Birds of the Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater

• Over 1,100 species of birds in all of Africa

• Third largest amount of species in the world

• About 520 of those species are found Tanzania

• Had to narrow focus somehow: Chose birds based off of

abundance and ‘residency’ of the Serengeti & Ngorongora

Crater

• Early and late daylight hours are the best time to observe

Flamingos courtesy of Beth

• Two species inhabit crater: Greater (36-50 in) and Lesser

flamingos (31-36 in) and a generally a non-migratory bird

• Commonly found on and around the saline lakes but in

largest numbers at Empakaai Crater Lake.

• Filter feeders of plankton. Use their long, webbed feet to stir

up bottom of shallow lakes, sucking up mud with curved

beaks. Then they expel the water and eat the plankton, tiny

fish, and shrimp inside.

• Pairs of flamingos take turns incubating their single egg (like

many penguins do) and in years of drought or when food is

scarce they will skip breeding

• Young flamingos are grey in color for two years in this time

the store the pigment canthaxanthin in their liver and then

deposit it when they grow adult feathers.

• Flamingos will molt their feathers every six months-every two

years. Molted feathers will loose their pink color.

http://www.ngorongorocrater.org/flamingos.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/greater-flamingo/

Common Ostrich

•The ostrich is the world’s largest bird

•Only found in Central Africa

•Habitat consists of Grasslands of all types

•Hatched from a football sized egg (largest size egg in the world)

•They cannot fly, however, they can reach speeds up to 70 km/h to escape predators (fastest of any land bird)

•If Ostrich is black and white it is of the male species

•Average Male stands about 2.4 m tall (8 ft) and weights about 135 Kg (300 lbs)

•Female birds are usually greyish brown & white in color

•Feed on large seeds, insects, grass, fruit & flowers

•Lives in groups anywhere from 5-50 birds

•Known predators: cheetahs, lions, leopards, & hyenas

http://www.tanzania.eu/showpage-tanzania-wildlife___birds.html

Raptors • Raptor is defined as bird of prey

• There are over 35 different types of birds that fall under the

Raptor category

• Two of the most commonly found raptors found in Tanzania are

the Montagu’s Harrier & the Bateleur.

• Bateleur:

– Known as the “Zimbabwe Bird” because it is their national

emblem

– A common resident of Africa

– Bateleur pair for life

– Male species are colorful, Females are larger and roughly

the same coloring

• Montagu’s Harrier:

– Of the Harrier family, easily confused with others of the

same family

– Migratory bird of prey

– Named after British Naturalist George Montagu

A Bateleur about to catch its prey.

http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife/graphics/bateleur-01.jpg

A Montagu’s Harrier

http://www.google.com/imgres

Vultures • Vultures are birds that are known scavengers

• There are about 10 different types of Vultures found in Tanzania,

the two listed below are the most common residents of Tanzania

• African White-backed Vulture:

– Typical vulture with short tail feathers

– Broad wings (6-7 ft. wingspan)

– Only down feathers on the head and neck

– Feeds on carcasses of animals

– Medium sized

• Ruppell’s Vulture

– Current population of 30,000 is in decline due to loss of

habitat and other pressures

– Confirmed as the highest flying bird!

– Wingspan (7.5-8.5 ft.)

– Much larger than the African White-backed Vulture

African White-Backed Vulture

Ruppell’s Vulture

Larks • Fischer’s Sparrow Lark

– Habitat is subtropical-tropical dry lowland

grasslands

– Much like a finch

• Rufous-naped Lark:

– Much like the Fischer’s Sparrow its habitat is dry

savannah and tropical lowland grasslands

Rufous-naped Lark (left)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rufous-

naped_Lark_(Mirafra_africana),_adult.jpg

Fischer’s Sparrow Lark (above)

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/fischer039s-sparrow-lark-

eremopterix-leucopareia/adult-male-0

Game Birds • Grey-breasted Spurfowl

– Only found in Tanzania

– Population for this bird also decreasing due to loss of

habitation

– Not a migratory bird

– Habitat: Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded

Grassland

• Harlequin Quail

– Also native resident

– Life span: up to about 5 years

– Diet: plants, shoots, mealworms, small invertebrates Grey-breasted Spurfowl (above)

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Grey-breasted+Spurfowl

Harlequin Quail (left) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Harlequin_Quail

Geese

• Egyptian Goose

– Considered sacred among the Egyptians and

appeared in their artwork

– The male and female species are identical

– This particular species are said to swim well

– Diet: seeds, leaves, grasses, and plant

stems

– Territorially aggressive

***there are no other geese that are residents of the area***

Egyptian Goose (above) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Egyptian_Goose

Bustards• White-bellied Bustard (right)

– This particular species is usually found in pairs or groups

– Rather small – about 19-24 inches long

– All are brown above and white on the breast

• Kori Bustard (below) – Much larger Bustard

– Said to be the heaviest bird capable of flight

– Common in the Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater

White-bellied Bustardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

White-bellied_Bustard

Kori Bustard (left) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kori_

Bustard

References Koch & Wolf. Ostrich. 4/29/3013.

http://www.serengeti.org/a_ostrich.html

“Bateleur”. Wikipedia. 5/5/2013. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bateleur

“Montagu’s Harrier”. Wikipedia. 5/5/2013 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagu%27s_Harrier

“Fischer’s Sparrow Lark.” Wikipedia. 5/8/2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufous-naped_Lark

‘Grey Breasted Spurfowl.”Birdlife International. 5/8/2013.http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=177

“Heldquin Quail.” Cotournix Corner. 5/9/2013. http://www.coturnixcorner.com/website/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=72

“Bustards.” Wikipedia. 5/8/2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kori_Bustard