Caprimulgus natalensis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Nightjar sighting in Kidepo Valley National Park on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 171st most-seen of the 332 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Nightjar in Kidepo Valley National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, the lowest month. April and May have too few records to rate.
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.
Yes
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Swamp Nightjar sightings, Kidepo Valley National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come 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 Kidepo Valley National Park (34 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.
