Birds are feathered vertebrates (they have a backbone), their arms (forelegs) have become wings that bend at the shoulder, elbow and wrist and they all have a beak (a two part horn-like projection surrounding the mouth) but they have no teeth and every type of bird has only two ‘walking’ legs.
Birds have three different kinds of feathers. They have soft under down to help maintain a constant temperature, contour body feathers that protect and stream-line the body as a whole and flight feathers (on the wings and tail) which together enable them to fly efficiently through the air. The plumage of birds (the feathers when looked at altogether) is very varied and sometimes it can be very colourful indeed. This plumage helps either to conceal (hide) the bird from potential enemies, this is especially important when the bird (usually the female) is sitting on a nest and is then called cryptic or camouflaged plumage. Or conversely it helps the bird (frequently the male) to communicate with other birds of the same species, by acting as a species-specific signaling system which attracts the attention of both females and other males, as in the courtship displays of many brightly-coloured African birds, or it can be contrastingly black and white as is often the case in those types of bird that travel around in flocks. It some few cases it can also be a warning to potential predators that the bird is distasteful.
All birds must keep their feathers clean and well arranged. This grooming of the feathers is called preening and whilst doing this most birds spread oil (produced by a special gland just above the tail) onto their feathers to keep them in a waterproof and good condition.
Among birds there are many different shapes of beak (or bill) because they each eat slightly different kinds of food. There are hooked beaks for tearing at skin and flesh, long curved beaks for sticking into sand, mud or holes, stubby conical beaks for crushing seeds and long, straight or short and pointed beaks for carefully finding and extracting food from amongst vegetation or soil. Pelicans have huge pouched beaks that can scoop-up more fish than their stomachs can hold.
Birds walk on their toes; this means that their ankle appears as if it is in the middle of their leg. Their claws vary in length from species to species and birds of prey have very sharp claws, and in hawks and eagles these become quite fearsome talons. Water birds have skin between their toes (webs) that enables them to paddle through the water and/or walk on mud without sinking in. When a perching bird bends its legs, its toes grip the branch or twig of the bush or tree, so it does not fall off.
Birds lay eggs and most kinds of bird sit-on these to incubate them - bring to hatching – until the chicks are ‘born’. Most types of bird build a nest, or nests, of some sort. These are very varied in shape and structure and overall complexity and a great variety of materials may be used by different birds in making these different kinds of nest. The nest, together with the sheltering presence of the parent, helps to keep the eggs and later the chicks (by brooding) at a constant temperature (neither too hot nor too cold) and to hide them from their enemies. In general the chicks of the smaller tree-living birds (passerines - the perching birds) spend longer in their nest than do the chicks of the bigger ground-nesting birds which usually leave the nest soon after hatching either to follow their parents (as in geese and ducks) or to hide among cover nearby (as in gulls and terns and waders i.e. shorebirds,).
The vast majority of birds can fly, some exceptions include that giant among the birds the Ostrich (and its few relatives outside Africa) and the cold water ocean-living penguins (which use their wings instead to fly under water) as well as some birds that live on what were once very remote islands without any resident ground predators. Most birds have excellent eyesight; they nearly all have highly evolved colour vision that ranges from being quite similar to ours to being far, far better than ours. Some such as Eagles have a magnifying capability in the centre of their field of vision. Most also have an acute sense of hearing, this is especially well developed in nocturnal (i.e. night-living) birds such as Owls. However in most birds the sense of smell is apparently only very poorly developed.
Birds occur all over the surface of the Earth. When they are making seasonal movements from one region to another (migration) some fly close to the frozen ends of the Earth, the poles of the Arctic and Antarctica, and many kinds of bird regularly cross the hottest deserts (such as the Sahara and the Arabian peninsula) where day time temperatures at such times regularly exceed 50 degrees. One of the most marvellous aspects of birds is this ability to fly seasonally from one area to another to avoid the shortages of food caused by extremes of climate, whether it caused by the seasonal dryness (or excessive wetness) of the lower and middle latitudes of our Earth or the short day length and associated coolness (i.e. the winter) of the higher latitudes.
The world has between 9,000 and perhaps as many as 13,000 types of bird depending on the way we decide which ones are, and which are not, separate non-interbreeding populations. As mankind fragments the tropical forests of the world into ever smaller patches this number might slowly grow as increasingly many bird populations that were able to interbreed become (certainly for the foreseeable future) reproductively isolated from one another. However mankind is changing the very fabric of the whole world so fast that extinction is a very real threat for many of the world’s birds. At least a third of the, say ten thousand, species currently recognized (in our books and on our data bases) may become extinct (die-off completely) within our children’s life times.
Thankfully Tanzania remains a very rich country for birds, high in division one of the global league table, certainly in terms of the number of different kinds of birds that have been recorded here. If the scientists were ever able to agree then there might soon be as many as 1500 types of bird recorded from within Tanzania’s borders. Currently we have a list of about 1135 so-called species (species are seemingly reproductively isolated populations – biological units of existence – populations that cannot or do not interbreed successfully with one another).
However ongoing studies in the forest fragments of the various ancient mountains of the Eastern Arc within Tanzania (especially the Udzungwa, Uluguru, Usambara and Pare mountains) reveal that there are certainly many more types of bird that would eventually qualify as species in the near future, and would do so now were they, and we, living in Europe (or North America) where there are of course many more people with the time and resources to study ‘their’ different birds, some as professional ornithologists and many more as amateurs, who go bird watching in their free time, as a recreational pursuit – a hobby. Many of these bird watchers, if they have sufficient time and money like to travel to tropical countries, places that are richer in wildlife than their own, for an annual holiday. We should be encouraging more of these people to come to Tanzania to see our very special birds and the special places in which they live.
The nation of Tanzania, and more especially the mainland of what was called Tanganyika, is especially fortunate because, owing to its large mammal populations, large areas of land were set-aside in former times, often many years ago, where the mammal populations have been protected from the more extreme forms of human exploitation that has taken place elsewhere. Places whose wildlife populations have been almost completely destroyed, either to provide a growing human population with meat (for a short while at least) or because the wild creatures (including many of the plants and insects) were unable to cope with mankind’s rapid adoption of large-scale industrialized farming practices. Fortunately in Tanzania there remain a few quite extensive areas outside the various parks and special hunting blocks where the human population density (and hence the level of our utilization of the environment) remains at a fairly low level. Here different types of indigenous vegetation (i.e. that which is native to an area) continue to clothe the landscape in what is arguably a more or less natural manner. This in turn is determined by the abundance of ‘larger mammals’ which in Africa certainly includes mankind and his livestock, at least where these occur at sustainable population levels.
Consequently there are several examples of what we consider to be relatively intact ecosystems here in Tanzania, those where most of the larger fauna, including even the largest birds, are still present in healthy numbers. This situation contrasts markedly with most of the industrially-developed world, especially so with the smaller, heavily populated rich nations of Europe, where the larger forms of wildlife have been eliminated from the vast majority of the land area, often several hundreds years ago.
There are many people all over the world (including within the tropical and less industrialized nations of Africa, Latin America and Asia) who would like to see East Africa’s wonderful wildlife for themselves, at least once during their lifetime. Most of these people would also enjoy, and clearly benefit from, knowing more about the birds that they see whilst they are traveling here in the very special ‘wild places’ that they visit. Very beautiful creatures, these tropical African birds, the enjoyment of which should be an essential accompaniment to any type of safari experience, whether in the great open savannas, in miombo woodland or mountain forest, either from a car or on foot, inland or near the coast.
We are also very fortunate that in most of Tanzania, in areas like the wooded savanna of Tarangire National Park, in the unique Ngorongoro Conservation Area, on the Serengeti plains, beside Lake Manyara and elsewhere these brightly patterned, colourful birds are remarkably easy to see and, especially if you are fortunate enough to have a pair of binoculars, to watch up close.
Most wageni during the course of a game–drive in the National Parks of Tanzania will notice for themselves the really conspicuous birds such as the Lilac-breasted Roller and Superb Starling, the vultures and eagles, hawks and falcons, the gamebirds such as guineafowl and spurfowl, the hornbills and of course the bigger waterbirds like storks, herons and flamingos and of course the Ostrich. If we as guides are able to draw their attention to (and accurately and confidently identify) many of the countless other smaller or less distinctive birds in the trackside bushes, around the lodges, the camps and picnic sites, on the tree tops and in the air above us, then the wageni will quickly start to spot more of these birds for themselves. In this way their enjoyment and the long term value of their safari with us will have been immeasurably increased. They may even become true birdwatchers in their own right and continue to be so once they have returned home. They will have discovered that there is never a dull moment once you are interested in birds. Indeed one might say that the best thing about the discipline of bird watching is that you can practice it simply anywhere. Even in the greatest cities of the world there are some birds to watch, or out on the wide open oceans and in the coldest and hottest places on Earth there are special, even rare, birds that you can look for. So long as you are out-of-doors and have an eye with which to see, and an ear with which to hear, then you never need fear boredom again.
To become a really good bird-watcher you ideally need to start on the doorstep, at home and ideally on your own. By going outside in some of your free time and writing down in a small pocket-sized note-book (preferably using a good old-fashioned pencil) the birds that you see around you, you will be surprised how fast you learn to recognize them as remarkable individual beings. You should try to do this ‘exercise’ for at least a few minute of every day. Even in the town or city you can start to practice. In your own neighbourhood, simply by finding and visiting the closest big garden, park or patch of open land, or a grove of big old trees. You will of course soon need a knowledgeable guide or birding friend with whom to discuss your observations and/or a clearly illustrated guide book to the birds of your part of the world and ideally you will need somehow to get hold of a pair of robust, clear-focusing binoculars and of course, once you have those binoculars, you will have to look after them properly.
To maintain and develop your interest and knowledge you should number each type of bird, each species that will be described separately in the guide book, as soon as possible after you see and identify it. If you cannot identify it do not worry, just try to draw a simple diagram or sketch of the bird with arrows pointing to the most obvious features. Also, ideally at the end of each bird watching session, try to jot down a rough estimate of how many birds there were of every species and, gradually as you become familiar with the birds you are seeing, make a note of how many males there are how many females, how many young ones and what they are doing – whether they are feeding (and on what), flying over head (in which direction and why), calling or singing, or nesting and so forth. Also at the top of the page write down the date and the time and a very brief record of the weather conditions i.e. if there is a wind and if so from what direction, if it is raining, if it is very hot (or quite cold!) and what portion of the sky is covered by cloud.
Birds are most active in the morning hours, from just before dawn, and activity usually declines markedly after about 1400 hours unless there is a period of heavy cloud and/or rain. Unfortunately the absolute peak of activity for most types of bird is usually around the time of the typical safari breakfast, just as the sunshine starts to warm the land, chasing the kivuli from under the edges of the bushes and trees, and thereby waking-up the diurnal (day-time living) insects and drying out any dew.
From 1400 until 1530 is clearly a good time to imitate the birds’ behaviour and to rest quietly in the cool of some deep shade – whether inside or out. There is a slight increase in bird activity once again from 1530/1600 hours picking-up especially toward sunset, at this time many birds begin to fly across the landscape seeking their roost sites (sleeping places) for the coming night.
Birds are also seasonally more intensely active and active for a greater part of the day, before and during the breeding season. They have to attract and attend to their mates, in some cases to find, proclaim and defend a territory, to find adequate nutrition for the development of embryo and egg and then to feed and care for their young. The timing and intensity of the nesting period varies greatly in a large tropical country with pronounced seasonal changes of climate, such as Tanzania. Not only does the nesting period vary between the different major evolutionary divisions of the birds (e.g. it is different for seabirds than for birds of prey, and different again for the various types of waterbirds, for the insectivorous song birds compared with the seed-eating ones and so forth) but it also varies for all of these birds between seasons according to the pronounced variations across the land surface in the timing, duration and amount of rain that may fall in any one year.
Most kinds of bird do not particularly like being in a strong wind and very windy conditions force us, the birdwatchers, to refine our behaviour, to alter both our strategy and our tactics, that is to adjust our field craft.
Good field craft is the very essence of good bird watching, or simply of good birding, as it is so often called these days. In most places, even ‘up in the northern countries’ especially when I was a child (forty years ago), bird watching or birding is, or at least used to be, conducted mostly on foot.
One went for a walk, and at the same time you were going bird watching.
Walking-in is still the most fundamental way of going bird watching, and mastering this truly ancient skill remains as essential today as it was when we were aiming to obtain that special bird (or bird’s egg – for I was an amateur egger as a youth) for the all-important cooking pot, or to add it to our skins or eggs collection, stuffed in a cabinet, or lying neatly-blown on cotton wool in a museum drawer.
If you already have any experience at all of hunting birds (or of hunting animals in general) then you should already have much more than a basic understanding of what is required in birding field craft.
Firstly we have to really appreciate the type of terrain, the habitat, in which we are trying to bird. The habitat is the appropriate or existing nature of an area, in terms of its elevation, aspect, soils, vegetation and especially upon the level of ‘natural disturbance’ that is taking place – whether this be through human farming activities or by foraging wild mammals. This habitat is where we try to find whatever kind of bird it is that we are ‘hunting’ i.e. the bird we are searching for and hoping to watch or to show to others.
How we proceed with our bird-walk therefore depends very much on whether or not we are searching for a particular kind of bird, the habitat requirements being at least slightly different for each type of bird. More importantly our progress will depend on whether we are searching mainly for terrestrial birds, hiding in tangles on or near the floor of an evergreen forest (this is definitely where the most skill and endurance is required of us) or for finding tree top and canopy dwellers, marsh birds, shore birds, desert birds and so forth. Our attention to field craft is most important in a dense, structurally complex environment e.g. in a mature forest and least so when in a relatively featureless open one e.g. from the deck of a ship at sea! Despite having said this, to some extent at least, many of the basic principles of bird watching will remain the same wherever we are.
Let us assume that we are bird watching, on foot, in the most demanding circumstances of a forest or densely wooded area. We should always remember first and foremost to keep ourselves as inconspicuous as is possible. We must also keep our disturbance of this environment to an absolute minimum. So, by inconspicuous we mean both as regards our visual appearance and, just as important when bird-watching, as regards the amount of noise that we make. This means that we should wear loose-fitting, neutral clothing i.e. darkish (preferably variations on a theme of greenish-olive or brownish-grey), and trousers, shirt and perhaps a waistcoat or jacket that do not squeak and rustle whilst we walk. Probably we should wear a dark hat with a peak or brim as well, both in order to shade and also to conceal our eyes, and most important of all, we must continue to remember - avoid making any unnecessary noise!
To do this we must be very careful, watching how and where we walk, checking the path ahead for dry twigs and leaves on which we might step, be mindful of what we say to our partner or partners if we have any, keeping that human voice right down to a very quiet, gentle whisper and especially we must keep unnecessary limb movements to a very deliberate minimum. Do not jump about or make sudden waving and pointing hand signals and flamboyant gestures with our arms, because most birds will be startled by, and react evasively to them. That means they will fly, or hop, or walk quickly away not only from any noises to which they are unaccustomed but also, and even more so, from any sudden flashing movements made by a large ground-dwelling creature, one that is potentially dangerous, such as ourselves.
It does not matter where we are, on which continent or in what habitat, nor in which season of the year, we should always remember that the fastest (if not the only) way to mastering bird study is too learn, as intimately as is possible, the way of life of each of the different kinds of birds in our area. We should aim to become familiar with them in much the same way as we become familiar with our human friends and acquaintances. And in doing this we shall soon recognize that for many kinds of bird vocalization (that is communication through sound) is almost as important as is seeing through vision. Sound, and especially the production of different songs, is the chief means by which one type of quite similar looking bird becomes, and/or remains, ecologically segregated from another similarly sized bird, or close relative, who is living in the same or in an adjacent habitat.
This means that, if we want to make rapid progress in bird identification, not only must we try to learn to recognize the birds by their physical appearance but also by the different noises that they make. These noises proclaim even a relatively small bird’s identity, its physical condition and its intentions to all others, across considerable distancs and through, or over, densely vegetated environments, where the faculty of sight is only really useful when the birds are right up close to one another.
Fortunately bird songs can be considered very beautiful in their own right, and so it is becomes a real pleasure to learn to recognize, and to become familiar with, these songs. Exactly in the same way as it can be so pleasing to listen to different human songs, by different artists and to listen to different kinds of musical instruments whether performed solo or by a band or orchestra. Songs and calls (referred to as vocalizations by American birders), are not only provide a means of quickly and easily finding out who is there that we cannot at present see, but also of recognizing and knowing more of the bird community that surrounds us at any one time. Of course this takes some time, but it is something we can all achieve at least in those particular areas in which we spend most of our guiding time.
Learning songs and calls becomes a very valuable short-cut to identification that enables us to make far more efficient use of our time out in the field, both in terms of knowing which birds are in effect hidden from view out there in the bush, and of being able to confidently separate, once seen, one very similar-looking little brown job (abbreviated to lbj – i.e. any small brownish bird) from another. And who knows, of being able to recognize that this particular lbj who might be calling and singing in front of us one day in the undergrowth of the forests of the Udzungwa mountains, surely cannot be the same biological unit of birdness as the one we heard and saw, say last week, in the Mahale mountains, even though the bird guide-book says, in effect, that they are simply one and the same thing. Now we are really making progress with our birding, we are getting on top of our game, and we are becoming true field ornithologists.
