The most common/popular birds in Uganda. A record of over 1080 bird species call Uganda, the Pearl of Africa their home which makes it an incredible bird watchers’ paradise. Uganda is host to different birds including the savanna birds, forest, aquatic birds and Albertine rift endemic birds to migratory birds. With a range of birds, Uganda is considerably the richest African bird watching destination.
Of the 1080 bird species, about 60% of total African bird species and 11% of the world’s bird species are concentrated in the various bird habitats of Uganda. If you are planning to do birding trip in Uganda, the following birds should be a must-see. They are most popular birds in Uganda which make it the leading bird watching destination.
Most common birds in Uganda & their locations.
Grey crowned Crane / crested crane (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps).
By looking at the Ugandan flag, you get the overall picture on how the Crested Crane looks like. The Crested Crane is Uganda’s National Bird and stands 3ft (1m) tall, with its wings spreading up-to 6ft. The Crested Cranes can only weigh up to about 7m and have life span of 22 years. They gobble just like turkeys and honk like geese.
Crested Cranes in Uganda are concentrated along the grassy wetlands and rarely migrate to distant places. They are the smartest among all avifaunal species with ability to self-defend their territories and themselves especially when attacked by predators. They prefer hiding around herds of cattle.
Shoebill stork (Balaeniceps rex).
The shoebill stork takes its name from a large shoe-shaped bill. It is one of the unique birds endemic to Africa and notably the most sought-for bird by bird watchers. It is considerably one of the weirdest birds on earth and according to IUCN, it is listed among the threatened birds. The shoebill stork hot spots in Uganda include Murchison Falls National Park, Mabamba Swamp, Lake Mburo National Park, Semuliki Wildlife Reserve and Uganda Wildlife Education Centre – Entebbe.
Shelley’s Crimson wing (Cryptospiza shelleyi).
The Shelley’s Crimsonwing birds are a few brightly colored bird notably the shy bird. Shelley’s Crimsonwing birds can only fly for a short distance and spend most of their time around bamboo thickets, dense forest areas along the Albertine rift area which border Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo.
For enthusiastic birders, you can have a glimpse of this incredible bird species while on birding tour in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Great Blue Turaco.
Uganda is a home to the beautiful Great Blue Turaco & the White Crested Turaco. The Great Blue Turaco is commonly spotted around forest canopies, secondary trees, forest patches in montane, savanna and human places. It is perfectly spotted at Bigodi Wetland while the White Crested Turaco thrives around the rainforest and wilderness.
Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus)
Marabou stork can be spotted in almost all corners of Uganda and presents with weird looking air sacs which hang down from its neck base, skinny legs and cloak like wings. It is listed among the ugliest birds of Uganda.
Marabou stork has strange behaviors; they like dirty places and unlike other birds that fly away from grass fires, the marabou stork takes advantage of the blazes to swoop in and feed on small animals trying to flee.
African Green Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena graueri).
The best place to sight the African Green Broadbill is Uganda and incredibly, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park should be your area of interest for bird watching. This park is home not only to the rare mountain gorillas but also the only place to meet and sight unique birds like the African Green Broadbill. It has green feathers, light blue color around the throat, breast and tail.
Doherty’s bushshrike (Telophorus dohertyi).
The Doherty’s bushshrike is another most popular bird in Uganda. It ranges around the tropical forests and shrub lands. While in the forests, you can easily hear it make loud whistle prior sighting it.
Saddle billed stork.
Saddle billed stork comes with unique features. It is amazingly the tallest bird on planet earth as it can grow up to the height of 5ft. Compared to most avifaunal species, the Saddle billed stork birds don’t have vocal organ and clacking their bills is the only way they can make sound. The important sites that guarantee you great sight of the Saddle billed stork include Kazinga Channel of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Semuliki National Park.
Standard Winged Nightjar.
Standard Winged Nightjar is without one of the most beautiful birds and notably a unique bird which sleeps during day and flies out at dusk to feed on different insects. The male Standard Winged Nightjars feature special wing shaft which extend further out behind their bodies with plumed feathers on the end especially when it is mating period. In order to allure females, males can display their ornamental wings vertically during flight. When the mating season ends, the distinct wings fall off.
Black breasted barbet (Lybius rolleti).
The black breasted barbet is considerably one of the difficult birds to sight. It is notably a solitary bird which prefers nesting in dense vegetation and dead trees. It has a large white bill which distinguishes it from other black & white avifaunal species.
Green breasted pitta (Pitta reichenowi).
The African green breasted pitta is without doubt the hard to sight bird in Uganda. It is a unique bird spotted in the rainforest of Kibale National Park, a home to 375 bird species, 13 primates etc. Birders begin trekking through Kibale Forest early morning and the best time to visit the park is usually June, July and August.
Bar tailed trogon (Apaloderma vittatum).
Bar tailed trogon is a distinct bird in Uganda, with medium size and 11 inches long. It ranges along the high elevation forest areas of Uganda. Females and males have yellow bills with long feet and wide tails. The male have shimmery blue green/violet breast, blue back head and yellow patches above and below the eyes.
African spoonbill (Platalea alba).
The African spoonbill is Ibis family member, spotted in its tall height. It has a spoon kind of beak designed to catch fish and crustaceans around shallow water rivers, marshes/swamps or lakes. In the wilderness, Spoonbills can live for 15 years.
Yellow billed oxpecker.
The yellow billed oxpecker is a common bird and you could have even watched it in the nature shows on TV. The yellow billed oxpecker’s diet is largely dependent on ticks, parasites, bot fly larvae. Considering the nature of their diet, this bird can be spotted around large mammals like buffaloes, zebras etc.
Other most popular birds in Uganda include the long crested eagle, Chocolate backed kingfisher, Black bee-eaters, Short tailed warbler, African grey parrot, the common squacco heron and so much more.
