Bulletin 360 - Uganda #4 - Swallows, Wagtails and Pipits

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.


There were 5 species of swallows on the trip with first 2 being lifers. The 7" Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithi) has a blue back white belly and rufous crown.

Wire-tailed Swallow

The 6" Angola Swallow (Hirundo angolensis) is very similar to the Barn Swallow below but the underside is gray rather then white and the blue chest band in not complete.

Angola Swallow

The 7.5" Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustcica) in the Old World is white underneath rather than rufous like ours.

Barn Swallow

The 6.5"  Lesser Striped Swallow (Cecropis abyssinica) had a blue back, rufous crown and heavily streaked underside.

Lesser Striped Swallow

Lastly is the 8" Mosque Swallow (Cecropis senegalensis). It has a blue back rufous breast and belly and pale throat. This one has a mouth full of mud to add to the nest.

Mosque Swallow

Here is his mate on the nest adding her blob of mud. You will notice the first layer of mud has dried from the day before and they are working on next addition. It was finished on the third day

Mosque Swallow - building nest

There were 3 wagtails on the trip with the first 2 being lifers. The 7.5" Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara) has the typical pied pattern but is gray backed with black wings and white.

Mountain Wagtail

The 7.5" Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) has a brownish olive back and bright yellow breast.

Western Yellow Wagtail

The 8" African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp) is of course black and white. This one was on the road right beside the car.

African Pied Wagtail

There were 3 pipits but none were new. The 6.5" African Pipit (Anthus cinnamomeus) has streaking on the back. All these similar birds best IDed by voice.

African Pipit

 The 6.5" Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys) has an unstreaked back.

Plain-backed Pipit

The 9" Yellow-throated Longclaw (Macronyx croceus) is a colorful pipit with a bright yellow throat and belly and a black bib. He resembles our meadowlarks.

Yellow-throated Longclaw

One thing that has interested me for a long time are national birds. Now that I have done photography on several continents, I decided to look up national or official territorial birds. Some places do not have designated birds, so if they have the bird on their coat-of-arms, I used that bird. Despite the fact I have I have photographed in just a dozen countries, I have photos of the birds of 83 countries or territories. 

I did the same for the USA states and territories as well as the Canadian provinces. You can see them here.


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

I have photos of 26 of the 88 species of  swallows and martins

I have photos of 15 of the 65 species of  wagtails and pipits

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

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