Northern Fiscal (Lanius humeralis humeralis) - 1 July 2013. Rivertrees Country Inn, Usa River, Arusha Region, Tanzania.

According to the most recent Clements checklist (v6.7) Common Fiscal (aka Fiscal Shrike) is now split into two species: Northern Fiscal (Lanius humeralis) and Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris) both of which occur in Tanzania. The Northern Fiscal has cleaner white underparts and more white in the tail cf. the Southern Fiscal. This is the nominate race of Northern Fiscal with slightly duller underparts and with the outermost rectrices entirely white. The IOC accepted this split in its 2.9 version. However most other checklists still lump the two into Common Fiscal.

The race L. c. marwitzi of the Southern Fiscal occurs locally at higher elevations in Tanzania. It is sometimes considered a separate species, the Uhehe Fiscal. It differs from Northern Fiscal by its white supercilium and frontal band.

Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LX5 | Nikon FieldScope III | 30XWA |hand-held (no adapter).
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