47. African Paradise - Flycatcher This is perhaps my favourite bird, the brilliant African Paradise-Flycatcher. Its song, described as a “loud, scratchy, nasal and cheerful warbling” is an instantly recognisable heralding of summer in Zimbabwe. (That description, I would say, is unfair: these birds belong to the genus terpsiphone, meaning ‘delightful sounding’.) It’s partly the colours that make it so attractive: bright blue bill and eye-ring set off by the dark blue head, crest, and breast which fades to a lighter grey on the belly. But it is the gorgeous chestnut back and wings, and the extravagantly long tail in the breeding male, that is so fetching. As he forages noisily among the branches, that tail swirls and uncoils out behind him like the tail of a child’s kite. It makes him look even smaller than he is. I have seen one sitting incubating eggs on the tiny and beautifully neat nest that they construct: so small is it that the head overhangs it on one side and that fabulous long tail on the other. I was impressed, also, to see the male taking his turn on the eggs. But he is no push-over when it comes to seeing off possible rivals for his territory. Birds of AFRICAMA House 98 Birds of AFRICAMA House 99