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The Legacy Club

Tanzania Audioscape

March 21, 2023

A large tree reaches to the sky on a sunny day.
Baobab Tree Urban tree canopies provide essential habitat for native birds. © Ilyas Kalimullin/Shutterstock

About 400 species of birds can be found in northeast Tanzania’s Arusha National Park. That means lots of birds to wake up to for the residents of Arusha city, which is located just south of the park.

Enjoy an audioscape featuring the sounds of early morning in Arusha: Wild birds as well as one that jauntily intrudes—the rooster—are punctuated by the occasional sounds of motors revving, horns honking, dogs barking and people chatting as they start their days.

A bright bird hangs from a spherical nest of grass and holds a single blade of grass in its beak.
Putting it together One more blade of grass to make the vitelline masked weaver nest perfect for a mate. © Donna Passero/TNC Photo Contest 2022

AUDIOSCAPE: Birdsong in Tanzania

Hear what a not-so-quiet February morning sounds like on the outskirts of Arusha, Tanzania.

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Have you ever woken to the trill of a speckled mousebird or the chick-pea-pea-pea song of a red-billed African firefinch? Hear what a February morning sounds like in Arusha, Tanzania. 

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A side profile image of a bird sitting on a branch.
Yellow-vented bulbul A single yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) perches on a branch in Tanzania © MikeLane45

This dawn chorus starts with the high-pitched musical tweets and trills of the yellow-vented bulbul.

A bird with a tuft on its head sits on a branch looking upward.
Speckled mousebird A speckled mousebird pauses to select which flower bud to eat next. © Camilla Jacobs/TNC Photo Contest 2019

The raspy tweeting and clear whistles of speckled mousebirds—which sound a lot like R2-D2!—can be heard at 1:41.

A side profile of a bird with a band on the back of its neck sitting on a log.
Red-eyed dove A red-eyed dove perched on a fallen branch © Denja1

The rhythmic coo of the red-eyed dove, a hallmark of Arusha mornings, can be heard at 10:44 and again starting at 12:16.

A bright bird hangs from a spherical nest of grass.
Putting it together One more blade of grass to make the vitelline masked weaver nest perfect for a mate. © Donna Passero/TNC Photo Contest 2022

Around the 11:00 mark, the buzzing of a masked weaver in the distance echoes the buzzing of motorbikes that can be heard as people head to work.

A bright red bird with a short beak and short tail sits on a branch.
Red-billed firefinch A lone red-billed firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala) perches on a branch in sub-Saharan Africa © SelimKAYA

The African firefinch fires off a series of rapid tweets at 21:37.

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