CLASSIC UGANDA TOUR REPORT 2023
13 June - 4 July 2023
by Nik Borrow
Uganda is famously quoted as being the ‘Pearl of Africa’ and although neither Henry Morton Stanley nor Winston Churchill had birders and ecotourists in mind when they awarded the country this title, it is most certainly an appropriate one! Uganda is surely an essential destination for any world-travelling birdwatcher as it is home to the incredible Shoebill, a good number of Albertine Rift endemics and is also an excellent place to see a few otherwise difficult western African forest species. A visit to this friendly and welcoming country also offers a great mammal-watching experience including primates in particular with Eastern Gorilla and Chimpanzee obviously at the top of the list! It is not often that the mammals get a mention before the birds, but on this occasion, it is apt, as our encounters with the incredible Eastern ‘Mountain’ Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park were truly unforgettable! The incomparable Shoebill was a worthy rival and fortunately surrendered to our collective gaze on day one when we were privileged to watch an adult at the nest with a young chick where we were also lucky to find Lesser Jacana and Blue Swallow. In the afternoon we drove to Mabira Forest for a brief look before returning the following morning. Here we enjoyed an encounter with two parties of Nahan’s Partridge, battled with skulking Yellow-eyed Bristlebills and were introduced to a variety of lowland forest species including Forest Wood Hoopoe and Lowland Sooty Boubou. Heading north, Brightly coloured Papyrus Gonoleks, secretive White-winged Swamp Warbler and a surprise Golden-winged Sunbird allowed views en route to Soroti which was our base for an excursion towards Lake Opeta to see Uganda’s only endemic the hulking Fox’s Weaver. This once elusive species has now been ‘staked out’ and is much more reliable than previously thought when genuine sightings were few and far between. In this area we also saw Dwarf Bittern, Lesser Moorhen, Allen’s Gallinule, Red-pate Cisticola, Karamoja Apalis and Heuglin’s Masked Weaver. A long drive took us to the northwest of the country where we visited the impressive Murchison Falls and saw our first big game that include handsome Rothschild’s Giraffes. Of the avian specialities we scored with Dusky Babbler as well as Heuglin’s Spurfowl and Denham’s Bustard in the savannahs, sought out Puvel’s Illadopsis in the dark woodlands at Kaniyo Pabidi and found the tiny, brightly coloured Foxy Cisticola on the Butiaba escarpment. A day on the Royal Mile of Budongo Forest produced the diminutive Ituri Batis in the tops of the tall trees. A superb pair of Grey-headed Olivebacks enlivened the journey to Kibale National Park where we unfortunately suffered from excessive rain. The Chimpanzees kept to the tops of the trees and despite walking 25 kilometres over a day and a half the Green-breasted Pitta eluded us this year. Picking ourselves up, it was onwards to Queen Elizabeth National Park where the desirable Giant Forest Hog put in a grand appearance and African Crake was seen well whilst the fantastic boat trip along the Kazinga Channel produced a large flock of African Skimmers. In the wonderfully named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest we spent a magical hour with a family of Eastern Gorillas and watched a male Grauer’s (or African Green) Broadbill guarding his nest that presumably contained the sitting female. These steep hills and beautiful forests also held a whole host of Albertine Rift endemic specialties that included Regal Sunbird as well as Handsome Spurfowl, Rwenzori Batis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grauer’s Warbler, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Rwenzori Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Blue-headed Sunbird and Strange Weaver. Near Lake Bunyonyi we found the rare Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Canary and a visit to Mgahinga National Park produced the expected Rwenzori Turaco and Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird and Archer’s Ground Robin. We finished our African adventure at Lake Mburo along with Red-faced Barbet apparently teamed up with Black-collared Barbet and the boat trip on the lake was a lovely gentle way to end the tour with close views of families of African Finfoot and White-backed Night Heron. Amongst the many other mouth-watering specialities that we encountered were Clapperton’s Spurfowl, Black-shouldered and Montane (or Ruwenzori heard only) Nightjars, White-crested and Black-billed Turacos, Dusky and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoos, Red-chested Flufftail (heard only), Mountain Buzzard, ‘Congo’ African Pied Hornbill, White-thighed Hornbill, Grey-throated and ‘Eastern’ Yellow-billed Barbets, Dwarf and Willcocks’s (heard only) Honeyguides, Fine-banded, Speckle-breasted and Elliot’s Woodpeckers, Lagden’s Bushshrike (heard only), Doherty’s Bushshrike, Albertine Sooty Boubou, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Mountain Oriole, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, White-tailed Lark, Kakamega, Olive-breasted and White-throated Greenbuls, White-headed Saw-wing, White-browed Crombec, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Highland Rush Warbler, Trilling, Chubb’s, Carruthers’s and Long-tailed Cisticolas, Black-faced Prinia, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Grey-capped Warbler, Green-backed Eremomela, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Green White-eye, Scaly-breasted and Mountain Illadopsises, Black-lored Babbler, Grey-chested Babbler (heard only), Stuhlmann’s and Sharpe’s Starlings, Silverbird, Chapin’s Flycatcher, White-bellied, Grey-winged and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chats, ‘Eastern’ Forest Robin, Equatorial Akalat, Grey-headed and Red-chested Sunbirds, Shelley’s Sparrow, Dusky Crimsonwing, Kandt’s Waxbill, Quailfinch, Red-headed Bluebill, Red-winged Pytilia, Brown Twinspot and Western Citril.
Our action-packed journey around Uganda began in Entebbe where a visit to the Botanical Gardens gave us a gentle introduction to the birds with Bat Hawk and colourful Grey Parrots being highlights and after some searching produced the desired Orange Weaver. The next day we set off early for Mabamba Swamp to look for the species, which for many of us was to be the ‘ultimate’ bird of the tour – the enormous and totally unique Shoebill. The 90 minutes journey to the landing stage was uneventful and as the sun began to rise in the sky, we soon found ourselves on the water in three small, motorised wooden pirogues. We were fortunate to be taken to a recently discovered Shoebill nest where the adult stood towering over its tiny youngster which spent most of its time prostrate on the matted papyrus. We were certainly privileged to watch this very special species so intimately and whilst there we saw Blue Swallow fly over and hunted out a pair of diminutive Lesser Jacana pattering around on the extensive lily pads.
Time was limited as we only had the morning at Mabamba and we were hoping to reach Mabira Forest, our next destination for some late afternoon birding so we set off for a rather tedious journey that skirted the heavy traffic of Kampala. By the time we reached Mabira the shadowy afternoon had made the forest quiet but we managed to track down the desirable Yellow-eyed Greenbul before continuing to the town of Jinja that overlooks the source of the Nile and planned to return the following morning.
There is not much to recommend the town of Jinja but it is in easy reach of the sadly rather degraded remnants of Mabira Forest. It was only a short time ago that this extension of the Budongo Forests was seriously threatened by a proposed government-backed expansion of the sterile sugar cane plantations that surround it. A fierce protest followed in which several people died but it has saved this leafy haven at least for the time being. The cool forest therefore continues to provide a refuge for a number of interesting species and during our productive time here we managed to find some very special birds including some Nahan’s Partridges but they were very secretive and kept to the shadows of the dense undergrowth. With limited time in the forest, we concentrated on the specials and were pleased to have good views of both Forest Wood Hoopoe and Lowland Sooty Boubou. A Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat was seen and a brief view of White-spotted Flufftail was obtained before we found ourselves on the road once again. The next long drive took us northeastwards to the distant town of Soroti taking in a stop at a swamp that yielded a secretive White-winged Swamp Warbler, colourful Papyrus Gonolek and a surprise male Golden-winged Sunbird!
Our main reason for visiting this once dangerous region which had been out of bounds for so long was for a chance to see Uganda’s only endemic bird, the little-known Fox’s Weaver. Mysteriously there had been no published breeding records since 1996 when 47 nests were counted. We had managed to see the species in 2011 and 2012 in the Lake Bisina area but no nests were found and then only a few years ago a colony was discovered a little bit further east near Lake Opeta and suddenly what had been a true enigma of a bird was finally nailed down and accessible. We therefore followed in the footsteps of the Birdquest 2021 and 2022 tours and during our visit managed to see at least 10 birds at their nests which were not as once thought to be out on the lake itself but in the seasonally inundated grasslands that are dotted with whistling thorn. These strange trees that form a symbiotic relationship with an ant were also home to the localised Karamoja Apalis which we also managed to see, as well as observing a male Fox’s Weaver habit of actually feeding on the ants themselves! Whilst birding in the area we also saw Clapperton’s Spurfowls in the early morning calling loudly from overnight roosts, Dwarf Bitterns were positively common with a number of individuals seen incredibly well and a pair of African Rail was coaxed into view. Other species included Highland Rush Warbler and Shelley’s Sparrow whilst Cardinal and Red-billed Queleas, Black-winged Red and Northern Red Bishops were all in glorious technicoloured breeding plumage. In the afternoon we visited a Heuglin’s Masked Weaver colony, found roadside Red-pate Cisticola and watched Lesser Moorhens and Allen’s Gallinules skittering over the lily pads as the sun went down. The last bird of the day being our first Foxy Cisticola.
We departed the next morning, ticking off some gorgeous Abyssinian Rollers in Soroti town and a flock of Compact Weavers nearby before starting the long journey towards Masindi in the north-west of the country. The afternoon was spent birding the Kimengo Ranches where we gained super views of White-crested Turacos and a colourful array of starlings that included Lesser Blue-eared, Bronze-tailed and Purple Starlings.
From Masindi we headed into Murchison Falls National Park and made a prolonged stop in the forest at Kaniyo Pabidi where the main target was Puvel’s Illadopsis. We explored the network of trails that led into the superb rainforest with its magnificent mahogany and ironwood trees and despite the birds being very silent we still managed to find two individuals and enjoyed some amazing close and prolonged views. Canopy Black-billed Turacos were also seen and after a picnic lunch we continued on through the park managing to evade the biting jaws of fearsome Tsetse flies as they weren’t particularly bad this year and finished our day with a visit to the top of the spectacular Murchison Falls which produced the expected Rock Pratincoles. Good views of several Heuglin’s Spurfowl were obtained and Long-tailed Nightjar and a Greyish Eagle-Owl was spotted by the roadside near our comfortable lodge situated in the heart of the park.
The next morning, we took a trip by small boat downstream along the Nile to the delta, which gave us a marvellous opportunity to see the wildlife from a different perspective! Cruising down-river we watched numerous Hippopotamuses wallowing in the shallows, small numbers of Senegal Thick-knees eyed us warily from the banks and pairs of dapper Red-necked Falcon and White-backed Night Herons were a real treat. We disembarked at the Delta Point and were reunited with our car and driver and continued on a game drive through the north bank sector of the park. In contrast to the south bank which is for the most part heavily vegetated with shrubs and trees and tall grasses the habitat on the north bank comprises rolling hills and open Borassus Palm-studded grasslands inhabited by large herds of game that include numerous Uganda Kob, stately Rothschild’s Giraffes, some adorned with Yellow-billed Oxpeckers and many African Savanna Elephant, ‘Lake Chad’ Buffalo, Defassa Waterbuck, Sudan Oribi and Lelwel Hartebeest as well as the distinctive Patas Monkey. A close Denham’s Bustard on the short grass plains was much appreciated and spiky-crested Black-headed Lapwings were seen. We admired the colours of Swallow-tailed, Little, Northern Carmine and Red-throated Bee-eaters and were astonished by the hundreds of Piapiacs that were seen as we birded the scrubby savanna where we also found several prehistoric-looking Abyssinian Ground Hornbills. A trio of excitable Red-winged Grey Warblers was enjoyed and our day ended watching spectacular male Pennant-winged Nightjars gliding all around us at dusk.
As we left the park, a concerted effort was made to find the skulking and retiring Dusky Babbler, a species that can be notoriously difficult to find. The usual haunts had either been disturbed by roadworks or else were silent and it wasn’t until the very last opportunity that we got a response and a furtive group was finally seen. Our journey then took us onward across the now very much inhabited Buliisa Plains where we tracked down White-rumped Seedeater and then up the Butiaba escarpment which as usual we arrived at during the most inhospitable and hot hours of the day but ultimately, we did well birding the scrubby hillsides and found goodies such as Green-backed Eremomela and White-shouldered Black Tit.
The following day we were back in the woods, this time to a stretch of forest that is known as the Royal Mile. The tall trees meant that we were stretching our backs and craning our necks upwards to try to spot tell-tale movements in the canopy. White-thighed Hornbills were big enough but even these weren’t immediately apparent in the leafy mass above our heads. Imagine then how difficult it was to try to spot the tiny Lemon-bellied Crombec and the diminutive Uganda Woodland Warbler and Ituri Batis. Ultimately it was only the crombec that refused to be seen and we also managed views of both Chocolate-backed and African Dwarf Kingfishers and Sabine’s Spinetails amongst other more widespread forest species. In the late afternoon rain began to fall which curtailed our activities and was set to plague us over the following few days.
The next day was mainly a long travel day to Kibale Forest but we first spent time by one of Uganda’s many swamps. The vegetation was absolutely sodden, after overnight rain and we got ourselves soaking wet looking for Grey-headed Oliveback in the weedy fields. Yellow-shouldered and ‘all black’ Red-collared Widowbirds and Orange-breasted Waxbills were seen during our search but of the oliveback there was no sign, that is until we got back to the car where we found a pair posing nicely for us! The rest of the drive was uneventful but by the time we reached the edge of Kibale National Park situated near the town of Fort Portal in the mid-afternoon torrential rain was falling which put paid to any birding activities. We tried watching the birds at a small swamp near Fort Portal but the situation was really hopeless and we admitted defeat and headed to our lodge to dry out.
The following damp morning, we had to be up well before dawn in order to increase our chances of finding the elusive Green-breasted Pitta, a species that normally prefers to display at first light. A pair of African Wood Owls greeted us where we met our guide, Milka who led us through the gloom into the dark forest that was just beginning to stir. Sadly, we could not see or hear any pittas in the time available so we turned our attention to the forest’s other star attraction – Chimpanzee. Kibale National Park has surely got to be THE place to see Chimpanzee as it now boasts of at least a 90% hit rate chance of seeing members of their habituated troops of the eastern race schweinfurthii, although with time available it is highly unlikely that one could miss these great apes on a day visit to the forest. We were particularly unlucky on this trip as although we saw plenty of chimps they preferred to keep to the tops of the tall trees because it was so wet and muddy on the forest floor. Despite our best efforts at finding some on or nearer the ground the animals resolutely refused to come down so we returned to looking for pittas and this time with another guide, Benson who had also seen them recently but despite walking 25 kilometres over our given time the birds remained hidden. We tried everything we could and at one point were chased by a female elephant protecting her calf. This was a terrifying but also strangely exhilarating moment when several of us found that we were still able to run despite having thought we had lost the ability to do so but when the guard loads his gun as the huge beast crashes through the jungle towards us then run is exactly what one does! So, our stay at Kibale was somewhat of a disappointment this tour although incredible views of a pair of Scaly-breasted Illadopsis in the forest and a family of Speckle-breasted Woodpeckers and a pair of Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls at our lodge did something to heal the pain.
In the afternoon we started our drive through picturesque crater highlands to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The conditions were still very wet which meant that seeing African Crake by the roadsides was a lot easier. Our time spent in Queen Elizabeth National Park is always considered to be yet another of the great highlights of the tour and after an early breakfast we set out to explore the park which is predominantly open grasslands dotted with thickets and punctuated by Candelabra Euphorbias. There were plenty of Senegal Lapwings and small numbers of Greater and Lesser Flamingos could be seen on a sulphurous crater lake. The often-elusive White-tailed Lark was in full song and could be seen displaying over the kob mating grounds where some sleepy lions were resting. Good numbers of elephants were seen, the population here being curious as the gene pool of African ‘Savanna’ Elephants has been infiltrated by that of the smaller Forest Elephant (perhaps those fleeing from devastated forests in Congo, seeking safer lands) so that the population in Queen Elizabeth and Kibale National Parks is now deemed to be predominantly hybrid!
At lunchtime we gazed out at the spectacular view over the broad Kazinga Channel flowing below us and then in the afternoon, sat back and enjoyed the fantastic experience of an afternoon boat trip on the waters, an event that offered excellent wildlife viewing with plenty of photographic opportunities for waterside birds and mammals. The star attraction had to be the flock of about 300+ African Skimmers that our boat glided right up to for some close-up views and having had our fill we cruised along the banks where there were huge numbers of Hippopotamus, ‘Lake Chad’ Buffalo and a few Nile Crocodiles. Star attraction though was a family of Giant Forest Hogs that had come to a salt lick. As usual there were amazing numbers of Pied Kingfishers catching and carrying fish everywhere. We even found a snowy white leucistic individual – quite a striking bird! A large congregation of White-breasted Cormorants was gathered and dotted along the shore was a selection of common waterbirds and African Fish Eagles standing sentinel that all offered fine photographic opportunities as the day came to a spectacular end.
The following morning, we embarked upon what was basically a very long ‘game drive’ that took us through some wild country into the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. At the bridge over the Kazinga Channel we had superb views of a pair of Papyrus Gonoleks and a great selection of bush birds included the unassuming Trilling Cisticola and the comical Crested Barbet. In the Ishasha sector of the park we found two ‘tree-climbing’ lionesses comfortably wedged in one of the spreading fig trees there but ultimately it was time to close the roof of the landcruiser and head on to our next destination, the village of Buhoma that is situated at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. We arrived at the end of the day and settled into our comfortable and welcoming lodge with its rooms overlooking a deep valley and the impressive steep forested slopes beyond. This beautiful forest dates back to before the Pleistocene ice age, which makes it at over 25,000 years old, one of the most biologically diverse in Africa and goes by the name wonderfully evocative name the ‘Impenetrable Forest’, due to the steepness of its hills as opposed to the density of its vegetation and with this view came the promise of seeing a selection of fascinating Albertine Rift endemics and other exciting birds.
The next few days were spent trying to hunt out the specialties of the region and we started our explorations in the forest above Buhoma. The trail itself was pleasantly birdy and without being overwhelmed by birds we managed to see some of those important and coveted Albertine Rift endemic species such as Red-faced Woodland Warbler and Red-throated Alethe. The notoriously skulking Neumann’s Warbler was only heard this year but the recently described Willard’s Sooty Boubou was teased out of the tangles and its distinctive pale blue-grey iris was noted. A fine male African Broadbill twirled and displayed upon his perch and furtive Equatorial Akalats were also seen and headed a fine supporting cast of other species that included Ansorge’s Greenbul, a species first discovered in the country during BirdQuest’s 2001 Uganda tour as well as Elliot’s Woodpecker, Pink-footed Puffback, Lühder’s Bushshrike, Black-faced Prinia, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Mountain Illadopsis, Grey-winged and White-bellied Robin-Chats and Blue-headed Sunbird.
We had already encountered a fine selection of primates during the tour that included Red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, Blue, Tantalus and Patas Monkeys, Guereza, Uganda Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Uganda Red Colobus and of course Chimpanzee but Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is particularly famous for its gorilla trekking opportunities and this ‘Great Ape’ was the star attraction and most of us had opted to go in search of our close cousins.
Of course, we were wondering just how easy (or difficult depending on how you view your half-filled glass) it was going to be to see these gentle giants! This year we had permits to visit ‘Katwe’ group from Buhoma. After the lengthy briefing session, we set off on our ‘trek’. It was the luck of the draw how far away the animals are as the gorillas obviously move daily in search of food and this year it seemed that our group was pretty close and it was only a short hike up through the forest over tangled roots and knotted vegetation before we found them. During the excursion, the pace is always geared to that of the slowest member of the group and expert guides, guards, porters and trackers ensured the safety of all. Approximately just over 1,000 ‘mountain’ Gorillas have survived the ravages of modern times and a population of about 459 animals is believed to inhabit Bwindi itself. Patiently our guides and trackers led us deeper amongst the troop thus introducing us to the various family members and revealing an ever-moving, somewhat theatrical tableau, at times carefully peeling the vegetation away from the animals so that we could see them better.
The emotional and spiritual experience of seeing these huge apes always more than compensates for any physical discomfort (briars and stinging nettles!) or hardship (those steep hills!) that is required. Although these habituated troops might occasionally object to our human presence, mostly it seems that they are either oblivious to our attentions or, in the case of the youngsters, a little too curious for their own good and it is normal to be able to watch these creatures at rest and play. However, for the most part, all they are usually intent on doing is sleeping or packing more food into their already distended stomachs and passing wind loudly!
The taxonomy of the ‘mountain’ Gorillas has been hotly debated in recent decades. Most taxonomists seem to agree now on two species of Gorilla, Western Lowland Gorilla (G. gorilla) and Eastern Gorilla (G. beringei). The eastern group includes both the Eastern Lowland Gorilla (G. beringei graueri) and two mountain populations of the nominate form G. b. beringei. The Bwindi population is at the centre of the argument and has been suggested to form a third subspecies G. beringei bwindi. It has been claimed that these are not ‘mountain’ gorillas at all on morphological and ecological grounds. Mitochondrial DNA research however reveals the Bwindi and Virunga populations to be indistinguishable.
Three nights had sped by far too fast and we left the following morning bound for Ruhija. On the journey we found Little Green Woodpecker and at ‘The Neck’, an area of forest that connects smaller and larger regions of the park we found Black Bee-eater but otherwise the forest was disappointingly quiet. It wasn’t until we reached higher elevations that things started to happen and we found our first higher altitude specialties with Dwarf Honeyguide, Rwenzori Apalis, the gorgeous Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver and ultimately a splendid Handsome Spurfowl by the roadside.
Ruhija was to be our base for the next two nights and the wooded hillsides provided suitable habitat that allowed us to add to our growing collection of forest species and Albertine Rift endemics. Perhaps the main reason for coming to Ruhija was to trek up and down and then down, down and down to the Mubwindi Swamp where some major targets occur. It was a fine, dry morning and the views over the forest were superb. We followed a clear trail that had in places been enhanced by the crater-like footprints of elephants. We were aiming to get to the bottom as early as we could because we knew that two pairs of Grauer’s (or African Green) Broadbills were nesting. The trail was very birdy so with the avian distractions, getting to our destination was not an easy task. Along the way we gathered views of Rwenzori Batis, Mountain Oriole, Olive-breasted Greenbul, Mountain Masked Apalis, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Stripe-breasted Tit and Sharpe’s and Waller’s Starlings.
We finally reached the valley bottom where the first nest was still hanging intact in the tree and we didn’t have to wait long before we spotted the male sitting close nearby. Presumably the female was sitting inside the nest as we never saw her and the male didn’t go very far during the time that we spent there which meant that we had prolonged and ultimately walkaway views of the bird through the scope. Flushed with success we continued down to the swamp itself where we ate our lunch and gazed out on the beautiful view where Grauer’s Swamp Warblers performed whirring little display flights over the rushes. After lunch we checked on the second nest but no birds were to be seen so we started the climb back. The return journey was of course almost entirely uphill but we took it slowly and there were rewards scattered along the way which included looks at the rather dull little Grauer’s Warbler with its soft purring trill that enabled us to locate it.
The following morning, we continued birding in the Ruhija area for a short time but it was cold and windy with no activity so we decided to move on. Near Lake Bunyonyi we stopped at a very productive area of degraded papyrus swamp. The drainage of the swamp and spread of the potato fields continue to threaten this fragile habitat and the site is looking like it might disappear at any time. Our main quarry here was the inexplicably localised Papyrus Yellow Warbler and we were amazed that it took no time at all to get a response but the view was fleeting and most of the group had missed it. The water levels were very high this year and the track through the papyrus totally flooded but by donning our rubber boots we waded into the middle where we located another pair and gained close views of a pair of this inexplicably rare and somewhat unusual warbler in the papyrus. Our luck then continued because shortly after, we found three individuals of the localised Papyrus Canary and happily set off on our journey again. Stopping for a short time at Echuya Forest, a Western Tinkerbird, particularly showy Regal Sunbirds and a Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo that flaunted itself were the highlights before ending our day at the famous Traveller’s Rest in Kisoro which was besieged by huge numbers of Straw-coloured Fruit Bats.
Mgahinga National Park was our penultimate destination and lies in a truly very beautiful setting under the shadow of the three inactive volcanoes situated right on the borders with Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. In glorious surroundings with the towering cones of these impressive peaks dominating the skyline we easily found the glittering Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird as well as Dusky Turtle Dove, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler and White-tailed Crested Flycatcher. Archer’s Ground Robin and Dusky Crimsonwing showed well and we enjoyed great looks at several Albertine Sooty Boubous. Doherty’s Bushshrike was coaxed out from dense vegetation for the briefest of views but perhaps the most ‘special’ bird that we saw came in the shape of the incredible Rwenzori Turaco. We heard the strange cries echoing around us in the still air before we saw the first bird but when we did it was simply a “Wow!” of delight. The incredible combination of colours was a joy to behold and we spent time watching these beauties – a must-see bird if you are a turaco fan! Our walk took us as far as the bottom of the impressive Sabinyo Gorge and several ‘Golden’ Monkeys were seen along the way as well as three Montane Side-striped Chameleons before our time in the far southwest finally run out.
It was then a long haul in the landcruiser, retracing our steps back and then onwards to Lake Mburo National Park. A roadside pool produced the usual White-backed Ducks and we arrived at the park in the early afternoon encountering a totally different environment from where we had been for the past week, it being a thorn-bush haven surrounded by grazing land for the ridiculously large-horned Ankole Cattle.
In the late afternoon we found the much hoped for Red-faced Barbet teamed up with a Black-collared Barbet, the latter a recent colonist to the region and the dry park also produced Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Nubian and Little Spotted Woodpeckers, Long-tailed Cisticola and Southern Black Flycatcher. As dusk fell, we found a pair of Swamp Nightjars, a non-reeding male Pennant-winged Nightjar and a most obliging African Scops Owl.
Before dawn we added a super Black-shouldered Nightjar to our list before a relaxing morning boat trip on the lake which delivered a pair of nesting White-backed Night Herons with two youngsters and allowed us to get extra close to an obliging immature African Finfoot that was then followed by a female with two chicks for amazingly prolonged views. One wonders if these are now truly habituated because they seem to ignore the boat entirely! These marvellous birds brought the tour to a close although we did manage to add some Lilac-breasted Rollers on the journey back to Entebbe.
It had surely been an amazing trip with so many memories to cherish! Uganda is the proud owner of an extensive network of well-managed parks and reserves which contain a wide range of habitats: high to low altitude rain forests, vast open wetlands, thorn-bush and dry savannahs. The country boasts a bird list of over 1,000 species, as well as large numbers of big game and wonderful facilities for unrivalled primate watching, making this one of the most outstanding eco-destinations anywhere in the world. All of these natural wonders are complemented by the extremely high standard of comfortable accommodation that is now available (and is improving every year). The people are friendly and helpful and in particular thanks to our driver and all of our local guides who really made our tour a holiday to remember.
SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR
BIRDS
White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata
Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor
White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus
Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata
Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris
Nahan’s Partridge ◊ Ptilopachus nahani
Crested Francolin Dendroperdix sephaena
Handsome Spurfowl ◊ Pternistis nobilis
Heuglin’s Spurfowl ◊ Pternistis icterorhynchus
Clapperton’s Spurfowl ◊ Pternistis clappertoni
Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer
Fiery-necked [Black-shouldered] Nightjar ◊ Caprimulgus [pectoralis] nigriscapularis
Montane [Ruwenzori] Nightjar Caprimulgus [poliocephalus] ruwenzorii
Swamp Nightjar (Natal N, African White-tailed N) Caprimulgus natalensis
Long-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus climacurus
Square-tailed Nightjar (Gabon N) Caprimulgus fossii
Pennant-winged Nightjar Caprimulgus vexillarius
Sabine’s Spinetail Rhaphidura sabini
African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba A couple over Kibale NP.
Little Swift Apus affinis
White-rumped Swift Apus caffer
Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata
Bare-faced Go-away-bird (Black-faced G) Crinifer [personatus] leopoldi
Eastern Plantain-eater (E Grey P-e) Crinifer zonurus
Rwenzori Turaco ◊ Gallirex johnstoni
Ross’s Turaco Musophaga rossae
White-crested Turaco ◊ Tauraco leucolophus
Black-billed Turaco ◊ Tauraco schuettii
Denham’s Bustard ◊ Neotis denhami
Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis
Blue-headed Coucal Centropus monachus
White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus
Black Coucal Centropus grillii
Blue Malkoha (Yellowbill) Ceuthmochares aereus heard-only
Levaillant’s Cuckoo (African Striped C) Clamator levaillantii
Jacobin Cuckoo (Black-and-white C) Clamator jacobinus
Diederik Cuckoo (Didric C) Chrysococcyx caprius
Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas
African Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus
Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx mechowi
Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo ◊ Cercococcyx montanus
Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus
Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius heard-only
Rock Dove (introduced) (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia
Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea
Afep Pigeon Columba unicincta
African Olive Pigeon (Rameron P) Columba arquatrix
Western Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba iriditorques heard-only
Lemon Dove Columba larvata
Dusky Turtle Dove Streptopelia lugens
Mourning Collared Dove (African M D) Streptopelia decipiens
Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata
Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola
Vinaceous Dove Streptopelia vinacea
Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove Turtur chalcospilos
Black-billed Wood Dove Turtur afer
Blue-spotted Wood Dove Turtur afer
Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria
Bruce’s Green Pigeon Treron waalia
African Green Pigeon Treron calvus
African Finfoot Podica senegalensis
White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra
Red-chested Flufftail ◊ Sarothrura elegans heard-only
African Rail (A Water R) Rallus caerulescens
African Crake Crex egregia
Lesser Moorhen Paragallinula angulata
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata
Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrio alleni
African Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis
Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor
Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis
Water Thick-knee (W Dikkop) Burhinus vermiculatus
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Long-toed Lapwing (L-t Plover) Vanellus crassirostris
Spur-winged Lapwing (S-w Plover) Vanellus spinosus
Black-headed Lapwing (B-h Plover) Vanellus tectus
Senegal Lapwing (Lesser Black-winged Plover) Vanellus lugubris
Crowned Lapwing (C Plover) Vanellus coronatus
African Wattled Lapwing (A W Plover) Vanellus senegallus
Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius
Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris
Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis
African Jacana Actophilornis africanus
Temminck’s Courser Cursorius temminckii
Rock Pratincole (White-collared P) Glareola nuchalis
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris
Grey-headed Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis
African Openbill (A Open-billed Stork) Anastomus lamelligerus
Woolly-necked Stork (African W-n S)) Ciconia [episcopus] microscelis
Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer
African Darter Anhinga rufa
Reed Cormorant (Long-tailed C) Microcarbo africanus
White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus
African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
Dwarf Bittern ◊ Ixobrychus sturmii
White-backed Night Heron ◊ Gorsachius leuconotus
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Striated Heron (Green-backed H) Butorides striata
Squacco Heron (Common S H) Ardeola ralloides
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala
Goliath Heron Ardea goliath
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Great Egret (Western G E) Ardea alba
Intermediate Egret (Yellow-billed E) Ardea [intermedia] brachyrhyncha
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
Shoebill ◊ (Whale-headed Stork) Balaeniceps rex
Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens
Osprey. Pandion haliaetus
Black-winged Kite (B-shouldered K) Elanus caeruleus
African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene) Polyboroides typus
Palm-nut Vulture (Vulturine Fish Eagle) Gypohierax angolensis
Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus
White-backed Vulture (African W-b V) Gyps africanus
Rüppell’s Vulture (R’s Griffon V) Gyps rueppelli
White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis
Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotus
Black-chested Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis
Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus
Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens
Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus
Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus
Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus
Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus
Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis
Wahlberg’s Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi
Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus
Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar
Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates
African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro
Shikra Accipiter badius
Black Sparrowhawk (Great S) Accipiter melanoleucus
African Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorus
Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius
African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer
Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus
Augur Buzzard Buteo augur
Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum
Red-chested Owlet Glaucidium tephronotum heard-only
African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis
Greyish Eagle-Owl Bubo cinerascens
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl (Giant E-O) Bubo lacteus
African Wood Owl Strix woodfordii
Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus
Blue-naped Mousebird Urocolius macrourus
Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum
Forest Wood Hoopoe ◊ (F Scimitarbill) Phoeniculus castaneiceps
White-headed Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus bollei
Green Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus
Black Scimitarbill (B Wood-hoopoe) Rhinopomastus aterrimus
Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus
Crowned Hornbill Lophoceros alboterminatus
African Pied Hornbill ◊ (Congo P H) Lophoceros [fasciatus] fasciatus
African Grey Hornbill Lophoceros nasutus
White-thighed Hornbill ◊ Bycanistes albotibialis
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Bycanistes subcylindricus
Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus
Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus
Blue-throated Roller Eurystomus gularis
Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher Halcyon badia
Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala
Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti
Blue-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon malimbica
Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis
African Dwarf Kingfisher Ispidina lecontei
African Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta
Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
Black Bee-eater Merops gularis
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Merops hirundineus
Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus
Blue-breasted Bee-eater Merops variegatus
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates
Red-throated Bee-eater Merops bulocki
Olive Bee-eater (Madagascar B-e) Merops superciliosus
Northern Carmine Bee-eater Merops nubicus
Grey-throated Barbet ◊ (G- headed B) Gymnobucco [bonapartei] cinereiceps
Speckled Tinkerbird Pogoniulus scolopaceus
Western Tinkerbird (W Green T) Pogoniulus coryphaei
Yellow-throated Tinkerbird Pogoniulus subsulphureus
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysoconus
Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon duchaillui heard-only
Hairy-breasted Barbet (Streaky-throated B) Tricholaema [hirsuta] ansorgii
Spot-flanked Barbet Tricholaema lacrymosa
White-headed Barbet Lybius leucocephalus
Red-faced Barbet ◊ Lybius rubrifacies
Black-billed Barbet Lybius guifsobalito
Black-collared Barbet Lybius torquatus
Double-toothed Barbet Lybius bidentatus
Yellow-billed Barbet ◊ (Eastern Y-b B) Trachyphonus [p.] purpuratus
Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii
Cassin’s Honeybird Prodotiscus insignis
Dwarf Honeyguide Indicator pumilio
Willcocks’s Honeyguide Indicator willcocksi heard-only
Lesser Honeyguide (Thick-billed H) Indicator [minor] conirostris heard-only
Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor heard-only
Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator
Brown-eared Woodpecker Pardipicus caroli non-leader
Nubian Woodpecker Campethera nubica
Little Green Woodpecker Campethera maculosa
Little Spotted Woodpecker Campethera cailliautii
Fine-banded Woodpecker ◊ Campethera taeniolaema
Bearded Woodpecker Chloropicus namaquus
Yellow-crested Woodpecker Chloropicus xantholophus
Speckle-breasted Woodpecker ◊ Dendropicos poecilolaemus
Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens
Elliot’s Woodpecker ◊ Dendropicos elliotii
African Grey Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae
Brown-backed Woodpecker Dendropicos obsoletus
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Grey Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus
Red-necked Falcon Falco [chicquera] ruficollis
African Hobby Falco cuvierii
Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus
Meyer’s Parrot (Brown P) Poicephalus meyeri
Red-headed Lovebird Agapornis pullarius
Grauer’s Broadbill ◊ (African Green B) Pseudocalyptomena graueri
African Broadbill Smithornis capensis
Rwenzori Batis ◊ Batis diops
Chinspot Batis Batis molitor
Western Black-headed Batis Batis erlangeri
Ituri Batis ◊ Batis ituriensis
Chestnut Wattle-eye Platysteira castanea
Brown-throated Wattle-eye (Common W-e) Platysteira cyanea
Lagden’s Bushshrike Malaconotus lagdeni heard-only
Many-coloured Bushshrike Chlorophoneus multicolor
Bocage’s Bushshrike Chlorophoneus bocagei
Orange-breasted Bushshrike Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus
Doherty’s Bushshrike ◊ Telophorus dohertyi
Marsh Tchagra (Blackcap T) Bocagia minuta
Brown-crowned Tchagra (Brown-headed T) Tchagra australis
Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus
Pink-footed Puffback Dryoscopus angolensis
Northern Puffback Dryoscopus gambensis
Lowland Sooty Boubou ◊ Laniarius leucorhynchus
Albertine Sooty Boubou ◊ Laniarius poensis
Willard’s Sooty Boubou ◊ Laniarius willardi
Lühder’s Bushshrike Laniarius luehderi
Tropical Boubou Laniarius major
Papyrus Gonolek ◊ Laniarius mufumbiri
Black-headed Gonolek Laniarius erythrogaster
Brubru Nilaus afer
White-crested Helmetshrike Prionops plumatus
African Shrike-flycatcher Megabyas flammulatus
Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher Bias musicus
Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava
Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike Campephaga phoenicea
Petit’s Cuckooshrike Campephaga petiti
Purple-throated Cuckooshrike Campephaga quiscalina
Mackinnon’s Shrike Lanius mackinnoni
Grey-backed Fiscal Lanius excubitoroides
Northern Fiscal Lanius humeralis
Western Oriole Oriolus brachyrhynchus
Mountain (Montane) Oriole ◊ Oriolus percivali
Velvet-mantled Drongo Dicrurus modestus
Fork-tailed Drongo (Common D) Dicrurus adsimilis
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer
African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis
Piapiac Ptilostomus afer
Pied Crow Corvus albus
White-necked Raven (W-naped R) Corvus albicollis
African Blue Flycatcher Elminia longicauda
White-tailed Blue Flycatcher ◊ Elminia albicauda
White-bellied Crested Flycatcher ◊ Elminia albiventris
White-tailed Crested Flycatcher Elminia albonotata
White-shouldered Black Tit Melaniparus guineensis
White-winged Black Tit Melaniparus leucomelas
Dusky Tit Melaniparus funereus
Stripe-breasted Tit ◊ Melaniparus fasciiventer
Grey Penduline Tit (African P T) Anthoscopus caroli
Western Nicator Nicator chloris
Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana
Flappet Lark Mirafra rufocinnamomea
White-tailed Lark ◊ Mirafra albicauda
Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea
Slender-billed Greenbul Stelgidillas gracilirostris
Red-tailed Bristlebill Bleda syndactylus
Yellow-eyed Bristlebill ◊ Bleda ugandae
Yellow-throated Leaflove Atimastillas flavicollis
Spotted Greenbul Ixonotus guttatus
Honeyguide Greenbul Baeopogon indicator heard-only
Olive-breasted Greenbul ◊ Arizelocichla kikuyuensis
Red-tailed Greenbul Criniger calurus
Little Greenbul Eurillas virens
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Eurillas latirostris
Plain Greenbul (Cameroon Sombre G) Eurillas curvirostris
Little Grey Greenbul Eurillas gracilis
Ansorge’s Greenbul Eurillas ansorgei
White-throated Greenbul ◊ Phyllastrephus albogularis
Cabanis’s Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi heard-only
Yellow-streaked Greenbul Phyllastrephus flavostriatus
Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolor
Black Saw-wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera
White-headed Saw-wing ◊ Psalidoprocne albiceps
Banded Martin Riparia cincta
Grey-rumped Swallow Pseudhirundo griseopyga
Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula
Blue Swallow ◊ Hirundo atrocaerulea
Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
Angolan Swallow Hirundo angolensis
Red-breasted Swallow Cecropis semirufa
Mosque Swallow Cecropis senegalensis
Lesser Striped Swallow Cecropis abyssinica
Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
Moustached Grass Warbler Melocichla mentalis
Yellow Longbill Macrosphenus flavicans heard-only
Grey Longbill Macrosphenus concolor
Northern Crombec Sylvietta brachyura
Red-faced Crombec Sylvietta whytii
Green Crombec Sylvietta virens
Lemon-bellied Crombec Sylvietta denti heard-only
White-browed Crombec ◊ Sylvietta leucophrys
Neumann’s Warbler ◊ (Short-tailed W) Urosphena neumanni heard-only
Chestnut-capped Flycatcher Erythrocercus mccallii
Green Hylia Hylia prasina
Red-faced Woodland Warbler ◊ Phylloscopus laetus
Uganda Woodland Warbler ◊ Phylloscopus budongoensis
Grauer’s Warbler ◊ Graueria vittata
Greater Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus rufescens
Lesser Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris
Mountain Yellow Warbler ◊ Iduna similis
Papyrus Yellow Warbler ◊ Calamonastides gracilirostris
Fan-tailed Grassbird (F-t Warbler) Catriscus brevirostris
Evergreen Forest Warbler Bradypterus lopezi heard-only
Cinnamon Bracken Warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus
White-winged Swamp Warbler Bradypterus carpalis
Grauer’s Swamp Warbler Bradypterus graueri
Highland Rush Warbler ◊ Bradypterus centralis
Red-faced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops
Singing Cisticola Cisticola cantans
Whistling Cisticola Cisticola lateralis
Trilling Cisticola ◊ Cisticola woosnami
Chubb’s Cisticola ◊ Cisticola chubbi
Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana
Winding Cisticola Cisticola marginatus
Carruthers’s Cisticola ◊ Cisticola carruthersi
Stout Cisticola Cisticola robustus
Croaking Cisticola Cisticola natalensis
Red-pate Cisticola ◊ Cisticola ruficeps
Short-winged Cisticola (Siffling C) Cisticola brachypterus
Foxy Cisticola ◊ Cisticola troglodytes
Long-tailed Cisticola ◊ (Tabora C) Cisticola angusticauda
Zitting Cisticola (Fan-tailed C) Cisticola juncidis
Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava
Black-faced Prinia ◊ Prinia melanops
Red-winged Prinia (R-w Warbler) Prinia erythroptera
White-chinned Prinia Prinia leucopogon
Ruwenzori Apalis ◊ (Collared A) Oreolais ruwenzorii
Red-winged Grey Warbler ◊ Drymocichla incana
Buff-bellied Warbler Phyllolais pulchella
Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida
Mountain Masked Apalis ◊ (Black-faced A) Apalis personata
Black-throated Apalis Apalis jacksoni
Chestnut-throated Apalis ◊ Apalis porphyrolaema
Buff-throated Apalis Apalis rufogularis
Karamoja Apalis ◊ Apalis karamojae
Grey Apalis Apalis cinerea
Grey-capped Warbler ◊ Eminia lepida
Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata
Olive-green Camaroptera Camaroptera chloronota
Black-faced Rufous Warbler Bathmocercus rufus
Green-backed Eremomela ◊ Eremomela canescens
Rufous-crowned Eremomela Eremomela badiceps
Rwenzori Hill Babbler ◊ Sylvia atriceps
Green White-eye ◊ Zosterops stuhlmanni
Brown Illadopsis Illadopsis fulvescens heard-only
Mountain Illadopsis ◊ Illadopsis pyrrhoptera
Scaly-breasted Illadopsis ◊ Illadopsis albipectus
Puvel’s Illadopsis ◊ Illadopsis puveli
Brown Babbler Turdoides plebejus
Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii
Dusky Babbler ◊ Turdoides tenebrosa
Black-lored Babbler ◊ Turdoides sharpei
Grey-chested Babbler ◊ (G-c Illadopsis) Kakamega poliothorax heard-only
Yellow-bellied Hyliota Hyliota flavigaster
Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea
Purple-headed Starling Lamprotornis purpureiceps
Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Lesser Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chloropterus
Brownze-tailed Starling Lamprotornis chalcurus
Splendid Starling Lamprotornis splendidus
Purple Starling (P Glossy S) Lamprotornis purpureus
Rüppell’s Starling Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus
Violet-backed Starling (Amethyst S) Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
Waller’s Starling Onychognathus walleri
Stuhlmann’s Starling Poeoptera stuhlmanni
Narrow-tailed Starling Poeoptera lugubris
Sharpe’s Starling ◊ Poeoptera sharpii
Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus
Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus
Fraser’s Rufous Thrush (Rufous Flycatcher T) Stizorhina fraseri
White-tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus poensis
Red tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus rufus
African Thrush Turdus pelios
Abyssinian Thrush (Mountain T) Turdus abyssinicus
Fire-crested Alethe Alethe castanea
Brown-backed Scrub Robin Erythropygia hartlaubi
White-browed Scrub Robin Erythropygia leucophrys
Fraser’s Forest Flycatcher Fraseria ocreata
Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher Myioparus griseigularis
Grey Tit-Flycatcher (Lead-coloured F) Myioparus plumbeus heard-only
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri
Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher ◊ Melaenornis ardesiacus
Northern Black Flycatcher Melaenornis edolioides
Southern Black Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina
Pale Flycatcher Melaenornis pallidus
Silverbird ◊ Empidornis semipartitus
Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens
Swamp Flycatcher Muscicapa aquatica
Cassin’s Flycatcher (C’s Grey F) Muscicapa cassini
Chapin’s Flycatcher ◊ Muscicapa lendu
African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta
Dusky-blue Flycatcher Muscicapa comitata
Red-throated Alethe ◊ Chamaetylas poliophrys
White-bellied Robin-Chat ◊ Cossyphicula roberti
Archer’s Ground Robin ◊ Cossypha archeri
Grey-winged Robin-Chat ◊ Cossypha polioptera
Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat ◊ Cossypha cyanocampter
White-browed Robin-Chat (Heuglin’s R) Cossypha heuglini
Red-capped Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis heard-only
Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat (S-headed R-c) Cossypha niveicapilla
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata
Forest Robin ◊ (Eastern F R) Stiphrornis [erythrothorax] xanthogaster
Equatorial Akalat ◊ Sheppardia aequatorialis
Spotted Palm Thrush (S Morning T) Cichladusa guttata
African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus
Sooty Chat Myrmecocichla nigra
Grey-headed Sunbird ◊ Deleornis axillaris
Little Green Sunbird Anthreptes seimundi
Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris
Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis
Blue-throated Brown Sunbird Cyanomitra cyanolaema
Blue-headed Sunbird ◊ Cyanomitra alinae
Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea
Green-throated Sunbird Chalcomitra rubescens
Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis
Bronzy Sunbird (Bronze S) Nectarinia kilimensis
Golden-winged Sunbird ◊ Drepanorhynchus reichenowi
Olive-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris chloropygius
Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird ◊ Cinnyris stuhlmanni
Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi
Regal Sunbird ◊ Cinnyris regius
Beautiful Sunbird pulchellus
Red-chested Sunbird ◊ Cinnyris erythrocercus
Variable Sunbird Cinnyris venustus
Copper Sunbird Cinnyris cupreus
Shelley’s Sparrow ◊ Passer shelleyi
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus
House Sparrow (introduced) Passer domesticus
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser superciliosus
Speckle-fronted Weaver Sporopipes frontalis
Thick-billed Weaver (Grosbeak W) Amblyospiza albifrons
Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht
Slender-billed Weaver Ploceus pelzelni
Little Weaver Ploceus luteolus
Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis
Black-necked Weaver Ploceus nigricollis
Strange Weaver ◊ Ploceus alienus
Black-billed Weaver Ploceus melanogaster
Holub’s Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops
Orange Weaver Ploceus aurantius
Heuglin’s Masked Weaver ◊ Ploceus heuglini
Northern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus castanops
Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius
Vitelline Masked Weaver Ploceus vitellinus
Fox’s Weaver ◊ Ploceus spekeoides Endemic
Village Weaver (Black-headed W) Ploceus cucullatus
Vieillot’s Black Weaver Ploceus nigerrimus
Black-headed Weaver (Yellow-backed W) Ploceus melanocephalus
Golden-backed Weaver (Jackson’s G-b W) Ploceus jacksoni
Compact Weaver Ploceus superciliosus
Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis
Red-headed Malimbe Malimbus rubricollis
Red-headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps
Cardinal Quelea Quelea cardinalis
Red-headed Quelea Quelea erythrops
Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
Black Bishop Euplectes gierowii
Black-winged Red Bishop Euplectes hordeaceus
Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix
Northern Red Bishop Euplectes franciscanus
Fan-tailed Widowbird (Red-shouldered W) Euplectes axillaris
Yellow-mantled Widowbird (Y-shouldered W) Euplectes [macroura] macrocercus
Yellow-mantled Widowbird Euplectes [macroura] macrocercus
Marsh Widowbird Euplectes hartlaubi
White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus
Red-collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens
Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullata
Black-and-white Mannikin Spermestes bicolor
Green Twinspot (G-backed T) Mandingoa nitidula
Dusky Crimsonwing ◊ Cryptospiza jacksoni
White-breasted Nigrita (W-b Negrofinch) Nigrita fusconotus
Grey-headed Nigrita (G-crowned Negrofinch) Nigrita canicapillus
Grey-headed Oliveback ◊ Delacourella capistrata
Black-faced Waxbill Brunhilda erythronotos
Kandt’s Waxbill ◊ Estrilda kandti
Fawn-breasted Waxbill Estrilda paludicola
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild
Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes
Quailfinch ◊ Ortygospiza atricollis
Cut-throat Finch Amadina atricollis
Orange-breasted Waxbill (Zebra W) Amandava subflava
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus bengalus
Red-headed Bluebill ◊ Spermophaga ruficapilla
Green-winged Pytilia (Melba F) Pytilia melba non-leader
Red-winged Pytilia ◊ Pytilia phoenicoptera
Brown Twinspot ◊ Clytospiza monteiri
Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala
African Firefinch Lagonosticta rubricata
Black-bellied Firefinch Lagonosticta rara
Bar-breasted Firefinch Lagonosticta rufopicta
Village Indigobird (Red-billed Firefinch I) Vidua chalybeata
Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
Cuckoo-finch Anomalospiza imberbis
Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis
Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara
African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp
Yellow-throated Longclaw Macronyx croceus
African Pipit (Grassland P) Anthus cinnamomeus
Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys
Western Citril ◊ Crithagra frontalis
Papyrus Canary ◊ Crithagra koliensis
White-rumped Seedeater Crithagra leucopygia
Yellow-fronted Canary Crithagra mozambica
Brimstone Canary Crithagra sulphuratus
Thick-billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni
Streaky Seedeater Crithagra striolatus
Yellow-crowned Canary Serinus flavivertex
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi
Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris
Cabanis’s Bunting Emberiza cabanisi
MAMMALS
African Elephant Loxodonta africana. It has been suggested that there are two species of African Elephant however a paper in Molecular Ecology (2015) 24, 6134-6147 by Samrat Mondol et al. suggests that the border of DRC and Uganda forms a major hybrid zone between African Savanna Elephant Loxodonta [a.] africana and Forest Elephant Loxodonta [a.] cyclotis this is somewhat surprising as Queen Elizabeth National Park is just outside the current known range of forest elephants but may be explained by ‘savanna’ elephants moving into the forests for food and ‘forest’ elephants fleeing the effects of poaching into the park from DRC or simply moving into the savannas for food.
Lion Panthera leo
Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus
Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo
Spotted-necked Otter Hydrictis maculicollis
Plains Zebra (Common Z) Equus quagga
Forest Hog (Giant F H) Hylochoerus meinertzhageni
Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus
Giraffe (Rothschild’s G) Giraffa [camelopardalis] rothschildi
Impala (Common I) Aepyceros melampus
Hartebeest (Lelwel) Alcelaphus [buselaphus] lelwel
Black-fronted Duiker Cephalophus nigrifrons
Yellow-backed Duiker Cephalophus silvicultor
Topi (Uganda T) Damaliscus [lunatus] ugandae
Waterbuck (Defassa W) Kobus [ellipsiprymnus] defassa
Kob (Uganda K) Kobus [kob] thomasi
Oribi (Sudan O) Ourebia [ourebi] montana
Bohor Reedbuck Redunca redunca
African Buffalo (Cape B) Syncerus caffer
African Buffalo (Lake Chad B) Syncerus [caffer] brachyceros
Common Eland Tragelaphus oryx
Bushbuck (Nile B) Tragelaphus [scriptus] bor
Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius
Yellow-winged Bat Lavia frons
African Straw-coloured Fruit Bat Eidolon helvum
Franquet’s Singing Fruit Bat Epomops franqueti
Hammer-headed Fruit Bat Hypsignathus monstrosus heard-only
Mauritian Fruit Bat Taphozous mauritianus non-leader
Spectacled Lesser Galago Galago matschei
Demidoff’s Dwarf Galago. Galagoides demidoff
L’Hoest’s Monkey Cercopithecus lhoesti
Red-tailed Monkey (Black-cheeked White-nosed M) Cercopithecus ascanius
Blue Monkey (Gentle M) Cercopithecus mitis
Blue Monkey (Golden M) Cercopithecus [mitis] kandti
Vervet (Savanna Monkey) Cercopithecus pygerythrus
Tantalus Monkey Cercopithecus [pygerythrus] tantalus
Guereza (Eastern Black-and-white Colobus) Colobus guereza
Patas Monkey Erythrocebus patas
Uganda Grey-cheeked Mangabey (U Crested M) Lophocebus [albigena] ugandae heard-only
Olive Baboon Papio anubis
Uganda Red Colobus (Central African R C) Piliocolobus tephrosceles
Eastern Gorilla Gorilla beringei
Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes
African Savanna Hare Lepus victoriae
Bunyoro Rabbit Poelagus marjorita
Carruthers’s Mountain Squirrel (M Tree S) Funisciurus carruthersi heard-only
Red-legged Sun Squirrel Heliosciurus rufobrachium
Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel (Montane S S) Heliosciurus ruwenzorii
Alexander’s Bush Squirrel Paraxerus alexanderi
Boehm’s Bush Squirrel Paraxerus boehmi
Giant Bush Squirrel (G Forest S) Protoxerus stangeri
Striped Ground Squirrel Xerus erythropus non-leader
African Grass Rat Arvicanthis niloticus
Peters’ Hybomys (Hump-nosed Mouse) Hybomys univittatus