Tanzania 2016 - Bird checklist
       
 

As counted so far, I saw 201 species of birds in Tanzania. These are listed below. In total, I most likely saw many more species, of course. But as I am no birder, I did not focus on the smaller ones encountered (know as "little brown jobs"). Those listed here where either easily identified in the field or identified from photos taken for documentation. The safari guide helped me with some of these species from Northern Tanzania. Unfortunately, he could (also) mainly identify the larger and more distinct birds. Although he was better with birds than many of my previous safari guides, who would only stop for ostriches, bustards, hornbills and the occasional raptors.

Locations: T = Tarangire, S = Serengeti, N = Ngorongoro Crater, B = Bagamoyo (coast, including Sadaani NP)

 

  

 
 

Number

 

Species

 

Latin name

 

Location

 
1 Common Ostrich Struthio camelus S, N
2 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca T, S, N
3 Hottentot Teal Spatula hottentota N
4 Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha N
5 Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis N
6 Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris T, S, N
7 Yellow-necked Spurfowl Pternistis leucoscepus T
8 Grey-breasted Spurfowl Pternistis rufopictus S
9 Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer T, S
10 Crested Francolin Dendroperdix sephaena T
11 Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor N
12 Rock Dove Columba livia Arusha
13 Mourning Collared-Dove Streptopelia decipiens S
14 Emerald-spotted Wood Dove Turtur chalcospilos S
15 Blue-spotted Wood Dove Turtur afer B
16 Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola T, S, N, B
17 Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata B
18 Namaqua Dove Oena capensis T
19 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis S
20 Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus S
21 Yellow-throated Sandgrouse Pterocles gutturalis T
22 Square-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus fossii S
23 White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus T, B
24 Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas B
25 Black Crake Zapornia flavirostra S, N
26 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus N
27 Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum N
28 Black-bellied Bustard Lissotis melanogaster S
29 Buff-crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana S
30 White-bellied Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis T
31 Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori T, S, N
32 Bare-faced Go-away-bird Corythaixoides personatus T
33 Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer S, N
34 Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis N, B
35 African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus B
36 Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii S, N
37 European White Stork Ciconia ciconia N
38 Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus B
39 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus N
40 Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens S
41 Hamerkop Scopus umbretta

T, S, B
42 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax N
43 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides S
44 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis S, N, B
45 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea B
46 Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala S
47 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea S
48 Great Egret Ardea alba B
49 Little Egret Egretta garzetta B
50 Dimorphic Egret  Egretta dimorpha B
51 Western Reef Egret Egretta gularis B
52 African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus N
53 African Spoonbill Platalea alba T
54 Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash S, B
55 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus T
56 Long-tailed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus N, B
57 Water Thick-knee Burhinus vermiculatus T, B
58 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus S, N
59 Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus B
60 Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus T, S, N
61 Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus S
62 Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus B
63 Senegal Lapwing Vanellus lugubris S
64 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola B
65 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula B
66 White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus B
67 Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris B
68 Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii B
69 Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus B
70 African Jacana Actophilornis africanus N
71 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus B
72 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica B
73 Ruff Calidris pugnax T, S, B
74 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea B
75 Sanderling Calidris alba T
76 Little Stint Calidris minuta T, S, B
77 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago S
78 Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus B
79 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos T, S, B
80 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola T, S
81 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis T, S
82 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia S, B
83 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus S
84 Crab-plover Dromas ardeola B
85 Double-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus T
86 Gray-hooded Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus S
87 Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii B
88 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus B
89 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica B
90 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia B
91 Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis B
92 Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii B
93 Common Tern Sterna hirundo B
94 Saunder's Tern Sternula saundersi B
95 Secretary-bird Sagittarius serpentarius S
96 Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus S
97 African Harrier Hawk Polyboroides typus B
98 Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis B
99 Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus T, S
100 Black-chested Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis N
101 Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus T
102 Rüppell's Griffon Gyps rueppellii S
103 White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis S
104 White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus T, S
105 Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos T, S
106 Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus S
107 Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax T, S, N
108 Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis S
109 African Hawk Eagle Aquila spilogaster T
110 Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates S
111 Black Goshawk Accipiter melanoleucus B
112 Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus S
113 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus S
114 African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer B
115 Black Kite Milvus migrans N, B
116 Augur Buzzard Buteo augur N
117 African Pygmy Falcon Polihierax semitorquatus S
118 Amur falcon Falco amurensis S
119 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni S
120 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus S
121 Greater Kestrel Falco rupicoloides S
122 Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus B
123 Southern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri T, S
124 African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus B
125 Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus T
126 Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas B
127 Nubian Woodpecker Campethera nubica T
128 D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii S
129 Brown-breasted Barbet Pogonornis melanopterus B
130 Northern Carmine Bee-eater Merops nubicus B
131 Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus B
132 European Bee-eater Merops apiaster B
133 Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus T, S, N, B
134 Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus T, S
135 European Roller Coracias garrulus S
136 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis B
137 Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala B
138 Fischer's Lovebird Agapornis fischeri T
139 Little Swift Apus affinis S
140 African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus S
141 Common Swift Apus apus T
142 African Swift Apus barbatus S
143 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica S
144 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii S
145 Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana S
146 African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus S
147 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata B
148 African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta N
149 Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus B
150 White-rumped Shrike Eurocephalus ruppelli T
151 Magpie Shrike Urolestes melanoleucus T, S
152 Brubru Nilaus afer S
153 Southern Fiscal Lanius collaris T, S
154 Slate-coloured Boubou Laniarius funebris S
155 Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis B
156 Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis B
157 Mariqua Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis T
158 Purple-banded Sunbird Cinnyris bifasciatus B
159 Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris B
160 Variable Sunbird Cinnyris venustus Karatu
161 Mouse-coloured Sunbird Cyanomitra verreauxii B
162 Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina B
163 Pied Crow Corvus albus T, B
164 House Crow Corvus splendens B
165 Fan-tailed Widowbird Euplectes axillaris N
166 White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus N
167 Red-billed Buffalo Weaver Bubalornis niger T
168 White-headed Buffalo Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli T, S
169 Rufous-tailed Weaver Histurgops ruficauda N
170 Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis B
171 Speke's Weaver Ploceus spekei N
172 Vitelline Masked Weaver Ploceus vitellinus N
173 Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht Karatu
174 Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus S
175 Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala N, B
176 Blue-breasted Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus angolensis B
177 Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus bengalus B
178 Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullata B
179 Kenya Sparrow  Passer rufocinctus N
180 Northern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus B
181 Swahili sparrow  Passer suahelicus S
182 House Sparrow Passer domesticus Karatu
183 African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus S, N
184 Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys N
185 African Wagtail Motacilla aguimp B
186 Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus S, B
187 Sombre Greenbul Andropadus importunus B
188 Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus N
189 Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus T, S, N
190 Ashy Starling Lamprotornis unicolor T
191 Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus T, S, N
192 Black-bellied Starling Notopholia corusca B
193 Rüppell's Glossy Starling Lamprotornis purpuroptera S
194 Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti S
195 Eastern Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus B
196 Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus B
197 White-browed Robin Chat Cossypha heuglini S
198 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe N
199 Rufous Chatterer Argya rubiginosa S
200 White-bellied Canary Crithagra dorsostriata S, B
201 Spotted Palm Thrush Cichladusa guttata N