Bulletin 369 - Uganda #13 - Herons, Crane, Ibis, Fruit Bat

After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

With many lakes, rivers and marshes in Uganda, herons were common and I photographed 2 new species.

The 33" Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) is a common heron, but this was the first time I got one close by, for a good photo.

Purple Heron

The taller 38" Gray Heron (Ardea cinerea) resembles our Great Blue Heron.

Gray Heron

The giant 60" Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath) is a bird I had seen in the guide book. As the largest heron in the world, it was one I wanted to see. It has a gray body and reddish neck.

Goliath Heron

3 smaller herons include the 18" Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides). It is a squat beige heron.

Squacco Heron

The 20" Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) is all black. It is often found creating an umbrella like posture with its wings forward.

Black Heron

Lastly is the 22" Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis). This is the common white egret with a yellow bill and orange plumes in breeding season. It is widespread in the Americas.

Western Cattle Egret

Surprisingly, I only found a single ibis species, the 32" African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus). It is an elegant bird and an easy ID with its bare black neck and white body with black wings.

African Sacred Ibis

Probably the most elegant bird of the trip is the 44" Gray Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum). It is the National Bird of Uganda.

Gray Crowned Crane

and another photo of this magnificent bird.

Gray Crowned Crane

The Straw-colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum) is the most common African large bat. It is found in most of sub-Saharan Africa. They live in large colonies of 100 thousand to 1 million animals. And each year in the largest mammal migration on the planet, 10 million bats roost in a 5 acre forest in Zambia. Despite its relatively small size, 6-9 inches and 8-12 oz weight, many are hunted for 'bush meat' in Central and West Africa.

Straw-colored Fruit Bat

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 28 of the 66 species of herons, bitterns and egrets

I have photos of 11 of the 35 species of  ibises and spoonbills

I have photos of 7 of the 15 species of  cranes

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 368 - Uganda #12 - Weavers - part 1

After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

We met some of the weaver species in South Africa. They were mostly yellow birds with varying amounts of black on the head and face. In Uganda I found more species and some were quite different than the previous ones.

The 4.5" Speckle-fronted Weaver (Sporopipes frontalis) is a brown and gray sparrow like bird with an ochre nape and black forehead.

Speckle-fronted Weaver

The 5" male Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus) had a black head and chestnut belly. He resembles our Baltimore Oriole.

Black-headed Weaver - pair

The 5" male Golden-backed Weaver (Ploceus jacksoni) is similar but the whole underside is a dark chestnut color.

Golden-backed Weaver - male

The 4" male Little Weaver (Ploceus luteolus)  is yellow with a black face and thick bill.

Little Weaver - male

A similar 4.5" weaver is the male Slender-billed Weaver (Ploceus pelzelni).He has a smaller amount of black on the face

Slender-billed Weaver - male

The 6.5" male Village Weaver (Ploceus culcullatus) is yellow with a black face and streaked back.. He also has a bright red eye!

Village Weaver - male

The 6" male Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus bagalecht) has a black face and light eye.

Baglafecht Weaver

So now that you can easily identify a weaver by the yellow body and black head or face, God shows his sense of humor with the 5.5" male Black-billed Weaver (Ploceus melanogaster). He is all black with a yellow face!

Black-billed Weaver

And even stranger is Vieillot's Black Weaver (Ploceus nigerrimus). He is all black with a yellow eye.

Vieillot's Black Weaver

I have photos of 27 of the 117 species of weavers.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.