On 20th August, a group consisting of Itai Shanni, Chege Kariuki,
Andrew Kamiti, Richard and Ann Bishop, Daniel Vaknin and myself
departed Nairobi for another short look at the Garissa region.
On the first expedition back in May we spent much time completing a
630km circuit Garissa back to Garissa so that whilst getting into some
other habitats we spent much of the time travelling even though we had
one day longer than on this occasion. For this trip we concentrated on
our original Collared Lark site, and the fairly immediate vicinity,
spending most of our time in the bush and collecting interesting data.

On the previous trip no mention was made of the Bafirawari Flycatcher
in the report published on the net, as the research had not commenced
at that point, but it was mentioned in forthcoming text. As well as
the Collared Lark we wanted to get more information on this enigmatic
flycatcher, treated as the species Wahjeir Grey Flycatcher in
Mackworth-Praed and Grant, but subsequently relegated to a desert form
of Pale Flycatcher by subsequent authors, although some recent
checklists have reinstated it specifically. Thus forgotten, when we
rediscovered this form on our first sortie it had not been reported
since it's initial collection back in 1940.

David Fisher located the type specimen in the collection at Tring, and
although it is not known for certain how Jackson's collection was
subsequently distributed, Robert Prys-Jones the curator indicated that
much of it crossed the Atlantic. In the pure stands of Commiphora
(species not identified) with scattered Acacia turnbulliana, it was
the most common bird species in that habitat, maybe up to one-hundred
individuals were seen on our investigations here, but only two Grey
Flycatchers of the race burae were seen in this habitat. By contrast
in areas of scrubby Acacias with scattered Commiphora and Balanites,
Grey Flycatcher was common but bafirawari was completely absent. As it
was common in all pure Commiphora stands that we visited, this seems
to be a real ecological separation of the two species.

The indication of the presence of Bafirawari  came from a photograph
that I took hurriedly whilst racing to catch up with a singing
Collared Lark whose vocalisations at the time were unrecorded. Not
much attention was given to the flycatchers whilst we were present, as
our focus was on the Lark, which itself at that time had not been seen
by any living ornithologist since 1967, and was far more spectacular
than the dowdy flycatcher whose importance was not realised until
after we had returned.

Breeding had obviously finished, most birds were pairs, but there were
trios and the very occasional group of four. Only one individual young
bird still showing traces of speckled immature plumage was seen and
this was photographed by Chege. For the best part the birds were
completely silent, but one group was chattering and singing, sadly
this was not recorded with a microphone but as part of a video where
it is rather quiet. The birds were flighty and active in the early
mornings, and difficult to approach, but by the middle of the day when
it was warmer they became more lethargic and sought the shade in the
depths of the leafless Commiphoras.

It is difficult to imagine how this isolated high density species with
such restrictive habitat requirements in the  sub-desert, is
conspecific with the very different looking and very low density Pale
Flycatcher of the high-rainfall, broad-leaved forest edges in the
remainder of Kenya. I feel sure that DNA work on the Tring specimen
will show this form as a specific entity, but this will require the
follow-up of scientists in this field which is beyond the scope of our
field observations.

Here is a comparison of our widespread murinus with bafirawari.

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Bafirawari is a smaller, slender and longer-tailed, short-winged grey
and whitish bird with quite a striking face pattern and low crown.
Pale is a stout bird with a short tail, upperparts are brown
(especially the wings), underparts are soiled white and buffy, lacking
any facial pattern, and a high domed crown.

IN DETAIL
Head: Bafirawari shows a long and heavy entirely black bill, whereas
pallidus has a short and weak dark bill with an extensive pale base to
the lower mandible. Bafirawari has a very broad and conspicuous white
supercilium extending from the back of the eye to the lores and in
some birds across the lower forehead, together with the white ring on
the lower eye-lid gives the bird a very bespectacled look. Behind the
eye is a long blackish line that separates the grey crown from the
grey face. The black line also extends from the front of the eye to
the base of the lower mandible. Pale lacks a face pattern, or at most
some birds may show a faint paler loral line and a dark line to the
base of the mandible. There is no dark line behind the eye, more than
a dark folding of the feathers.
Wings: Bafirawari has blackish flight feathers, these are
conspicuously, narrowly and neatly edged whitish on the inner
primaries, the secondaries and wing coverts. The closed wing at times
appears as a pale panel on the secondaries, and the primaries all
dark. The dramatic length of the tail makes the wings look short.
Pallidus has brownish or dark greyish, not blackish flight feathers,
with pale to warm buff edgings that are finer, less contrasting and
untidy. On the closed wing these pale edges can be seen on the
primaries. From some angles Bafirawari shows a very rounded wing.
Tail: Bafirawari has a long narrow tail, paler and greyer than flight
feathers, narrowly edged whitish. Outer tail feathers are shorter than
central tail, giving a rounded tail, and from below a graduated  tail
with the longer inner tail protruding well below the shorter outers.
Pale has a shorter tail with the feathers of equal length, this gives
a square-ended impression.
Underparts: Bafirawari is consistently pale, with a very white throat,
and the underparts like the rest of the bird have no traces of any
buff or warm colouration. Pale is variable but not as pale, usually
there is a warmer tinge rather than just pale grey and white.
Habits: Bafirawari is a very light and graceful bird in flight, and
when perched the unfanned tail is frequently raised over the back much
like a scrub-robin. Whilst perched the tail is usually in motion,
either being flicked, raised, even swung to the side. It is used as a
balance, actually pointed forward under the branch on which it is
perched. Most flights are only a metre or so above the ground. Food is
taken on the ground from a raised perch. Pale is a heavy and rather
ponderous flycatcher, that behaves more like a chat dropping down on
its prey from a raised perch sometimes as high as a telephone wire.
The perched bird flicks it tail at times, but does not usually raise
it over the back for any length of time.

Of the remaining species there were no surprises. The area was very
dry and leafless, birds were quite silent but in spite of the drought
the place did not appear as devastatingly dry as parts of the Ukambani
from Matuu to Mwingi.
The roads were in good condition, some of the worst parts met with
three months previously had been repaired.
On the twenty kilometres of tarmac through the Commiphora/Terminalia
woodland west of Garissa we had road-killed Caracal, Aardwolf, Civet,
Common Genet, Desert Warthog, Aardvark and Crested Porcupine. If this
is a nightly event, then the slaughter on this road is massive.



SPECIES RECORDED NORTH-EAST OF GARISSA. 20th to 22nd August 2009


Vulturine Guineafowl
Only one party of some twenty-five birds near Shimbirey.

Marabou Stork
Commonly found around settlements, even small ones, with larger
numbers in Garissa.

Sacred Ibis
Only seen in Garissa where a common scavenger.

Hadada Ibis
Frequent along the river in Garissa.

Cattle Egret
Only found in settled areas with livestock and surface water.

Pygmy Falcon
Six birds encountered.

Eastern Chanting-Goshawk
The most abundant raptor, about thirty seen throughout area.

Buff-crested Bustard
A very common species throughout the area, at least thirty seen, with
others heard.

Spotted Thick-knee
One seen but a few heard in the evenings and early mornings near Shimbirey.

Spur-winged Plover
Odd pairs seen near major centres with surface water.

Black-headed Plover
Extremely common roadside bird.

Heuglin's Courser
Commonly heard dawn and dusk, one seen east of Garissa.

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Quite common, but not as numerous as the next species.

Black-faced Sandgrouse
Extremely common species throughout the area, very many hundreds seen
in flocks, singles and pairs.

Feral Pigeon
Domestic-type Pigeons were met with at most of the larger settlements.

Speckled Pigeon
Two were seen near  Shimbirey.

African Mourning Dove
Only seen around Garissa.

Ring-necked Dove
Abundant throughout the area, concentrating on the roads mornings and evenings.

Laughing Dove
Greatly outnumbered by Ring-necked Dove.

Orange-bellied Parrot
Only a few closer to Garissa.

White-bellied Go-away-bird
Seen regularly throughout the area visited.

Little Swift
Not seen in the area apart from near Garissa.

African Palm Swift
Common around Garissa.

Blue-naped Mousebird
Small numbers throughout the area.

Little Bee-eater
Only two pairs encountered.

Somali Bee-eater
Four seen near Shimbirey.

Abyssinian Scimitarbill
Very few encountered.

Red-billed Hornbill
Commonly encountered.

Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
In the area we visited this was the most numerous hornbill.

Von der Decken's Hornbill
Very few encountered.

Black-throated Barbet
Frequently encountered in the area visited.

D'Arnaud's Barbet
Only  a single bird heard.

Nubian Woodpecker
Commonly met with throughout the area.

Cardinal Woodpecker
Several birds recorded.

Collared Lark
Very quiet compared to visit three months previously. Some six birds
found, but a very low density compared to the bush/kilometres walked.
A few others heard to call (not sing) mornings and evenings.

Pink-breasted Lark
Small numbers throughout the area visited.

Wire-tailed Swallow
A few in Garissa.

African Pied Wagtail
Several in Garissa.

Dodson's Bulbul  (will be lumped with Common Bulbul).
Only a very few individuals seen in the areas we searched.

Scaly Chatterer
A party of four near Garissa.

Pale Prinia
Fairly common and found throughout.

Brown-tailed Apalis (will be lumped with Yellow-breasted Apalis).
Small numbers widespread in the scrub.

Grey Wren-Warbler
Only a few birds encountered.

Yellow-vented Eremomela
Fairly common and usually part of the mixed feeding parties.

Somali Long-billed Crombec
Fairly common in the area searched.

African Bare-eyed Thrush
Only isolated individuals met with on a few occasions.

White-winged Scrub Robin (will remain included in White-browed Scrub-Robin).
A few seen in most areas examined, but no-where common.

African Grey Flycatcher
Two individuals with the abundant Bafirawari Flycatcher, but common
where acacias and not commiphoras dominate.

Bafirawari Flycatcher
Bradornis bafirawari was abundant and the commonest bird species in
the dominant commiphora areas examined.

Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird
Fairly frequently encountered.

Hunter's Sunbird
The commonest sunbird species throughout the area visited.

Variable Sunbird
The attractive white-bellied form was encountered commonly.

Golden-breasted Starling
Met with on a number of occasions but never more than four in a group.
It was not seen in the pure commiphora stands, as with other starling
species.

Superb Starling
Common and widespread but not in the pure commiphora areas.

Fischer's Starling
Extremely common near Shimbirey, but not seen in the pure commiphora stands.

Pygmy Batis
One of the most widespread and numerous species in the scrub.

Rosy-patched Bushshrike
No more than five individuals encountered.

Pringle's Puffback
A commonly seen and particularly heard species all through the area in
all local habitats away from the riverine at Garissa.

Red-naped Bush-shrike
One individual heard in the commiphora was not to be seen. This was
the only record in the Shimbirey area, in spite of a day of tape
playing no others could be located. This species is far rarer here
than in the mixed Acacia/Commiphora of Tsavo West.

Brubru
Only three sightings in the area.

Northern White-crowned Shrike
A fairly frequent, but locally encountered species. Again appeared to
be absent from the purer commiphora woodland.

Fork-tailed Drongo
Small numbers widespread usually loosely associated with feeding parties.

Pied Crow
Single and pairs usually present at permanent settlements, but not
encountered in the bush.

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Small numbers around Shimbirey, but avoiding the purer commiphora stands.


Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-Weaver
Two birds only along the road to Shimbirey.

Black-capped Social Weaver
Scarce with a few flocks in the Shimbirey area.

House Sparrow
Common in every permanent settlement. But absent from the bush.

Parrot-billed Sparrow (will be lumped with Grey-headed Sparrow).
Only a few birds seen, all associated with settlements.

Yellow-spotted Petronia
Common throughout the area.

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
Seem frequently throughout, but not nearly as numerous as the next species.

White-headed Buffalo Weaver
Numerous and seen throughout the area.

Green-winged Pytilia
Only a few seen in the Shimbirey area.

Northern Grosbeak-Canary
This was a surprisingly common species, and met with in several locations.

White-bellied Canary
A total of five only, met with on two sites.

Somali Golden-breasted Bunting
Fairly frequent and found throughout the area.


BIRDS RECORDED IN THE COMMIPHORA/TERMINALIA WOODLAND WEST OF GARISSA


Martial Eagle
Eastern Chanting Goshawk
Gabar Goshawk
Buff-crested Bustard
Black-headed Lapwing
Ring-necked Dove
White-bellied Go-away-bird
Blue-naped Mousebird
Abyssinian Scimitarbill
Red-billed Hornbill
Von der Decken's Hornbill
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Black-throated Barbet
D'Arnaud's Barbet
Nubian Woodpecker
Eastern Black-headed Batis
Pygmy Batis
Slate-colored Boubou
Black-headed Oriole
Fork-tailed Drongo
Pied Crow
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Lark
Brown-tailed Apalis
Grey Wren-Warbler
Northern Crombec
Somali Long-billed Crombec
Golden-breasted Starling
Superb Starling
Fischer's Starling
African Bare-eyed Thrush
White-winged Scrub Robin
African Grey Flycatcher
Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird
Hunter's Sunbird
Tsavo Sunbird
Variable Sunbird
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Parrot-billed Sparrow
Yellow-spotted Petronia
Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
White-headed Buffalo Weaver
Lesser Masked Weaver
Green-winged Pytilia
Somali Golden-breasted Bunting


MAMMALS
Scrub Hare
Unstriped Ground Squirrel
Great Crested Porcupine
African Civet
Common Genet
Caracal
Lion
Somali Dwarf Mongoose
Spotted Hyena
Aardwolf
Pipistrelle sp
Epauletted Fruit-Bat sp
Vervet Monkey
Aardvark
Desert Warthog
Reticulated Giraffe
Grant's Gazelle
Gerenuk
Guenther's Dik-dik
Kirk's Dik-dik
Salt's Dik-Dik
Lesser Kudu


REPTILES
Speke's Sand Lizard
Southern Long-tailed Lizard
Agama sp
Somali Painted Agama