Caprimulgus natalensis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 Lake Mburo National Park on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 215th most-seen of the 362 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Nightjar in Lake Mburo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months. Those are among Lake Mburo National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in November.
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.
2nd of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Swamp Nightjar sightings, Lake Mburo National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kidepo Valley National Park (Uganda, about 10%).
Same genus: Caprimulgus
The closest relatives of the Swamp Nightjar that you can see in Lake Mburo National Park (genus Caprimulgus, Old World Nightjars) are Fiery-necked Nightjar (about 10%), Freckled Nightjar (about 10%) and Square-tailed Nightjar (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Swamp Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Lake Mburo National Park (49 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.
