Birds of Uganda

Uganda is blessed with an incredible 1,148 species of bird, which is more than 75% of all the birds ever recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa. Resident and migrant bird distributions are greatly influenced by the equatorial seasons, and East Africa’s tropical weather systems are difficult to predict, hence Birds of East Africa warns, “always expect the unexpected.” ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Abyssinian Ground-thrush (Zoothera piaggiae) Taxonomy: Turdus piaggiae Bouvier, 1877, Uganda (M’Tésa’s country) = Lake Tana, northern Ethiopia. Widespread in forested highlands across W, C, and NKe, and in the Nguruman Forest in SKe. Overlaps with Orange Ground-Thrush on Mt Kenya, but occurs above 2300m, In Ug there are separate populations on Mt Moroto in the north-east and the Rwenzori Mts in the south-west. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

African Broadbill (Smithornis capensis) Taxonomy: Platyrhynchus capensis A. Smith, 1839, south-east coast towards Delagoa Bay.
Widespread, but very shy, local and solitary residents of good forest from sea-level to 1800m. Sit upright and motionless for long periods, but then fly fast and direct, and are difficult to relocate. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

African Pied Hornbill (Tockus fasciatus) Taxonomy: Buceros fasciatus Shaw, 1811, Malimbe, Angola. Pairs and groups are widespread and common residents in woodland, bushed and wooded grassland, from sea-level to 1700m. Nominate in most of Ug and Ke, while epirhinus is widespread from SUg, though Tz into SEKe.▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp) Taxonomy: Motacilla aguimp Dumont, 1821, Lower Orange River, South Africa.
Most common and widespread resident wagtail, occurring from sea-level to 3000m along river banks, lakeshores, in cultivated areas and forest glades, as well as in towns. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

African Scops-owl (Otus senegalensis) Taxonomy: Scops Senegalensis Swainson, 1837, Gambia. Pairs are common and widespread in dry bush and woodland, including large trees along river courses, from sea-level to 2000m. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

African Yellow White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis) Taxonomy: Zosterops senegalensis Bonaparte, 1850, Senegal. Best identified by range, since it is the only white-eye in much of the west and south, occurring in a variety of habitats including forest, forest edge, gardens and cultivation. It can occur anywhere from near sea-level to 3400m ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Bare-faced Go-away bird (Corythaixoides personatus) Taxonomy: Corythaixoides personatus Rüppell, 1842, Pairs and small groups are locally common in open woodland, bush and cultivation, preferring wetter country west of White bellied Go-away-bird, mainly below 1400m, but occasionally to 2200m. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black-billed Turaco (Tauraco schuetti) Taxonomy: Corythaix Schüttii Cabanis, 1879, Tala Magongo, Angola. Singles and pairs are shy and hard to see, occupying dense forest canopies from 700-2800m. Although now rare in the east of its range, it can be common in the far west, including Rw and Bu. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black-casqued Hornbill (Ceratogymna atrata) Taxonomy: Buceros atratus Temminck, 1835, Ashanti, Ghana. Pairs and small family groups are not uncommon in the canopy of dense primary forest in the Semliki lowlands in WUg at 700m. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostra) Taxonomy: Gallinula flavirostra Swainson, 1837, Senegal. Pairs and small groups are widespread and often common on virtually any lake or small pool with fringing and floating vegetation from sea-level to 3000m. Often walks in the open at any time of day. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black-faced Rufous-warbler (Bathmocercus rufus) Taxonomy: Bathmocercus rufus Reichenow, 1895, Yaounde, Cameroon. Common, but very shy and restricted to the undergrowth within primary forest of the west, from 700-2800m. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black-headed Gonolek (Laniarius erythrogaster) Taxonomy: Lanius erythrogaster Cretzschmar, 1829, Kordofan, Sudan. Common but rather shy resident of woodland, thickets, bush country and cultivation from 600-1600m. It usually keeps low, but also ascends to canopy to call loudly. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus) Taxonomy: Loxia melanocephala Linnaeus, 1758, Guinea. Widespread and very common from sea-level to 2500m in a wide range of habitats and human settlements. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black-throated Coucal (Centropus leucogaster) Taxonomy: Polophilus leucogaster Leach, 1814, New Holland; error = Ghana. In EA, only known from Semliki Forest, WUg, where it is a shy resident of dense undergrowth. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Blue-headed Crested-flycatcher (Trochocercus nitens) Taxonomy: Trochocercus nitens Cassin, 1859, Camma River, Gabon. Pairs are uncommon and localised residents of forest from 700-900m, active in all canopy levels, but particularly fond of thick tangled vines. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Bocage's Bush-shrike (Chlorophoneus bocagei) Taxonomy: Laniarius bocagei Reichenow, 1894, Yaoundé, Cameroon. Locally common in canopy at forest edge, in secondary growth and nearby forest thickets from 1100-2200m. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Brown Illadopsis (Illadopsis fulvescens) Taxonomy: Turdirostris fulvescens Cassin, 1859, Cama River, Gabon. Pairs and small groups are common in forest undergrowth from 700-1800m ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Black-shouldered Nightjar (Caprimulgus nigriscapularis) Taxonomy: Caprimulgus nigriscapularis Reichenow, 1893, Songa, west of Lake Albert. Locally common in the west, inhabiting forest edge, woodland along streams, and neglected cultivation from 700-1450m ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Cape Canary (Serinus canicollis) Taxonomy: Crithagra canicollis Swainson, 1838, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Often in flocks, it is common at high altitudes from 1600-4300m, in cultivation, forest edge, bamboo and moorlands. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Cabanis' Greenbul (Phyllastrephus cabanisi) Taxonomy: Criniger cabanisi Sharpe, 1882, Angola. Noisy small flocks in a variety of thick undergrowth, mainly in highland forests, but down to 600m in NETz. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲