Africa Wild

382. Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus

Identification
34 cm. Two colour morphs occur. Black morph birds are distinguished from the Black Cuckoo by the crest and white wing patch. Pied morphs are more common in drier regions, especially in the north. Sexes are alike; juvenile is dark brown above.

Pied Morph

381. Levaillant’s Cuckoo (Striped Cuckoo) Clamator levaillantii

Identification
39 cm. Larger than Jacobin Cuckoo. Throat and breast light to heavily streaked. Two colour morphs occur. Uncommon black morph only separable from smaller black Jacobin cuckoo in the hand. Sexes are alike; juvenile upperparts and tail are brown, underparts buff and streaked.

589. Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris

Identification
15 cm. Orange rump is diagnostic (especially noticeable in flight). Frequent wing flicking is a good field character. Sexes are alike; juvenile has a scaly appearance; spotted buff above.

by Amoli

by Flutterby

386. Diderick Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius

Identification
17-19 cm. Male has upperparts blotched with green and bronze, white forehead and supercilium streaks. Red eyes, white wing spots and green bars on flanks. Female has barred flanks and white wing spots. Juvenile resembles the female but with coral red bill.

Male
by Amoli

Female
by Riley

Juvenile
by Flutterby

486. Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens

Identification
14-15 cm. Conspicuously barred back and overall black and white appearance. Male has a red crown and brownish forecrown. Female has a black hind crown and nape, not red. Juvenile is duller and greyer than adults, and both sexes have red patch in centre of wings.

Female

587. Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata

Identification
17-18 cm. With its conspicuous white forehead and eyebrow, black cap and throat band, the adult is unmistakable. Sexes are alike; juveniles lake the black cap and throat band.

by Amoli

by Flutterby

by Riley

by Toko

713. Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis

Identification
20 cm. Drab grey-brown plumage combined with the narrow, black breast band, makes confusion unlikely with any other wagtail. Sexes are alike; juvenile is a duller version of the adult and has a buff-yellow wash over the belly.

by Amoli

by Flutterby

487. Bearded Woodpecker Dendropicos namaquu

Identification
24 cm. Finely barred grey-white underparts, large size and white facial markings distinctive. Male has a red crown, black nape and hindneck. Females are like males but have a black crown with white flecks. Juveniles have red on the crown and forehead (more extensive than adult male).

Male

806. Scaly-feathered Finch Sporopipes squamifrons

Identification
10 cm. An mistakable finch with a black and white freckled forehead, black malar stripes, and white-fringed wing and tail feathers. Sexes are alike; juvenile resembles adult but lacks the black malar stripes and the freckling on the forehead.

by Flutterby

by Amoli

733. Redbacked Shrike Lanius collurio

Identification
The only shrike with a chestnut-coloured back and a grey crown in the region. Male has a blue-grey head and rump, and light underparts contrasting with the chestnut back. The female and juvenile are a duller reddish-brown above, and have greyish brown crescentic barring below.

Female
by Flutterby

by Amoli


Male
by Flutterby

by Amoli

by Riley