Human activity flying birds out of Kampala

The great egret, a majestic yet stressed bird, strides through the city streets with an air of desperation.

Its snow-white feathers, typically a vision of elegance, now appear dull and ruffled, a testament to its hunger and hardship.

Its piercing yellow eyes scan the urban landscape as it searches for food from alleyways and garbage cans. It’s usually slender neck appears gaunt. Its long and slender legs move with a halting gait.

One leg, in particular, seems to be causing the great egret distress as it limps along. A faint smudge of dirt or blood on its feathers suggests a recent mishap, perhaps a scrape with a car or a brutal encounter with a stray animal.

Despite its struggles, the great egret is driven by the primal urge to survive. It is a touching reminder that amid concrete and steel, wildlife struggles to thrive, and the delicate balance between nature and urbanisation is a daily challenge.

For the great egret, one of Uganda’s rare bird species that attracts hundreds of tourists during the annual Ugandan birding safaris, life in Kampala has boxed it into a permanent dark corner.

Habitats destroyed

Last October, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) cut down trees that housed hundreds of birds. The most affected species was the great egret. Some died, and others were evacuated to sanctuaries for safety.

The remaining ones seem to be living a surreal life, just like the one that was seen on Monday at midday, struggling to walk or fly around Parliament Avenue.

As the city continues to grow, different skyscraper buildings are taking centre stage and new roads are also coming up. Activists argue that the emerging infrastructure development has eaten up space for trees, which are habitats for most of the city birds.

City botanical parks, which would have offered a safe haven for birds and other species, have also been taken over by arcades and other sprouting businesses such as bars, hotels and restaurants, which currently dot the famous green park — Centenary Park.

Noise pollution

Noise pollution is the other threat to the survival of birds in the city.

Patrick Kasimbazi, an experienced gardener and bird enthusiast at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, Kampala, said noise chases away the birds.

Kasimbazi added that traffic noise can significantly affect birds by disrupting their communication, increasing stress levels, interfering with their ability to find food and negatively impacting their breeding success.

“It can particularly hinder the development of chicks when exposed to noise during crucial early stages.

Essentially, the constant noise can make it harder for birds to hear important sounds, such as predator warnings or mating calls, leading to potential survival issues,” he said.

Kasimbazi added that the only green area with trees in Kampala is the Sheraton Gardens, noting that they have done a tremendous job of protecting trees and replanting new ones.

However, this is like a drop in an ocean that cannot change anything.

Kasimbazi, being a gardener for about 30 years, has seen times change. In the last 10 years, bird species used to be many, but now, they have reduced due to the too much noise, cutting of trees, as well as the encroachment on wetlands.

“Traffic has increased; long before, there used to be fewer cars, so there were very many birds around, but with time, they have shifted,” Kasimbazi said.

Jean Phillipe Bittencourt, the general manager of Sheraton Kampala Hotel, while making a nature walk with the Avian Conservation Uganda Society (ACUS), said even the few visible birds showed up because there was less traffic.

“You can see some bats flying this early morning because there is no traffic and it’s a Sunday,” he observed.

The nature walk was intended to help participants identify bird and tree species and how they depend on each other.

Saviour

The Sheraton Kampala Hotel, through its campaign of conserving old trees and planting new ones in its gardens and that of KCCA, has conserved some birds.

“We have various tree varieties that have fruits that birds like. So, we are planting more fruit trees to attract the birds,” Kasimbazi said.

He noted that the city has developed, and this complicates the life of birds there. However, he encouraged the Government to expand the city to other areas so as to create more space for birds.

Mariam Jiwani, the environment and climate change chairperson at the Ismaili Council for Uganda, said 70% of the animal populations in the world have decreased in the last 50 years, due to human activities that destroy wetlands and forests, where animals can stay or get their food.

She said: “If we lose certain species, the ecosystem will become dysfunctional and will not be able to provide some services, such as pollination by bees, which aids plant reproduction.”

Eric Ssenkindu, a conservation and operations manager at the Ismaili Council for Uganda, said beyond birds being seed dispersers, they also act as a social attachment to people as totems, which keeps communities embedded together. He added that bird tourism brings in foreign exchange to boost the country’s economy.

Habitat destructions by KCCA along Jinja Road and Kampala Road in the city centre left over 30 egrets stranded.

Last year, the Uganda Wildlife Authority problem animal control unit rescued 33 egrets following the KCCA-led tree-cutting activities in the city centre. However, many remain stranded.

In a statement issued by KCCA, officials said: “Trees at some of the city junctions are being removed to pave way for the signalisation of the junctions as a way of managing traffic flow, but also to curb accidents, among other reasons.”

KCCA officials added that landscape teams are planting more trees around the city to increase the green cover.

However, for hundreds of egrets, which play a crucial role in pest control by feeding on insects and other small animals in agricultural areas, the raid on their habitats is akin to an organised death sentence.

Most affected birds

The most affected birds in the city are the hadada ibis, common bulbul, black kite, eastern plantain eater, redeyed dove, pied crow, African thrush, Rüppell’s starling, speckled pigeon, the great egret, cattle egret, scarlet chested sunbird, splendid starling, variable sunbird, northern-headed grey sparrow and marabou stork.