Description of the nest and eggs of the lead-coloured flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus from the Kerio Valley, Kenya

2 Pages·1994·0.9 MB·English

by  N Wilson

60 Shortcommunications
Table 1. Categories ofCommonBulbulswith white-eye rings in theKerio Valley
No.
Tvoe description seen
1. Whiteatbaseofbill andheavy continuous2-mmeye-ringonboth sides 4
2. Whiteatbaseofbill andpartialheavyeye-ring:
Zd.V^UIIipiCLC ICil, UlaCUIlllIluUUoll^ill 11
2bCompleteright, discontinuousleft 1
2c 'Halfmoon' behindbotheyes 1
2dPartialright, none left 2
2ePartialleft, noneright 1
3. Whiteatbaseofbill andcontinuous feintwhiteeye-ringonboth sides 1
4. White atbaseofbill only 3
Allthebirdswereseeninmid-May 1993 apartfromtype2c whichwasrecordedon 1
June 1993. None have been noted from outside the area, being confined initially to
about 50 ha at 1500 m. The birds dispersed at the onset ofthe rains, presumably to
breed.
N. Wilson,RiverView,34EastEnd, Wolsingham, CoDurhamDL133JX,England
Scopus 18: 59-60, November 1994 Received 16July 1993
Description ofthe nest and eggs ofthe Lead-coloured Flycatcher
Myioparusplumbeus from the Kerio Valley, Kenya
Myioparus plumbeus is described as local and uncommon in woodland, wooded
m
grassland, scattered thickets, moist bushland and forest edges up to 2000 (Britton
1980).Brown&Britton's(1980)onlyrecordforthespeciesisofnestbuildinginApril
intheirRegionB.
On 19 April 1992 at Lake Kamnorok (0°39N, 35°37E) we saw a pair of M.
m
plumbeuscarryingfinegrasstoawest-facinghole inadeadtreeabout5 abovethe
water. Because of flooding, we were unable to reach the tree to make further
m
investigations.Thenon 12March 1993,inanexoticplantationareaat 1450 (0°20N,
35°40E)wesawapairofthesamespeciestakingnestingmaterialtoaformerNubian
WoodpeckerCampetheranubicanestholeinatelegraphpole572mabovetheground.
We were able to watch this site and the birds began incubating on about 19 March
leaving the west-facing hole unattended during the heat of each afternoon. We
recordedthenestandeggdetails givenbelowon23 March.
Theentranceholewas 6cm indiameterwiththenestrim2.5 cmbelow. The cup-
shapednestitselfwas 6cmininternaldiameterand2.5 cmdeep, scantilymadefrom
fine interwoven grass and lined with dried bougainvillea flowers and small feathers.
The two eggs were pale sea-green, heavily marked all over with dark olive-green
streaksandspots,moreconcentratedatthelargerend. Theymeasured 17 x 12.5 mm.
Shortcommunications 61
In South Africa, Maclean (1985) describes the eggs as being dull white or greenish
white spotted with olive-brown and greyishbrown while Mackworth-Praed & Grant
(1960)describethemasdullwhiteorwhitishgreenspottedandblotchedwithvarious
shades ofbrown.
On 3 Aprilone ofthebirds wastakenby aLittle SparrowhawkAccipiterminullm
andthenestwasdeserteduntil 14Aprilwhenwhatwaspresumablytheremainingbird
was seen clearing nesting material from the hole. On 25 April a Brown Parrot
Poicephalus meyeri was also seen removing nesting material. However, on 2 May a
pair of M. plumbeus were once again seen carrying material to the nest site and,
althoughone adultwas occasionally seen sitting onthenestbetween 14and20May,
breedingwas not successful.
References
Britton,P.L. (ed). 1980.BirdsofEastAfrica.Nairobi:EANHS.
Brown, L.H. & Britton, P.L. 1980. The breeding seasons ofEast African birds. Nairobi:
EANHS.
Macworth-Praed, C.W. & Grant, C.H.B. 1960. Birds ofeastern and north eastern Africa.
Volume2,London: Longman.
Maclean,G.L. 1985.Roberts' birdsofsouthernAfrica.London:NewHolland.
A^. Wilson andV. G. Wilson,RiverView,34EastEnd, Wolsingham,
CoDurhamDL133JX,England
Scopus 18: 60-61,November 1994 Received 16July 1993
Woodpecker feeding immature honeyguide
On 8 August 1993, G. Davey, T. Davidson and I were bird watching in a patch of
groundwaterforest some2kmeastoftheMasaiMaraGameReserve'sMusiaraGate
in southwestern Kenya. We watched a pair of Bearded Woodpeckers Thripias
namaquusforaging.Thefemalecollectedabill-fullofinsectsandflewintothecanopy
ofa nearby Euclea tree, closely followed by a Scaly-throated honeyguide Indicator
variegatus. From its very pale underside, it wasjudged to be an immature. Perching
nearthe woodpecker, the honeyguidebegged with wing-fluttering andopenbill. The
woodpeckerimmediatelyfedits loadofinsectsintothehoneyguide'sgapeandleftin
searchofmore. Thefeedingwasrepeatedthreetimes in 15 min.
ThisrecordsuggeststhatThripiasnamaquusisanesthostforIndicatorvariegatus,
andconfirms thatthe fledgling honeyguide is fed afterithas leftthehost'snesthole.
Otherpotentialhostsforhoneyguidesseeninthesamepatchofforestatthesametime
included Spotted-flanked Barbets Lybius lacrymosus, Grey Woodpecker Mesopicos
goertae andLilac-breastedRollerCoraciascaudata.
PeterDavey,Box41822 Nairobi,Kenya
,
Scopus 18: 61,November 1994 Received 12August 1993