Lorentz's Whistler

A small, short-tailed weaver with a mottled back and a yellow or reddish bill, eye-ring, and legs. When breeding, the male develops a variable black face mask with a surrounding wash that can be rosy, buff, or cinnamon, although the face can also be whitish. Large flocks are resident and nomadic in arid savanna, grassland, and cultivated areas. In wetter years this species forms enormous flocks numbering tens of thousands, earning it the name “feathered locust.” Non-breeding Red-headed Weaver is superficially similar, but it is much larger than Red-billed Quelea, and it is mostly solitary in woodland and has an unstreaked back.

Small, dark green hummingbird with a short, straight bill. Found at the edges of elfin forest and in humid shrublands above the treeline. Male has an iridescent green throat patch; females lack the throat patch and are duller below, with brownish underparts. Males have a more bronzy, scaled throat and breast and a greener tail than the similar Tyrian Metaltail; female Scaled Metaltails are darker below than that species, without a strong orangey-buff coloration on the throat and breast.

Brightly-colored swallow with a deeply forked tail, pale orangish rump, black squared-off undertail coverts, an incomplete orange collar, and faint streaking below. Juveniles average paler and lack extensive orangish tones; may resemble house-martins but note deeply forked tail. Typically glides on stiff, flat wings, flying quite languidly with shallow wingbeats. Builds mud nests in mountains, on sea cliffs, and on buildings and other structures. Forages over open areas. Frequently gives a short, sparrow-like “twi’wit.” Very similar to African Red-rumped Swallow, but shows much heavier streaking below.