Black Scimitarbill
Rhinopomastus aterrimus
This all-black bird has a long, slim bill, and a fairly long tail. In flight, white bars across the wings are revealed. Birds in the eastern part of the range also have white in the outer tail, while the western birds have all-black tails. Found in a variety of savanna habitats. The call is a series of fluted, rising “wheet” notes; similar to Common Scimitarbill, but higher-pitched. Also similar in appearance to Common Scimitarbill, but there is little overlap in range, and Black is separated by its straighter bill and slightly shorter and less pointed tail. Separated from woodhoopoes by its shorter, less floppy, and squarer tail.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Rhinopomastus aterrimus
- Authority
- (Stephens, 1826)
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Phoeniculidae
- Genus
- Rhinopomastus
Range and habitat
It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. It is found in many savanna habitats.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Des Murs's Wiretail
Sylviorthorhynchus desmursii
Fairly common but heard much more than seen. This demure little brown bird favors bamboo thickets and other dense tangles at forest edge, roadsides, and along streams. Usually in pairs that move quickly through cover, showing only briefly. Plumage is warm brown overall with paler eyebrow and beady dark eye; might suggest a House Wren but plumage lacks barring, and identified easily if long “wiretail” streamers are seen, such as when flying across a road or trail.
Yellow-fronted Barbet
Psilopogon flavifrons
Largish, green barbet with a blue face and throat, yellow forecrown and moustache, and dappled underparts. Inhabits the canopy, where usually singly or in pairs, within forested environments in the lowlands and foothills. Most frequent in the Wet Zone, but also occurs locally into the intermediate zone. Identified from all other local barbets by combination of yellow forehead and moustache, blue face, and speckled underparts. Song a repetitive, explosive, “ke-cheer”. Calls include a rolling and rising “pup-pup-pup-pup”.
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Pale, medium-sized gull, smaller and daintier than Glaucous or Herring Gulls. Often looks cute with rounded head and small bill. Extremely variable plumage. Variation is apparently clinal across the Arctic breeding range, from darkest in the west to palest in the east. The palest adults have very pale gray backs and nearly pure white wingtips. The darkest birds, formerly known as Thayer’s Gull, are darker gray above and have blackish wingtips. Young birds range from almost pure white to medium brown, never as dark as Herring Gull. First-year birds usually have a mostly dark bill. Winters along both coasts of North America and in Europe, often near the ocean or on large lakes. Typically found in small numbers among flocks of other large gulls.
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