Dear All,
You will remember the posting 25th January 2010, regarding the
confusion reigning in the status and distribution of Black-cheeked and
Black-faced Waxbills in Kenya…..
Today 16th May, Nigel Hunter came around at 6.30am and we set off for
the Magadi Road.  The aim of this excursion was to test the claims of
sympatry for Black-faced Estrilda erythronotus and Black-cheeked
Waxbill Estrilda charmosyna .  The claims of these two birds living
together had always struck me as rather strange.
It was a nice morning and we stopped at a few spots and listened, but
no sign of the waxbills. Finally we arrived at the Camel Road shortly
before the descent to Ol Tepesi we stopped for breakfast coffee.
Whilst pouring, a Black-cheeked or faced Waxbill called, and leaving
the cups half-full we abandoned breakfast to look for it. We walked
along the badly charcoaled creek, checking the remaining trees and
came back on the other bank towards the car. I spotted a juvenile
Steel-blue Whydah. It’s a very distinctive plumage, probably making it
the easiest of small non-adult male whydahs to identify,  and yet it
has never been illustrated in any field guide, or any adequate
description given in text. The bird is all grey-brown with a very
conspicuous black face, mimicking its hosts the Black-cheeked and
Black-faced Waxbills. I thought it might be worth staying with this
bird which was positioned right near the car, and we soon also spotted
two female Steel-blues “hanging” around the same area.
Soon a waxbill came in to join these birds, and it had a completely
white throat. We were elated believing the bird to be of the race
kiwanukae. Then another bird flew in with what initially looked like
food. This bird disappeared into the centre of a Cordia ovalis
(Sandpaper Tree), where the three Steel-blues were also tucked away.
Wonderful we thought a pair of Black-cheeked Waxbill feeding
Steel-blue Whydah adoptees. Then the waxbill emerged from the Cordia,
and revealed itself as a male Black-faced Waxbill  erythronotus! All
black throat, bright red flanks and solid black vent., this bird
looked identical to the race delamerei from Nairobi NP. Both birds
flew off, but the Steel-blues stayed and had aerial chases around the
tree. It seemed a safe bet that they would return and so we stayed
with the whydahs. After a while a delamerei-like bird came back with a
great wad of nesting material and disappeared into the Cordia, and the
huge nest some two feet long was immediately apparent. Another male
plumaged Black-faced came into the Cordia, but was chased off by the
first male. A male Black-faced came back and gathered more nest
material from near the nesting tree, and entered the nest. Then to our
amazement, the Black-cheeked flew in and also entered the nest. These
birds were a nesting pair!!!
An adult male Steel-blue Whydah flew overhead chasing a female, and
landed in some thornscrub not too far away. Stills and videos were
taken of the entire assemblage, including black-throated,
black-undertail presumed male, and white-throated uniform pale
undertail and entire underparts lacking crimson on the flanks. The
birds were vocal around the nest, both sounding the same.

So in trying to solve the mystery of sympatry in these two forms we
have come up with so many more unanswered questions, though admittedly
from a sample of one.

Are the claims of Estrilda charmosyna  along the Magadi Road merely a
female plumage of Estrilda erythronotus.  I would suggest that this is
the case here, and only erythronotus is found on Magadi Road.

If this is the case it explains the other claims of sympatry in Tsavo,
but we need people to be on the look-out for mixed pairs in this area
(or better still details of both birds at the nest).

If it were merely a sexual difference in plumage, why then do birds
north (Nairobi) and south (along the Tanzanian border) only show
black-throats in both sexes?

Is the race on Magadi Road the same as that of Tsavo and is this kiwanukae?

Is the race delamerei sourrounding kiwanukae on three sides, Nairobi,
Maasai Mara and the Tanzanian border area?

Is it that kiwanukae genuinely absent from Tanzania, is the reason
that no white-throated forms have ever been found in that country. But
what happens over the border from Tsavo region?

Now what is going on with the Steel-blue Whydahs?

The black-faced immature I have always thought as a male plumage, but
can it occur in both sexes. It would make sense that both sexes when
with young erythronotus/charmosyna have black faces and blend in.

In an immature plumage the young bird is unlikely to have mated either
as a male or female, and yet it was staying in the same area as the
waxbills and the two female-plumaged Steel-blues.

Before the nest was discovered, or the birds were seen carrying
nesting material, one waxbill entered a bush with what looked like a
food item whilst the black-faced Steel-blue was inside the bush, and
the waxbill was thought to be feeding the young bird, although no such
transfer was seen. Was this then still a dependent of the waxbills,
even though it appeared very agile and perfectly capable of finding
its own food. It made no effort at independent feeding and just sat
around the edge of the bushes, waiting.

Do the progeny of brood parasitism remain with the foster-parents long
after the genuine nestlings have departed up to the point of the
planning of the next brood?

The adult male Steel-blue showed no interest at all in the nesting
waxbills, or the female Steel-blues that were stationed near the nest.
Even though he was actively displaying and chasing females nearby.
Does this infer that the two females were mated birds waiting for the
waxbills to lay before inserting their own eggs into the nest.

Is there a record of multiple brood parasites attendant on one nest?

Having now seen suggestive evidence that kiwanukae belongs with
erythronotus and not charmosyna as previously thought, I still feel
that charmosyna/pallidior are not conspecific with erythronotus,  in
having a more sibilant call, slender structure and more dramatic
plumage differences. The structural, vocal and plumage similarities of
kiwanukae to erythronotus rather than  charmosyna are then better
explained by changing the affinities.

Attached images: Top left to right  Male at nest, female at nest,
female near nest
Bottom left female at nest, then to right four insets, imm SBW and
another view below that, bottom right ad male SBW display, female
waiting by waxbill nest below that.


PREVIOUS POSTINGS

25TH JANUARY 2010……..
Dear All,
In Kenya, we are familiar with Black-faced Waxbill Estrilda
erythronotus, whereas for most of us we see Black-cheeked Waxbill
Estrilda charmosyna much less frequently, however this is the
widespread species, and it is erythronotus that has a restricted range
in this country. It is common around Nairobi all down to the Tanzanian
border (?), and likewise the distribution extends over the southern
border into the Maasai Mara and Tsavo (?).
Originally the two birds were treated as races of the same species,
although they were separated a long time ago now, but is it possible
that the complex includes a third species!?
I have attached photographs of charmosyna from Kongelai in NW Kenya,
Haberswein in NE Kenya, and Samburu in E Kenya. The most marked thing
about these birds when encountered is that they are so pale by
comparison with erythronotus, and lack red on belly and flanks,
although there is a pink tinge. So that when the birds are illustrated
from south of the equator towards the Tanzanian border areas of Tsavo
and Magadi Road, they are illustrated with the same dark plumage as
erythronotus. It is this that had led me (up to now) to think that
these records of charmosyna in southern Kenya have been mis-identified
or seen badly. As the colouration of the eastern/northern charmosyna
is so very different.
Having just visited Tsavo this past weekend, we located some waxbills
at Sagala Lodge and took photographs of the birds that were inhabiting
the Commiphora/Delonix/Acacia woodland. We were struggling to see a
black throat, on what looked superficially like erythronotus, and try
as we might, whilst the birds had a thin black line across the throat
at the base of the bill, the throat was pale. The birds were fairly
common (especially at owl-mobs), and once captivated by the presence
of an owlet remained confined to a small area and were easier to
study. As far as I know charmosyna is not recorded for Tanzania, but
this form must be found in the contiguous habitat that crosses the
border. (?)
I have attached an image of the typical erythronotus from Nairobi. The
black throat is very extensive and obvious, this is bordered by a
narrow whitish band that borders the lower part of the face patch and
continues across the throat. Overall the bird is dark toned, the
underparts reddish tinged grey across the belly and upper chest, a
deeper red band across the lower breast, striking red flanks, and
blackish lower belly to crissum.
A comparison of the photograph charmosyna (?) attached, that comes
from Sagala Lodge last Saturday, leads to many differences. The face
is black, but the throat is greyish, the birds share the white border
to the black face but this is restricted to the lower edge of the
face, but is absent on the black edge that borders the throat. The
underparts lack red, mainly buffy-grey on the upper chest, shading to
no striking red-flanks. Above the two birds are very similar.
Checking the illustrations in Stevenson and Fanshawe, it became very
evident, that the erythronotus painting is incredibly awful, and not
looking anything like a Kenyan member of the species. The extent of
the black on the throat is virtually identical here in erythronotus
and charmosyna, and this poor representation will only lead to
confusion for anyone attempting to identify the species. The only
difference shown is dark as opposed to pale lower belly to undertail
coverts, and a subtle difference in flank colouration. I then examined
Zimmermann and Turner, where the differences were much better
illustrated, having used a bird resembling northern pale charmosyna,
although again the erythronotus isn’t very impressive as regards to
accuracy in colour it does at least show the extent of the black
throat.
Comparing my photographs of typical northern and eastern charmosyna
with these southern birds, many features are shared, absence of red on
chest and flanks, both with paler underparts than erythronotus, and
paler lower belly to undertail coverts, but the northern and eastern
birds show a very contrasting white throat and white forehead, as
opposed to greyish. They do not show any black line across the throat
at the base of the bill unlike the noticeable narrow black line of
southern charmosyna (?). Their lower belly/undertail coverts region is
much whiter, and overall the ground colouration is much paler.
Southern birds are robust and dark-hued, not as dark as erythronotus,
but nothing as pale as northern and eastern charmosyna, which also
appear smaller, and much slighter and delicate in the field. The
general appearance of southern charmosyna (?) is almost as robust as
erythronotus.
There is obviously a lot to learn about these three forms in Kenya,
the southern form of charmosyna (?) having never been described. With
the claim that dark charmosyna have occurred sympatrically with
erythronotus on the Magadi road, such studies can start on our
doorstep!
This is only a preliminary “wake-up” to make birders aware of the
interesting situation, wherever there is a “?” it means that now we
need confirmation of the record.
I have attached a selection of photographs of charmosyna from various
locations, I apologise for the standard, but they all tell the story.
It would be of interest if everyone could dig out their erythronotus
and charmosyna photographs and see what they have.
Please look carefully at all of the Black-faced/cheeked Waxbills met
with in this country, and in border areas with Tanzania, and report on
what form is where, and especially if there is any area of sympatry.
Best to all
Brian



MORE ON BLACK-CHEEKED/FACED WAXBILLS…..
Dear All,
I have done some more research regarding Black-cheeked Waxbill
Estrilda charmosyna.
I have received emails from Neil Baker and Matt Aeberhard in Tanzania
who say that they have never come across the bird in Tanzania, and
that there are no records south of our border.
I stated incorrectly that the southern dark form was undescribed, this
was wrong it is described as distinct from the nominate, as Estrilda
charmosyna kiwanukae. On trying to learn more of this I came across
the following.

Mackworth-Praed and Grant
Treat erythronotus (race delamerei) and charmosyna as erythronotus,
not being aware of kiwanukae. Charmosyna has an eastern and northern
distribution.

Stevenson and John Fanshawe
Make no mention of the existence of kiwanukae, even though that is
what they have illustrated instead of the widespread nominate. The map
shows no crossing into Tanzania.

Zimmermann and Turner
Give details of the dark second form of Black-cheeked as Estrilda
charmosyna kiwanukae, but the range is endemic to Magadi Road as far
as Olorgesailie and sympatric with Estrilda erythronotus delamerei
over this range. Their map shows its proximity to the Tanzanian
border, but not quite reaching it.

Britton
Is pre erythronotus/charmosyna split and both are treated under
Black-cheeked Waxbill, the pre-split name which now is reserved for
charmosyna. However the distribution under the charmosyna umbrella
with no mention or recognition of kiwanukae, is given as also
occurring in Thika, Simba and both East and West Tsavo, as well as
Lake Magadi/Olorgesailie.

Howard and Moore
Recognises  charmosyna as distinct from erythronotus, and the
existence of three races of charmosyna.  Nominate is in Somalia, S.
Ethiopia, S. Sudan, Uganda and N. Kenya. A race pallidior is given as
C. Kenya, which presumably relates to the Thika record in Britton.
Finally kiwanukae is given as S Kenya and N. Tanzania.

Clements
Compounds the story by calling erythronotus Black-cheeked Waxbill, and
charmosyna as Red-rumped Waxbill! However whilst not recognising
pallidior, he does list nominate as much the same distribution as
Howard and Moore, except in Kenya where he has it only in the NE.
Kiwanukae is given S Kenya to extreme N Tanzania.

Clement, Harris and Davis, Finches and Sparrows
This is the monograph of the estrildids. More confusion in common
names as Black-faced Waxbill is used for the DRC endemic Estrilda
nigriloris. They were not recognising charmosyna as a species, and
include it in with erythronotus which they call Black-cheeked Waxbill.
Monograph or not, a look at the plate will show an enormous screw-up.
I started reading the text, and they were stating that delamerei was
very different from the southern nominate, and so I wanted to see just
how different it looked on the plate (45), and lo and behold the bird
labelled as delamerei is in fact kiwanukae race of charmosyna, so then
looking at what they were calling charmosyna, it is in fact delamerei!
Of the five illustrations there is no nominate charmosyna illustrated.
Referring back to the text, it further stated that charmosyna might be
a distinct species from erythronotus.  For distributions charmosyna is
given as extending south to Tsavo East and West, kiwanukae though is
given southern Kenya from Magadi to Teita (which mean an overlap of
charmosyna and kiwanukae in Tsavos!!!), to Olduvai and Dodoma, N.
Tanzania. They do not mention pallidior.

So the truth of these three forms in East Africa is still wide open
for some proper investigation, as it would seem that in all
publications, only confusion reigns.

Best to all
Brian

 

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