The Displaced Maasai

TUESDAY, July 30

On the street near our guest house

About two hours south of Arusha along rutted, dusty roads is the remote displaced Maasai village of T (names and places are purposefully redacted to protect the community). It's a dry and dusty landscape - the town is much less developed than anywhere else we'd been, with dirt roads and several abandoned buildings. But T is an important center for local trading and community activities; about 2,500 – 3000 people live in the main town, with about 7,000 in the surrounding area known as the village. 

The Maasai are an indigenous ethnic group that originated in the Nile Valley and settled in the Great Rift Valley region of central Kenya and northern Tanzania in around the 16th century. Their culture centers heavily on cattle, leading to a semi-nomadic lifestyle and a reliance on the land. In the late 19th century, the German and British began to colonize East Africa, leading to a loss of traditional Maasai land. The  Kenyan and Tanzanian governments after colonial independence promoted agriculture and villages, further eroding the pastoralist way of life. The Maasai have been able to maintain their cultural identity and heritage despite the necessity to adapt and diversify.

The market lot

We drove into town in the late morning after a very bumpy ride. The large lot where the weekly market is held was empty, save for wooden poles sticking out of the dirt that would be used to hold up the market stalls. These are actually live acacia branches - a much more sustainable building method. Fences and protective barriers such as the ones in the bomas are also alive, so that they wouldn't need to be replaced.

P, explaining the
layout of the bomas

We met with P, the chairman (ie head) of the village who took us on a tour of the surrounding region to see different areas of the community. 

Our first stop was along a dirt road in the middle of a field – On one side of the road was a corn field, the land turned to agriculture because the Maasai now need to adapt to the change in lifestyle. Since they now have a need to pay taxes, much of their crops is sold to produce an income; the land is also rented out to others to farm. On the other side of the road, the field was left alone: pastureland kept for their livestock to graze. It is shared by the community and is important because livestock is the traditional way of life for the Maasai people. 

There are several scattered pasturelands around the vicinity, and depending on the season, the livestock rotate around so the land stays healthy. Maasai don’t incorporate much vegetables or meat in their diet; instead, they rely on their livestock while it is alive – by milking the cattle, drinking its blood, and eating the fat - they traditionally don’t slaughter their cattle for food. They also keep sheep, goat, and chickens, but this is a more recent practice used for economic reasons. Chickens and eggs are sold for money to pay taxes; for special occasions, they may slaughter and eat goat.

Those white flowers are an invasive type of morning glories that have taken over the landscape in recent years.
It only thrives in very arid environments - a sign that the climate is getting drier.

Replanting trees

P also took us on a walk around town, showing us how their attempts at reforesting and cleaning up the streambeds have led to a steady flow of water - important in this era of climate change, where we could see tangible evidence of an increasingly arid environment. 

One way to protect the streambed - having designated areas for crossing 

While we were talking, the local schoolchildren who were using the crossing to go home all gathered to stare at the strange group of outsiders who were staring at the stream...

I loved visiting the small boma community in the pastureland where around 30 people live communally. This was not a commercialized destination, set up to pander to tourists; while I know the village was compensated for their time, we were not approached to buy anything.

The sheep/goat pen in the center of the boma

The Maasai boma is a traditional homestead made up of several huts set in a circle, with acacia-thorn pens in the middle of a ring of homes to keep their livestock at night. In this way, the goats, sheep, donkeys, and cattle that are vital to their culture are protected from wildlife – mainly hyenas and lions.

Preparing the goat

When we arrived, the community elders were preparing to slaughter a goat, and we were allowed to watch the process (no, I won't include the photos here, but it was fascinating to watch!)

Cooking the goat

After the goat was killed, one of the elders reads the insides of the goat to make predictions about the community – in the next year, they could expect a good harvest and plenty of rains, there would be four children born to the community – three boys and a girl, and the livestock were all healthy. According to them, this was also checked by looking at the stars, which gave similar prediction results.

Running around the community were about 30 children, all under the age of about 8. They were initially tentative to approach us, but soon began crowding around to see what we were doing. We started taking photos and they were so entranced with seeing themselves, as well as playing with our smartwatches – they had clearly been shown them before, since they knew how to swipe around to get different screens!

Hamming it up for the camera

They loved seeing themselves on screen!

It was a lovely visit, and I appreciated getting a peek into the traditional ways of pastoral life. 

WEDNESDAY, July 31

We were excited to go birding with Rashid in the mornings because we were in a much more rural and isolated environment. It definitely did not disappoint -  (more on birds in a different post)! 

Early morning walk to school

But the scenery around town was beautiful, and I enjoy the peaceful walks to start each day. With a few more days staying in the village, we were all given a chance to work more closely with community members to learn about their culture and way of life.

Sunflowers are grown throughout the region for seed and oil

Allie, Rubin, and I decided to spend the day learning about beading with some of the local women. We’d had such a good experience with the sewing project in Zanzibar (and particularly with the time we spent just sitting with the women and chatting while we worked) that we wanted a similar experience with this community. We sat with N (our companion from Arusha who was from the Maasai community), who helped to translate since most of the women spoke Maa and not Kiswahili. It was more difficult to have longer conversations, but it was still nice to sit outside for the afternoon working quietly.

A lovely place to spend the day

I learned how to make the circular beaded mandalas that we've seen being sold in shops. Beading has been part of the local culture for generations, with bone, shell, and glass beads found in archaeological sites. Many of their beads were acquired through European, Arab, and Indian traders, though now most beads are plastic.

We learned from N that much of the traditional beadwork has symbolic meaning that is known throughout Maasai society - special colored beads are worn only by village healers, still others are given during important rites of passage, and the beaded belt on leather is a symbol of fertility worn only by women with children. In fact, when N had first gotten married and had trouble conceiving a child, she was gifted a belt from her mother. This belt had been blessed by the local healer and then had been worn by a woman who'd had several children in order to be infused with the power of fertility; when it was then worn by N, she soon gave birth to her first child.

I decided to create a beaded mandala with a pattern that symbolized the dichotomy of the fields we saw the day before - on one side, green and yellow representing the fields and harvest of the agricultural side of the road, and on the other, red and white (colors of the Maasai) represent the traditional pasturelands. 

Learning the ropes (and by ropes, I mean wire...) from Koko

I sat with NM, who we called Koko (grandma) - it was amazing how much she could teach us by just showing and speaking in Maa!

THURSDAY, Aug 1

The livestock exchange. Wanna buy a goat?

In the late morning after another great birdwalking session, we went down to the Gulio - the weekly traveling market that had made its way to the village for the day. We arrived fairly early so not all the vendors had finished setting up, but we still got a chance to see the types of goods being sold.

The soles of the sandals that everyone wears are
made from recycled tires!

E, showing off his recycled tire sandals

It was definitely a market for the local people, with staples that they had to plan for since the market only comes through town once a week. And most families don’t have any refrigeration, so food had to either be eaten before it rots, or they had to have things that could be eaten even if they started turning bad. We wandered around the stalls selling beans, housewares, clothing, electronics, and shoes. 

The colorful patterns of Maasai shukas

Being here in T has highlighted the many ways the Maasai have had to adapt from their traditional pastoralist ways of living - down to the ways they have had to change their diet. One thing that our guide E told us was that most Maasai don’t eat a large variety of foods; in fact, they don’t really eat vegetables and only eat meat maybe once a week. Instead, it is common for a family to eat eat ugali, supplemented with milk, nearly every meal. It’s a hard thing for me to wrap my head around, especially since we’ve been eating like kings here (with the BEST fried chicken I’ve ever had in my life, and the most amazing vegetables). When I’m at home, I’ll complain if I have Italian food twice in one week… 

Another thing I've never given much though to is the comfort that I take for granted in my home. The community center where we were staying was comfortable and clean, but I used a shared squat toilet with no running water. Each morning, Mama C would, at around 5:00AM, bring a large bucket of hot water to my door for washing and flushing the toilet. She put so much effort into making sure we had everything we needed, so I felt a bit guilty that I didn't always use the water that she put in so much effort to prepare.

Our local guide E, who helps advocate for
the Maasai community

A special thanks to our local guides, who shared their lives with us!

E came with us each day and helped us with our beading

🦩This 🦜 post 🦅 is 🪺 For 🕊️ The 🦆 Birds 🪶

Birdwatching in Tanzania is unexpectedly fascinating and fun. Not only are the birds here so different from anything I've encountered before, but there is a huge diversity of species - and in all shapes and colors! 

Now I'll be honest: I am not good at birding. Perhaps it is because I have terrible eyesight, but when I'm at home, I don't pay much attention to the birds that I see. Once in a while, I get excited to spot a hawk or egret, but otherwise, my brain categorizes most birds as either 'the small brown ones', or 'the big black ones'. I've never taken the time to stop and look.

Tanzania changed that for me. 

African Paradise Flycatcher

There are so many birds here that on most days we spotted 20 -30 different species - sometimes even more (and by "we," I mean Rashid, who would call out the bird names while I indiscriminately and hopelessly searched around.) I realized I was with an expert birder while in Zanzibar, when Rashid started pointing out the different birds that we passed. He was excited to see the African paradise flycatcher on Chumbe Island, which got me all excited (... and that's when I learned that I loooove birds with long tails)! 

The incongruously named Black-winged Bishop

There was a slight moment of doubt about Rashid's ornithological expertise while on Pemba, when the brilliantly red bird perched in the rice field caught our attention and he told us it was a Black-winged Bishop. Didn't he mean a red bishop? But no. Birds have weird names.

Crowned Hornbill

The thrill of birdwatching was solidified when Rashid pointed out several hornbills flying overhead. Hornbills?! Like Zazu in Lion King? I craned my neck to look but only caught a glimpse of the blurry streaks in the sky. Then not long after, another hornbill landed in a tree just overhead! Seeing birds that I'd only experienced in pictures or in a zoo was so awe-inspiring - it was hard to believe that we were seeing them in their element. And seeing them fly out beyond the horizon really underscores the freedom they have out in the wild - it gave me a different perspective and appreciation for the natural world.

Palm-nut Vulture

On Pemba Island, the more rugged of the two main Zanzibar islands, we hiked in the Ngezi-Vumawimbi Nature Forest Reserve. Because of Pemba's geographic location and relative isolation, there are several endemic species that evolved and that we got to see - including the Pemba white eye, Pemba sunbird, and Pemba green pigeon. We also spotted an African harrier hawk, African goshawk, and several Palm-nut Vultures - a unique bird of prey with a strange adaptation... unlike most other vultures, it likes eating the fruit of the oil palm tree (thus its name).   

As we left the Arusha airport on the way to Moshi, Rashid pointed up at a speck in the sky - a bateleur, a type of endangered eagle, that he identified by its silhouette and flight pattern. At a glance, he could discern the shapes and colors of high-flying birds, or those sitting on wires as we drove by. I still can't comprehend how he does it - he claims that experience and recognition of behavior help him with identification, but I was awed!

Getting tips from the pro

Rashid's passion for birding and encyclopedic knowledge of bird facts inspired Jannice, Allie, and I to join him on bird walks. Our morning birding tradition started in Moshi, at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. I loved our placid early morning walks, and I learned so much about observation and behavior. It was fun to practice my photography, since taking pictures of birds is especially challenging. It was a peaceful and pleasant way to start the day, enjoying the quiet streets and waving to the children as they walked to school.

* * * * *

One (of many) things I love about Tanzania is how many different raptors we could find. There are so many diverse habitats - from the vast savannah to mountain forests to lakes and marshes - supporting a rich population of food for these birds of prey. 

Yellow-billed Black Kite

Shikra (we think...)

Where I live in California, I've seen red-tailed hawks and the rare Cooper's hawk, but I've never noticed anything else. In contrast, in the past few days in Moshi, we've spotted a pygmy falcon, lizard buzzard, African goshawk, augur buzzard, yellow-billed black kites, and what we think was a shikra. With so many birds of prey, we knew there were so many small animals for them to hunt - and we did catch a glimpse of slender mongoose racing across our path on one of our morning walks!

Red-cheeked Cordonbleu

Red-capped Robin-Chat

The fabulous coloration of the birds was also amazing to see. Mostly the male of each species, the vibrant plumage makes them more attractive to the females. We saw red-capped robin-chats and red-winged starlings. There was the lovely lavender of the lilac-breasted roller, the ruby-red African firefinch, and the delightful Tiffany blue of the red-cheeked cordonbleu - which yes, had bright red cheeks. 

Moshi, because of its location at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, is close to several water sources as well as agricultural areas. These habitats support a diversity of wading birds - which are always fun to spot, especially when they are flying overhead like mini pterodactyls. The largest that we saw was a tree full of around a dozen nesting Marabou Storks, a nearly 5-foot tall bald (and wonderfully ugly) stork with a globby pouch on its neck. Did you know? The marabou stork will poop on its own legs to keep itself cool!

Black-headed Heron

Another fun sighting was the 3-foot tall Black-headed Heron, whose long slender neck could retract into its hunched shoulders (making me think he should probably be named Igor). 

Hadada Ibis

One of the most interesting (and loudest) birds that we saw all over town was the Hadada ibis, with its long, curved bill, glossy iridescent wings, and distinctive call. They loved congregating on the scaffolding right over our hotel, with almost a dozen ibises gathering at dusk.

Cattle Egret

The overgrown field across from our hotel was a haven for several snowy white cattle egrets. Unlike most other egrets and herons who like hunting near water, cattle egrets so named because they are often found near or on the backs of cattle, catching the insects kicked up by the grazing livestock. They are remarkably adaptable and can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

* * * * *

High water at Lake Duluti

Lake Duluti, the relaxing getaway just outside Arusha, is a popular retreat from the urban bustle of the city. I visited twice during two free days in Northern Tanzania as a way to get out and enjoy nature. The birds at Lake Duluti were a bit easier to capture on film than those in Moshi, particularly because most aquatic birds pose for the camera as they sit frozen while they fish. Many are also fairly large birds, which I always find thrilling to see (probably because I can actually see them, haha). 

The water level of the lake was unusually high during our visit because of the heavy rains from the week before (after all, Lake Duluti is basically just a big round bowl, collecting water inside a volcanic crater with no outflow). Some of the picnic tables were completely submerged and parts of the path around the lake were flooded, but we were still able to detour our way and made it all the way around the 2.2 mile hike. 

Malachite Kingfisher

I particularly loved seeing the kingfishers flitting through the lower branches near the water's edge. Did you know? Most kingfishers build their nests in riverbanks, digging into the mud to create burrows where they lay their eggs.

My favorite was the tiny Malachite Kingfisher, with its striking blue crown contrasting with its rusty face and chest. It was perched on a low branch just above the water, waiting patiently for fish to swim by. 

Pied Kingfisher

We also saw the gorgeously patterned (and much larger) Pied Kingfisher, who has the ability to hover in flight as he hunts for fish.

Something I found fascinating was the sheer diversity of birds - we saw several different types of heron, including the Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Black-headed Heron, and Striated Heron. 

Clockwise from left: the Black-headed, Purple, and Striated Herons

The eagle's eyrie

It was interesting walking the entire loop trail since it meant going to the less-traveled areas of the lake. We were able to get very close to a huge nest in a tree not far from the path -  it belonged to a pair of African fish eagles, both of which were in the nest when we walked close. These large, majestic raptors look a lot like bald eagles, with their white head and neck contrasting with their dark brown wings and bodies. I don't think they were very happy that we were so close to the nest, as they flew off just as we walked past.

Did you know? The African Fish Eagle is the national
bird of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Sudan.

At first we thought they were sensitive to humans and were trying to get far away - but as we were leaving, Rashid pointed out an eagle sitting in the closest tree to the parking lot. Ok, so maybe not as skittish as we thought!

Just look at his weird head!  Delightful!

One bird that I really wanted to see (and photograph!) was the hamerkop - a funny looking wading bird with a hammer-shaped head. It's the smallest of the African storks, but is known for building gigantic dome-shaped nests - one of the biggest nests of any bird species. They can be around 5 feet in diameter and over 6 feet tall (the nest, not the chicken-sized bird!), with a small entrance tunnel that leads to a spacious interior chamber. In some cultures, it is believed that hurting or killing a hamerkop brings bad luck, so most people leave them alone.

Klaas's Cuckoo

On our walk right after lunch, Rashid somehow spotted a flash of emerald in the dark green of a distant tree - a tiny Klaas's cuckoo! Like other cuckoo birds, the Klaas's cuckoo lays its eggs in the nest of other birds, who raise the chicks as their own. Their eggs often look like those of the host so that the poor unsuspecting sucker birds can't tell the difference. A cool sighting!

* * * * *

Are we birdwatching? Or is the bird watching...👀???

Over five hundred species of birds can be spotted in the ~100 square mile area of the Ngorongoro Crater. From the many small songbirds in the open grasslands, to the wading birds in the wetlands and lakes, to the dinosaur-like terrestrial birds that roam the crater floor - Ngorongoro is birdwatching heaven!

There is a vast array of passerines - perching birds or songbirds - found in and around the crater. We saw fiscals and weavers, cisticolas and canaries. 

Variable Sunbird

My favorite were the tiny sunbirds, which we saw all over the country. With their long curved beaks and ability to hover, sunbirds are particularly well suited for feeding on nectar - in many ways they resemble hummingbirds, but are actually not closely related. Their similarities are due to convergent evolution, since they fill similar ecological niches. The Variable Sunbird was particularly striking, with its iridescent upper body and yellow belly. (I also found out there is a species called the Amethyst (!!) Sunbird which I looked and looked for, but never found 😢. A new goal for my wish list!!)

Wattled starlings hitch rides on wildebeest to pick off fleas, ticks, and other parasites. They also feed on insects stirred up by these grazers as they move through the grassland. Not a bad place to perch!

Wading birds like the flamingo migrate into the crater during the wet season to feed and breed.

Did you know? That joint you usually see bent on a flamingo's leg isn't its knee, it is the ankle. That's why it bends backwards - the knee is higher up on its body and is usually hidden by feathers.

This ostrich might be partially blind in one eye...
but it didn't stop him from chasing after his girlfriend!

Ostriches are a common species found in Ngorongoro - they are the largest species of bird, standing over 9 feet tall and weighing up to 330 pounds! They are also incredibly fast, running at up to speeds of 40 miles per hour - which makes up for the fact that they can't fly. They generally feed on grasses and seeds, but they are omnivorous and can eat insects and small mammals.

I think she likes him! 😍

* * * * *

The best birdwatching of the trip was in the bucolic hills of the Manyara region in northern Tanzania. Perhaps it's because this area is less impacted by human development, but we saw more variety here than on any of our other birding expeditions. All around the grounds of our hostel, various birds flitted about, their vivid colors flashing in the sunlight. 

The gorgeous electric blue of the Superb Starling

The striking iridescent plumage of the Superb starling caught our eye on our drives throughout the region, but we were always going too quickly to get a good look. Here in the Maasai village, these starlings were everywhere. They were eventually jokingly dubbed the "boring bird..."

Each morning, Rashid, Jennice, Allie, and I would wander around the fields above town. The thorny acacia shrubs and hedges were an absolute haven for the birds, and I was in awe of Rashid's ability to identify the many species that we spotted. 

African Gray Flycatcher

 

The adorable - and well protected! - Banded Parisoma

Just a thruple of Yellow-collared Lovebirds

How is this Hildebrandt's Starling sitting???

Rashid: "We haven't seen a woodpecker yet..."
Bearded Woodpecker 30 seconds later:"Hi!"

The vibrant periwinkle coloring of this Purple Grenadier was shocking!

Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill - like Zasu!

Hoop hoop hooray! We spotted this unusual African Hoopoe!

 

A picture perfect Von der Decken's Hornbill

Taking the time to observe and admire birds gave me a new appreciation for the biodiversity of Tanzania. Seeing the incredible variety of species - how specialized and adaptable many of them are - further underscores the importance of conservation and protecting the fragile habitats that these animals call home. It was also equally calming (to walk in the peaceful mornings with my fellow nature-lovers) and energizing (to spot a new species or marvel at the beauty of colors and patterns and behaviors). 

Thanks, Rashid, for taking us under your wing and giving us a bird's eye view of this incredible country!!