Caprimulgus natalensis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The swamp nightjar or Natal nightjar (Caprimulgus natalensis) is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family found in Africa. It is sparsely present across sub-Saharan Africa, albeit moreso in DR Congo and nearby countries.
The swamp nightjar can be found in swamps, marshes and bogs, but also in forest edges. Swamp nightjar - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 4 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 6 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 7 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 9 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 10 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Nightjar sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 241st most-seen of the 351 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Nightjar in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–June and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Swamp Nightjar sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
4th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Swamp Nightjar sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kidepo Valley National Park (Uganda, about 10%), Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, under 5%) and Akagera National Park (Rwanda, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Swamp Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (46 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
