[KENYABIRDSNET] Re: Birding North of Garissa. Also wildcat, giraffe & dik-diks

Hi,

Concerning that cat, it is an African wildcat. Initially I thought this to be an adult female (because very gracile), but looks like a bit of the scrotum can be seen in Image 1.

This is a very widespread and variable species...with ca. 16 subspecies named within Africa. The tail does look long. The literature indicates that the length of the tail is typically 50-60% the length of the head + body. The tail of the cat in the images looks to be ca. 65-70% that of the head + body. So, indeed, a relatively long tail...but still an African wildcat.

I think that I see a little rusty-brown tint on the few hairs visible from the back of the ears. This is said to be a good indication that any African wildcat in question is not an African wildcat x domestic cat hybrid...as someone in this email chain suggested. In any case, I do not recall seeing a domestic cat with a tail this long. I suspect that there are few domestic cats in this region.

Last September, Yvonne de Jong and I drove from the Tana River Primate National Reserve (near Garsen) to Garissa and on to Habaswein (=Habswein) via Mado Gashe...and back to Garissa. About 40 Kirk's dik-dik seen. About 10 desert warthog seen (no common warthog). What was most surprising was the number of reticulated giraffe encountered...roughly 60 individuals...one herd of 7. These animals were relatively unafraid, suggesting that they are not being hunted. Several seen right on the edge of Garissa. I wonder if the 'Giraffe People' are aware of what seems to be a good population of reticulated giraffe in this region...particularly between Garissa and and Habaswein.

As for the birds, the mammals of this region are poorly documented region. Somewhere NE of Garissa, Kirk's dik-dik gives way to Salt's dik-dik, and Guenther's dik-dik is said to also occur. We'd be interested in any good colour photos from this region of dik-diks (back and face photos are most useful) and warthogs (face photos are most useful). Is there sympatry among dik-dik species at some sites in this region? Do common warthog occur in this region?

Best regards,

Tom

In a message dated 5/13/2019 12:25:46 PM E. Africa Standard Time, kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com writes:

Thanks so much for all this Chege,
Can I use your images as a back up for the nominate Somali Sparrow
submission? I must admit that I too noticed that the tail of the Wild
Cat was extraordinarily long and took the liberty of forwarding it to
Tom Butynski who has all of the mammal people contacts that exist and
was sure it would be of interest to them.

Back to Somali Sparrows, it certainly looks now like we have been
quietly invaded!

Very best and will let you know as soon as anything comes concerning the cat,
Brian

On 5/13/19, 'chege wa kariuki' chege@birdwatchingeastafrica.com
[kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
> Dear Brian, Itai, Don James, Darcy and all
>
> Thank you for your notes, comments and concern about the species and do
> appreciate that you all enjoyed reading the notes.
>
>
>
> I checked my notes too on safaris I did with clients to the area and we had
> no records of Somali Sparrows. Now I think I should have photographed all in
> each centre but while at this trading centres I did avoid using camera..
> However I tried my best to photographed some individual for the record on
> one trading centre before Mado Gashe.
>
>
>
> Looking at the Somali Sparrow on a whole dimension I dag out some old photos
> from different places I have seen them. I could find more if only I was well
> organized with my photo filing. So Im still missing some good shots that I
> can remember taking.
>
>
>
> Anyway on the attached photo
>
> “A” marked photos are of 1 individual male bird from North of Garissa. Birds
> marked “B” are a single bird in different angle on the same trading centre.
> Female B was together with individual male B. I put the head part because I
> would have thought individual A might be hybrid though having more chestnut
> head than the 2 photos (photo 2&3) of hybrid birds in Turbi (middle left).
> But looking at the bird North of Garissa “A”I would question myself what are
> the crown feather colors when molting from an immature bird to subadult and
> subadult to adult? May be the bird North of Garissa A that I think and call
> it hybrid is just another Somali Sparrow molting comparing with photo 2&3.
>
>
>
> I also dag out my yellow birds from Kapedo that I have always called
> breeding males because the illustration on Stevenson saying breeding male.
> So naturally that made me think others were non breeding males when yellow
> was absent. I did not photograph but I 90% think I remember a yellow bird on
> a bridge north of Marsabit but would have to keep an eye if back there
>
>
>
> Then I added the Selempo’s one at the Sala Gate and I added a House Sparrow
> they were feeding together on the same flock before flying on the building
>
>
>
> Thanks too for looking at my mystery bird. I hope we can know what it was
> and can be found again.
>
>
>
> Don I really did doubt my cat when I looked at the illustration on the
> Kingdon’s field guide. This cat looks thin and elongated than what the
> illustration shows but ok the marking of the front legs and the tail do
> much. If there were races then that might be the reason.
>
>
>
> James… The mystery birds about 15 to 20km north of junction to Rahole
> National Reserve and Mado Gashe
>
>
>
> Anyway with all these questions on birds north of Garissa I think it would
> be a high time we went back there as a group
>
> Many thanks for now
>
> Chege
>
>
>
>
>
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> From: kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com <kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com> On
> Behalf Of Don Turner don@originsafaris.info [kenyabirdsnet]
> Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2019 3:59 PM
> To: kenyabirdsnet <kenyabirdsnet@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [KENYABIRDSNET] Re: Birding North of Garissa
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks Chege for your most interesting photos. I’ve never seen or heard of
> a Wild Cat with such a long tail - simply amazing.
>
>
>
> Your Somali Sparrow records are of particular interest, and I hope you
> managed to get some photos, if not could you please post a description with
> particular attention to the underparts.
>
>
>
> Somali Sparrows in Kenya seem to come in a variety of colours, and hybrids
> with House Sparrow seem to becoming more common.
>
>
>
> Nominate Somali Sparrow has pale yellow underparts, while the race fulgens
> shows much brighter yellow on the belly.
>
>
>
> The plain buffy-white underparts of birds from Marsabit south to Isiolo and
> Garissa districts may represent an undescribed form ( as mentioned by Van
> Someren back in 1932). There is a good selection of them in the Field
> Museum, Chicago with a few also in the NMK collection.
>
>
>
> Cohen & Mills (2010) “Mystery sparrows in Somaliland” in Birding Africa
> (June 2010) also showed an interesting selection of photos.
>
>
>
> Meanwhile I seem to recall some time ago James Bradley showed us all a
> photograph I think by Simon Carter along the Galana River of all places
> which had pure white underparts.
>
>
>
> A review of the Somali Sparrow in Kenya will I’m sure be a very worthwhile
> exercise for us all.
>
>
>
> Best wishes
>
> Don Turner.
>
>
>
>
>
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