Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis (Latin bubulcus = a cowherd;Greek ibis = an ibis [generally, a wading bird]) Kafudzamombe (Shona ka = little, kufudza = to herd, mombe = cattle, i.e. "little herder of cattle") These…
Pied Crow
('Pied' means 'coloured in patches of different colours', especially black-and-white.) Scientific name: Corvus albus (Genus Corvidae = Latin 'crow or raven'; species albus = Latin 'white')Shona name: Gunguwo…
Gabar Goshawk
Scientific name: Genus Melierax (from Greek melos = 'song' + hierax = 'hawk'); species Gabar ('gabar' probably of 'Hottentot' origin, though the meaning is uncertain)Shona name: Rukodzi (generic name for small hawk) Sound: http://www.xeno-canto.org/126226…
Blue Waxbill
Scientific name: Genus Uraeginthus (Greek = like a finch) Species angolensis (Latin = from Angola)Shona names: Kasiisii, kadhiidhii, chisiisii, katstiitsii (all these names sound onomatopieic, reflecting the…
Abdim’s Stork
Ciconia abdimii (Ciconia Latin = Stork: abdimii after El Ernaut Abdimm Bey, Egyptian Governor of the Wadi Halfa area of Sudan 1821-1825); Shuramurove (Shona = generic name…
Arrow-marked Babbler
Genus Turdoides (Latin = 'thrush-like', 'like a thrush' i.e. another type of bird) species jardineii (named after Sir William Jardine) Shona: Dywedywe or hochahocha. (Both of these sound…
Hamerkop
Hamerkop (from the Afrikaans for "hammer-head"); Scopus umbretta (Genus Scopus (Latin = a broom or brush, alluding to the bird's crest OR Greek =…
Southern Masked Weaver
Scientific Name: Ploceusvelatus (Genus: ploceus [Greek = weaver]; species: velatus [Latin = masked]); Shona Names: Jesa, Nzvidya, Dombwa; Other Names: Tisserin à tête…
Dark-Capped Bulbul
Dark-capped Bulbul, formerly known as the Black-eyed Bulbul. (In Southern Africa , it is also often called by its Afrikaans nick-name, which…
Yellow-bellied Sunbird
Yellow-bellied Sunbird (a.k.a. Variable Sunbird) Cinnyrus (Greek = shining) Venustus (Latin = beautiful, charming or graceful); [Family Name = Nectariniidae, eaters of nectar] (A…
