The birds of Africa, comprising all the species which occur in the Ethiopian region

Abstract

The members of this Section have the plumage of the young birds duller than that of the adults, sometimes more streaked or blotched, but never more barred, as in the Lanii or Shrikes, nor more spotted, as in the Turdi or Thrush group, and never brighter than the adults, as is the case in the SilvycB or Warblers. They differ from the Frhujillce, or Finches, in the form of the bill ; from the Alaiula, or Larks, in the back of the tarsus being •plain, not scutellated, and the secondaries never reach to the tip of the wing ; from the other four Sections they differ in their mode of feeding, often perching on the ground for that purpose and they are more omnivorous.Flight powerful ; wings pointed ; bill and feet strong ; generally gregarious ; not migratory {Oriolus galbula excepted) ; sexes generally alike in plumage ; size about that of a Thrush, excepting in the Corvidat, the largest of which is the Eaven.Nest cup-shaped and placed among boughs or in holes. Eggs, generally five in a clutch, are uniform or spotted.KEY TO THE FAMILIES.a. Tarsus short, never more than 1-1 inches and is not longer than the culmen, otherwise they are Thrush-like in form and size, with no metallic gloss. All the Ethiopian species have a considerable amount of yellow on the upper parts, head or neck, as well as upon the breast, and the bill is pale reddish brown in adults Oriolida. b. Tarsus comparatively longer. No yellow feathers on the upper parts, head or neck, which are generally strongly glossed ; bill never pale reddish brown. a^. Earely with any notch on the upper mandible ; form and size generally more Thrush-like ; tail of twelve feathers, square or graduated SturnidcB. b^. A notch on the upper mandible near the end ; size variablefrom that of a Thrush to that of a Eaven ; tail, when of twelve feathers is square or rounded and when of only ten feathers is generally graduated and longer than the wing.Corvida.

Sparrows roosting and breeding in old nests of Cape Weavers Ploceus capensis

“…There is a record of this species raising three chicks in the nest chamber of a Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis niger in Zimbabwe (Barry 2001). There is also a second-hand record of the Northern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus ousting Speke's Weavers to breed in their nests (Shelley 1905). Both of these sparrows were classified as rare nest adopters of weaver nests (Oschadleus 2018).…”

Clarifying the distributions of Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii and Red-faced Crimsonwing C. reichenovii in Tanzania

“…His comments on this specimen, which is at MCZ, were as follows: 'This single specimen is obviously C. salvadorii and not C. reichenowi, but it does not fit any of the races of the former. Sclater [Sclater 1930] does not record the species from Tanganyika Territory at all, but Shelley [Shelley 1905] notes that, '. .…”

“…Kilimanjaro in 1934. Franz Stuhlmann, referred to by Shelley (1905), collected plants during 1894-95 in the Uluguru Mountains (Polhill & Polhill 2015), but he also collected bird specimens, some of which were described by Reichenow (1895Reichenow ( , 1904. Reichenow's (1895) first mention of the crimsonwing collected by Stuhlmann, presumably from the Ulugurus, was listed as 'Cryptospiza salvadorii'.…”

Type, Dimensionality and Size of Longtailed Wagtail Territories

“…This species has been the subject of few formal scientific studies (e.g. breeding, Moreau 1949and inter-specific competition, Tyler & Ormerod 1986; there are anecdotal accounts from the early naturalists, and others, that the territories were to be found along (generally arboreal) streams and rivulets (Gurney 1862;Woodward & Woodward 1899;Shelley 1900;Stark 1900;Sclater 1911;Godfrey 1927Godfrey , 1932Latimer 1933;Roberts 1934;Brown 1979). It was not known if this was the exclusive habitat as the taxonomic and ecological counter-part in the Palaearctic, the Grey Wagtail M .…”