Birds in Uganda
Birds in Uganda : Uganda has been recognized as a birder’s haven with up to 1,000 different bird species recorded within the country in different parts. The majority of birds in Uganda thrive well in tropical forests and there are many rare bird species to spot on your Uganda safari. Uganda is said to be a home to up to half of the bird species found in Africa. Uganda is a landlocked but relatively large country with the capital city Kampala having about 300 different bird species.
The birds of Uganda are known to originate from the Albertine rift, source of the Nile and Lake Victoria but you should note that Uganda has only one endemic bird species known as the Fox’s Weaver bird but there are other endemic species of the Albertine rift that you can spot in the country.
Uganda is blessed with bird life that every part of the country you may be in, you will be able to spot some birds both endemic and foreign bird species. The Albertine endemic bird species include the Grauer’s rush warbler, Red faced woodland, collared apalis, honey guide, Ruwenzori nightjar, red throated alethe, African Green broadbill, handsome francolin, purple-breasted sunbird, strip breasted tit, regal sunbird, shelley’s crimsonwing, yellow eyed black fly catcher, rush warbler, mountain masked apalis, archer’s robin chat, kivu ground, Rwenzori batis, red faced woodland warbler, dusky crimsonwing, blue headed sunbird, strange weaver and the Rwenzori turaco.
Birding in Uganda is a thrilling experience you may add on your mountain gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi forest national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park or visit to any of the other parks for chimpanzee trekking in the Kibaale forest national park or on a wildlife safari in Murchison falls national park or Kidepo valley national park to mention but a few.
There are a number of places you can visit in Uganda for a chance to spot a number of birds. The top 10 birds that you may spot or should look out for while in Uganda include the shoebill stork, a rare bird but can be sitted in a number of spots in the country. The shoe bill is a large grey coloured swamp bird with a whale like head.
You can also look out for the African Green broadbill also sometimes referred to as the Grauer’s broadbill which is commonly sighted in the rift valley of the Albertine escarpment and also in the tropical and subtropical forests. This is a birder’s favorite and can be identified by its light green colored feathers all over the body and yet with a blue throat and a small beak. The African Green Broadbill is considered an endangered species worldwide.
While on a birding safari In Uganda, you can also look out for the Green-breasted Pitta and this is a common one in the waterlogged areas of the tropical forest. It can be identified with the black line around its neck and green feathers over the breast area however seeing one on a birding trip is a memorable moment.
Look out for the Great Blue Turaco another large bird that you can see when in Uganda. These are usually hunted down for their meat and their beautiful feathers and their size does not favor their flying so they tend to move short distances. These can be spotted in a number of places including the savannah areas, sultry or even mountane areas.
The Shelley’s crimsongwing is another bird you should look out for and can be spotted in some parts of the Albertine Rift valley and this is a rare sighting. These birds are identified by their beaks that are outstandingly red and the female one is spotted from the olive head yet the males are majorly red from the back, face and heads.
Spot the standard winged Nightjar that tends to hide during day and their brown plumage helps them but you may see it more active as the day ends and these birds can stretch their feathers far to 38 cm for a short time but you can be lucky to spot this.
The Short tailed warbler also known as the Neumann’s warbler is a relatively small bird with a large head and a stripped outline with a short tail just like its name says. This bird is a common sighting in the forested vegetation that is the tropical forest and you can identify it by the broad brownish- greyish hair arc above each eye while the front of the eye has a dull green and white look.
The Doherty’s Bushshrike is a much sought after but rare sighting and moves silently in thick underbrush making it a hard sighting. This bird has bright colors especially the fully mature ones with red throat and forehead then a light yellow and lemon look in the middle and a black tail and breast. The younger one tend to have smoother colors like pale green and yellow in the under parts.
Look out for the bar tailed trogon that stays in forests and can be spotted by their yellow feet and beak and long tail like the other trogons. The female bar tailed trogon is spotted by the brown heads and the light cinnamon throat and breast while the males are darker with blue black heads and orange or yellow parts under the eyes with green, blue and violet colors on the upper breast.
The Black breasted barbets are birds that tend to live in solitary and live in tree openings. These can be identified by their big heads and their big beaks that have hackles. The Black breasted barbet feeds on fruits, insects, frogs and the smaller amphibians like geckos and lizards. These birds lay 2 to 4 eggs with an incubation period of 13 days to 15. Uganda has many more birds to spot! Reach out and let us book you your birding safari in Uganda.
