Orioles

                                       Black headed Oriole
Facts about Orioles

World- 29 species

Africa -9 Kenya 6 Tanzania 4

Arboreal,starling-sized birds,the sexes are alike,plumage is largely yellow and olive,often with black on head or wings.Most species are shy and remain hidden in high foliage,their presence revealed by loud fluty whistles,they are typically solitary although numbers congregate in fruiting trees,and they are frequently join mixed-species flock ,diet consists mainly of insects,but some species eat fruits and flowers,foraging movements are rather slow and deliberate,but flight tends to be swift an undulating.The typical nest is a well woven cup or flimsy basket of grasses,moss and lichens,suspended from a slender horizontal tree fork,two eggs are pinkish or white with brown and lavender markings.

                               immature black headed Oriole
Species found in East Africa

• Black headed Oriole-Oriolus larvatus rolleti
• Montane Oriole- Oriolus percivali
• Western black headed Oriole- Oriolus brachyrhynchus laetior
• Green headed Oriole- Oriolus chlorocephalus amani
• African golden Oriole-Oriolus auratus
• Eurasian Golden Oriole- Oriolus. o.oriolus
  

                              immature black headed Oriole

                  15 Days Birding Tour

African Honey Bee

African Honey Bee active during the day especially morning in hot arid areas,they visit wide range of flowers and are important pollinators of crops,they carry pollen on their hind legs 

Olive Thrush

Eight races occur,differing mainly in tone with those at higher altitudes,generally darker than forms lower down.Typical adults are dark grey -brown above with an orange bill and small orange eye ring;whitish or grey brown throat is streaked faintly or strongly with black,Breast grey brown,belly and flanks rich rufous-orange extending right across the lower breast,Juvenile is generally darker than adult with small buffy spots on the wings,and the breast is heavily spotted dark brown,pairs are common and widespread,song consists of a typical thrush like phrases followed by a pause,each phrase ends with a short series of repeated subdued note likes an echo

Below a video of the Thrush feeding