Violet-backed Starling: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Kibale National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — I often think that if our invasive Starling was as attractive as most of the African Starlings, they would get a lot more respect. (Though they would still be invasive.) This is the Violet-backed Starling, which can be seen throughout East Africa, except for northern Kenya. It is the smallest African Starling, often migratory or nomadic, and is mostly found along forest edges and in woodland, including riparian corridors. This was my first, and so far, only sighting. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Double-toothed Barbet: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Kibale National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — As I mentioned yesterday, I have a lot of bird photos from Kibale and the surrounding area, so I will be doubling up on bird post for a while. This is a Double-toothed Barbet from the grounds of our lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Lodge…an excellent lodge near Kibale National Park. The Double-toothed Barbet is perhaps the most common Barbet in Uganda (aside from the Tinkerbirds (which are so small it is hard to think of them as a Barbets). We don’t have any Barbets in North America, and even the Barbets of Central and South America are more closely related to the Toucans than they are to African or Asian Barbets. The Double-toothed Barbet eats a lot of fruit, figs especially, and also hunts insects…it even takes insects on the wing. We saw this one, typically, along the edge of the open grounds around the lodge, where the forest took over…but I have seen them in open brushy savannah as well. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.