Beyond The Big Five – 10 Birds You’ll See On A Tanzania Safari : Despite not being one of Tanzania’s Big Five, birds are an incredible component of the Serengeti ecosystem. More than 1,100 different bird species can be found in Tanzania, 500 of which can be seen in the Serengeti. Here are the top 10 most visible birds in Tanzania. On your safari, you’ll probably run into a lot of them. No need for binoculars!
LARGER BIRDS
Ostrich
The enormous and instantly recognizable ostrich is common throughout Tanzania. These non-flying birds are the fastest land birds in the world, running at over 43 mph. Male ostriches have black feathers, which make them stealthy at night, while female ostriches have gray-brown feathers, which offer good camouflage during the day.
When predators are nearby, ostriches make a variety of noises, such as snorts, whistles, and loud booming noises. Often, you’ll hear them before you see them.
Tawny Eagle
The Tawny Eagle is a short-legged bird with thick white, reddish-brown, or gray-brown feathers that can be found almost anywhere in Tanzania. They are fearsome hunters, leaping from their perches to pounce on prey with their razor-sharp talons. They are known to eat insects when given the chance, and they are not picky eaters either.
Marabou Stork
The Marabou stork, which is widespread throughout the Serengeti, has a huge bill that resembles a dagger and a pink head that looks sunburned. They can also fly far above the ground thanks to their enormous wingspans. Bill that resembles a dagger and a pink head that looks sunburned. They can also fly far above the ground thanks to their enormous wingspans. They are frequently spotted near carrion, robbing scraps from the victims of large predators. It can eat messy foods while remaining clean because it has no feathers on its head and neck.
Marabou storks are aggressive, perceptive birds. Other marabous move aside when their throat sacs inflate because they interpret this as a sign of dominance. A stork will frequently advance in front of the flames when it is near a grass fire in an effort to seize any prey that is attempting to flee.
MEDIUM-SIZED BIRDS
Grey-crowned Crane
The striking gray-crowned crane is a resident of the Serengeti‘s central region and prefers open areas with flooding for its hunting grounds. The males are well-known for their flamboyant dance, in which they skip around and flap their wings in search of female partners. Their “crown” is always golden-yellow, despite their name!
Kori Bustard
The Kori bustard is a buff and gray bird with only three front toes that prefers open grasslands and sparsely forested savanna. These birds are notable carnivores, eating small mammals, lizards, snakes, seeds, berries, and insects as part of their diet.
The male moves the tail feathers to expose as much of the white under feathers as possible during mating and expands his esophagus up to four times its normal size. Its low-pitched, booming sound, which is frequently produced when courting a female, is equally striking as its appearance.
Lesser Flamingo
The lesser flamingo is the smallest flamingo in the world, despite its tall, broad body and question-mark-shaped neck. This lanky bird, which inhabits large groups near Tanzania’s Lake Natron, is distinguished by its pink plumage. It eats small aquatic invertebrates in addition to microscopic blue-green algae and other lake-found organisms, which make up the majority of its diet.
SMALL BIRDS
Vitelline Masked Weaver
The tiny, red-eyed vitelline masked weaver can be found all over the Serengeti. Males are easily recognized by their distinctive bright yellow plumage, pointy bill, and chestnut-colored breast and crown. The backs of females have yellow streaks despite being much duller. They make “chek” noises and a fuzzily jumbled song that sounds like radio static. A male masked weaver constructs a nest in the hopes that a female will choose it. But females are very picky, and they reject the majority of nests!
Superb Starling
The superb starling lives up to its name thanks to its stunning iridescent plumage. They are widely distributed in northern Tanzania and move in compact flocks. They resemble many different species of starling but can be easily distinguished thanks to the white band across their chest that divides their blue breast from their fire-orange belly.
Beyond The Big Five – 10 Birds You’ll See On A Tanzania Safari : Lilac-breasted Roller
Tanzania is home to a large population of lilac-breasted rollers, which are easily distinguished by their rust-colored cheeks, green crowns, lilac breasts, and blue bodies. The reason this bird is known as a roller is because, during its mating display, it frequently performs aerial tricks like quickly rolling from side to side, in addition to plenty of diving, swooping, and loud, harsh cries.
Beyond The Big Five – 10 Birds You’ll See On A Tanzania Safari : Von der Decken’s Hornbill
Von der Decken’s hornbill may be recognized as Zazu from The Lion King! The dry regions of Tanzania are home to this bird. While females have black bills, males have clumsy red bills. To hatch and raise their chicks, females seclude themselves in tiny tree cavities. During this time, the male feeds the female and the chicks through a slit in their nest.
