You may have heard about Uganda's famous gorillas. I'm sure they're very nice and all. But after the past few weeks here, I really can't imagine those silverbacks are able to hold a candle to the fabulous fauna strolling around the Mulago campus and Kampala generally. (That, and there's no way I can afford a solo gorilla trek while I'm here. Sour grapes.)
So! I hereby present possibly the world's first safari guide for the Mulago Hospital campus. Not complete by any means, but a few of the must-see highlights:
Green Snipey Guys (aka Hadada Ibis)
These guys! So fancy. They're about Canadian goose-sized and always seem to be hovering around in pairs. Skittish fellows, they tend to freak out and fly away with a really loud panicky call. They have mousy brown base feathers, but with a very stylish green streak over the wing and a pleasingly curved beak. I've been calling them green snipey guys, for no particular reason other than I like the word "snipe", but a quick internet search ("uganda bird green") reveals that they're Hadada Ibises. Apparently the name comes from a transliteration of their panic call; I'll have to listen more carefully next time. Here they are in my backyard, looking wary.
Evil Crows (aka Pied Crows)
These guys terrify me. They give a bad name to pies everywhere. They are aggressive, loud, and a bit too clever for their own good. Also, absolutely everywhere. They freaked me out in Tanzania and they freak me out here. Let us say no more about them.
Marabou Storks
The sleeper hit of Mulago! The offspring of an egret and a vulture, but somehow way bigger than both. These guys stroll around the Mulago campus, approximately four feet tall, totally silent and spectacularly ugly. Some of the bigger ones sport these giant waddle/goiters that really push the ugliness factor to the next level. And they fly! Definitely the largest flighted bird I've ever seen. They must have at least a six-foot wing span. It's like watching gliders go past the window. They like to sit creepily on the hospital roof, almost motionless, standing guard over the chaos below. Dr. Ueda, who is only about 4.5 feet tall herself and prefers her animals good-looking, dislikes them very strongly. Perhaps needless to say, I love them. I've taken quite a lot of pictures of them. Here they are being creepy on the roof across from the Labour Suite OR windows.
Put these guys on the national flag, I say.
Monkeys! (aka Monkeys)
It's a very "Africa!" moment when you head out your door in the morning and discover that the lawn is full of about a dozen small monkeys, eating bugs and grooming each other and doing other monkey things. The Mulago Guest House, where I stay, has a resident herd of monkeys that shows up maybe every other day. None of the Ugandans ever feed them or coddle them in any way, so there's no primate-on-primate harassment; they mostly ignore the humans eating lunch in front of the canteen, though will bolt if any mzungu with a camera gets too close. It's a little like a herd of feral cats, though much more charming.
So! I hereby present possibly the world's first safari guide for the Mulago Hospital campus. Not complete by any means, but a few of the must-see highlights:
Green Snipey Guys (aka Hadada Ibis)
These guys! So fancy. They're about Canadian goose-sized and always seem to be hovering around in pairs. Skittish fellows, they tend to freak out and fly away with a really loud panicky call. They have mousy brown base feathers, but with a very stylish green streak over the wing and a pleasingly curved beak. I've been calling them green snipey guys, for no particular reason other than I like the word "snipe", but a quick internet search ("uganda bird green") reveals that they're Hadada Ibises. Apparently the name comes from a transliteration of their panic call; I'll have to listen more carefully next time. Here they are in my backyard, looking wary.
Evil Crows (aka Pied Crows)
These guys terrify me. They give a bad name to pies everywhere. They are aggressive, loud, and a bit too clever for their own good. Also, absolutely everywhere. They freaked me out in Tanzania and they freak me out here. Let us say no more about them.
Marabou Storks
The sleeper hit of Mulago! The offspring of an egret and a vulture, but somehow way bigger than both. These guys stroll around the Mulago campus, approximately four feet tall, totally silent and spectacularly ugly. Some of the bigger ones sport these giant waddle/goiters that really push the ugliness factor to the next level. And they fly! Definitely the largest flighted bird I've ever seen. They must have at least a six-foot wing span. It's like watching gliders go past the window. They like to sit creepily on the hospital roof, almost motionless, standing guard over the chaos below. Dr. Ueda, who is only about 4.5 feet tall herself and prefers her animals good-looking, dislikes them very strongly. Perhaps needless to say, I love them. I've taken quite a lot of pictures of them. Here they are being creepy on the roof across from the Labour Suite OR windows.
Put these guys on the national flag, I say.
Monkeys! (aka Monkeys)
It's a very "Africa!" moment when you head out your door in the morning and discover that the lawn is full of about a dozen small monkeys, eating bugs and grooming each other and doing other monkey things. The Mulago Guest House, where I stay, has a resident herd of monkeys that shows up maybe every other day. None of the Ugandans ever feed them or coddle them in any way, so there's no primate-on-primate harassment; they mostly ignore the humans eating lunch in front of the canteen, though will bolt if any mzungu with a camera gets too close. It's a little like a herd of feral cats, though much more charming.
Really a step up from squirrels.
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