Nyanza Swift
Apus niansae
A brownish, mid-sized swift with a powerful, direct flight and contrasting paler patches along the trailing edges of the wings, adjacent to the body. Can be seen in flight over any habitat, but most often in dry and rocky areas. Very similar to several other swifts, and identification is tricky without a very good view or photo. Browner than African Black Swift. Pale patch in the wings separates it from Common and Forbes-Watson’s Swifts. The call is a high-pitched, descending trill.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Apus niansae
- Authority
- (Reichenow, 1887)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Apodidae
- Genus
- Apus
Range and habitat
The Nyanza swift can be found in areas of high elevation, gorges, cliff faces, and human settlements like cities and towns. It has been spotted in places such as Eritrea, Western Ethiopia, Eastern Uganda, Western Kenya, and Northern Tanzania. The Nyanza swift uses wet areas to search for sources of food and can rarely be found in lowland areas.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Ninox fusca
Brown owl with bright yellow eyes, densely-marked pale underparts, and white-spotted wings. Found only on Timor, where, aside from the very different Barn Owl, it is the only owl; migratory Northern Boobook could turn up on Timor, but has an entirely dark brown back. Inhabits wooded areas in the lowlands and foothills of the island. Gives a somewhat slurred, bouncy-sounding “woop-woop!”, as well as a smoother, deeper “dwoop-a-woop!”. Formerly regarded as a subspecies of Southern Boobook.
Halmahera Golden-Bulbul
Hypsipetes chloris
A thrush-sized bird with a fairly long horn-colored bill. Uniform rich olive-green above and all yellow underneath, with dark eyes. Juveniles duller and pale-eyed. Typically found in pairs or small groups in primary and degraded forest, plantations, and mangroves, in lowlands and lower hills. Confined to a cluster of islands in the North Moluccas where there are no other bulbuls or similar species. Loud, jumbled, characteristic bulbul-like-song consists of repeated “chidlydu-chidlydu-chidlydu” phrases. Also gives thin, high-pitched insect-like “tsee” notes and rasping “weerrrr” calls.
White-eyed Robin
Pachycephalopsis poliosoma
A medium-sized bird of mid-montane forest understory. Sooty gray color, paler on the belly, darker on the face and wing. Note the pale eye and white throat contrasting with the dark face. Birds on the Huon Peninsular have a gray throat. Perches on low branches, flicking tail and scanning the ground for insect prey. Smoky and Blue-gray Robins have limited altitudinal overlap, but White-eyed is usually found at lower elevations, has a white eye and usually a white throat. Voice, a loud, upslurred whistle “wit!”. Also, a rising series of notes, first whistled then becoming raspier and accelerating.
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