Altogether there are three races that occur in Kenya: two resident breeding ones:

i). Race cristatus “ Curly-crested Helmet-shrike”   Northwest Kenya south to West Pokot, the Turkwell and Kerio Valleys and Baringo District.

ii).Race vinaceigularis. East of the Rift Valley from Northern border areas south to Laikipia, the Northern Uaso Nyiro, Meru, Kora and Tsavo NPs, Galana Ranch, Taita-Taveta District and the Kilimanjaro lowlands.

iii). The non-breeding Intra-African migrant poliocephalus from April - September. This form overlaps with vinaceigularis in several areas during April - September.

On 24 Aug 2019, at 15:05, David Guarnieri <dvguarnieri@me.com> wrote:

Dear Don,

Thank you very much for the confirmations and the additional information. I will note the race of these WCHS on my observations.

Cheers,

David

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 24, 2019, at 1:25 PM, Don Turner <don@originsafaris.info> wrote:

Dear David.  Your two photographs are indeed poliocephalus.  Am sure that there could be more around, its just that this southern migratory form gets overlooked by many observers who merely pass them off as normal White-crowned Helmet-shrike.  The long wing stripe is diagnostic, only the Rift Valley Grey-crested Helmet-shrike has anything similar.

These southern birds (poliocephalus) come up through Tanzania to southern Kenya, north to Machakos and Nairobi districts.  You mention a photograph of two birds in Meru NP (June & August) which would be the furthest north I think.

Best wishes

Don Turner

On 24 Aug 2019, at 13:52, David Guarnieri <dvguarnieri@me.com> wrote:

Thanks Mustafa for that great report and photos. I would like to come see you in Lunga Lunga, especially for the finfoot and WBNH!

I was interested in Don’s comment about the WC Helmet-shrike race poliocephalus. I went back and looked at my photos and have two photos of what I think might be poliocephalus. One is from near the Getaway Hotel near Maragwa (Tana River) in April 2018 and the other from Chyulu Hills in Sept. 2017. Do these appear to be poliocephalus as well?

I also checked the photographic records on eBird for similar birds and found four records, two from Meru in June of 2014 and August of 2010. One from NNP in Sept. 2017 and another just outside Nairobi near Makuyu in Dec. 2017. These records can be accessed via the following link. 

Looking forward to more discussion on this topic.

Thanks,

David 

On 24 Aug 2019, at 05:58, Don Turner don@originsafaris.info [kenyabirdsnet] <kenyabirdsnet-noreply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

This is another superb report from Lunga Lunga.  I particularly like the excellent photos of the Finfoot and Helmet-shrike.  The long wing stripe of the helmet-shrike clearly identifying it as the southern migratory race poliocephalus which reaches us during the April-September period, and possibly the first photographic record for us.  All our resident White-crested Helmet-shrikes lack such a wing stripe.

Congratulations Mustafa