Lake Manyara Birds
Lake Manyara Birds : Lake Manyara National Park is one of the fascinating destinations in northern Tanzania. It’s largely covered by a magnificent soda lake, which occupies 220 square kilometers out of 330. The tree-climbing lions, pink flamingos, and diverse wildlife are among the major highlights of this wonderful park. With over 450 bird species, birders will find this place amazing. This article highlights some of the notable birds in Lake Manyara.
Flamingos
On the shoreline of Lake Manyara are the beautiful pink flamingos. These birds prefer alkaline lakes since they feed on spirulina algae—very common in alkaline conditions. When you view Lake Manyara from a distance, it appears pinkish due to these birds.
Silvery-cheeked hornbill
The silvery-cheeked hornbill is an imposing resident of the East African forest, with large wings and a massive casque and silvery-grey cheek patches. They are monogamous birds with lifelong pair bonds. The peculiar nesting strategy involves the female sealing herself into a tree cavity with her eggs to be fed by the male through a narrow slit, thus securing the nestlings against predators.
The diet of silvery-cheeked hornbills mainly consists of fruits; hence, they play a great role in seed dispersal for many plant species. They also eat insects and small vertebrates, thereby helping in pest control. Distinctive calls, honking, or yapping are common sounds in this habitat. These calls are used in territorial defense, advertising to attract mates, and communicating between pairs.
Jacana Africana
The African Jacana is an interesting waterbird, mainly characterized by its extremely long toes that enable it to tread upon floating water lilies without their sinking; this is very important in foraging within its wetland habitat. It mainly feeds on insects, small fish, and plants that grow in water. The African Jacana is known to exercise polyandry, whereby a female will mate with multiple males. Males take the responsibility of nest construction and childcare.
White-faced whistling duck
The white-faced whistling duck is a dabbling duck, identified by the white facial patch. It is the commonest duck across wetlands, marshes, and flooded grasslands. These are social ducks, doing much of their foraging in groups and often in very large flocks.
The diet is mainly from aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates. They can be loud and noisy birds, especially with their characteristic whistling calls, which serve in contact and territorial display.
African Grey Hornbill
This is a striking black and white feathered bird with a very highly developed casque on its bill. It is a social bird that is always in pairs or small groups. It mainly feeds on fruits, though it takes in some insects, small vertebrates, and eggs when the chance arises.
Its feeding habit is crucial in seed dispersal. It makes forests spread over. The African grey spoonbill’s distinctive call is widespread in African savannas and woodlands.
African spoonbill
The African spoonbill is a wading bird. Its uniqueness is evident from its long, flat, spoon-shaped bill. This adaptation allows it to filter-feed on shallow water in pursuit of small fish, crustaceans, and insects. Its long legs with thin, pointed toes also allow it to wade into waters of various depths easily.
These are usually found in wetlands, estuaries, and coastlines, where one can envision the grace of the African spoonbill as it swings its bill from side to side, catching its prey in the open mouth.
Little bee-eater
This small, vibrantly colored bird adds color to the skies of Lake Manyara National Park. The little bee-eater has striking green plumage, yellow throat, and black eye stripe, and hence it is very entertaining while it darts and dives through the air, catching insects on the wing.
Agile birds are often seen in big flocks, their synchronized flight patterns creating quite a spectacular sight to behold. Oftentimes, while they rest on branches or wires, their bright plumage is juxtaposed against the African savannah.
Blacksmith lapwing
The Blacksmith Lapwing is noisy and territorial, almost always heard before it’s seen. Its distinctive metallic call has been likened to the ring of hammering from a blacksmith and echoes across open grasslands and wetlands at Lake Manyara.
Identifiable by striking black and white plumage with a prominent crest, it goes strutting around its territory in defense of nests and young. They can be found mainly in pairs or small flocks that move along on the mud or short grass in search of insects and worms.
Birding Specials
Lake Manyara is a utopia for birdwatchers since the park provides numerous avian species. In this park, the most spectacular birds are the African fish eagle, an immensely powerful predator that soars high over the lake, gazing down into the water in search of the next meal, and the vividly pink Greater Flamingo, in huge flocks along the shores. This park is also home to the shy Crowned Eagle, one of Africa’s largest eagles with incredible hunting prowess.
When to see birds in Lake Manyara?
Birding can be done all year round at Lake Manyara. However, if you want to see migratory birds, the wet season (November to April) is better. Many species enter their breeding season from January through March.
In Lake Manyara, you’ll watch plenty of birds, ranging from flying waterbirds like the African spoonbill to common ostriches. Additionally, Lake Manyara has plenty of animals to look at while enjoying your birdwatching safari. If you’re ready for a Tanzania adventure, join Focus East Africa Tours. Our experts will assist you in getting your safari done.
