Explore 10 Captivating Birds on Safari, Beyond the Big Five
Despite not being one of Tanzania’s Big Five, birds are an amazing part of the Serengeti ecosystem. Over 1,100 different bird species may be found in Tanzania, 500 of which can be seen in the Serengeti.
Here are the top 10 most seen birds in Tanzania. On your safari, you’ll probably run into a lot of them. There’s no need for binoculars!
Ostrich
The large and instantly identifiable ostrich is common throughout Tanzania. These non-flying birds are the fastest land birds in the world, running at almost 43 miles per hour. Male ostriches have black feathers, which make them stealthy at night, while female ostriches have grey-brown feathers, which provide good camouflage during the day.
When predators are nearby, ostriches make a range of noises, such as snorts, whistles, and loud booming noises. It’s not uncommon to hear them before you see them!
Tawny Eagle
The Tawny Eagle is a short-legged bird with thick white, reddish-brown, or grey-brown feathers that can be found nearly everywhere in Tanzania. They are formidable hunters, diving from their perches to seize on prey with their sharp talons. They are well-known for eating insects when given the chance and are not picky eaters either.
Marabou Stork
The Marabou stork, which can be seen all throughout the Serengeti, is characterized by its massive, dagger-like bill and its pink, sunburned-looking head. Additionally, they have huge wingspans that enable them to soar very high. They often seen around carrion, stealing scraps from the kills of major predators. The absence of feathers on its head and neck enables it to eat messy food without becoming dirty.
Marabou storks are intimidating and shrewd birds. Other marabous move out of the way when their throat sacs inflate, displaying their dominance. When around a grass fire, it’s common for a stork to march ahead of the flames in an attempt to grab any escaping prey.
Kori Bustard
The kori bustard is a buff and gray bird with only three front toes that prefers open grasslands and lightly wooded savanna. These birds are notable carnivores, consuming small mammals, lizards, snakes, seeds, berries, and insects as part of their diet.
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 lives in large groups around Tanzania’s Lake Natron, is distinguished by its pink plumage. It eats small aquatic invertebrates in addition to microscopic blue-green algae and some other lake-found species, which are the majority of its diet.
The tiny, red-eyed vitelline masked weaver can be found all over the Serengeti. Males are easily recognized by their unique bright yellow plumage, pointy bill, and chestnut-colored breast and crown. The backs of females contain yellow streaks despite being much duller. They make “chek” noises and a fuzzily garbled song that sounds like radio static.
A male masked weaver builds a nest in the image above in the hopes that a female will choose it. But females are quite picky, and they reject the majority of nests!
Superb Starling
The splendid starling is worthy of its name due to its stunning iridescent plumage. They travel in small flocks and are found broadly across northern Tanzania. However, their white chest band, which separates the blue breast from the fire-orange belly, makes them easily distinguishable from many various species of starling.
Lilac-breasted Roller
The lilac-breasted roller is a common bird in Tanzania, and it stands out thanks to its rust-colored cheeks, green crown, lilac breast, and blue body. This bird is known as a roller because of the aerial stunts it often does during mating displays, such as quickly rolling from side to side. It also does a lot of diving , swooping and makes loud, harsh cries.
Von der Decken’s Hornbill
The 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, men have clumsy, red bills. To hatch and rear their eggs, females isolate themselves in small tree cavities. The male feeds the female and the chicks through a slit in their nest during this time.
