Commonly seen birds in Uganda
Uganda is rated among the most attractive country in Africa to bird watchers. This is true because it offers easy access to several birds’ habitats. These birds range from forest (Uganda specials), Savannah forest birds, water birds and Albertine rift endemics. This therefore makes it the richest African birding destination. Most of the national parks and other protected areas act as good habitats for these bird species. A birding safari to Uganda aims at getting authentic experiences and thus memorable. Uganda has proved, yet again, why it has been and always will be one of the world’s best birding destinations! Below are some of the commonly seen and sought after birds in Uganda.
THE SHOE BILL
The Shoe bill is endemic to Africa and there are birders who come from all over the world mainly interested in seeing this rare bird. The Uganda Bird Guide Club declared illegal to trap this bird species or even steal their eggs from their next as the case was before they were listed among those under protection. The shoe bill is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list of threatened species, mainly because of its loss of habitat and poaching. This spectacular bird can be found at Mabamba swamp, Murchison falls national park, and at the Uganda wildlife education centre Entebbe. The shoe bill is one of the most sought bird species by tourists who come Uganda. Add at least one of the shoe bill habitats to your itinerary as you plan your Uganda safaris for the experience is unforgettable.
GREEN- BREASTED PITTA
The green-breasted pitta is a species of bird in the Pittidae family found in Africa in deep forests of the tropics. Kibale national park is the best site to see the pitta. Its vocals are louder during summer months of June to august. The pitta is definitely one of Africa’s most sought after birds in Uganda and seeing it is a lifetime experience of birding.
GREAT BLUE TURACO AND THE WHITE CRESTED TURACO
These are among the most beautiful birds in Uganda due to their beautiful feathers. The Great blue Turaco is the most widely distributed of all turacos. They are found in the canopy, trees in secondary growth, forests and forest patches in humid, montane and savanna areas.
The white crested Turaco also live in rainforests and in the wild. They are one of the most colorful African birds and seeing them is a life time experience. They have a pair of toes that face forward and a pair that faces backward a total of eight toes which makes them easier to grip branches and climb trees.
AFRICAN GREEN BROADBILL
This bird is a rare resident in Uganda at 2100 to 2200 meters in Bwindi impenetrable forest. It occurs in tropical moist montane forest and is endemic to the Albertine Rift Mountains of Uganda. It is bright green with a blue throat and vent and a small bill, quite unlike those of the other broadbills, adult has finely black-streaked buff crown and narrow black eye stripe. It feeds on seeds and fruit, flowers and flower buds, and some invertebrates. Major threat is deforestation and habitat degradation.
SHELLEY’S CRIMSONWING
This is a brightly colored finch found at low levels. The male has bright red crown face and back with contrasting black wings, olive-yellow underpants with warmer tones on flanks and belly. Both sexes have bright red bills. The voice is sharp and high pitched with a tit tit call. It inhabits the closed- canopy moist forest often in lush valley bottom near water as well as low secondary growth at forest edges, forest clearings and glades dominated by large herbs, bamboo and thickets. It is rare in the Rwenzori Mountains National park and in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.
SHORT-TAILED WARBLER
The short- tailed warbler has a large head with a distinctive striped pattern and a very short tail. The broad supercilium is grey-brown. The front of the eye is dull greenish and white pattern. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
STANDARD-WINGED NIGHTJAR
It is found in dry Savannah habitats, with some thorny scrub and flies at dusk, most often at sundown, and can sometimes be seen with Flying Foxes. It usually feeds on beetles, myths, grasshoppers, cicadas, earwigs, bugs, leafhoppers, flies, winged ants, winged termites and mosquitoes. The call of a Standard-Winged Nightjar is a very high pitched and rapid insect-like titititititit… In the months of December through March, they become rare residents in south eastern Uganda. Due to its nocturnal habits, they are rarely heard than seen. Their presence is most often made known by their loud calls given at dusk.
DOHERTY’S BUSH SHRIKE
This strikingly colored bird is mostly green with a bright red forehead and throat, a broad black breast band and a bright lemon-yellow belly, the tail is black. Young birds are pale green above with finely barred yellow-green underpants. It is more often heard than it is seen and quietly moves around in dense undergrowth.
BAR-TAILED TROGON
It lives in forests. Its underpants are red, the back is green and the upper surface of the tail is blue-black or purple-black. The male is blue-black with bronze iridescence. The female’s head is brown with less ornamental bare skin and its throat and breast are light cinnamon. They feed on canopy insects, mainly smooth caterpillars, also Orthoptera, moths and beetles.It is a rare resident in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest.
BLACK-BREASTED BARBET
These have a distinctive, large, big-billed, black, white and red barbet. The male are all glossy black, except for white patch on lower back, red belly, and white flank areas with woods, thickets and scattered trees, such as trees along watercourses. These birds eat a variety of fruits, including figs. They will also visit plantations and feed on cultivated fruit and vegetables, insects including ants, cicadas, dragon flies, crickets, locusts, beetles, moths, mantids as well as scorpions and centipedes.
COMMON SQUACCO HERON
This is a small chunky bird with a short, thick bill, warm buff-brown back and snowy white wings, breast, tail and belly. The long, almost hair-like feathers on the back cover the tail, and there are tufts of long white and black feathers on the head that sometimes stick straight up in the air. The Squacco Heron is generally a quiet bird. It generally prefers still freshwater habitats with dense fringing vegetation; flooded grassland and temporary pans with emergent vegetation. It eats a variety of small aquatic animals, like frogs and fish.
BLUE-BREASTED BEE EATER
The blue breasted eater prefers reedy lakeshores and papyrus beds, marshes, grassy hillsides, rank grassland at up to 2100. It eats wide variety of airborne insects like honeybees, flower bees and halictid bees. It is mainly found in Kibale national park.
