Nature Recordings - Africa

During a recent trip to Uganda I visited Ngamba Island which is situated in Lake Victoria, approximately 23 km south-east of Entebbe. Ngamba Island is home to a Chimpanzee Sanctuary with 48 orphaned chimps that have been rescued from throughout Uganda. The island provides an excellent secondary forest habitat for the chimpanzees and other wildlife species including Black-Headed Weaver birds. These birds nest close to one another in trees. The male builds the beautiful nests which hang from the tree's branches, but these nests are often rejected (and fall to the ground) if the female thinks the nest isn't good enough.

I recorded the following soundscape of the weaver birds who were nesting just a few metres off the shoreline.

Photo courtesy of Dee Marshall (http://www.beneaththeskies.com/)

Black-Headed Weaver Birds Nesting On Shoreline - Ngamba Island, Uganda

I recorded this dawn chorus in the garden of the lodge I was staying in at 5.30 am. The lodge was located quite close to Lake Victoria so was teaming with birdlife.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)

Dawn Chorus Part 1 - 5.30 am - Outskirts of Entebbe, Uganda

I recorded this dawn chorus in the garden of the lodge I was staying in at 6.00 am. The lodge was located quite close to Lake Victoria so was teaming with birdlife.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)

Dawn Chorus Part 2 - 6.00 am - Outskirts of Entebbe, Uganda

During a walk around Ruhija Village in south-western Uganda I came across a black pig that was tied up to a tree on the side of the dirt track. He was quite a friendly pig and was happily grunting away so I stopped for a few minutes to record.

Pig Grunts - Ruhija Village, Uganda

This recording was captured at 1 AM from the balcony of my bungalow in the middle of Queen Elisabeth National Park in Uganda. We can hear frogs, bats, insects, distant hyenas and a distant hippo.

Night Chorus 1 AM - Queen Elisabeth National Park, Uganda

During a visit to the chimpanzee sanctuary on Ngamba Island, Uganda I recorded this Spur Winged Plover that was sitting on it's eggs in the short grass. Even though I respectfully kept my distance, these birds instinctively start chirping a distinctive kip-kip-kip sound, intended to ward off predators.  

Photo courtesy of Dee Marshall (http://www.beneaththeskies.com/)

Spur Winged Plover - Ngamba Island, Uganda

Late one evening in the outskirts of Entebbe, Uganda I sat quietly in the dark and listened to a tree frog that was singing away. After a few minutes of listening, I grabbed my rig and began recording. We also hear fruit bats that were positioned high up in a nearby tree as well as local some cats that were very vocal.

Night Chorus (Tree Frog, Fruit Bats, Cats) - Outskirts of Entebbe, Uganda

Early one morning on a recent visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, I headed down to the lake close to my bungalow to record the frog and toad chorus.

The previous night, a huge storm had passed over and immediately after the lake sprung to life with a magnificent (and very intense) frog/toad chorus. The next morning, when I recorded this soundscape, things were much quieter. There were many birds (including Hammer Cobs and Marabou Storks) walking around eating the frogs and toads, picking them off one by one.

The dominant species is the Guttural Toad, Bufo gutturalis and there is also some puddle frogs, Phrynobatrachus.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak

Dawn Toad And Frog Chorus - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Ruhija Village is situated on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the south west of Uganda. This was my base whilst studying the Mountain Gorillas and was a refreshing change from the intense heat of the savannah we'd previously been travelling through. 

Perched high up in the mountains, the views were stunning, the air was fresh and the soundscapes were free from airplanes and cars! It was amazing how sound travelled across the valley so easily. Shortly after arriving at the village most of my colleagues went down to the village to explore. I opted to stay back as I heard a thunderstorm brewing opposite the valley. I recorded just on the edge of the steep slope that led down to the valley floor.

Photo courtesy of Dee Marshall (http://www.beneaththeskies.com/)

Distant Thunder Storm - Ruhija Village, Uganda

Kyambura Gorge is situated in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. The area is an important water source for many animals and is also home to the only primates in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

The main purpose of my visit to Kyambura Gorge was to study the chimpanzees. We trekked for about two hours through dense forest and along the way I stopped to record some wonderful ambiances (particularly birdsong), and the incredible acoustics of the gorge.

This recording is of the hippos that were in the river just next to where we were walking. The first time I heard the hippo vocalise I was struck by the low frequencies and the way they cut through the rest of the forest soundscape. I had no idea a hippo vocalises this way!

Photo courtesy of Dee Marshall (http://www.beneaththeskies.com/)


Hippopotamus Vocalisations - Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley and is home to an estimated 320 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. 

During my time observing the mountain gorillas we spent around 1 hour in the company of the Oruzogo group, led by Bakwate the dominant alpha Silver back.

Mountain gorillas are 99% vegetarian with their diet mainly consisting of fruits, leaves, bark and soft stems. The remaining 1% is for ants, which they often find on the underside of tree bark. With this type of diet, they are extremely flatulent. In this recording, you can listen to a number of farts I recorded as we observed the group.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)

Mountain Gorilla Farts - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley and is home to an estimated 320 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked.

During my time observing the mountain gorillas we spent around 1 hour in the company of the Oruzogo group, led by Bakwate the dominant alpha Silver back.

In this recording we hear Bakwate vocalising with two females of the group. All three had been eating bark in an Omu Jeje tree just in front of where I was positioned when Bakwate decided he’d eaten enough. As he started to climb down, he vocalised to the females to say he’d eaten enough and was leaving the tree, but he wanted to be alone. The females replied with grunts saying “ok” and remained in the tree. Bakwate climbed down to the ground and walked right passed me (literally within a meter of where I was sitting). I had an incredible rush of adrenaline when he walked passed, albeit the Oruzogo gorilla group are very passive when humans are present.

This was one of the most memorable moments of my trip to Uganda.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)

Mountain Gorilla Vocalisations - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley and is home to an estimated 320 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked.

During my time observing the mountain gorillas we spent around 1 hour in the company of the Oruzogo group, led by Bakwate the dominant alpha Silver back.

Mountain gorillas are 99% vegetarian with their diet mainly consisting of fruits, leaves, bark and soft stems. The remaining 1% is for ants, which they often find on the underside of tree bark. With this type of diet, they are extremely flatulent. 

In this recording, you can listen to a compilation of the best farts that I recorded during our time with the gorillas.


Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)

Mountain Gorilla Farts (Short Version) - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Wildlife Sound Recording Society (WSRS) 2015 Competition Winner 
- restricted winner
- won the certificate for the overall restricted winner
- runner up of the open class of class 4 (Habitat)

In November 2015 I stayed for a few days in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Whilst eating dinner one evening a huge, intense storm passed overhead. As soon as the storm had moved on, an incredibly intense frog and toad chorus began down at a small lake not far from my bungalow. As it was night time I had to be accompanied by a guard down to the lake in case any of the national park animals crossed our paths (elephants, leopards, hippos, snakes etc). 

Once we got to the edge of the lake I set up my mics and began recording. The chorus was really intense, with the dominant voices those of the Guttural Toad and the Rocket Frog. It was pitch black and as I sat and recorded, I became hypnotised by the evolving waves and patterns of the chorus. 

At the end of this recording we hear a clap of thunder. A few seconds prior to this, a bolt of lightning had forked down to the ground a kilometre or so away, and for a split second the entire lake had been lit up in bright purple. To my amazement, a hippo was standing in the middle of the lake, about 30 metres from where I was standing. I can't explain the rush of adrenaline I had at that moment. 

A truly amazing experience and a wonderful soundscape.

Photo courtesy of Charles J. Sharp
Special thanks to Robert C. Drewes, PhD for help on identifying the frog and toad species.

Intense Frog And Toad Chorus - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

In November 2015 I stayed for a few days in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. 

I had previously recorded the frog snd toad chorus after an intense storm, as well as the much less intense chorus the following morning. On the last night the chorus sounded completely different, with at least two additional species. Whilst we still hear the Guttural Toad and the Rocket Frog, we also hear Running Frogs (Kassina senegalensis) - the "boinks" - and a species of Afrixalus (spiny reed frog?). 

To my ears the chorus I recorded on this last night felt otherworldly. Extremely intense and another incredible soundscape.

Photo courtesy of Ryanvanhuyssteen.
Special thanks to Robert C. Drewes, PhD for help on identifying the frog and toad species.

Alternate Intense Frog And Toad Chorus - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

I had come to Kyambura Gorge in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Along the way I stopped to record the wonderful soundscape of this rich ecosystem, made all the more interesting by the incredible acoustics of the gorge.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)


Jungle Soundscape 1 (Birds, Insects, Distant Hippo) - Kyambura Gorge, Uganda

Jungle Soundscape 2 (Birds & Insects) - Kyambura Gorge, Uganda

I had come to Kyambura Gorge in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Along the way I stopped to record the wonderful soundscape of this rich ecosystem, made all the more interesting by the incredible acoustics of the gorge.

Photo courtesy of Anne Zak (http://www.annezakrzewski.de/)

Jungle Soundscape 3 (Birds & Insects) - Kyambura Gorge, Uganda

Buffalo Safari Resort sits within Queen Elisabeth National Park and this was our home for three nights during my trip to Uganda. I stayed in a bungalow which backed right onto a small lake that many of the animals would visit during the day and at night - hippos, elephants, hyenas, leopards, water hogs and a huge number of birds, insects and frogs. So right from the balcony of my bungalow I could enjoy the most amazing soundscapes.

I woke up at 5.45 am having prepared my recording gear the night before. I placed the mics about 20 metres away from my bungalow and sat with the recorder running on the balcony. The first birds begun singing at 6 am and I left the recorder running for 20 minutes.

Amongst the bird species we hear are White-Browed Couckal, Red Bishop, Hamerkop, Egyptian Goose, Hadada Ibis, Pin-Tailed Whydah, Golden Oriol and Black-Headed Gonolek. 

Photo courtesy of John R Whitaker under a Creative Commons license

Dawn Chorus 6.00am - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Buffalo Safari Resort sits within Queen Elisabeth National Park and this was our home for three nights during my trip to Uganda. I stayed in a bungalow which backed right onto a small lake that many of the animals would visit during the day and at night - hippos, elephants, hyenas, leopards, water hogs and a huge number of birds, insects and frogs. So right from the balcony of my bungalow I could enjoy the most amazing soundscapes.

I woke up at 5.45 am having prepared my recording gear the night before. I placed the mics about 20 metres away from my bungalow and sat with the recorder running on the balcony. The first birds begun singing at 6 am.

Amongst the bird species we hear are Brown Cuckoo, Red Bishop, Hammer Cob, Egyptian Goose, Hadada Ibis, Pin-Tailed Whydah, Golden Oriol and Black-Headed Gonolek.

This is the second of two dawn chorus recordings, made slightly later (6.30 am). Towards the end of the recording we hear a pair of Black and White Casqued Hornbills that flew directly overheard my mics.

Photo courtesy of Ross Tsai under a Creative Commons license

Dawn Chorus 6.30am (Incl Black and White Casqued Hornbills) - Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Sound recordist Colin Hunter 
Founder of the World Sounds project

Nature Recordings - Africa

World-Sounds.org