little brown jobs or 'LBJs' - Rattling Cisticola, Red-faced Crombec and Tawny-flanked Prinia 148
Green warblers - Yellow-breasted Apalis, Grey-backed Camaroptera and Grey-capped Warbler 150
Sunbirds: 1 - Scarlet-chested, Collared and Variable Sunbirds 152
Sunbirds: 2 - Marico, Beautiful and Bronze Sunbirds 154
Colourful birds of bush and garden - White-browed Robin Chat and Rüppell's and Greater Blue-eared Starlings 156
Brightly coloured starlings - Superb, Hildebrandt's and Violet-backed Starlings 158
Yellow weavers - Spectacled, Baglafecht and Village Weavers 160
Waxbills - Purple Grenadier, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu and Bronze Mannikin 162
Striking small birds of open bush - Pin-tailed Whydah, Golden-breasted Bunting and Yellow-fronted Canary 164
BIRDS OF ACACIA SCRUB
Acacia barbets and go-away-bird - Red-and-yellow and Red-fronted Barbets and White-bellied Go-away-bird 166
Medium-sized birds of acacia scrub - Blue-naped Mousebird, Abyssinian Scimitarbill and Von der Decken's Hornbill 168
Shrikes - Brubru, Taita Fiscal and Magpie Shrike 170
Small birds of acacia scrub - Silverbird, African Grey Flycatcher, White-bellied Canary and Foxy Lark 172
Acacia weavers: 1 - Grey-capped Social, Speckle-fronted and Vitelline Masked Weavers 174
Acacia weavers: 2 - Red-billed Buffalo, White-headed Buffalo and Rufous-tailed Weavers 176
VILLAGE BIRDS
Village sparrows - Swahili, Kenya Rufous and House Sparrows 178
Common village birds - Red-billed Firefinch, Village Indigobird and Pied Crow 180
FOREST and CRATER HIGHLandS BIRDS
Large forest birds - White-necked Raven, Schalow's Turaco and Crowned Hornbill 182
Small birds of forest edge and open areas - Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Streaky Seedeater and African Stonechat 184
BIRDS OF THE AIR
Black swallows and dark martins - Black and White-headed Saw-wings and Plain and Banded Martins 186
Swallows with red rumps - Mosque, Red-rumped, Rufous-chested and Lesser Striped Swallows 188
Swallows with dark rumps - Wire-tailed, Angola and Barn Swallows 190
Swifts - Little, White-rumped, African Palm, Nyanza and Common Swifts 192
Bee-eaters - Eurasian, Blue-cheeked and White-throated Bee-eaters 194
NIGHT BIRDS
Owls - Pearl-spotted Owlet, Verreaux's Eagle Owl and African Scops Owlbr 196
Barn Owl and nightjars - Barn Owl and Square-tailed / Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars 198
LAKE VICTORIA SPECIALS
Birds of the lakeside - Blue-headed Coucal, Swamp Flycatcher and Black-headed Gonolek 200
Sunbird and weavers - Red-chested Sunbird and Grosbeak and Slender-billed Weavers 202
Lakeside weavers - Northern Brown-throated, Golden-backed and Yellow-backed Weavers 204
Terns and gull - Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns and Grey-headed Gull 206
Cormorants and small plovers - Reed and Great Cormorants and White-fronted and Common Ringed Plovers 208
Further reading and useful resources210
Acknowledgements 211
Photographic credits 212
Scientific names of the bird species included in this book 213
Index 217
Short Index inside back cover