

If you love birds, then Uganda is the place for you. If you have a fetish for all things ornithological (awesome word), then this country should definitely be on your hit-list. If the fluttering of bird-wings produces a fluttering of your heart-strings, and if the squawking of unusual avian life causes your jeans to inexplicably tighten, then read on... Now the WTF is not really a big bird nerd - never been one of those people who spends hours on end peering up trees with camera poised, hoping to snap a once-in-a-lifetime shot of some rare feathered creature that looks identical to all the others except for some imperceptible feature that sets it apart as rare & special. I'm not one to knock others for having different interests though, so go ahead & do your thing you crazy bird-watching bastards. And if that is your thing, then in case you haven't gathered already, Uganda is a country which will have you gleefully rubbing your hands together like a kid in a candy store, and likely getting a bad case of RSI in your index finger from snapping so many goddamn photos in quick succession. Even the WTF couldn't resist taking a few pics, and on that note I present to you a selection of the amazing birdlife that awaits you in Uganda...

Pied Kingfisher

To start things off may I present to you the Pied Kingfisher - just like the kingfishers you might have seen at home except in monochrome. Personally I think the plain black & white makes it quite dazzling. These things can hover in the same place above the water for extended periods of time waiting for prey to surface, which is pretty fucking badass. You may think the place you live is a bit of a hole, however these guys actually do live in holes, visible in the cliff behind this specimen. This photo was taken in Queen Elizabeth National Park, but you can see these little dudes in pretty much any wetland area.

Red-Throated Bee Eater

Next up we have the Red-Throated Bee-Eater, AKA the Gay Pride Bird. Actually being gay is illegal in Uganda, and apparently punishable by death. And that's not cool at all. These birds are though, and they can be seen in north-western Uganda, particularly around the Murchison Falls area.

Hadada Ibis

This is a Hadada Ibis, characterised by it's cranked out eyes which make it look like it's been up for three days on a meth binge. These tweaky-looking bastards can be seen all over the place, this photo was taken on one of the islands in Lake Bunyonyi in the far south-west of the country.

Black Headed Weaver

This looks like what would happen if Big Bird from Sesame Street mated with a sparrow (as painful as that sounds) however it is in fact a Black Headed Weaver. These little dudes are all over the place, so you'll definitely have the chance to snap a pic.

Yellow Billed Stork

I reckon this thing looks like the lonely kid at school who everyone used to pick on & steal his lunch money, there's just something a bit sad & pathetic about him standing there on the side of the river all alone. Awwww. However, he is in fact a Yellow Billed Stork, and I snapped this pic on the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Grey Crested Crane

Sorry for the blurry pic, this was taken out the window of a moving vehicle during a safari so a bit tricky to hold the camera still. But I did have to include this photo as this is Uganda's national bird, the Grey Crested Crane - it appears on Uganda's flag & on their money, and is considered to be quite a big deal around these parts. In fact, during two separate periods in Uganda's history, totalling more than 7 years, Uganda was ruled by a parliament where Crested Cranes made up the powerful majority, and they were not kind to their human underlings.

African Fish Eagle

The African Fish Eagle - majestic as fuck.

Goliath Heron

I'm pretty sure this is a Goliath Heron, not 100%, but it sorta makes sense since a) it looks like a heron and b) it is fucking massive. So yeah, all in all some pretty strong evidence pointing to the correct identification of this as a Goliath Heron.

Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill

This crazy looking critter is an Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, at least I think it is, the only bit that's confusing me is that it's called a ground hornbill, but as you can see this one is in a tree. Still, what's in a name? An Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill by any other name would still look pretty fucking weird (Shakespeare FTW).

Marabou Stork

And finally, the prize for the most goddamned ugly bird in existence goes to this freak of nature, the Marabou Stork. Seriously this thing looks like some sort of evil bad-guy from a kids cartoon wearing a cloak who's been doing all upper body / no legs at the gym. You will see these freaky fuckers all over Uganda, from the capital Kampala out into rural areas. At 1.5m in height they're pretty hard to miss, and they can generally be observed standing around like the one in this pic, plotting the demise of humanity.