Bird Watching

Bird Watching

For lovers of birds, Uganda would be the place to be. The avifauna of Uganda includes a total of about 1031 species of birds, these includes the Shoebill and the beautiful national bird of Uganda the - Crane.

Bird Life 

Uganda Birds Checklist

Uganda is Africa's best destination for bird species with over 1,000 species to have been discovered compared to Great Britain. There are 100 West African forest species like the Great Blue Turaco, Raucous Black and white Casqued Hornbill, Gem-like Green Broadbill and 23 other species being endemic to the Albertine Rift.

Uganda is the best place to see the shoebill stork which is a huge swamp bird famous for its heavy clog-shaped bill. The birds can be found in every part of the country like in the west wherethey can be found in Bwindi National Park for Albertine Rift endemics, Queen Elizabeth National Park has over 600 bird species, Semliki park has Congo Basin endemics, Mabamba swamp in Entebbe is famous for the Shoebill stork, Bigodi wetland near Kibale Forest is famous for the Great Blue Tuyraco, Murchison Falls park is famous for the savannah species like Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Red-Throated Bee-Eater and Denham's Bustard. The main area in Eastern Uganda for birds is Lake Bisina famous for the Papyrus Gonolek and the Shoebill.

The bird species in Uganda include,

Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinica

Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii

African Blue Fly Catcher Llminia lomgicauda

African Crake Crex egregia

African Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coranotus

African Cuckoo Cuculus gularis

African Cuckoo

Hawk Avicda cuculoides

African Dwarf Kingfisher Ispidina lecontei

African Emerald Cuckoo Chysococcyx cupreus

African Fin foot Podica senegalensis

African Fire finch Lagonosticta rubricata

African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer

African Goshawk Accipter tachiro

African Green Pigeon

Trero Calva

African Grey Horn bill Tockus nasutus

African Harrier Hawk Polyboroides typus

African Hawk Eagle Hierrdaetus spilogaster

African Hobby Falco Cavieri

African Jacana Actophilornis africanas

African Mourning Dove Streptopelia decipiens

African Mustached Warbler Melocichla mentalis

African Palm swift Cypsiurus parvus

African Paradise Fly Catcher Terpsiphone viridis

African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp

African Pygmy Goose Nettapus auritus

African Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta

African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus

African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis

African Shrike

Fly catcher Megabias flammulatus

African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris

African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis

African Spoonbill Platalea alba

African Thrush Tardus pelios

African Water Rail Rallus Caerulescens

African Wattled Plover Vanellus senegallus

African White backed Vulture Gyps africanus

African Wood Owl Strix woodfondii

Alpine Swift Apus melba

Arrow marked Babbler Turdoides jardinii

Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens

Augur Buzzard Buteo augur

Ayres' Hawk Eagle Hieraatus ayresii

Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht

Banded Martin Riparia cincta

Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus

Barn owl Tyto alba

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Bat Hawk macheiramphus alcinus

Bat tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus

Black and white Casqued Hornbill Bycanistes subcylindricus

Black and White Flycatcher Megabias musicus

Black Bee eater Merops gularis

Blackbellied Bustard Eupodotismelanogaster

Black Bishop Euplectes gierowii

Black Coucal Centropus grillii

Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostris

Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus

Black Cuckoo Shrike Campephaga flava

Black Headed Gomolek Laniarius erythirogaster

Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca

Black Kite Milvus migrams

Black Saw wing Psalidoprocne holomelas

Black Stork Ciconia nigra

Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Common Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

Common Teal Anas crecca

Compact Weaver Plocerus superciliosus

Copper Sunbird Cinnrys cuprea

Crested Guinea fowl Guttera pucherani

Crimson rumped Waxbill Estrilda rhodopyga

Croaking Cisticola Cisticola natalensis

Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus

Curfew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Denham's Bustard Noetis denhami

Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius

Double toothed Barbet Lybius bidentatus

Dwaft Bittern Ixobrychus sturmii

Eastern Grey Plantain Eater Crinifer zonurus

Eastern Violet backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis

Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus

Ethiopian Swallow Hirundo aethiopia

Eurasian Beeeater Merops apiaster

Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Eurasian Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus

Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aerugimosus

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus seixpaceus

Eurasian Roller Coracias garrulus

Eurasian Swift Apus apus

Fantailed Widowbird Euuplectes axillaris

Flappet Lark Mirafra rufocinnamomea

Forest Robin Stiphrornis erythrothorax

Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor

Gabar Goshawk Macronisus gabar

Gabon Nightjar Caprimulgus fosii

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

Garganey Anas querquedula

Giant Kingfisher Megacerle maxima

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Golden breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris

Grassland Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus

Grasshopper Buzzard Butastur rufipennis

Great Snipe

Gallmango media Feral pigon Columba livia

Great Sparrow hawk Accipiter melanoleucus

Great White Pelican Pelecanus anocrotalus

Greater Blueeared Starling Lamprotornis haclybaeuus

Greater Honey Guide Indicator indicator

Greater Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus rufescens

Green headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis

Green Sandpiper Tringa achropus

Green Sunbird Anthreptes rectirostris

Green Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus

Green backed Twinspot Mandingoa nitidula

Green winged Pytilia Pytilia melba

Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum

Grey Kestrel Falco ardsiaceus

Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus

Grey Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae

Grey backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura

Grey backed Fiscal Lanius excubitoroides

Grey headed BushShrike Malacomotus blanchoti

Grey headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus

Grey Headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucoephala

Grey headed Negrofinch Nigrita canicapilla

Grey headed Sunbird Delearnis axillaris

Grosbeak Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons

Gull billed Tern Sterna nilotica

Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash

Hamerkop Scopus umbretta

Harlequin Quail Cornix delegorguei

Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris

Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus

Hoopoe Upupa africana

Horus Swift Apus horus

Namaqua Dove Oena capensis

Narina's Trogon Apalodermia norma

Nightingale Euscinia megarhynchos

Northern Black Flycatcher Melaenornis edolioides

Northern Brown throated Weaver Ploceus castanops

Northern Crombec Sylvietta brachyura

Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Northern Puffback Dryoscopus gambensis

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Nubian Woodpecker Campethera nubica

Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais paffida

Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix

Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacca

Olive bellied Sunbird Cinnyris chloropygia

Olive green Camaroptera Camaroptera chloronata

Osprey Pandion hahaetus

Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus

Paprus Canary Serinus koliensis

Papyrus Gonolek Laniarius mufumbiri

Pearl spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum

Pennant winged Nightjar Macrodipteryx vexillarius

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Piapiac Ptilostomus afer

Pied Avocet Recurvirostra

Pied Crow Corvus albus

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

Red chested Sunbird Nectarinia erythrocerca

Red Collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens

Red eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata

Red faced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops

Red faced Crombec Sylvietta whytii

Redheaded Lovebird Agapornis pullarius

Red headed Quelea Quelea erythrops

Red headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps

Red knobbed Coot Fulica cristata

Red necked Falcon Falco chiquera

Redumped Swallow Hirundo daurica

Redshank Tringa totanus

Red shouldered Cuckoo Shrike Cumpephaga phoenicea

Red tailed Shrike Lanius isabellinus

Red throated Pipit Anthus cervinus

Red winged Grey Warbler Drymocichla incana

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Ring necked Dove Streptopelia capicola

River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis

Rock Martin Hirundo fuligula

Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis

Ross's Turaco Musophaga ross's

Ruppeli's Long tailed Glossy Starling Lamprotornis purpuropterus

Ruppell's Vulture Gyps rueppellii

Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopucus

Saddle billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Sand Martin Riparia riparia

Scaly Francolin Francolinus squamatus

Scarlet throated Honey guide Indicator variegatus

Scarlet Chested sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis

Secretary Bird Segittarius serpentarius

Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Senegal Plover Vanellus lugubris

Shikra Accipiter badius

Shining blue Kingfisher Alcedo quadribrachys

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Short toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus

Siffling Cisticola Cisticola brachypterus

Singing Cisticola Cisticola cantans

Slender billed Weaver Ploceus pelzelni

Snowy headed Robin Chat Cossypha niveicapilla

Sooty Chat Myrmecocichla nigra

Sooty Falcon Falco comcolor

Speckled Mousebird Calius Striatus

Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis

Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

Spur winged Plover Vanellus spinosus

Squacco Heron Andeola ralloides

Standard winged Nightjar Macrodipteryx longipennis

Streaky breasted flufftail Sarothrura boehmi

Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti

Sulphur breasted Bush Shrike Malacomotus sulfureopectus

Swamp Flycatcher Muscicapa aquatica

Tambourine Dove Turtur tymnpanistria

Tawny flanked Prinia Prinia subflava

Temminck's Courser Cursorius temminckia

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

Trilling Cisticola Cisticola woosnami

Tropical Boubou Laniarius aethiopicus

Verreaux's Eagle Owl Bubo lacteus

Vieillot's Black Weaver Placeus nigerrimus

Village Indigobird Vidua chalybaeta

Violet backed Starling Cinnyricinculus leucogaster

Vitelline Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus

Water Thick knee Burhinus vermiculatus

Wattled Starling Creataphora cinerea

Whimbrel Numenius phacopus

Whiskered Tern Chilidimias hybridus

White Stork Ciconia ciconia

White browed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas feucophrys

White browed Sparrow Weaver Plocepasser mahali

White fronted plover Charadrius margmatus

White headed Barbet Lybius feucocephalus

White headed Vulture Trigonoceps accipitalis

White rumped Swift Apus caffer

White Spotted flufftail Sarothrura pulchra

White throated Beeeater Merops afbicollis

Whitetighed Hornbill Bycanistes cylindricus

Whitewinged Tern Childonias feucopterus

Whitewinged Warbler Bradypterus carpalis

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus

Winding Cisticola Cisticola galactotes

Wing napping Cisticola Cisticola ayresii

Wire tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalenses

Woolly necked Stork Ciconia episcopus

Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava

Yellow White eye Zosterops senegalensis

Yellowbacked Weaver Ploceus melanocephalus

Yellowbellied Hyliota Hyliota flavigaster

Yellowbilled Oxpecker Buphagus africanus

Yellowbilled Stork Mycteria ibis

Yellow breasted Apalis Apalis flavida

Yellow fronted Canary Serinus mozambicus

Yellow fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysocomus

Yellow mantled Widowbird Euplectes macrourus

Yellow throated Longclaw Macronyx croccus

Zebra Waxbill Amandava subflava

Zitting Cisticola Cisticola funcidis