Three Birds Easily seen in Residential Suburbs Throughout East Africa

Know Your Birds Part 1
By Timothy Ijala
Throughout East Africa there are birds that can still be easily seen in residential suburbs. It is not uncommon to wake up to the sounds of these birds singing or hear them calling as the day comes to a close. Below is my list of birds that you can easily spot.
 At the top of the list is the Hadada Ibis. It is large in size and greenish in colour. This bird can be

Hadada Ibis

seen anywhere from the top of houses to residential gardens where they usually move in pairs feeding

on insects and earthworms which make up some of their diet. They use their bill to locate the food by touch rather than by sight. The Hadada Ibis is an easy bird to identify especially because of its loud call haa-dah-dah from where it gets its name.
 The Common Bulbul is another bird on my list easily seen in residential suburbs. It is a very common species of birds and one of the most common to be seen in an area. What stands out in this bird is the bright yellow underneath at the base of its tail. Its head is dark brown to black in colour. The Common Bulbul is a social bird and can be seen quite a

Red Cheeked Cordon bleu

lot in groups and pairs. Unlike many bird species, it is the female that builds the nest.This bird feeds mainly on fruits, nectar and insects.  It is listed as least

Common Bulbul. Notice the yellow underneath at the base of the tail.

concern on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) Red list which means it is not at all endangered.
Red-Cheeked Cordon bleu is third in the list of easily seen bird species in residential areas. The smallest of the three birds listed here this bird can be easily identified by the red patch on each cheek. Commonly found around human habitation, it can be seen feeding on the ground in urban areas. Leave a bit of food in your
backyard and you will probably find them there.