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We obtained excellent views of Uganda’s only endemic bird, the rare and localized Fox’s Weaver (Mark Van Beirs)
ULTIMATE UGANDA
31 MAY - 21 JUNE 2021
LEADERS: MARK VAN BEIRS & LIVINGSTONE KALEMA
1 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
It took a while to connect with the enigmatic Shoebill, but then one posed so well together with African Elephants (Mark Van Beirs)
Our first tour to Uganda since the start of the pandemic went smoothly as the corona virus had only a minor
impact on how the tour operated. While we were in the country, the president decided to start a lockdown,
but luckily, that didn’t affect us at all, as tourism was exempted. In fact, the almost empty roads (public
transport came to a standstill) were a delight to travel on. We started the tour with a very eager group, as
most of us had not been able to travel much recently. The three obvious highlights of our Uganda adventure
were Shoebill, Green-breasted Pitta and Grauer’s (or African Green) Broadbill. The Shoebill obliged
beautifully next to African Elephants in the north of Murchison Falls National Park, while the Green-breasted
Pitta showed well in the forest at Kibale. The tiny Grauer’s Broadbill was located high in a fruiting tree on the
hike to the Mubwindi Swamp and allowed good looks. It was a real delight to be able to observe the antics of
Fox’s Weavers at a small active colony in the east of the country, as we hadn’t seen this important species
for many years. We experienced truly exhilarating and inspiring moments at close range with families of
Chimpanzees at Kibale and with Eastern Gorillas at Bwindi. Amongst the many other mouth-watering
specialities that we saw were Crested Guineafowl, five Nahan’s Partridges, Heuglin’s and Handsome
Francolins, Blue Quail, Black-shouldered and Pennant-winged Nightjars, Rwenzori, Ross’s and Black-billed
Turacos, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, African Finfoot, African Crake, Greater Painted-snipe, African Skimmer,
Dwarf Bittern, White-backed Night Heron, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Mountain Buzzard, Red-chested Owlet,
Forest Wood Hoopoe, White-thighed Hornbill, Chocolate-backed and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Red-faced
Barbet, Fine-banded and Elliot´s Woodpeckers, Grey Parrot, Ruwenzori and Ituri Batises, Doherty´s
Bushshrike, Albertine and Willard´s Sooty Boubous, Lühder´s Bushshrike, Papyrus Gonolek, Petit’s
Cuckooshrike, Mountain Oriole, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, White-winged Black Tit, White-tailed Lark,
Kakamega, Olive-breasted (Mountain), Toro Olive and White-throated Greenbuls, White-browed Crombec,
Neumann´s (Short-tailed) Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, White-winged and
Grauer’s Swamp Warblers, Whistling, Chubb’s, Carruthers’s, Foxy and Long-tailed Cisticolas, Black-faced
Prinia, Ruwenzori and Karamoja Apalises, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Lowland and Mountain Masked
Apalises, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Scaly-breasted and Mountain Illadopsises, Black-lored Babbler,
Ruwenzori Hill Babbler, Sharpe’s Starling, Red-throated and Fire-crested Alethes, Forest Robin, Archer’s
Ground Robin, Grey-winged and White-bellied Robin Chats, Equatorial Akalat, Chapin´s Flycatcher,
Silverbird, Purple-breasted, Grey-headed, Superb, Blue-headed, Ruwenzori Double-collared, Regal and
Red-chested Sunbirds, Shelley’s Sparrow, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing, Grey-headed Oliveback,
Brown Twinspot, Kandt’s Waxbil and Western Citril. 536 species of birds and 43 mammal species were
recorded on the tour.
2 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
The fabulous Grey Crowned Crane is still a common sight in Uganda (Mark Van Beirs)
The group gathered in the evening of the final day of May at an airport hotel in Entebbe, situated on the
shore of Africa’s largest expanse of water, Lake Victoria. The group was very international and no British
citizens were participating, because of the current harsh quarantine laws of the United Kingdom. Early next
morning we drove to the nearby Mabamba Swamp, an extensive papyrus marsh in a secluded bay of Lake
Victoria. On the drive we flushed a Scaly Spurfowl off the track. At the marsh we noted that water levels were
extremely high, as it had rained a lot during the previous weeks. We boarded two canoes fitted with an
outboard engine and slowly cruised through the extensive papyrus, Water Lily and Water Hyacinth swamps.
3 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
We picked up good birds like Lesser Moorhen, African Swamphen, Grey Crowned Crane, Long-toed
Lapwing, African Jacana, African Marsh Harrier, lots of Pied Kingfishers, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Red-
faced and Winding Cisticolas, Swamp Flycatcher, Red-chested and Superb Sunbirds, Slender-billed,
Northern Brown-throated and Black-headed Weavers and Fan-tailed Widowbird, but of our main target, the
Shoebill, not a sniff. It had obviously retreated to a quiet corner of the marsh, as it was not encountered
despite four hours of intensive searching. A real pity. Other species noted included Knob-billed and Yellow-
billed Ducks, Blue-headed Coucal, Grey-headed Gull, African Openbill, Reed Cormorant, Squacco, Black-
headed and Purple Herons, Great, Intermediate and Little Egrets, Hamerkop, Pink-backed Pelican, Black-
winged Kite, African Harrier-Hawk, Hooded Vulture, Malachite Kingfisher and Brown-throated Wattle-eye.
We enjoyed our picnic at a quiet spot near the shoreline and then hit the road toward the town of Jinja. The
heavy traffic around Kampala impeded a swift drive, but we did pick up a nice selection of birds on the
journey. These included Eastern Plantain-eater, Speckled Pigeon, Marabou Stork, White-breasted
Cormorant, African Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, Long-crested Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Black-and-white-casqued
Hornbill, Broad-billed Roller, Woodland Kingfisher, Sooty Chat and African Pipit. A short stop at the Jinja golf
course gave us a cracking African Hobby, some perched Grey Parrots, Piapiac, Splendid and Rüppell’s
Starlings and Scarlet-chested Sunbird. Our hotel overlooked the Victoria Nile, close to where it starts its
journey at Lake Victoria.
African Marsh Harrier and Swamp Flycatcher showed well at the Mabamba Swamp (Mark Van Beirs)
Next morning, as we started driving to the nearby Mabira Forest, we first spotted a pair of dainty Red-necked
Falcons, while not much further we could admire a pair of African Hobbies with a fledgling. Great stuff. In the
Mabira Forest we were welcomed by a party of smart Forest Wood Hoopoes, quickly followed by several
Sabine’s Spinetails overhead. We only managed to walk a few hundred meters during our morning session
as the forest was literally brimming with birds. Some of the goodies included Great Blue Turaco, African Pied
Hornbill, fabulous Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills, Speckled and Yellow-throated Tinkerbirds, Yellow-
spotted, Hairy-breasted and Double-toothed Barbets, Buff-spotted and Yellow-crested Woodpeckers,
Chestnut Wattle-eye, African Shrike Flycatcher (a female), Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, Western Nicator,
Yellow and Grey Longbills, Buff-throated Apalis, Fraser’s Rufous Thrush, a fabulous Fire-crested Alethe,
Black-necked, Vieillot’s Black and Yellow-mantled Weavers and a beautiful Red-headed Malimbe. We
encountered a great selection of confusing Greenbuls which included Slender-billed, Red-tailed, Little Grey
and White-throated. We also found a nice bunch of Sunbirds including Grey-headed, Little Green, Collared,
Blue-throated Brown and Olive. More widespread species like Eastern Plantain-eater, African Green Pigeon,
Grey-backed Fiscal and Western Oriole were also observed as was the rather widespread Red-tailed
Monkey. In the afternoon we drove towards the northeast, sighted renowned Mount Elgon and overnighted
close to Lake Kyoga. The only bird of note was a Grey Kestrel.
4 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
Red-necked Falcon and the smart-looking Double-toothed Barbet performed in the Jinja area (Mark Van Beirs)
The following day started with a Bat Hawk flying over our hotel at dawn. Our man on the spot took us to a
marshy area on the northern shore of Lake Opeta, where after a little bit of searching, we found several
active nests of the much sought after Fox’s Weaver, Uganda’s only endemic. We obtained great looks at
displaying and nest-building birds at close range. This very localized species seems to nest for several years
at one suitable spot and then disappears for years on end, till it is found again at another location. All the
nests we found were within the thorns of the distinctive Acacia drepanolobium, unlike the usually hanging
nests of most other weaver species. We admired this speciality for quite a while and also had great looks at
several spritely Karamoja Apalises, which performed very well in the same acacias. Three exquisite, rarely
observed Dwarf Bitterns allowed great looks.
We had terrific looks at male and female Fox’s Weavers (Mark Van Beirs)
Other goodies in the area included White-faced Whistling Duck, Clapperton’s Francolin, Black-bellied
Bustard, Senegal and Black Coucals, Diederik Cuckoo, Vinaceous and Namaqua Doves, Black Crake,
African Wattled Lapwing, Bateleur, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Shikra, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill (a female
collecting nesting material), Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Northern White-crowned Shrike,
5 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
Moustached Grass Warbler, Short-winged Cisticola, Northern Black Flycatcher, Silverbird, Superb Starling,
Shelley’s Sparrow, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Thick-billed and Golden-backed Weavers, Cardinal
Quelea, smart-looking displaying Northern Red Bishops, Black-rumped Waxbill and Yellow-throated
Longclaw. A party of attractive Patas Monkeys showed well. Around midday we returned to our
accommodation, packed up and spent the whole afternoon driving towards the town of Masindi. On the
journey we were entertained by Olive Baboons and Vervet Monkeys and as we rolled into town at dusk
dozens of African Straw-coloured Fruit-bats darkened the skies.
No fewer than three Dwarf Bitterns could be admired near Lake Opeta (Mark Van Beirs)
6 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
The following morning we explored some scrubby areas near the gate of the Murchison Falls National Park,
where White-rumped Swift, Mosque Swallow, Copper Sunbird, Baglafecht Weaver (of the race stuhlmanni),
Compact Weaver, Black-winged Red and Black Bishops, Grey-headed Oliveback, Black-crowned Waxbill,
Brown Twinspot, Village Indigobird and Yellow-fronted Canary were seen. We visited a beautiful stretch of
rainforest where the highlight was a very well performing covey of Nahan’s Partridges. Everyone obtained
cracking views as these shy birds crossed the trail … a golden moment. Other goodies here included African
Emerald Cuckoo, a male Narina Trogon, White-thighed Hornbill, African Pygmy Kingfisher, a party of wing
flicking Spotted Greenbuls, Purple-headed Starling and Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher. In the afternoon we
made our way to the upper section of the Murchison Falls, where incredible amounts of water were trying to
find their way through the narrow gap. Even local guide Livingstone had never seen the water levels so very
high. It was incredibly spectacular. No rocks were visible, so no Rock Pratincoles were about. Several White-
headed Saw-wings were patrolling over the turbid water. In the afternoon we birded the bushy country of the
southern section of the park where Woolly-necked and Saddle-billed Storks, White-backed Vulture, a brief
Western Banded Snake Eagle, Crowned and Grey Hornbills, Red-throated Bee-eater, Black-headed
Gonolek, African Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Yellow-billed
Oxpecker, Spotted Palm thrush, African Elephant, Waterbuck, Uganda Kob, African Buffalo and Common
Warthog showed. Later we crossed the Victoria Nile via the newly constructed Chinese built bridge and
arrived at the lovely Paraa River Lodge. This cozy lodge overlooks the Victoria Nile and as we patrolled the
gardens several large islets of papyrus floated past. African Darter, Martial Eagle, African Grey Woodpecker,
Western Black-headed Batis, Yellow-breasted Apalis and Brown Babbler entertained us.
The truly impressive Murchison Falls (Mark Van Beirs)
Early next morning we boarded our boat, full of anticipation, for the trip on the Victoria Nile. We were a bit
worried about the extremely high water levels as no mudbanks were visible, so the available habitat for
herons and other waterbirds was very limited. Nevertheless the trip was very enjoyable, but sadly, no
Shoebill was seen, again! What a disappointment. The most notable species on our trip along the vast
7 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
Hippos were very common along the Victoria Nile (Mark Van Beirs)
papyrus marshes towards Lake Albert included African Skimmer, Little Bittern, White-backed Night Heron
and Goliath Heron. Mourning Dove, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Spur-winged Lapwing, African Darter, Blue-
naped Mousebird, Nubian and Cardinal Woodpeckers, Violet-backed Starling, some smart Guereza
Monkeys (Black-and-white Colobus) and lots of snorting Hippos were also noted. We got picked up by
Livingstone along the shore and for the rest of the day explored the northern section of the National Park,
where savanna, acacia woodland, dense bush country and marshes along the Nile were visited.
We found a single Abdim’s Stork and good numbers of Northern Carmine Bee-eaters at Murchison (Mark Van Beirs)
In mid-afternoon we arrived at a marsh bordering the Nile in the north of the National Park where a single
Shoebill stood next to a couple of Elephants. What an immense relief!!! The tour was saved. We admired this
truly prehistoric looking species as it foraged in the shallow water. We had great looks at this truly unusual
looking species, which is the only member of its family. Abu Markhoub (its name in Sudan) sure made us
8 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
Heuglin’s Spurfowl is easily seen at Murchison Falls (Mark Van Beirs)
work to get it on our list. The best birds of the afternoon were Heuglin’s Spurfowl (great views), Spotted
Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing, Abdim’s Stork, Northern Carmine Bee-eater and Black-billed Barbet. We
collected a good selection of birds of prey, which included Palm-nut Vulture (adult and immature), 30+
White-backed Vultures, Rüppell’s, White-headed and Lappet-faced Vultures, Western Banded Snake Eagle,
lots of Bateleurs, several Tawny Eagles, an immature African Hawk-Eagle and an Eastern Chanting
Goshawk. Jacobin Cuckoo, White-browed Coucal, Black-billed Wood Dove, Senegal Thick-knee, Kittlitz’s
Plover, Eurasian Hoopoe, Striped Kingfisher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Whistling and Rattling Cisticolas,
Speckle-fronted, Little and Vitelline Masked Weavers and Red-headed Quelea also made their way on the
list. We enjoyed great encounters with African Elephants (always a delight to see these giants), a well-
behaved Patas Monkey, Striped Ground Squirrel, lots of Hartebeest, lots and lots of Uganda Kob, many cute
Oribi, African Buffalo, good numbers of amazing Giraffe (Rothschild’s form) and some Common Warthogs.
We stayed out till sunset, but lots of wind sabotaged our efforts, as we only heard a Swamp Nightjar.
9 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.com
Lovely Kittlitz’s Plovers inhabit the shore of the Victoria Nile (Mark Van Beirs)
After an early breakfast we slowly made our way south out of the splendid Murchison Falls National Park.
We made many short stops and admired excellent species like Green Wood Hoopoe, three different Western
Banded Snake Eagles, Martial Eagle (an adult and a begging immature), a cracking adult African Hawk-
Eagle, lots of Grey-headed Kingfishers (c25), Swallow-tailed and Olive Bee-eaters, Yellow-fronted
Tinkerbird, Spot-flanked Barbet, White-shouldered Black Tit, Croaking and subtly beautiful Foxy Cisticolas,
the tiny Buff-bellied Warbler, Green-backed Eremomela, Beautiful Sunbird, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-
Weaver, Chestnut Weaver, Cut-throat Finch, White-rumped Seedeater and Cinnamon-breasted and Brown-
rumped Buntings. In the afternoon we arrived at the famous Budongo Forest, where a male African Emerald
Cuckoo, White-thighed Hornbill, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Olive-green
Camaroptera, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, lots of Vieillot’s Black Weavers, Red-collared Widowbird, Grey-
headed Nigrita, Blue Monkey and Boehm’s Bush Squirrel performed.
10 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comTawny Eagle and Western Banded Snake Eagle enlivened our game drives at Murchison (Mark Van Beirs)
Our full day exploring the wonders of the legendary Royal Mile in the Budongo Forest started with the
spectacle of a mixed party of impressive Black-and-white-casqued and White-thighed Hornbills hopping
about on a bare stretch of land trying to catch emerging termites. What a show! It definitely was unusual to
see these lumbering birds performing acrobatics to hunt down the protein-rich insects. A Levaillant’s Cuckoo
and a Brown-backed Scrub Robin were also noted here. The Royal Mile is a long, wide, straight track
through splendid lowland rainforest dotted with lots of huge trees. We slowly explored this beautiful stretch of
forest and managed good looks at a pair of White-spotted Flufftails as they crept about in a patch of flooded
riverine bush. Sabine’s and Cassin’s Spinetails flew overhead and a gorgeous Blue-breasted Kingfisher sat
for perfect scope studies. We suffered from “canopy neck” as a pair of tiny Ituri Batises played about very
A White-thighed Hornbill hopping about on the ground chasing emerging termites (Mark Van Beirs)
high in the crown of a forest giant. Other interesting species included Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher,
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Forest Robin (frustrating glimpses for most of us) and
11 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comWhite-breasted Nigrita. On the return drive, a short stop in a nice patch of farmbush gave us Singing
Cisticola, Yellow-shouldered and Yellow-mantled Widowbirds, Zebra Waxbill, Brimstone Canary, Cabanis’s
Bunting and a Slender Mongoose.
We admired Blue-breasted Kingfisher along The Royal Mile and Marsh Tchagra in nearby farmbush (Mark Van Beirs)
On our travelling day towards the well-known Kibale National Park, we first made an extended stop in a birdy
stretch of farmbush, where amongst fields of sweet potato and cassava and patches of marsh and wasteland
we obtained good looks at Red-headed Lovebird, Marsh Tchagra, White-chinned Prinia, Holub’s Golden
Weaver, Grey-headed Oliveback (great studies of a nest-building pair), Fawn-breasted Waxbill and Black-
bellied Firefinch). Upon entering the Kibale National Park, we made a roadside stop, which yielded White-
headed Wood Hoopoe, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Elliot’s Woodpecker, Bocage’s
Bushshrike, Lowland Masked Apalis, Sooty Flycatcher and Dark-backed Weaver. A papyrus marsh in a tea
plantation held a colourful Papyrus Gonolek, next to a rarely seen White-winged Swamp Warbler,
Carruther’s Cisticola, African Stonechat, Northern Fiscal and Bronzy and Olive-bellied Sunbirds. In late
afternoon we arrived at our beautiful, well positioned lodge near the edge of the Kibale National Park.
White-headed Wood Hoopoe and Guereza (Eastern Black-and-white Colobus) showed nicely at Kibale (Mark Van Beirs)
12 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comEarly next morning, our breakfast was happily interrupted by a singing Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, which we
spotlighted in a treetop in the garden. On the drive to the Kibale National Park’s HQ a Central African Large-
spotted Genet showed quite well. We spent the whole morning targeting the elusive Green-breasted Pitta,
but only heard it once in the distance. We did have a great encounter with a group of Chimpanzees and it
was truly impressive to see our nearest relatives at such close range. Just a few birds were seen on our long
walks as we were concentrating on our main target. We encountered a covey of Crested Guineafowl, a
whole bunch of Great Blue Turacos and a Red-capped Robin-Chat, while Grey-cheeked Mangabeys and
Ashy Red Colobuses represented the mammal department. In the afternoon we birded a quiet road through
the Kibale National Park, which produced Blue Malkoha, Black Bee-eater, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-
throated Tinkerbird and Dusky Tit. We spent the final hour of the day in the lodge’s garden where Klaas’s
Cuckoo, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Blue Flycatcher, Rock Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Yellow-
bellied Waxbill, African Firefinch and a smart L’hoest’s Monkey showed. Flowering hibiscus bushes held a
nice assortment of sunbirds including Scarlet-chested, Bronzy, Olive-bellied, Marico and Copper.
A family of relaxed Chimpanzees (Mark Van Beirs)
We decided to give the pitta another good try, so an early start was called for. Before dawn we were already
waiting in the middle of a known territory and heard the distinctive wing whirring well. But even our sharp-
eyed guides couldn’t locate it. It then took another four hours of serious bushwhacking before we all obtained
excellent views of this fantastic species. Two birds showed really well as they perched up on a horizontal
branch. It took quite some effort, but it was well worth it. What an incredible bird!! We found a few other
goodies like Red-chested Owlet and Brown-chested Alethe (at safari ants) on our walks and flushed a couple
of Weyns’ Duikers (split from Peter’s Duiker). In the afternoon we enjoyed a more relaxed roadside session
in the Kibale NP with birds like Alpine Swift (visiting breeders from the Ruwenzori mountains), gorgeous
Black Bee-eaters, Thick-billed Honeyguide, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Green Crombec,
Slender-billed Starling, Cassin’s Flycatcher and Green-throated Sunbird.
13 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comRed-necked Spurfowl were decidedly common in the Queen Elizabeth NP (Mark Van Beirs)
Our Bigodi Swamp walk started with an excellent sighting of a pair of Shining-blue Kingfishers. A gorgeous
Yellow-billed Barbet allowed perfect scope views and several very smart Black-and-white Shrike-flycatchers
wanted to be admired. We also added Plain Greenbul, Green Hylia, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Snowy-crowned
Robin-Chat and Green-headed Sunbird to the tally. After a scrumptious lunch we drove to the world famous
Queen Elizabeth National Park. A short stop in a nice stretch of forest gave us a pair of Joyful Greenbuls
and as soon as we entered the savanna habitat of the park we found a rich variety of birds like Crested
Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, Ring-necked Dove, Lesser Flamingo, Senegal Lapwing, African Spoonbill,
Great White Pelican, Western Osprey, Brown Snake Eagle, Arrow-marked and Black-lored Babblers and a
colourful Green-winged Pytilia. A smart-looking female Bushbuck was a new mammal and in late afternoon
we arrived at the beautiful Mweya Lodge which overlooks Lake Edward and the illustrious Kazinga Channel.
14 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comAfrican Crake and Greater Painted-snipe gave excellent views at the QE NP (Mark Van Beirs)
On our full day in the varied habitats of the Queen Elizabeth National Park we did two long game drives and
enjoyed a very birdy boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George to Lake Edward. The
game drives produced outstanding species like Blue Quail, African Crake (7), Greater Painted-snipe (7) and
displaying White-tailed Larks, while the supporting cast consisted of lots of Red-necked Spurfowl, Bare-faced
Go-away-bird, Lesser Moorhen, Little Grebe, Water Thick-knee, Crowned Lapwing, Three-banded Plover,
Wood Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Common Scimitarbill, Orange-breasted Bushshrike, Brubru, Rufous-
naped and Flappet Larks, Red-breasted Swallow, Fan-tailed Grassbird, White-browed Scrub Robin, Lesser
Masked Weaver, Southern Red Bishop and Quailfinch. The very entertaining boat trip gave us a wonderful
flock of c280 African Skimmers, Gull-billed Tern, Yellow-billed Stork, truly amazing numbers of Pied
Kingfishers, Wire-tailed Swallow and Crimson-rumped Waxbill. Mammals added to the fun as we
encountered lots of impressive Elephants, a Bunyoro Rabbit (the old Uganda Grass Hare), a very tame
group of Banded Mongooses, Spotted Hyaena, two cracking, extraordinary Forest Hogs and a few Yellow-
winged Bats. At dusk we glimpsed several Square-tailed Nightjars. A fabulous day it had been!!
A party of c280 African Skimmers gave a sterling performance (Mark Van Beirs)
On the journey from Mweya Lodge to Buhoma, our base to visit the Impenetrable Forest, we passed through
the southern section of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. At the Kazinga Channel bridge, we stopped
briefly at the edge of the papyrus where a Carruther’s Cisticola showed very well. A few stops in bushy areas
gave us new birds like Ross’s Turaco, African Cuckoo-Hawk, a Pearl-spotted Owlet being mobbed by a
whole range of small birds, Crested Barbet, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Black Cuckooshrike, a diminutive Grey
Penduline Tit, Banded Martin, Red-faced Crombec, Trilling and Stout Cisticolas, Wattled Starling and Purple-
15 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comThe fabulous Ross’s Turaco (Mark Van Beirs)
banded Sunbird. We enjoyed our picnic lunch on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where
lots of hippos entertained. We drove through the Ishasha section of the Queen Elizabeth National Park
looking for the famous tree climbing lions, but were unable to locate any. We arrived at Buhoma in the early
evening and found it pleasantly cool. In the evening we heard the president’s speech on television as he
16 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comannounced that Uganda was going into lockdown again because of the rising number of contaminations.
Although public transport was totally shutting down and schools were closing, tourism remained unaffected,
so we could happily continue our travels.
We got good looks at Black-billed Turaco and Brown-capped Weaver at Buhoma (Mark Van Beirs)
Our whole day in the illustrious Impenetrable Forest was a birdy affair. We walked along a wide, gently
sloping track through magnificent forest and had a fabulous time observing goodies like Black-billed Turaco,
Dusky long-tailed Cuckoo (finally), Western Bronze-naped Pigeon (scope views), Bar-tailed Trogon, Fine-
banded Woodpecker, Many-coloured Bushshrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Black Saw-wing, White-browed
Crombec, Black-faced Prinia, Black-throated Apalis, Stuhlmann’s Starling, the rare Chapin’s Flycatcher, the
gorgeous Purple-breasted Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Black-billed and Brown-capped
Weavers and Mountain Wagtail. We worked our way through a whole range of confusing Greenbuls which
included Honeyguide, Olive-breasted, Ansorge’s, Cabanis’s and Toro Olive. The Impenetrable Forest holds
many skulking undergrowth species and we put in quite a bit of effort to try to get to grips with beauties like
Neumann’s Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Mountain and Scaly-breasted Illadopsises, Red-throated
Alethe, White-bellied and Grey-winged Robin-Chats and Equatorial Akalat.
Next day was gorilla tracking day! Half of the group wanted to see gorillas (the others had observed them on
previous trips) and soon enjoyed the wonderful experience of being in close contact with these magnificent
apes. After only 40 minutes of hiking and clambering through the mountain forest, we arrived at the
Habinyanja group. It was a truly heart-warming experience to sit near these gentle giants. We saw them
feeding high up (15m) in a fig tree, and although at first the younger animals were dropping figs to the others,
the enormous Silverback eventually climbed up himself to nimbly pick some ripe figs. The impressive
silverback Makara and his younger sidekick blackback both beat their chests regularly. After a while the
twelve animal strong group abandoned the fig tree and started moving through the forest. We were able to
follow them for quite a while, getting more good looks as they stopped here and there for brief pauses. We
also found Augur Buzzard and Lesser Honeyguide on our wanderings. The other half of the group went
birding and picked up several new birds like African Broadbill, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Red-faced Woodland
Warbler, Grey Apalis, White-tailed Ant Thrush, Blue-headed Sunbird and Streaky Seedeater. In late
afternoon we joined forces and observed a splendidly showy Ross’s Turaco, a Black Cuckoo (scope views)
and White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher from the balcony of our lodge. The night was rather tumultuous as
thunderstorms raged and large amounts of water dropped from the sky.
17 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comThe Eastern Gorillas of Bwindi left us speechless (Mark Van Beirs)
Next morning, the bad weather had abated and on the drive to the higher reaches of the Impenetrable
Forest, we stopped for several hours at the famous Neck, where Scarce Swift, Black-billed Turaco, Augur
Buzzard, a splendid perched Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, several beautiful Lühder’s Bushshrikes, Mackinnon’s
18 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comShrike, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher and Grey-chinned Sunbird were observed. In the afternoon we birded
the montane, bamboo-rich forest around Ruhija where Handsome Spurfowl, Montane Nightjar, African Olive
Pigeon, Grey Cuckooshrike, Mountain Oriole, Chubb’s Cisticola, Chestnut-throated and Mountain Masked
Apalises, Regal Sunbird, Western Citril and Carruther’s Mountain Squirrel appeared in front of our
binoculars.
At the Neck we found Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle and African Olive Pigeon (Mark Van Beirs)
The Mubwindi Swamp hike is always the toughest walk of the tour and we were a bit worried after the
inordinate amounts of rain of the previous days. But, the slippery trail through the very nice forest didn’t pose
too many problems and we had a great time birding, while slowly descending towards the famous swamp.
Our main target was obviously the tiny, hard to see, very localized and rare Grauer’s (or African Green)
Broadbill. This Albertine speciality betrays its presence by its high pitched call, but luckily the local experts
know the whereabouts of this species very well. It still took several hours of clambering through the dense
undergrowth following up the distinctive call to get good looks at this little jewel as it perched high up in a
fruiting tree. The leafy green plumage made it very unobtrusive, but we were able to discern the blue throat
and breast and the buffy crown. Fabulous moments!! After this success we descended further to the swamp
and added specialities like Doherty’s Bushshrike, Grauer’s Warbler, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Ruwenzori
and Mountain Masked Apalises, Strange Weaver and Dusky Crimsonwing to the tally. More widespread
species included lots of Great Blue and Black-billed Turacos, Chinspot Batis, White-bellied Crested
Flycatcher, Yellow-streaked Greenbul (flicking one wing at the time), Waller’s Starling and Abyssinian
Thrush. The hike up in late afternoon wasn’t too bad as the Grauer’s Broadbill sure had given us a boost of
energy.
19 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comThe handsome Strange Weaver on the Mubwindi Swamp hike (Mark Van Beirs)
The following morning we first birded along the road near Ruhija where Mountain Yellow Warbler, a striking
Sharpe’s Starling at its nest and a lovely White-starred Robin showed well. On the drive to the Echuya
Forest Reserve several Augur Buzzards and White-necked Raven were seen and after picnicking we found
Rwenzori Batis, Albertine Sooty Boubou, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Kandt’s Waxbil and Thick-billed Seedeater.
The journey to Kisoro gave us a Yellow Bishop, while at the Kisoro pond Blue-billed Teal, Common Moorhen
and Red-knobbed Coot were seen. It then started to rain heavily, so we had to call it quits for the rest of the
day.
20 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comSharpe’s Starling and this fledgling White-starred Robin were found near Ruhija (Mark Van Beirs)
The Mgahinga National Park forms part of the Virunga Conservation Area, a protected area that straddles
political boundaries to include the Parc des Virungas in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Parc des
Volcans in Rwanda. The three extinct volcanoes within the Ugandan section, the tallest rising to over 4100m,
create a breathtaking scenery. Early next morning, we made our way to the Park headquarters along a very
rough road and then walked up towards the lower slopes of Volcan Sabinyo. We birded amongst dense
patches of bamboo and stretches of bushy country dotted with beautiful red barked Hagenia trees. Our main
targets here were the (in Uganda) very localized Rwenzori Turaco and the colourful Rwenzori Double-
collared Sunbird. It didn’t take long to locate the sunbird, which soon offered great looks, but it took most of
the morning to eventually find the gaudy Rwenzori Turaco hopping about in some fruiting trees at the edge of
a belt of bamboo. We also observed Dusky Turtle Dove, Mountain Buzzard, Olive Woodpecker, White-tailed
Crested Flycatcher, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Variable Sunbird and Yellow-crowned Canary. In the
afternoon we drove to distant Lake Mburo National Park along almost deserted roads. The many police
checkpoints slowed down our progress and we arrived just in time at the park’s gate.
Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird and Olive Woodpecker showed at the Mgahinga NP (Mark Van Beirs)
21 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comOur full day in the Lake Mburo National Park started with an exciting boat trip on the lake. It didn’t take very
long to find a cracking African Finfoot hiding amongst the riverine vegetation and after a bit of a wait we
obtained fantastic views of this much wanted bird. Not much later two young White-backed Night Herons
were found in a waterside bush allowing excellent looks. The rest of the day was filled in with terrific game
drives through the bushy woodland and wooded savanna of this splendid National Park. Our main objective
was the very localized Red-faced Barbet, which has a restricted range in southern Uganda and Rwanda. We
found this attractive barbet after a bit of searching at the edge of the park as it perched in the top of a tree,
posing at length for us. We also added new birds like Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, African Goshawk, Lilac-
breasted Roller, Giant Kingfisher, White-headed Barbet, Meyer’s Parrot, White-winged Black Tit, Long-tailed
(Tabora) Cisticola and Greater Blue-eared Starling to the still growing list. New mammals included Common
Dwarf Mongoose, good numbers of delightful Plains Zebra, lots of elegant Impala and a magnificent bull
Common Eland. At dusk we enjoyed a great nightjar festival as we easily picked up Black-shouldered,
Swamp, Square-tailed and a male Pennant-winged, while an African Scops Owl was calling nearby. A fairly
small, but beautifully patterned African Rock Python showed well.
The much wanted African Finfoot performed brilliantly at Lake Mburo (Mark Van Beirs)
The final day of the tour gave us just a few more nice observations as a superb male Black-bellied Bustard, a
beautifully perched African Hawk-Eagle at close range, a swift African Hobby and a delightful male Bushbuck
were seen. The drive to Entebbe was uneventful and in the afternoon we all went for the inevitable PCR test
which we needed for the international flights. The dreaded Covid had barely influenced the tour, except that
we had been obliged to wear face masks on the long drives.
22 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comThe gorgeous Regal Sunbird is an Albertine speciality (Mark Van Beirs)
SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR
The species names and taxonomy used in the report mostly follows Gill, F & D Donsker (Eds). IOC World
Bird Names. This list is updated several times annually and is available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org.
Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H).
Species which were only recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (LO).
Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL).
Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered
‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g. it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see
across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a
full species).
White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata A few sightings of this widespread species.
Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis Small numbers were noted.
Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos Several nice observations.
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Regular and noisy.
Blue-billed Teal Spatula hottentota Two were scoped at the Kisoro pond.
Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata The most regularly encountered duck.
Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris Regular in the game reserves.
Crested Guineafowl (Western C G) Guttera [pucherani] verreauxi Good looks at several at Kibale.
Nahan's Partridge ◊ Ptilopachus nahani Great looks at a party in the Budongo National Park.
Crested Francolin Dendroperdix sephaena A few encounters.
Handsome Spurfowl ◊ Pternistis nobilis Excellent sightings of this Albertine speciality.
23 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comYellow-billed Duck (Mark Van Beirs)
Crested Francolin & Bare-faced Go-away-bird (Mark Van Beirs)
Scaly Spurfowl Pternistis squamatus Brief looks at a single bird near Mabamba.
Heuglin's Spurfowl ◊ Pternistis icterorhynchus Several very nice observations at Murchison Falls.
Clapperton’s Spurfowl Pternistis clappertoni Seen well near Lake Opeta.
Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer Regular in the southern game reserves.
Blue Quail ◊ Excalfactoria adansonii One was flushed in the Queen Elizabeth NP.
Black-shouldered Nightjar ◊ Caprimulgus nigriscapularis Seen and heard at Lake Mburo NP.
Montane Nightjar ◊ (Ruwenzori N) Caprimulgus [poliocephalus] ruwenzorii Glimpses only at Bwindi.
Swamp Nightjar (Natal N, African White-tailed N) Caprimulgus natalensis Very nice at Lake Mburo.
Square-tailed Nightjar (Gabon N) Caprimulgus fossii Good looks at Lake Mburo.
Pennant-winged Nightjar Caprimulgus vexillarius A male showed quite well at Lake Mburo.
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus Several allowed fair views at the Bwindi Neck.
Sabine's Spinetail Rhaphidura sabini Excellent looks in the Mabira Forest.
Cassin's Spinetail Neafrapus cassini A few were noted at Budongo.
African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus Common and widespread.
Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba A party of these spectacular swifts showed at Kibale.
Little Swift Apus affinis Regular.
24 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comHandsome Spurfowl (Mark Van Beirs)
Great Blue Turaco & Eastern Plantain-eater (Mark Van Beirs)
25 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comWhite-rumped Swift Apus caffer Great looks at several localities.
Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata Marvelously common and showy.
Bare-faced Go-away-bird (Black-f G) Crinifer [personatus] leopoldi A few in the southern game reserves.
Eastern Plantain-eater (E Grey P-e) Crinifer zonurus Common and quite noisy.
Rwenzori Turaco ◊ Gallirex johnstoni Two were seen, after a lot of effort, at Mgahinga NP.
Ross's Turaco Tauraco rossae Superb looks at this spectacular species at Buhoma.
Black-billed Turaco ◊ Tauraco schuettii We had our best views at Ruhija.
Black-bellied Bustard (Mark Van Beirs)
Black-bellied Bustard Lissotis melanogaster Seen at Lake Opeta and at Lake Mburo.
Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis A few observations.
Blue-headed Coucal Centropus monachus Quite regular.
White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus Fairly common.
Black Coucal Centropus grillii Great looks at several at Lake Opeta.
Blue Malkoha (B Yellowbill) Ceuthmochares aereus Good looks at Kibale.
26 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comBlue-headed & White-browed Coucals (Mark Van Beirs)
Levaillant's Cuckoo (African Striped C) Clamator levaillantii Seen well at Budongo.
Jacobin Cuckoo (Black-and-white C) Clamator jacobinus Several performed well at Murchison Falls.
Diederik Cuckoo (Didric C) Chrysococcyx caprius Fairly common. More often heard than seen.
Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas Regularly heard and seen.
African Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus Several excellent scope sightings. Often heard.
Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo ◊ Cercococcyx mechowi Fair to excellent looks at Buhoma.
Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx montanus (H) Heard near Kisoro.
Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus Great scope studies of a calling bird at Buhoma. Regularly heard.
Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius Seen well and often heard.
Rock Dove (introduced) (Rock Dove) Columba livia
Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea Regular.
African Olive Pigeon (Rameron P) Columba arquatrix Fairly common in the highland forests.
Western Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba iriditorques Scope studies of one at Buhoma.
Dusky Turtle Dove Streptopelia lugens A few were noted at the Mgahinga NP.
Mourning Collared & Vinaceous Doves (Mark Van Beirs)
Mourning Collared Dove (African M D) Streptopelia decipiens Regular at Murchison Falls.
Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata Common.
Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola Regular in the southern game reserves.
Vinaceous Dove Streptopelia vinacea Regular at Murchison Falls.
Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis Small numbers were noted.
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove Turtur chalcospilos Several showed well at Lake Mburo.
27 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comA male African Emerald Cuckoo (Mark Van Beirs)
Black-billed Wood Dove Turtur abyssinicus A few showed well at Murchison Falls.
Blue-spotted Wood Dove Turtur afer Fairly common.
Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria A few were seen in the forest reserves. More often heard.
Namaqua Dove Oena capensis A few showed well near Lake Opeta.
African Green Pigeon Treron calvus Regular. A distinctive voice!
African Finfoot Podica senegalensis A magnificent encounter at Lake Mburo. Pure class!
White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra Good looks at a male and a female at Budongo.
African Crake Crecopsis egregia Seven encounters with this special bird at Queen Elizabeth NP.
28 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comAfrican Finfoot (Mark Van Beirs)
Lesser Moorhen Paragallinula angulata Several sightings.
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Only seen near Kisoro.
Red-knobbed Coot (Crested C) Fulica cristata A few showed near Kisoro.
African Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis We only saw it in the Mabamba Swamp.
Black Crake Zapornia flavirostra Regular observations.
Water Thick-knee & Black-winged Stilt (Mark Van Beirs)
29 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comBlack Crake (Mark Van Beirs)
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum Fairly common, very attractive and not shy.
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis A few observations.
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor A handful were scoped in the Queen Elizabeth NP.
Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis Two showed well at Murchison Falls.
Water Thick-knee (W Dikkop) Burhinus vermiculatus Regular in the southern game reserves.
Spotted Thick-knee (S Dikkop) Burhinus capensis Four performed quite well at Murchison Falls.
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Just a few were found at the Queen Elizabeth NP.
Long-toed Lapwing (L-t Plover) Vanellus crassirostris Regular in marshy habitat.
Spur-winged Lapwing (S-w Plover) Vanellus spinosus Regular and very noisy.
Black-headed Lapwing (B-h Plover) Vanellus tectus Good looks at several at Murchison Falls.
Senegal Lapwing (Lesser Black-winged Plover) Vanellus lugubris Regular encounters.
Crowned Lapwing (C Plover) Vanellus coronatus Just a few sightings at Queen Elizabeth NP.
African Wattled Lapwing (A W Plover) Vanellus senegallus Regular.
Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius Perfect looks at several venues.
Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris A few performed quite well at Queen Elizabeth NP.
Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis Great scope views of seven birds at Queen Elizabeth NP.
African Jacana Actophilornis africanus Fairly common.
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Two were noted at Queen Elizabeth NP.
30 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comSpotted Thick-knee & Long-toed Lapwing (Mark Van Beirs)
Spur-winged & Senegal Lapwings (Mark Van Beirs)
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola Regular at Queen Elizabeth NP.
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris Perfect observation of 280 birds on the Kazinga Channel at QE NP.
Grey-headed Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus Small numbers were noted at several venues.
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica A single bird was found on the Kazinga Channel at QE NP.
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida (NL) One was seen at Murchison Falls.
Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis We only saw this species in the Queen Elizabeth NP.
African Openbill (A Open-billed Stork) Anastomus lamelligerus Common.
Abdim's Stork (W) Ciconia abdimii A single bird showed well at Murchison Falls.
Woolly-necked Stork (African W-n S) Ciconia [episcopus] microscelis Two were noted at Murchison Falls.
Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis Singles were seen at Murchison Falls and QE NP.
31 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comAfrican Wattled Lapwing (Mark Van Beirs)
Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus Regular and rather impressively ugly.
African Darter Anhinga rufa Small numbers were seen at Murchison Falls.
Reed Cormorant (Long-tailed C) Microcarbo africanus Fairly common.
White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus Small numbers at major rivers and lakes.
African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus A handful of records only.
Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash Common and vociferous!
African Spoonbill Platalea alba A single bird was found at Queen Elizabeth NP.
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus A single bird was seen on our boat trip at Murchison Falls.
Dwarf Bittern ◊ Ixobrychus sturmii Terrific looks at three birds near Lake Opeta.
White-backed Night Heron ◊ Gorsachius leuconotus One at Murchison Falls and two at Lake Mburo.
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax A few observations of this widespread species.
Striated Heron (Green-backed H) Butorides striata Regular sightings.
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Common at Mabamba and regular at the QE NP.
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Quite common.
32 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comAfrican Jacana & Grey-headed Gull (Mark Van Beirs)
African Skimmers (Mark Van Beirs)
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea A handful of observations.
Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala Regular. Several colonies were seen.
Goliath Heron Ardea goliath Small numbers of this impressive heron at Murchison Falls and at QE NP.
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Fairly common at Mabamba and at Murchison Falls.
Great Egret (Western G E) Ardea [alba] melanorhynchos Fairly common.
Intermediate Egret (Yellow-billed E) Ardea [intermedia] brachyrhyncha A handful of encounters.
33 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comYellow-billed & Marabou Storks (Mark Van Beirs)
White-backed Night Heron & Purple Heron (Mark Van Beirs)
Little Egret Egretta garzetta Small numbers were seen along our route.
Hamerkop Scopus umbretta Fairly common and vocal. We also noted the large nests.
Shoebill ◊ Balaeniceps rex It took a while before we finally found this mega bird at Murchison Falls.
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus A nice flock was at Queen Elizabeth NP.
Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens Regular in small numbers.
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus A single bird was seen at Queen Elizabeth NP.
Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus 18 sightings of this dainty bird of prey.
African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene) Polyboroides typus Regular.
Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis Fairly common. Attractively patterned.
African Cuckoo-Hawk Aviceda cuculoides A single bird showed well at Queen Elizabeth NP.
Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus Just a handful of observations. This species is in obvious decline!!
White-backed Vulture (African W-b V) Gyps africanus Fair numbers were noted at the game reserves.
Rüppell's Vulture (R's Griffon V) Gyps rueppelli Four showed well at Murchison Falls.
White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis A single bird was identified at Murchison Falls.
34 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comAn enormous Goliath Heron & diminutive African Skimmers (Mark Van Beirs)
Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos Several at Murchison Falls and at Lake Mburo.
Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus We saw two at the Queen Elizabeth NP.
Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens Six observations of this uncommon species.
Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus 28 observations of this very aerial bird of prey.
Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus One flew over the Soroti hotel just when the sun was rising.
Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus Very nice observations at Murchison Falls.
Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis Common and very attractive.
Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax Several showed very well at Murchison Falls.
Cassin's Hawk-Eagle Aquila africana Scope views of a perched bird at Bwindi. Another was noted in flight.
African Hawk-Eagle Aquila spilogaster Three observations of this dashing bird of prey.
Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus Regular.
Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar A single observation at Murchison Falls.
Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates Good looks at several at Lake Opeta and Murchison Falls.
35 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comSquacco Heron (Mark Van Beirs)
Eastern Chanting Goshawk Melierax poliopterus A single bird performed beautifully at Murchison Falls.
African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro Fair looks at one at Lake Mburo.
Shikra Accipiter badius A handful of encounters.
African Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorus Cracking looks at several at the Mabamba Swamp.
Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius Regular, but not as common as it used to be.
African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer Common and impressive at lakes and rivers. The sound of Africa.
Mountain Buzzard ◊ Buteo oreophilus Two showed well at the Mgahinga NP.
Augur Buzzard Buteo augur Small numbers of both pale and dark morphs were seen in the highlands.
36 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comGreat White & Pink-backed Pelicans (Mark Van Beirs)
Black-winged Kite & African Harrier-Hawk (Mark Van Beirs)
Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum Two very nice observations (QE NP and Lake Mburo)
Red-chested Owlet Glaucidium tephronotum Seen well at Kibale and at Buhoma.
African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis (H) We heard one at lake Mburo, but it wouldn’t budge.
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl (Giant E-O) Bubo lacteus A single bird showed well before dawn at Kibale.
African Wood Owl Strix woodfordii (H) Heard at Ruhija (Bwindi).
Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus Common all along our route.
Blue-naped Mousebird Urocolius macrourus Regular in the game reserves.
Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina Seen well at Budongo and at Bwindi.
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum Seen well at Bwindi.
Eurasian Hoopoe (Central African H) Upupa [epops] senegalensis A single bird was at Murchison Falls.
Forest Wood Hoopoe ◊ Phoeniculus castaneiceps Good looks at several at the Mabira Forest.
37 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comBlack-winged Kite & African Harrier-Hawk (Mark Van Beirs)
Bateleur & Lappet-faced Vultures (Mark Van Beirs)
Long-crested Eagle & African Hawk-Eagle (Mark Van Beirs)
38 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comDark Chanting Goshawk & Yellow-billed Kite (Mark Van Beirs)
Pearl-spotted Owlet & Speckled Mousebird (Mark Van Beirs)
39 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comPalm-nut Vulture (Mark Van Beirs)
White-headed Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus bollei Regular encounters.
Green Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus A few of these noisy characters were seen.
Black Scimitarbill (B Wood-hoopoe) Rhinopomastus aterrimus We heard one at Murchison Falls.
Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas Three showed well at the Queen Elizabeth NP.
Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor One showed well at Lake Opeta.
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus Great looks at Lake Opeta and Murchison Falls.
Crowned Hornbill Lophoceros alboterminatus Small numbers were seen.
African Pied Hornbill ◊ (Congo P H) Lophoceros [fasciatus] fasciatus A handful of observations.
African Grey Hornbill Lophoceros nasutus Regular.
White-thighed Hornbill ◊ Bycanistes albotibialis Best looks were at a termite eruption at Budongo.
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Bycanistes subcylindricus Delightfully common.
Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus A few showed quite well at Lake Mburo.
40 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comAfrican Fish Eagle (Mark Van Beirs)
Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus One performed quite well near Lake Opeta.
Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus The most commonly encountered Roller.
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher Halcyon badia Scope views of this canopy skulker at Budongo.
Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala Regular observations.
Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti Fairly common in the game reserves.
Blue-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon malimbica Scope studies of this beauty along the Royal Mile (Budongo).
Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis Regular and noisy.
African Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta A handful of sightings of this diminutive species.
Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus Regular and so very handsome.
Shining-blue Kingfisher Alcedo quadribrachys Two showed quite well at the Bigodi swamp.
Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima Fair looks at a displaying pair at lake Mburo.
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Common. Amazing numbers were seen along the Kazinga Channel.
Black Bee-eater Merops gularis This very gorgeous species performed well in the forest reserves.
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Merops hirundineus Two were seen as we left Murchison Falls.
Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus Regular encounters.
41 BirdQuest Tour Report: UGANDA 2021 www.birdquest-tours.comAbyssinian Ground Hornbill & Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill (Mark Van Beirs)
Lilac-breasted Roller & Striped Kingfishers (Mark Van Beirs)
Blue-breasted Bee-eater Merops variegatus Good looks at the Mabamba Swamp and at Murchison Falls.
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates Small numbers showed in the highland forests.
Red-throated Bee-eater Merops bulocki This striking bird showed well at Murchison Falls and at QE NP.
Olive Bee-eater (S) (Madagascar B-e) Merops superciliosus Regular at QE NP.
Northern Carmine Bee-eater Merops nubicus Fairly common at Murchison Falls. A stunning species.
Grey-throated Barbet ◊ (G-headed B) Gymnobucco [bonapartei] cinereiceps Regular in the forest reserves.
Speckled Tinkerbird Pogoniulus scolopaceus Regular observations. More often heard.
Western Tinkerbird (W Green T) Pogoniulus coryphaea (H) We heard it at the Mgahinga NP, but no luck.
Yellow-throated Tinkerbird Pogoniulus subsulphureus Regular observations.
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Golden-r T) Pogoniulus bilineatus Fairly common. A familiar sound.
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysoconus The Tinkerbird of open areas. Regular.
Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon duchaillui Several excellent scope observations.
Hairy-breasted Barbet Tricholaema hirsuta A few nice sightings.
Spot-flanked Barbet Tricholaema lacrymosa Fairly regular.
White-headed Barbet Lybius leucocephalus Good looks at several at Lake Mburo.
Red-faced Barbet ◊ Lybius rubrifacies Cracking views of this very localized speciality at Lake Mburo.
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