A Mangrove Kingfisher (Halcyon senegaloides) has turned up in the Luangwa Valley two seasons running, in September-October 2004, and again in 2005. We have added a lot of new birds to the Zambia list over the past few years, but this one, normally an inhabitant of coastal mangroves, is to my mind the most astounding of all. It has been seen well and photographed, by Robin Pope, and Deb Tittle among others. Deb has written a paper on the bird, co- authored by R.J.Dowsett, which will be published.

This bird is very similar to the Woodland Kingfisher which is a regular visitor to the Luangwa Valley, but usually comes a bit later in October. It differs from the Woodland Kingfisher mainly in having an all-red bill. The bill is thicker and heavier, with a pronounced bulge in the lower mandible. The black patch over the eye is round, and does not extend behind the eye. The top of the head is grey, not blue as in the Woodland Kingfisher. Greyish rather than bluish-white underparts were noted.. The white underwing has a black patch on the axillaries by the bend in the wing. All these features were noted and are clearly visible, except for the under-wing, in the excellent photograph. The tail is very short, invisible in the photograph; so I think the bird must have lost it's tail! The all-red bill by itself would not be conclusive, as Woodland Kingfishers occasionally lack the black lower mandible, but all these other points make it unquestionable. The call, of a similar strident quality, is a little different, beginning with a series of detached notes, accelerating into a trill, instead of a single introductory note followed by a long continuous trill.

Now, why has the bird come here twice, or was it here without being seen in the intervening period which is when most people vacate the Luangwa Valley? It's habitat is strictly in the coastal mangroves, but it does not breed there; To quote "Birds of Africa"; "winters in mangroves February/March to September/October, most vacate mangroves to breed in localities 5-50 km inland late September - early October". So maybe it came to breed, notwithstanding the fact that it came alone (or are there two?) and Luangwa is 650km from the nearest recorded localities a short distance up the Zambezi from it's mouth in Mozambique, or 750 km from the coast. It certainly came at the right time of year, and was evidently doing its breeding "song". Or does it intend to hybridize with the Woodland Kingfishers?

So look very carefully at any Woodland-type Kingfishers in the Luangwa Valley. Of course, unfortunately they will all have gone by the time most people go to the valley, but if anybody is there over Christmas, please look out

In November 2002, a team of very experienced safari guides (Phil Berry, David Foot, Brian Jackson, John & Carol Coppinger) were exploring the area around the source of the Luangwa River when they found a group of four Sharpe's Starlings Cinnyricinclus sharpii. The birds were in riparian evergreen forest and were watched for about thirty minutes, allowing the observers to take descriptions of their plumage, behaviour and calls.

An account of the discovery has been published in the Bulletin of the African Bird Club (Dowsett et al. 2003) and this article also discusses the nature of the record and the status of the species.

Sharpe's Starlings are very similar to Violet-backed (a.k.a. Amethyst or Plum-coloured) Starlings C. leucogaster, but they are glossy blue-black above and buffy-white below. They are not nearly as common or widespread as Violet-backed Starlings, being found only at scattered montane localities through eastern Africa, as far north as Ethiopia. They tend to be found in the canopy of afromontane forest and in some areas they seem to undergo seasonal movements. Such movements could explain the appearance of the group on the Mafingas, but it is hard to be sure and there is still much to be learnt about this species.

The Mafinga Mountains represent one of Zambia's 42 Important Bird Areas and they hold a very interesting selection of montane birds. Within Zambia, several species are known only from the Mafingas, including Yellow-throated Warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla and the race of Cabanis’s Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi placidus which is sometimes treated as a full species. Silvery-cheeked Hornbills Bycanistes brevis occur more regularly here than at any other Zambian site. With the addition of Sharpe's Starling, the total number of species that have been recorded on the Mafingas is now 144 (see Leonard et al. 2001).

There are surely more interesting discoveries waiting to be made in the Mafinga Mountains and those willing to meet the challenge of exploring them will also be richly rewarded with some of Zambia's finest scenery.

Dowsett R.J., Berry P.S.M. & Foot D. 2003. Sharpe's Starling Cinnyricinclus sharpii new to Zambia and its status in eastern Africa. Bull. African Bird Club 10 (2): 125-126.

Leonard P.M., Van Daele P. & Beel C. 2001. Birds of the Mafinga Mountains. Zambia Bird Report 1999: 6-15.