Site Report: Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania
Greater Blue-eared Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)
Assassin Bug (Platymeris sp)
Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
White-winged Widowbird (Euplectes albonotatus) -Male
Spotted Joker (Byblia ilithyia)
Plain Nightjar (Caprimulgus inornatus)
Kenya Rock Agama (Agama lionotus) - Male
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
Leafhopper (Batracomorphus sp)
Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)
Kenya Rock Agama (Agama lionotus) - Female
Erebid Moth (Cyligramma fluctuosa)
Longhorn Beetle (Ceroplesis militaris)
Creamstriped Owl (Cyligramma latona)
Stink Bug (Carbula sp)
Common Striped Hawkmoth (Hippotion eson)
Ground Beetle (Psecadius sp)
Longhorn Beetle (Ceroplesis militaris)
Bark Katydid (Cymatomera viridimaculata)
Angle Moth (Chiasmia sp)
Crowned Hornbill (Lophoceros alboterminatus)
Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis)
Kenya Rock Agama (Agama lionotus) - Female
Weevil (Sipalinus sp)
Ground Beetle (Anthia hexasticta)
Ground Beetle (Anthia hexasticta)
Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae sp)
Africa-wide Caterpillar Hunter Beetle (Calosoma senegalense)
African Cone-head (Conocephalus conocephalus)
African Cone-head (Conocephalus conocephalus)
D'Arnaud's Barbet (Trachyphonus darnaudii)
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali)
African Golden-Weaver (Ploceus subaureus)
Darker Commodore (Precis antilope)
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) - Male
Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
Painted Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus picturatus)
Retz's Helmetshrike (Prionops retzii)
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) - Female
Thread-waisted Wasp (Sphex fumicatus)
Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) - Male
Tropican House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)
Lappet Moth (Lasiocampidae sp_tan)
Flat-backed Millipede (Orodesminae sp)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
False Chinch Bug (Nysius sp)
Retz's Helmetshrike (Prionops retzii) - Juvenile
Leafhopper (Batracomorphus sp)
June Beetle (Melolonthinae sp)
Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae sp)
Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae sp)
Weevil (Pycnodactylopsis mitis)
Common Green Mantis (Sphodromantis gastrica)
Jewel Caterpillar Moth (Dalcerinae sp)
Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
Skipper (Hesperiidae sp)
Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
Assassin Bug (Oncocephalus sp)
Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana)
Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea)
Red-faced Crombec (Sylvietta whytii)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) - Female
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Leaf-footed Bug (Cletus ochraceus)
Crambid Snout Moth (Crambidae sp)
Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)
Red Bug (Dysdercus intermedius)
Beetle (Coleoptera sp)
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
Eastern Paradise-Whydah (Vidua paradisaea)
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Greater Blue-eared Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)
Assassin Bug (Platymeris sp)
Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
White-winged Widowbird (Euplectes albonotatus) -Male
Spotted Joker (Byblia ilithyia)
Plain Nightjar (Caprimulgus inornatus)
Kenya Rock Agama (Agama lionotus) - Male
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
Leafhopper (Batracomorphus sp)
Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)
Kenya Rock Agama (Agama lionotus) - Female
Erebid Moth (Cyligramma fluctuosa)
Longhorn Beetle (Ceroplesis militaris)
Creamstriped Owl (Cyligramma latona)
Stink Bug (Carbula sp)
Common Striped Hawkmoth (Hippotion eson)
Ground Beetle (Psecadius sp)
Longhorn Beetle (Ceroplesis militaris)
Bark Katydid (Cymatomera viridimaculata)
Angle Moth (Chiasmia sp)
Crowned Hornbill (Lophoceros alboterminatus)
Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis)
Kenya Rock Agama (Agama lionotus) - Female
Weevil (Sipalinus sp)
Ground Beetle (Anthia hexasticta)
Ground Beetle (Anthia hexasticta)
Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae sp)
Africa-wide Caterpillar Hunter Beetle (Calosoma senegalense)
African Cone-head (Conocephalus conocephalus)
African Cone-head (Conocephalus conocephalus)
D'Arnaud's Barbet (Trachyphonus darnaudii)
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali)
African Golden-Weaver (Ploceus subaureus)
Darker Commodore (Precis antilope)
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) - Male
Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
Painted Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus picturatus)
Retz's Helmetshrike (Prionops retzii)
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) - Female
Thread-waisted Wasp (Sphex fumicatus)
Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) - Male
Tropican House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)
Lappet Moth (Lasiocampidae sp_tan)
Flat-backed Millipede (Orodesminae sp)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
False Chinch Bug (Nysius sp)
Retz's Helmetshrike (Prionops retzii) - Juvenile
Leafhopper (Batracomorphus sp)
June Beetle (Melolonthinae sp)
Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae sp)
Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae sp)
Weevil (Pycnodactylopsis mitis)
Common Green Mantis (Sphodromantis gastrica)
Jewel Caterpillar Moth (Dalcerinae sp)
Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
Skipper (Hesperiidae sp)
Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
Assassin Bug (Oncocephalus sp)
Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana)
Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea)
Red-faced Crombec (Sylvietta whytii)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) - Female
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Leaf-footed Bug (Cletus ochraceus)
Crambid Snout Moth (Crambidae sp)
Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)
Red Bug (Dysdercus intermedius)
Beetle (Coleoptera sp)
Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
Eastern Paradise-Whydah (Vidua paradisaea)
Savannah
Visits
- 2025-02-01: We started on our way toward Zanzibar stopping first in the Same area so that we could look for the Same White-eye. We met up with the guide for the area and continued to the gates of Mkomazi National Park. Late in the day, we did a short walk to the river where we saw many thousands of Red-billed Quelea.
- 2025-02-02: After our morning trip to the mountains, we spent the rest of the day walking around by the guesthouse. I had a plan that I thought could result in finding some nightjars, and we enlisted the manager of the guesthouse to help us find them. I quickly found a pair sitting on the ground. She had never seen these before and was very excited.
- 2025-02-03: Left Mkomazi back in the direction of Same since the bridge was out the other way. We stopped a few times along the road when there was something interesting. Next stop, Lushoto.
Species Seen
Kingdom: Animals (129 records)
Phylum: Arthropods
(42 records)
Class: Arachnids
(2 records)
- Order: Spiders
(2 records)
- Family: Jumping Spiders
- Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
- Jumping Spider (Salticidae sp)
Class: Insects
(39 records)
- Order: Bees, Wasps, and Ants
(1 record)
- Family: Thread-waisted Wasps
- Thread-waisted Wasp (Sphex fumicatus)
- Order: Beetles
(11 records)
- Family: Darkling Beetles
- Darkling Beetle (Tenebrionidae sp)
- Family: General Beetles
- Beetle (Coleoptera sp)
- Family: Ground Beetles
- Africa-wide Caterpillar Hunter Beetle (Calosoma senegalense)
- Ground Beetle (Anthia hexasticta)
- Ground Beetle (Psecadius sp)
- Family: Longhorn Beetles
- Longhorn Beetle (Cerambycidae sp)
- Longhorn Beetle (Ceroplesis militaris)
- Family: Scarabs
- Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae sp)
- June Beetle (Melolonthinae sp)
- Family: Weevils
- Weevil (Pycnodactylopsis mitis)
- Weevil (Sipalinus sp)
- Order: Butterflies and Moths
(16 records)
- Family: Brush-footed Butterflies
- Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
- Darker Commodore (Precis antilope)
- Spotted Joker (Byblia ilithyia)
- Family: Crambid Snout Moths
- Crambid Snout Moth (Crambidae sp)
- Family: Cutworm Moths and Allies
- Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
- Family: Geometer Moths
- Angle Moth (Chiasmia sp)
- Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)
- Family: Jewel Caterpillar Moths
- Jewel Caterpillar Moth (Dalcerinae sp)
- Family: Lappet Moths
- Lappet Moth (Lasiocampidae sp)
- Family: Skippers
- Skipper (Hesperiidae sp)
- Family: Sphinx Moths
- Common Striped Hawkmoth (Hippotion eson)
- Family: Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths
- Creamstriped Owl (Cyligramma latona)
- Erebid Moth (Cyligramma fluctuosa)
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Order: Grasshoppers, Katydids and Crickets (2 records)
- Order: Mantises
(1 record)
- Family: Mantises
- Common Green Mantis (Sphodromantis gastrica)
- Order: True Bugs
(8 records)
- Family: Assassin Bugs
- Assassin Bug (Oncocephalus sp)
- Assassin Bug (Platymeris sp)
- Family: Leaf-footed Bugs
- Leaf-footed Bug (Cletus ochraceus)
- Red Bug (Dysdercus intermedius)
- Family: Seed Bugs
- False Chinch Bug (Nysius sp)
- Family: Stink Bugs
- Stink Bug (Carbula sp)
- Family: Typical Leafhoppers
- Leafhopper (Batracomorphus sp)
- Leafhopper (Batracomorphus sp)
Class: Millipedes
(1 record)
- Order: Flat-backed Millipedes
(1 record)
- Family: Flat-backed Millipedes
- Flat-backed Millipede (Orodesminae sp)
Phylum: Chordates
(87 records)
Class: Birds
(84 records)
- Order: Bucerotiformes (5 records)
- Family: Wood-hoopoes
- Green Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus)
- Order: Coliiformes
(1 record)
- Family: Mousebirds
- Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus)
- Order: Cuckoos
(2 records)
- Family: Coucals
- White-browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus)
- Family: Cuckoos
- Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius)
- Order: Doves and Pigeons (7 records)
- Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (6 records)
- Order: Hummingbirds and Swifts
(1 record)
- Family: Swifts
- Little Swift (Apus affinis)
- Order: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Motmots (5 records)
- Family: Kingfishers
- Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris)
- Gray-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala)
- Family: Rollers
- Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)
- Order: Musophagiformes
(1 record)
- Family: Turacos
- White-bellied Go-away-bird (Crinifer leucogaster)
- Order: Owls And Nightjars
(2 records)
- Family: Nighthawks and Nightjars
- Plain Nightjar (Caprimulgus inornatus)
- Family: Typical Owls
- African Scops-owl (Otus senegalensis)
- Order: Parrots
(2 records)
- Family: New World Parrots
- Red-bellied Parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris)
- Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus)
- Order: Pelicans
(4 records)
- Family: Herons
- Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
- Family: Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
- Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)
- Family: Storks
- Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii)
- Order: Perching Birds
(43 records)
- Family: African Warblers
- Red-faced Crombec (Sylvietta whytii)
- Family: Cardueline Finches and Allies
- Yellow-fronted Canary (Crithagra mozambica)
- Family: Drongos
- Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)
- Family: Helmetshrikes
- Retz's Helmetshrike (Prionops retzii)
- Family: Indigobirds
- Eastern Paradise-Whydah (Vidua paradisaea)
- Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla)
- House Crow (Corvus splendens)
- Pied Crow (Corvus albus)
- Family: Old World Orioles
- African Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus larvatus)
- Family: Old World Sparrows
- African Firefinch (Lagonosticta rubricata)
- African Golden-Weaver (Ploceus subaureus)
- Black-necked Weaver (Ploceus nigricollis)
- Bronze Mannikin (Spermestes cucullata)
- Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba)
- House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
- Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala)
- Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea)
- Red-cheeked Cordonbleu (Uraeginthus bengalus)
- Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus)
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali)
- Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow (Gymnoris pyrgita)
- Family: Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers
- Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
- Family: Prinias and Apalis
- Green-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura)
- Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana)
- Family: Shrikes
- Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
- Taita Fiscal (Lanius dorsalis)
- White-rumped Shrike (Eurocephalus ruppelli)
- Family: Starlings and Mynas
- Greater Blue-eared Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)
- Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio)
- Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
- Family: Sunbirds
- Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird (Anthreptes orientalis)
- Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venustus)
- Family: Swallows
- Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica)
- Mosque Swallow (Cecropis senegalensis)
- Plain Martin (Riparia paludicola)
- Western House-Martin (Delichon urbicum)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
- Family: Wagtails and Pipits
- African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp)
- Family: Weavers
- White-winged Widowbird (Euplectes albonotatus)
- Order: Turkey-like birds
(2 records)
- Family: Grouse, Turkeys, and Allies
- Crested Francolin (Ortygornis sephaena)
- Family: Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
- Order: Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans, and Honeyguides (3 records)
Class: Reptiles
(3 records)
- Order: Lizards and Snakes
(3 records)
- Family: Agamas
- Kenya Rock Agama (Agama lionotus)