Silverbird

On Sunday Grant and I drove along the mine road looking for... you guessed it! Birds.  It was mid-afternoon and the sun was baking down on the earth so there weren't many birds about. However, not long into the drive, I called for him to "stop!", which he did and we watched a beautiful Silverbird on the power lines above us.

This bird is unmistakable with silvery-grey upper parts and rufous underparts. The first time I saw this bird was while my friend Sue and I were birding in the Kenyan bush. At the time I only managed to photograph it from the back. This time here in Tanzania, I managed to get several clear and satisfactory photos of this incredible little bird. 

 Silverbird; no prizes for guessing where it gets its name!

 The Silverbird is found in dry bush areas or acacia woodlands

The Silverbird is locally endemic. It hawks for insects in the air, but while we watched on Sunday, this bird swooped down onto the ground to capture insect prey. 

 The Silverbird's song is a sweet, thrush-like song 

For more birds around the world, please click to Wild Bird Wednesday which you can access by clicking the link. 

 I hope you're all having a great week.