Short communications 37 record at Mwadui Dam, Shinyanga Region (S. Swift, 1998, in Tanzania Bird Atlas). Together with the Mwadui dam record it confirms that the range is not restricted in Tanzania to the Great Lakes Basin but extends southward, presumably through connecting drainage systems. One might speculate that the Manonga River, a perennial tributary of the Sibiti River and a major sources of Lake Kitangiri, might function as a corridor for dispersal to the Kitangire area. It would be of interest to search for this species along the Manonga and Sibiti rivers. References Baker, N.E. & Baker, E.M. 2002. ImportantBirdAreas in Tanzania:Afirst inventory. Dar es Salaam: Wildlife ConservationSociety ofTanzania. Britton, RL. 1980. Birds ofEastAfrica. Nairobi: EastAfricaNaturalHistorySociety. Urban, E.K., Fry C.H. & Keith, S. 1997. The birds ofAfrica. Vol. 5. London: Academic Press. HagaiZvulun MatembeziLtd., PO Box 12929, Arusha, Tanzania. Email:[email protected] David Peterson Dorobo Tours and Safaris Ltd., P.O. Box 2534, Arusha, Tanzania. Email: [email protected] Scopus26: 36-37,January2007 Received11 September2006 Two new East African birds: Black-collared Eremomela and Chestnut-mantled Sparrow-weaver The presences of Black-collared Eremomela Eremomela atricollis (Sylviidae) and Chestnut-mantledSparrow-WeaverPlocepasserrufoscapulatus (Ploceidae) in Tanzania are reported here apparently for the first time. Both are endemic birds of the miombo (Brachystegia-Julbernardia) woodland belt of south- central Africa, having been previously recorded only fromAngola, southern Congo and northern Zambia (Hall & Moreau 1970, Van Perlo 1995). The following observations indicate that Tanzanian birds likewise appear to be confined to miombo woodland. Both records have been accepted by the East African Rarities Committee. Black-collared Eremomela Location Asinglebirdwasfoundinamixedbirdparty,andapartyofthreebirdsfound foraging on their own, seen only a few minutes apart from each other on 1 February 2002, inSumbawanga District, Rukwa Regionatornear 08°19.73'S, 31°15.94'E. Thehabitatwas miombo woodland inhilly upland country, atan 38 Short communications altitude of c.1754 m. This is apparently a very scarce bird in this area since in seven days' exploration round my camp site about 4 km to the south of the m abovepointand 150 lowerinaltitude, Isawnofurtherbirds. Green-capped Eremomela Eremomela scotops was common throughout the area at both high and low elevations. A single Yellow-bellied Eremomela E. icteropygialis was also noted close to the spotwhere the E. atricollis were seen. Thus as many as three eremomela species maybe present together in this one area atthe same time. Description Upperparts greyish to grey-green, the impression of green perhaps owing to reflectedlightfromfoliage;foreheaddistinctlypaler.Awideblackbarthrough the eye; above this a yellow bar of equal width and length. Underparts, dividedneatly into anupper, yellow throattochinportionand alower,white breast to belly seperated by a black breastband that was widest in the centre and tapered towards the sides where it joined up with the posterior ends of the black eye bars; the width of the breast band varied somewhat as the bird shuffled its feathers. Legs, blackish. Voice Nothing definite was heard. A harsh grating noise, monotonously repeated, as well as a fainter, more musical note which may have been a contact call, were heard coming from the canopy of a tree in which a party of three birds were foraging. Chestnut-mantled Sparrow-Weaver Location The records were made in a stretch ofwoodland along the Mpanda-Inyonga road, where it crosses the Uruwira plateau, betweenkms 52 and 68, Mpanda District, Rukwa Region. The first sightings were on 15 July 2001 and the latest on 12 February 2002. The corresponding points were 06° 26.76'S, 31° 27.97'E and 06° 27.08'S, 31° 36.71'E. The habitat was high miombo woodland in level country, at an altitude of c.1300 m. Curiously, one of the miombo dominants here was Brachystegia microphylla, a tree more usually associated with mountain tops and rocky ridges. The particular combination of bird, tree and geography is thus somewhat unusual. This bird was found to be quite common within this restricted range. Description Top ofheadblack.Awideblackstripethroughandjustabovetheeye; awhite stripe between the black areas and narrower than the lower stripe; a black linefrom the lowercorner of the bill to the side ofthe neck. Upperparts dark brown, mantle chestnut. Wing with two white bars, the upper one broader. Underparts, pale. Tail with a central terminal notch. Bill, pale horn colour. Short communications 39 Voice Thecallwas a high-pitched trill, "trrrrrt'', repeated often and usually thefirst sign of the species' presence. The song, heard once, was a rich medley of silvery trills, suggestive of a sunbird. Behaviour Seeninsmall groups ofthreetofour (up to six) birds, oftenwithotherspecies in mixed bird parties. Fed on the ground, taking to trees when disturbed. Oftenseen sitting inactive inhighbranches. Adisusednestwas ataheightof m about4 on a branch of a small understory tree. In general appearance and construction it was like that of White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali. References Hall,B.PandR.E. Moreau. 1970Anatlasofspeciation inAfricanpasserinebirds.London: BritishMuseum. VanPerlo, B. 1995. Birds ofeasternAfrica. London: Harper Collins. StuartNorman P.O. Box 60462, Livingstone, Zambia. Email: [email protected] Scopus26: 37-39,January2007 Received10February2003 Cape Shoveler Anas smiihii the first record for Tanzania On9October 1997we were countingwaterbirds onone ofourlocalwetlands 2 km south of Boma Ng'ombe, west Kilimanjaro, when we found a Cape ShovelerAnas smithii. We had clearbut distantviews through a 30x telescope and returned the following day to photograph the bird. The record has been accepted by the EastAfrican Rarities Committee as the first for Tanzania. The wetlands are ephemeral, fed by the south-western foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. On the day there were nearly 500 waterbirds of 31 species present amongst much emergent and floating vegetation. It is unusual for these pools to hold water as late as October but the previous long rains had been heavier and later than normal. The shoveler was not associating with any other waterbirds and none of the other species present were unusual for the locality. There are no collections of exotic waterbirds in Tanzania and none can be traced in Kenya so the likelihood that this bird had escaped from captivity seems remote. As a breeding species in southernAfrica the Cape Shoveler is more or less confined to fresh water habitats. Peak laying in Zimbabwe, the nearest breeding population to Tanzania, is July-September (Hockey et ah 2005). The species is described as nomadic and subjectto restlessness (Brown et at. 1982). It is a rare visitor to Zambia between May and November with