Table Of Content

Birding in and around the East Usambaras, north-east Tanzania Tom Evansa Alan Tyeb Norbert Cordeiroc andNathalie Seddond , , T anzania is one of the best birding countries in untilitsrecentdiscoveryfurthersouth,intheUluguais8. Africa, andtheEastUsambaramountainsoneof TheneighbouringWestUsambarasarealsoimportant its ornithological gems. They lie in the north-east, forthreatenedbirds(andhavetheirownendemic,the withinsightoftheIndianOceanand 50kmfromthe Usambara Ground Robin Sheppardia montana), Kenyan border. Despite severe deforestation they butare discussedonlybrieflyhere. retain evergreen forests of outstanding importance The EastUsambarashavea longornithological and great beauty. Two Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) history,startingwithGermancollectorsbeforeWorld meethere-the montane forests ofthe ‘EasternArc’ WarI,oneofwhom,JuliusVosseler,procuredthefirst andthelowlandor‘Coastal’forests9 Recentarticlesin UsambaraEagleOwl. RegMoreaulivedhereinthe . Bull. ABC have covered birding elsewhere in the 1930sand1940s,carryingoutmuchground-breaking EasternArc8andCoastalforests5buttheEastUsambaras research from Amani. Major surveys, led by Simon areperhapsuniqueinofferingsuchanarrayofspeci- Stuart, were undertaken in the late 1970s and early alitiesfrombothEBAs. 1980s13 and followed by various teams in the , 1990s1,2,3,4,12,14 Fewotherornithologists have lived in . the area; the tour company BirdQuest has visited in recentyearsandatripreportwasrecentlyproduced bya solovisitingbirder15 Despite earlierwork, new . discoveries continue: Sokoke Scops Owl Otus ireneae, East Coast Akalat Sheppardia gunningi and Swynnerton’s Robin Swynnertonia swynnertoniwerefoundin1990-9234andin1994the endemic Usambara Weaver Ploceus olivaceiceps nicolliwas rediscovered after 50 years1 . Fewbirdwatchersreachthearea,whichprovides logisticalchallenges incomparisonwiththepopular Tanzanian national parks or Arabuko-Sokoke in Kenya. Nonetheless, the moderately intrepid visitor can expect to see some superb birds amongst truly beautifulscenery,alwayswiththepossibilityofmak- ing anothermajordiscovery. Geography TheEastUsambarasareinTangaRegionandinclude the Amani hills at 800-1,200 m, a series ofoutlying peaks to the east and north (the highest, Mt. Nilo, reaches 1,504 m) and wide valleys down to 130 m. Forestoncereachedthe surroundingplains, butthis Map 1. Birdingareas inTanzania hasvirtuallyallbeencleared. AnnualrainfallatAmaniiscl,900mm,ratherless The Usambaras actually comprise two ranges, inthefoothills,withmoderateamountsineverymonth. separated by the deep, semi-arid Lwengera Valley. Themostdifficultperiodstovisitareduringtheshort TheEastUsambaras, thefocusofthisarticle, areone and long rains. These traditionally fall in October- ofthe most important bird areas inAfrica. Nine glo- November and March-May respectively, but the bally threatened species top the bill. One, the timingvariesfromyeartoyear. TheJuly-September UsambaraEagleOwlBubo(poensis)vosseleri, was period is relatively cool and dry and is perhaps the thought endemic to the East and West Usambaras mostpleasanttimetovisit. Itisalsothoughttobethe 116-BullABC Vol4No2 BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal Access ThenearestbigtownisTangaonthecoast.Thereisa small airport, with regular flights to Dar-es-Salaam, Pemba and Zanzibar but no international facilities. The foreign visitor has to fly in to Dar, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar or Mombasa. Buses are regular between TangaandDar,Arusha(nearKilimanjaro)andMom- basa and there is a twice-weekly train from Moshi (alsonearKilimanjaro)andDar.Iftravellingbybuson the Dar-Tanga, Arusha-Tanga or Mombasa-Tanga- Dar route, you pass through Muheza (a change in Tanga maybe necessary ifcoming from Mombasa), from where a well signposted side road leads to Amani. In Muheza catch one of the daily Tanga- Amani orTanga-Bulwa minibuses. Hitchingmaybe better:waitatthelineofshopsjustbeforetherailway crossing on the Amani road. If schedules force an overnight inMuheza (almostcertain, ifcomingfrom Arusha or Mombasa), it may be better to alight in Tanga and catch the Tanga-Muheza-Amani/Bulwa minibus next day. The Muheza-Amani road offers a good chance to see Yellow Baboons Papio cyanocephalus and Blue Monkeys Cercopithecus mitis en route. The Bulwa service branches off the road to Amani one km before Amani. periodofleastbreedingactivity,butnestingbirdsare Maramba and Bombo Maji Moto, small towns at easytofindinanymonth.Manysubmontanespecies thefootofthemountainsfurthernorth,areservedby (eg White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata, frequent buses from Tanga on a reasonable road. A Black-frontedBush-ShrikeMalaconotusnigrifrons fewdirtroadsservedbyancientLandRoverbushtaxis and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx run from there into the northern valleys. Reaching montanus) are partial altitudinal migrants, and can sites off these bus routes will require either long be seen even at the lowest altitudes at this time of walks, agreatdealofpatiencewaitingforinfrequent year, whilst some lowland breeders visit the vehicles to hitch with, oryour own transport. Some submontane areas only in the warm season. roads are challenging even for 4WD vehicles, and The birder must visit both lowland (especially becomeimpassableduringrains.Carscanbehiredin below500m)andsubmontaneareas(above800m)to Arusha or Dar-es-Salaam, but 4WD vehicles (essen- find the full range of forest species. True montane tial)areveryexpensiveandofdubiousreliability,and forests are found above 1,200 m on Mt. Nilo. These mostcompanies insistonprovidinga driver. three habitats are described below. Although many lowland species occur onlybelow c400 m, the low- Permission land/submontaneboundaryisnotsharp,withabroad MostforestsbelongeithertotheGovernment(Forest overlapbetween500-900m.Theleastdisturbedfor- Reserves)orteaestatesandvisitorsmustobtainper- ests appearto support the highestdensities ofsome mission to enter. Many tea estate forests will be keyspecies(egUsambaraEagleOwl,SokokeScops incorporated inthe newAmani Nature Reserve, and Owl, Swynnerton’s Robin and Dappled Moun- permission forvisiting both Forest Reserves and tea tain Robin Modulatrix orostruthus) but most also estatepropertyshouldthusbesoughtfromtheTanga occur in degraded forest, which also has its own Region Catchment Forest Office, and from the rel- specialities. For instance, the invasive, bamboo-like evant local Catchment Forest Offices. The local grassOlyralatifoliathrivesindisturbedareasandisa offices can be contacted from the Tanga office by favourite food ofthe striking Red-headedBluebill radio as follows: Kisiwani (for Amani Botanical Spermophaga ruficapilla. Gardens, Amani East, Amani-West, Amani-Sigi and the Bulwa tea estate forests); Kwamkoro (for BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal BullABC Vo!4No2- 117 Kwamkoro,MongaandNdola);Longuza(forSemdoe aroundKisiwani, allwithinthe Nature Reserve. and Kambai), Maramba (for Mtai and Kwamgumi) Elsewhere,itwillbenecessarytocamporarrange and Kilanga Ngua (for Mt. Nilo). All of the local tostaywithfamiliesinvillagesneartheforest.These Catchment Forest Offices are well signposted. For arequiteremoteandvisitors,whilepolitelyandhos- Kwamgumi, it is also necessary to get permission pitablyreceived, maybeviewedwithsomeconcern. from Kwamtili Cocoa Estate office, since you will Knowledge of Swahili would of enormous use in need to pass through the cocoa plantation and explainingwhoyou areandwhatyouwanttodo. It possibly to camp in it. isvitaltoaskpermissionfromtheVillageChairmanor his/her representative whenyou arrive. You should Guide books alsomakeyourselfknowntothelocalForestOfficer. TheTangaofficehasaninvaluableguidetotrailsand Afewsemi-officialcampsitesareavailable.Birdquest drivesintheAmaniarea,whichshouldalsobeavail- andbirdresearchershavecampedonasitebelonging ablefromtheKisiwaniandAmaniGuestHouses(see to the Karimjee tea estates at Monga. Another site below). A guide book to the East Usambaras is in ownedbytheteaestatesisataformerteanurseryon preparationandshouldbereadybytheendof1997. theroadbetween KwamkoroandMonga nearsome VisitorstotheTangaoffice canalsousetheirlibrary, excellent submontaneforest. Three morecamp sites whichincludesmuchrecentinformationonthebiol- are scheduled fordevelopment as partoftheAmani ogyofthe EastUsambaras. Nature Reserve facilities: at Kisiwani, near the new guest house andtwo onthe foresttrail leadingfrom Accommodation the Forest Office at Kwamkoro, one ofwhich has a Most people recommend avoiding the cheapest ac- spectacular view over the Lwengera Valley to the commodationaroundthebusstationinTanga.There West Usambaras. Permission for all these sites, and are some better cheap hotels, including the Planters directions to them, should be requested from the and the Bandarini, near the market square. The Tanga Region Catchment Forest Office. In the low- Bandarini is more pleasantand offers mosquito nets landsawayfromKisiwaniitmaybeeasiesttostaywith andaseaview.Moreluxuriousandexpensivehotels staff of the Kambai Forest Conservation Project or with air-conditioning, include the Marina (central), camp on Kwamtili Cocoa Estate next to Kwamgumi Phoenix (next to Uhuru Park) and, on Ras Kazone Forest Reserve. (the headland running east from Tanga), the Innby the Sea, Makonde Beach Hotel and Panori. The last Food and equipment hasthebestmenu. Ifcamping,youwillneedtotakemostfoodwithyou, In Muheza, the basic Ambassador Hotel on the althoughthereareshopsatAmani,Bulwa,Kwamkoro, mainroadisthebest ofa ratherlimitedselection. In Monga, Bombani, Kisiwani, Bombo Maji Moto, Maramba the Mlinga Guest House is recommended. Kwemkole,MarambaandMuheza,wherebasicgrocer- Otherwise take your pick from various cheap and iesincludingbreadandpotatoescanbebought. The simpleguesthouses(butdon’tletthefrequent‘hoteli’ smalltearoomsinmostvillagescanoftenservebread, signs fool you as this means ‘restaurant’). InAmani, bunsandbeanstew. Bepreparedforcoolweatherin there is a guest house run by the Amani Medical thehighlandsandsuddenheavyrainstormsthrough- Research Centre (AMRC). The AMRC guest house is out. comfortable and serves food, but prices are high (aroundUS$ 30perpersonpernight)unlessyouare Health aTanzaniancitizen,havearesidencepermit,orbusi- Thelowlandsareaveryhighriskareaformalariaand nesswiththe medicalstation. It issometimesfull, so bothfalciparum(thesevere,potentiallyfatalcerebral itiswisetobookaheadbyletter.Campingonthelawn form) and other drug-resistant strains are common. ispermittedforasmallfee.Thereisalsoaguesthouse Theriskislowerbutstillquitehighinmontaneareas. at Bulwa run by the East Usambara Tea Company. Takeprecautionsagainstbeingbitten,includinglong- Similar conditions apply as at Amani. A new guest sleeves and trousers, permethrin-treated mosquito house will open during 1997 at the Amani Nature nets and a good repellent (the new lemon-smelling ReserveInformationCentre nearKisiwani: bookings Mosi-Guard was field-tested here!). Follow the ma- should be made via the East Usambaras Catchment lariadrug-regimerecommendedbyyourdoctor.Bear Forest Project in Tanga but tariffs have not been inmindthatthemalariaresearchstationatAmanihas finalised.Thiswillbeanidealbaseforaccesstoboth no facilities for treatment. Bilharzia is another com- submontaneforestaroundAmaniandlowlandforest mon disease in the area, so avoid swimming in still 118-BullABC Vol4No2 BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal water where possible. den, the trail leading from Kwamkoro Forest Office, and the steep hike from the Nature Reserve HQ at The submontane forests Kisiwani into submontane forest, to the ridge-top Thesearetallandlush,withmanyepiphytes, mosses Amani-Sigi Forest Reserve. andlianas andanoutstandingdiversityofplantspe- The Botanical Garden can be exploredaround cies. Groupsoftheintroducedtimber-treeMaesopsis the AMRC and Kisiwani. There is also a trail from eminii nativetoCentralAfrica, canbeseeninmany behind the IUCN Amani office (which may soon be , areasofdegradedforest(lookforthewhitish,mottled abandoned) through forest to a spectacular clifftop barkandpinnate leaves). viewpoint at Mbomole Hill, overlooking the forest MostvisitorsarelikelytostartbirdingintheAmani canpy. Itis aneasy30-60 minclimb-justaskatthe hills;thecoolclimateandbeautifullandscape,apatch- guest house for directions. The Kwamkoro trail is workoftallforestamongteaplantations,streamsand easilyfoundbyaskingdirectionstoKwamkoroForest small farms, are a delightful relieffromthe heat and Office(“MisituKwamkoro”);itfollowsanoldlogging dustofDar-es-Salaamandthesavannas.Thebestfirst roadpastthefrontoftheofficeandintotheforest.The base would be Amani itself, with a useful second Amani-Sigitrailaccessesanareawherethetransition option being Bulwa or one of the campsites. The from lowland to submontane can be observed. It Amanihillscaneasilybereachedbyroadfromanyof cannot be followed without a guide at the time of thesesoifyouhaveyourowntransportonlyonebase writing, but knowledgeable guides can be found at isnecessary,youcouldevenbaseyourselfatthenew Kisiwani who will proceed slowly and quietly for guesthouse inKisiwani. birdwatching.Thetrailguidealsoincludesthreedriv- ThetrailguideavailablefromtheCatchmentFor- ing routes, which give a thorough tour ofthe main est Office in Tanga includes probably the best tracksoftheAmanihills,andpassotherforestblocks all-roundselectionofwalks,designedtogivevisitors whichmaybeworthexploring. aflavourofthe scenery, history, biologyandhuman Many ofthe East Usambara specialities frequent use ofthe area. They are not specificallyforbirders the forest canopyor“edge” habitats suchastree-fall but by following them the visitor should be able to gaps and gardens. Manyoccurinthe groundsofthe findthemajorityofthearea’sspecialities.Perhapsthe AMRC where you can wander more or less at will. most rewarding areas are the Amani Botanical Gar- OftenseenhereareAmaniAnthreptespallidigaster, BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal BullABC Vol4No2- 119 BandedGreenA. rubritorquesandUluguruViolet- loud, monotonoussong(likeaMistleThrush Turdus backed Sunbirds A. neglectus Green-headed viscivorus)isheardmostearlymornings, andduring , Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus and Southern thedayinthewetterseasons,butitisextremelyshy. Banded Snake-Eagle Circaetusfasciolatus with its The forest robins, including White-starredRobin distinctive,chicken-likekoh-koh-kob-kah-kocall.The and Sharpe’s Akalat Sheppardia sharpei are even UluguruViolet-backed Sunbird is more of an in- more difficult, as theyhave muchquietersongs, but sectivore than its two relatives and is usually seen arelesslikelytoflylongdistancesifdisturbed.Among hunting through low bushes in small parties. The the bulbuls, Stripe-cheeked Andropadus Amaniand BandedGreenSunbirds preferhigher milanjensis and Yellow-streaked Phyllastrephus treetops,buttheymayjoincommonerspecies, espe- flavostriatusare fairly often seen at the forest edge. cially Olive Nectarinia olivacea and Collared Yellow-streaked draws attention by its frequent Anthreptes collaris, and also occasionally Scarlet- callsandhabitofraisingonewing,whilethedistinc- chested Nectarinia senegalensis, Amethyst N. tive ukkeri-ukkeri-ukkerisongofStripe-cheekedis amethystina, and Purple-banded Sunbirds N. a monotonous feature of the damp seasons. Little bifasciata, at smaller ornamental flowering trees in Greenbuls Andropadus virensburble away almost gardens. constantly, butcanbehardtosee. Cabanis’s(Olive TheAMRCisalsotheeasiestplacetofind‘Mom- Mountain) Phyllastrephus cabanisi and Shelley’s basa’ Woodpecker Campethera abingoni GreenbulsAndropadusmasukuensisarefairlycom- mombassica Moustached Green Tinkerbird mon within the forest, and sometimes seen in , Pogoniulus leucomystax, and Kenrick’s Poeoptera mixed-flocks at the edge. Grey-backed kenricki Black-belliedLamprotorniscorruscusand Camaropteras Camaroptera brachyura are com- , Waller’sStarlingsOnychognathuswalleri.Although mon, occurring with small numbers of the the Centre isinrelativelyopenhabitat, the predomi- green-backed form. Pale-breasted Illadopsis nant drongo there is the Square-tailed Dicrurus Illadopsisrufipennisisalsoquitecommonandcanbe ludwigii, a forest bird. Fischer’s Turaco Tauraco traced by its quiet churring calls. Lemon Dove fiscberiandthemonotonouslypoppingGreenBarbet Aplopelialarvatacanusuallybefoundwhenitflushes Stactolaema olivaceum can also be heard from the ashortdistancefromtheforestfloortositquietlyon grounds, although they rarelyventure from the sur- a low branch, peering at the observer. Eastern roundingforest.Theforest-canopyForestBatisBatis Bronze-napedPigeonColumbadelegorgueiismore mixta and the open-countryEastCoastBatis Batis difficult, asitusuallykeepstothecanopy(thecallis soror occur side-by-side in forest edge habitats at rather like European Woodpigeon Columba Amani, sometimeswithflocksofYellowWhite-eye palumbus),whileOlivePigeonsColumbaarquatrix Zosterops senegalensis. Other commoner species are scarcebutcan sometimesbefoundsitting inthe around the Centre include Crowned Eagle open,highinsmallpatchesofforestorisolatedclumps Stepbanoaetus coronatus (heard calling high over- of trees near the western escarpment. African head almost daily), Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus Broadbills Smithornis capensis are common but occipitalis Ayres’s Hawk-EagleHieraeetusayresii, elusive exceptwhen calling at dawn and dusk. It is , Great Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucos and worthstalkingtheirstrange,upward-inflectedbrrrrUP the abundant and noisy White-eared Barbet tofindthesource,sincethesoundismadeduringan Stactolaema leucotis. Flocks of Silvery-cheeked extraordinary displaysequence. HornbillCeratogymnabrevisarecommonlyseenall The forest interior prize is the rare Dappled year,whileTrumpeterHornbillsC. bucinatoronly Mountain Robin, found only in virtually undis- reachthisaltitudeduringthewarmerhalfoftheyear. turbed sites. One site where it has been mist-netted BlackSaw-wingPsalidoprocnepristopteraissureto isthe Karimjee estate, andEddieWilliams luredone be seen flying gracefully overhead or prospecting in with a tape on Mbomole Hill15 The other local . roadside banks. Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx speciality(otherwisefoundonlyontheNjesiPlateau cupreusiscommon;inseason,itsloudhellogeoor-gie in Mozambique) is the elusive and extremely rare callcan’tbemissed. Long-billed Tailorbird Orthotomus moreaui. Its Otherforestspecialitiesaremoredifficult.They song is said to resemble hitting a metal peg with a includeDappledMountainRobin,White-chested mallet11. It was reported by Birdquest from a site at Alethe Aletbefuelleborni, several species of forest theedgeofforestbelongingtoKarimjeeTeaEstates, bulbul,allrestrictedtothedimly-litunderstorey,and although AT is doubtful that the sound-recording is the owls. The aletheis commonthroughoutand its ofthis species. It was also found in the early 1980s 120-BullABC Vol4No2 BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal wherestreamsemergefromforestalongtheAmani- forests naturally invite comparison with Arabuko- Monga road, within easy walk of the Research Sokoke5 with which they share specialities such as , Centre,andrecentlyonMt.Nilo(seebelow).Thecall East CoastAkalat and Sokoke Scops Owl. While recorded by Birdquest was also heard along the the East Usambaras lackthree ofSokoke’s starbirds Amani-Monga road in 1996U (SokokePipitAnthussokokensis, SpottedGround Commoner birds of the submontane forests, Thrush Zoothera guttata and Clarke’s Weaver although not necessarily easier to find, include the Ploceusgolandi) several lowland species which do , Yellow-throatedWoodlandWarblerPhylloscopus not occur in Sokoke (eg Uluguru Violet-backed ruficapilla Red headed Bluebill. Green-backed Sunbirdand Kretschmer’sLongbill) alongwith a , Twinspot Mandingoa nitidula and Red-faced greatvarietyoftypicallysubmontanespecies,among Crimsonwing Cryptospiza reichenovii. All keep to them Swynnerton’s Robin do occur. In its three the lowest levels, often in dense undergrowth near otherfar-flung localities this bird occurs only above theforestedge. The latterthree, all estrildidfinches, 850 m, but in the East Usambaras it has only been maybeglimpsed assmall groupsflyacross anopen found below 550 m. space early inthe morningorlate in the evening. In Themostaccessiblelowlandforest,althoughnot similar areas you may find the uncommon, more thebest, is inthe Kihuhwi-Sigi Forest Reserve strad- open-country Yellow-bellied Waxbill Estrilda dling the Amani road near Kisiwani. The 2-3 km quartinia. Otherforestspecieswhichshould notbe stretch downhill of the village can easily be birded so difficult include Dark-backed Weaver Ploceus from the main road. There is little traffic, tall trees bicolor Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum overhangtheroadonbothsidesandacoupleofpaths , , Olive Woodpecker Dendropicos griseocepbalus enterthe forest, which isverysteep anddense, with , Grey Cuckoo-shrike Coracina caesia Black- manyrockyoutcrops.Youhaveanotherchancehere , headed Apalis Apalis melanocephala, Yellowbill to find Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, Fischer’s Ceuthmocharesaureus.Black-frontedBush-Shrike Turaco,‘Mombasa’Woodpecker,AmaniSunbird, and the noisy White-tailed Crested Flycatcher Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird, Kretschmer’s Trochocercusalbonotatus, all common members of Longbill and several other species that may have mixed parties. Scaly-throated Honeyguides Indi- been missed higher up. Banded Green Sunbirds cator variegatus endlessly repeat their whining, havebeenfoundnestinginatreetopbesidetheroad mechanicalbuzz,andthelongcallsequenceofBarred here. There arealsomanylowlandspecialists. Little Long-tailedCuckooisalsooftenheard,butbothare YellowFlycatchersErythrocercusholocbloruspre- veryhardtosee. dominate in many mixed-species flocks, alongwith Kretschmer’s Longbill Macrosphenus Blue-mantled Crested Trochocercus cyanomelas kretschmeriis not likely to be found at Amani. The and Ashy Flycatchers Muscicapa caerulescens, best area in the Amani Hills is along the western Green-backed Woodpeckers Campethera escarpment,egatNdola,whereithidesindensevine cailliauti, Narina Trogons Apaloderma narina, tangles whilst endlessly repeating its 4-note song, Fischer’sGreenbulsPhyllastrephusfischeri, Plain- whichisuncannilylikethatoftheCommonBulbul backedSunbirdsAnthreptesreichenowiandadozen Pycnonotusbarbatus.Itiscommonerinthelowlands. other species. The sunbird is common, but only Onthe tea estates, a selection ofopen-country below 400 m, and can be quite elusive until the highlandspecialitiescanbefound, includingtheen- insistent toi-toi-toi-toicallislearnt. demicraceofCommonStonechatSaxicolatorquata Mixed-flocks are also the best place to find andCabanis’sBuntingEmberizacabanisi, bothof Southern HyliotaHyliota australis here a bird of , whichsitobliginglyontelephonelines,Dark-capped forest and forest-edge, rather than miombo wood- YellowWarblerCbloropetanatalensisandavariety land. This isolated race is endemic to the East ofswallows especiallyatmigrationtimes. Usambaras (mainlybelow 400 m) and maybe a full species. Only one female specimen is known and, The lowland forests unlike everyotherfemale ofthe genus, it shares the The lowlands are much hotter than the Amani hills. male’scoloration.Ifthisistrueforthewholepopula- The forest is naturally lower and there are few epi- tion it would probably justify specific status, but phytes. Cycads,pandansand,onrockyoutcrops,the .observationssofarhavebeeninconclusive.-Kisiwani candelabratreeEuphorbia arestrikingfeaturesofthe isoneoftheeasiestplacestofindthemfeedingquietly , understoreyandtheverytall,smooth,yellowtrunkof inthecrownsoftalltrees, aloneorinpairs. Sterculia appendiculata is a common sight. These ThelongwhistleandMistleThrush-likerattleof BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal BullABC Vo!4No2- 121 Red-tailedAntThrushNeocossyphusrufusarecom- loggingin1992ithasbecomeveryovergrown.There mon sounds, often announcing that the bird itselfis are a few other paths, including one along the west abouttorocketpast. Black-and-whiteFlycatchers edge near the river, but they can be indistinct and Biasmusicusare common, especially in forest-edge hard to follow. and riverine habitats. Large parties of Chestnut- Swynnerton’sRobins and EastCoastAkalats fronted Helmet-shrikes Prionops scopifrons are are common here. The former prefer the least dis- alsoafeature,clackingtheirbillslikecastanetsasthey turbed patches, where the ground layeris devoidof tumble through the canopy. Theymaybe joinedby small plants and deeply shaded by several strata of the superficially similar Retz’s Helmet-shrike P. trees and shrubs. The latter appear less choosy and retzii thoughbothmainlyroaminmonospecificflocks. occur in selectively logged areas. Both are best de- , TheluckyobservermayalsofindPallidHoneyguide tected bytheir songs and respondwell to playback. Indicator meliphilus, Eastern Honeybird The East Coast Akalat has a high, thin quavering Prodotiscus zambesiae Eastern Bearded Scrub songafewsecondsinduration.Reasonableviewsare , Robin Cercotrichas quadrivirgata Four-coloured neededtoseparateitfromSharpe’sAkalatwhichis Bush-shrike Malaconotus quadric,oloror Eastern only recorded above 600 m (but may occur lower) GreenTinkerbirdPogoniulussimplexhere. Emer- andhasanochraceous, ratherthanyellowchestand ald Cuckoos are quite common, but outnumbered no slaty panel on the wing coverts. Swynnerton’s by the similar Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyxklaas, Robinhasaslow, sweet3-5 notewhistle, firsthigh, whichcallshoooee-jiu,hoooee-jin.Bat-likeSpinetails then low, typically dididu du. SokokeScops Owl Neafrapusboehmisometimeshawkoverthecanopy, andUsambaraEagleOwlareeasytohearatthissite, as do the commoner Mottled Spinetails butseeingthemisanothermatteraltogether!Aswell Telacantbura ussheri. Lead-coloured Flycatchers asthelowlandspecialities,somelargelysubmontane Myioparus plumbeus and Peter’s Twinspots species, eg Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Waller’s Hypargosniveoguttatusare common but often hard Chestnut-wingStarlingandGreyCuckoo-shrike to see. The colourful Red-headedBluebill (an en- are also commonhere. demic race) is commoner in the lowlands, but quiet Oftheotherlowlandsites,Mtapwawasoncethe and furtive. Half-collared Kingfishers Alcedo easiest place to see East Coast Akalat and Plain- semitorquataarequitecommononwoodedstreams backed Sunbird, but it was being stripped for and rivers, with Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle charcoalproductionin 1992andmaynowbeunsuit- maxima and African Finfoot Podica senegalensis able. It lies a few km fromMaramba towards Tanga alongthe SigiRiveritself. and is visible 100 m south ofthe main road. Access Theprincipallowlandspecieswhichcannotbe is via a network of footpaths. Semdoe and Kambai seen in Kisiwani are Swynnerton’s Robin, East have some tall forest and many ofthe best species, Coast Akalat and Sokoke Scops Owl. The other althoughUsambaraEagleOwlhas notbeen heard area oflowlandaccessible bypublic transport is the atSemdoe. KambaivillageisthebasefortheKambai Forest Reserve on the east slope ofMt. Mtai, a three Forest Conservation Project, which aims to slow the kmwalkfromMaramba(pasttheschoolandawater clearanceanddegradationofnearbylowlandforests. toweramongstthe coconutplantations, overawide AccessisviatheroadfromMuheza,viaBombaniand stream and up the hill). A large path leads to the Longuza and then along the west bank of the Sigi. summit ridge. Swynnertons’ Robin is known on There isvirtuallyno traffic, and it is a hot, five-hour this slope. Both Banded Green Sunbird and walktoKambaivillagefromLonguza,thenearestbus Usambara Eagle Owl occur on the summit ridge, stop. It may be possible to arrange a lift with the wherethere is submontaneforest. project staff. ThebestlowlandsiteistheKwamgumi-Segoma Among the many lowland birds to be seen in ForestReserve. Theseforests escapedtheworstlog- open country are Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax ging, which damaged much of the East Usambaras angolensis, Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco untilthe 1980s,andaretall, lushandwell-structured. monogrammicus African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus , Densities ofmany birds are high and the variety of vocifer African Jacana Actophilornis africanus, , species is the greatest of any lowland site thus far Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul Andropadus studied.Accessiseasiestfromthenorth,viaMaramba, importunus, Zanzibar Red Bishop Euplectes ChurwaandKwamtiliCocoaPlantation. Aroadruns nigroventris,Purple-bandedSunbird,Kurrichane through the cocoa to the forestedge. Itformerlyran Thrush Turduslibonyanus(hereatitsnorthernmost through the forest, but aftera clampdown on illegal limit), Magpie Mannikin Lonchura fringilloides, 122-BullABC Vo!4No2 BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal i African Golden Weaver Ploceus subaureus stictigula whichmaybefounddiggingquietlythrough , , Grosbeak Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons and, litter, although it is best located initially by its high- intermittently.Violet-backedStarlingCinnyricinclus pitched series of whistles. Olive Turdns olivaceus leucogaster.CrestedBarbetTrachyphonusvaillantii and Orange Ground Thrushes Zoothera gurney has been recorded. also occur, and occasionally visit more open areas. They also betray their presence by their melodious, Mt. Nilo far-cariying songs. A recent addition to the East Themountainisreachedviaapoorlymarkedjunction Usambara avifauna, although it is common in the atMtoniBombo, c25kmfromMarambaonthemain WestUsambaras,istheAfricanHillBabblerAlcippe road north ofthe Usambaras. FromMtoni Bombo, a abyssinica.TheotherwiseuncommonOriole-Finch roadleadssouththroughscrubandwoodlandalong Linurgus olivaceus may also be found. Usambara the Bombo valley. After passing Bombo Maji Moto, Eagle Owl has been heard. Fruiting trees attract youreachKwemkoleandKizara,fromwhereyoucan Bronze-napedand OlivePigeons, and Kenrick’s, walkanotheronekmtoKilangaNgua. Accesstothe Waller’s Chestnut-winged and Red-wingedStar- higher parts of Mt. Nilo Forest Reserve can be lings Onychognathus morio, while Lemon and facilitated by contacting the forest guard station at Tambourine Doves Turturtympanistria eat fallen Kilanga Ngua. In orderto explore this area properly fruit. you must camp, either on the Lutindi ridge to the Higher,above1,400m,theforestnearthepeakis north-west or the Kilanga ridge to the south-east. oftencoveredinmistformuchoftheday.Birdactivity Kilanga, reached via Kizara, is lower, lusher and an hereisgreatestwhenthesunemerges.Bar-throated easier climb but the terrain is more rugged and it is Apalis Apalis thoracica and, perhaps seasonally, hardtofindasuitablestreamtocampby.Thebirdsarc White-starred Robins haunt the undergrowth of similaronthetworidgesandresemblethoseatAmani, the stunted forest, and Eastern Double-collared with the loss ofsome lower-altitude species and the SunbirdNectariniamediocrisisquitecommon.Tree- additionofafewspecialities. ferns providefeedingareasforRed-cappedForest- The two-hour hike up a fairly steep, cultivated Warbler Orthotomus metopias and the retiring valley side from Kwemkole north-west to Mt. Nilo Sharpe’s Akalat. may produce Mountain Buzzard Buteo orophilus White-necked Raven Connts albicollis, Crowned, How to find the nocturnal birds Eagle and perhaps an Ayres’sHawk-Eagle gliding Great care should be taken not to disturb nocturnal overhead, with Black-throated Wattle-eye (or indeed any other) birdsbyrepeateduse ofplay- PlatysteirapeltataandBlack-and-whiteFlycatcher backintheirterritories.Careshouldalsobetakennot inthetrees.SouthernHyliotahasebeenseenatthe togetlost-alltooeasyatnight. Carryacompassand forest edge. Apath along a small ridge north-east of wear stout boots to protect againstthe risk ofsnake the last hut in which livestock are kept leads to a bite bracken-dominatedglade; the site ofa recent, asyet The most sought-after bird is probably unpublished record ofLong-billedTailorbird. Usambara Eagle Owl. Sometimes considered Awell-troddenpathheadssouth-south-westalong conspecific with the West African Fraser’s Eagle the side ofthe Hundu valley into lush forest domi- Owl6 it is, at least, an incipient species. The far- nated by the feathery-leaved trees Newtonia carrying call is a deep, slow, resonant drumming. A buchananii and Albizia spp, with an often dense recordingfromtheUlugurusisintheNationalSound understoreyofthefamiliarpot-plantDracaena.There Archive(WildlifeSection)inLondon,UK.Intheearly areatleasttwosmallstreamswhereyoucouldcamp. 1990s, oneoftensatafterdarkonthemainMuheza- TherareUsambaraWeaverwasnotseeninthe Amani road at c650 m, near Amani Police Post. EastUsambarasforover50yearsuntilitsrediscovery Despite this, a couple captured in mist-nets, and a onMt. Nilo in 1994. There have been several recent few young birds found below their nest holes, it records in the Forest Reserve ofsmall groups alone remainsoneofthemostpoorly-knownbirdsinAfrica orassociatedwithmixed-flocks.Theyarequitevocal and a great prize for any observer. butoccuratlowdensities,sofindingthisspeciesmay SokokeScopsOwlhasbeenfoundinmostEast require several days. Other canopy species likelyto Usambara forests below 400 m, except Kisiwani. A beseenincludeAmaniandBandedGreenSunbirds tape is useful to elicit calls (there is a published Intheundergrowthlurkseveral inconspicuous recording10), but an alternative is towhistle the mo- species, including the Spot-throat Modulatrix notonous boo, boo, boo call. Birds do not seem to BirdingtbeEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal BullABC Vo!4No2-123 approach playback, so off-the-path stalking is re- smallclearings-buttheycanbefoundonfallenlogs quired,althoughtheyarenotshyandwillcontinueto orevencoconutpalms. callevenwhencaughtinthetorchbeam.Theyoften The Black-and-rufous Elephant Shrew call from the canopy, 10-20 m up, making them Rbynchocyoncirnei,likeabigdarkratwitharedface hardertoseethaninArabuko-Sokoke, where densi- and yellow tail, is most often seen when flushed. A m ties are higherandtheycall 3-6 aboveground. stationaryobserverissometimesrewardedwithpro- Duringsearchesforthesetwospecies,youcan longed views ofthem tottering about the leaflitter. expecttohearAfricanWoodOwlStrixwoodfordii. Banded Mungos mungo, Eastern DwarfHelogale On the forest edge or in degraded forest, Spotted undulata White-tailed Icbneumia albicauda and , Bubo africanus and Verreaux’s Eagle Owls Bubo Marsh Mongooses Herpestes paludinosus are all lacteus also occur. Spotted is rather similar to possible.TherearealsosomespecimensfromMtaiof UsambaraEagleOwlbutUsambaraismoregolden- Sokoke Bushy-tailed Mongoose Bdeogale brown, has more widely separated bars below and crassicaudaomnivora one oftherarestsmallcarni- , deep brown eyes, whilst Spotted is greyer with voresinAfrica. Othermammalsarelargelynocturnal yelloweyes. Atafewplaces inthelowlandsBarred - Bush Pig Potamochoerusporcus, African Civet Owlet Glaucidium capense has been found, and Viverracivetta. BlotchedGenettatigrinaand Com- they may prove to be quite common. Another low- mon Genets G. genetta Two-spotted Palm Civet , land bird is Fiery-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus Nandinia binotata Eastern Tree Hyrax , pectoralis which makes itsgood-lord-deliver-uscall Dendrohyrax validus duikers and bushbabies. , , asitfliesoverbothforestandscrub.Theauthorshave Bushbabies come in a range of sizes and recent heard them in September-October in the East researchoncalls7suggeststhattheremaybeonelarge Usambaras, but they may call in other months. An species (Garnett’s Galago Otolemurgarnetti) and incentiveforgoingoutonfoggyordrizzlynightsisthe twonewlydescribedsmallspecies(MountainGalago chanceofhearingBuff-spottedFlufftailSarothrura Galagoidesorinus at higher altitudes and Matundu elegans. Livingindenseundergrowth, oftenfarfrom Galago G. udzungwensis lower). Four-toed El- water, these rails make a deep humming sound like ephantShrewsarecommonandcanoftenbestalked the note from a tuning fork, or byblowing over the andseenbytorchlight. mouthofabottle.Sounlikeabirddoesthissoundthat There is an outstanding reptile and amphibian local people insist it is the call of a chamaeleon. fauna, which is still incompletelyknown. Forexam- Finally, the elusive OliveIbisBostrychiaolivacea is ple,previouslyundescribedspeciesofsnakeandtoad also active from duskto dawn, announcing its pres- werefoundinKwamgumiin1992.Thetreefrogsare encewithagutturalhonkingflightcall,whichisoften particularly attractive, and although mainly seen at heard, forexample, alongroadsnearAmani. night may be spotted by day, glued to the rubbery leavesofunderstoreyplants. Nightwalksarealsothe Other animals and plants besttimetofindtheendearingpygmychamaeleons Intheforests, BlueMonkeys(listenforthebird-like Rhampholeon spp, which feed in the leaf litter and chick alarm call) and Black-and-White Colobus climbafewinchesoffthegroundtosleepinthetops Colobuspolycomosarecommon.Thelatterareamong ofseedlings. Perfectlycamouflagedbyday,theyturn themostbeautifulofallmonkeys,andsincemonkeys paleyellowwhensleeping.NileCrocodileCrocodilus are not heavily hunted except when raiding crops niloticusiscommonintheSigiRiverandoccasionally (which colobus do not), they can be watchedwith killsbathers.Thereisreportedlyonelargeindividual ease, even along the roads nearKisiwani or around in the pond on Kwamtili estate - so don’t go Amani. swimming! Several species ofsquirrel occur in the forests: the grey-mantled Red-legged Sun Squirrel Other sites nearby Helioscuirusrufobrachiumwithitsverylong,faintly- MountTongwe bbiarndsd.eIdnttaihleolfotwelnanjodisn,stmhiexaeldl--frledocRkesdoBfuinsshecStqiuviorrroeuls MountTongwe(nottobeconfusedwiththevillageof Paraxeruspalliatus occurs, while higher the rarer Tongwe, north of the Muheza-Amani road), is an TanganyikaMountainSquirrelFuniscuiruslucifer outlier ofthe East Usambaras, south of the Tanga- canbeseen.Theyarejoinedonthetreetrunksbythe Muhezaroad. ItholdsimportantCoastalForestandis technicolour Blue-tailed Tree Lizard Holaspis ofhistoricalinterest:atinysummitfort,constructedby theSultanofZanzibarwasvisitedbybothSpekeand gturenetshewriit.hTshmeoobteshtppallaecbeatroklionodkiriescotnsumneldigihutm--seigzbeyd Burtonontheirjourneysintothe interior. Tongweis 124-BullABC Vo!4No2 BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetat Mt. Mtai behind Maramba village, EastUsambaras (TomEvans) Usambara Eagle Owl Bubo (poensis) vosseleri Mt. Mlinga, EastUsambaras (TomEvans) (Laura Watson) BirdingtheEastUsambaras, Tanzania:Evansetal BullABC Vol4No2-125