Order Passeriformes is the largest order of birds in the Class Aves. It contains over 140 families with 6.500 identified bird species world wide. They are also called perching birds. 3 toes point forward, 1 backwards called hallux and is long. This is called anisodactyl arrangement. This toe constellation makes it easier to hold on to a branch, twig, wire or blade of grass.

A further adaptation for perching is a tendon running on the rear side of the leg to the underside of the toes is attached to the muscle behind the Tibiotarsus (the large bone between femur and tarsometatarsus). This makes the feet curl automatically once the leg is bent and becomes stiff when landing on a branch. So they can sleep without falling down and using valuable energy. Bird foot

Passerines are mostly insectivorous or omnivorous meaning feeding on insects, small vertebrates, fruits, seeds and nectar. Omnivorous birds change to more carnivorous during breeding season. Plant material has less protein which is required for the chicks to grow fast and strong.

The name Passeriformes derives from Greek – Passer = Sparrow, Formis = shape. They originated in the Southern Hemisphere around 60 Mio years ago.

Most Passerines have 12 tail feathers. The eggs are coloured in most species. The number of eggs vary from species to species. The chicks are altricial meaning they hedge blind, without feathers and are helpless. They have reflexes to sense when a parent is landing and open their beak wide to get fed. The beak is fringed with yellow skin to signal the feeding parent where to place food.

In the infraorder Passerides is among others the superfamily Muscicapoidea with Old World Flycatchers, Thrushes, Starlings, and also the here introduced Robin-Chats, Akalat and Palm Thrush which are in the family Muscicapidae.

Old world flycatchers – family Muscicapidae is a large family restricted to Europe, Africa and Asia. The name derives from Latin Musca = fly, capere = catch. There had been a lot of changes in this family and several genus from the family Turdidae where moved here.

The international Ornithologist Union recognises 357 species in 57 genera. We will go by subfamilies and describe them since the members of this family are very different birds.

In the subfamily Erithacinae are Robins, Robin-Chats, Alethe, Palm Thrushes

Swynnertonia has only 1 species in EA – Swynnerton’s Robin / Swynnertonia swynnertoni rodgersi which is endemic in Tanzania (Usambara and Udzungwa Mountains). The species is listed as vulnerable.

Pogonocichla also has only 1 species – White-starred Robin – Pogonocichla stellata. There are several subspecies in Africa.

Stiphrornis – Forest Robin is a genus that has been split into several species with subspecies. They inhabit tropical rainforests

Cossyphicula – Robin-Chat is a very small genus. They live in dense undergrowth often near rivers.

Cossypha – Robin-Chat has a few members of medium seized birds with orange underparts.

Cichladusa – Palm-thrushes are represented in EA by 2 species. They are medium seized insectivorous birds. They have powerful voices and often mimic other species.

Dessornis – Robin-Chats has 4 species of which some were previously in the genus Cossypha

Sheppardia – Akalats are represented with a few species in EA forests

To give you as actual information as possible we use Avibase, the books “Birds of Africa South of the Sahara”, “Birds of East Africa”, “Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania”. Then we put the most characteristic information to the photo.

You can also follow us on Facebook “Bird photography Safaris Kenya” and see the numerous species as well as the beautiful photos from Lorenzo Barelli. Click on the photo for larger view.

To create such extensive bird pages is only possible in collaboration with passionate and ambitious photographers allowing us to present their amazing photos. A big thank you to them. They have travelled far distances to photograph common and rare species. Their names are on the photos and in the description of the species. Those without name are from Elvira Wolfer.  Per Holmen lives in Tanzania and travels all over East Africa in search of special species.

Here you find samples of our birding safaris. Some of the below listed species are endemic and one needs to know the exact locations where to find them. We know the spots and can generate the journey to see several of these special Alethe and other species listed here. 

Quite a number of species are found in Uganda and Rwanda. We create special itineraries so you have the chance to spot the hard to find or rare birds.