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editorial
Mention Uganda and most of us immediately register ‘gorillas’. This small, land-locked Central African country is, of course, a prime destination for close encounters with the endangered mountain gorilla. For birders in the know, however, Uganda’s highland primates might well be brushed aside as little more than a diversion to the serious business of trying to meet up with as many avian residents and visitors as possible.
To put Uganda’s birdlife in some sort of perspective, more than 1 000 species have been listed; that’s about 10 per cent of global bird diversity in a country roughly the same size as Great Britain. A hardcore birding safari would be bound to target species such as the African Piculet, Dwarf Honeyguide, Neumann’s Warbler, Tabora Cisticola, African Green Broadbill, Handsome Francolin, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Ruwenzori Turaco and, most certainly, the inimitable Shoebill. But you would be short-changed if your trip did not include good sightings of Uganda’s bee-eaters. More than half the bee-eater species found in Africa occur there and Ronan Donovan, in the year he spent in Uganda, photographed many of these brightly painted aerial insect-hunters (page 34).

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Bee-dazzling: Uganda’s bee-eaters

Bee-eaters are among Africa’s most popular birds and their presence greatly enhances the continent’s landscapes. Ronan Donovan shares his experiences of the birds in this group that he observed during a year spent in Uganda, an ideal destination to view more than half of the bee-eater species found in Africa.

Portfolio: Ever watchful

A collection of images of birds captured in quiet moments by wildlife photographer Marius Coetzee.

Sharpe’s Longclaw: Patchwork victim

Endemic to montane grasslands in Kenya, Sharpe’s Longclaw is in rapid decline as a result of the loss of its specialised habitat.

Birding out of Africa: India

India is a vast land, teeming with people, but it also supports more than 1 200 bird species. African birders visiting the country for the first time might consider cutting their teeth in the state of Gujarat, which has more in common with this continent than with the rest of India. Peter Ryan reports on some of the region’s birding attractions.