Nature Tanzania believes that selecting a national bird will not only boost national pride but also enhance bird conservation efforts and promote eco-tourism in the country
Arusha. Tanzania will soon join the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Somalia and South Sudan, in selecting a national bird.
While the giraffe serves as the country’s national wildlife symbol, Tanzania has never officially designated a national bird.
That is now set to change, thanks to an initiative led by Nature Tanzania in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
“We, as stakeholders in bird conservation, would like the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism to coordinate the process, while we mobilise Tanzanians to participate in voting for the best candidate,” said Nature Tanzania Executive Director, Mr Emmanuel Mgimwa.
Nature Tanzania, which works closely with BirdLife International, has been conducting annual polls to select Tanzania’s “Bird of the Year” since 2023.
The organisation now plans to identify and endorse an official national bird before 2030.
“Birds are facing threats of extinction. Selecting a ‘Bird of the Year’ and ultimately a national species helps to raise public awareness about their ecological and cultural importance,” said the organisation’s marketing officer, Ms Gaudensia Mariki.
Ms Mariki noted that Tanzania has over 1,200 recognised and officially gazetted bird species but has yet to identify a single bird that symbolises the nation internationally.
In contrast, Kenya, home to more than 1,000 bird species, celebrates the lilac-breasted roller as its national bird. Uganda’s grey-crowned crane is both the country’s flagship wildlife species and a prominent feature on its national emblem.
Rwanda has the African fish eagle as its national bird, while Burundi is represented by the great blue turaco.
The Democratic Republic of Congo boasts the Congo peafowl, and South Sudan has also adopted the African fish eagle.
Somalia, on the other hand, recognises the superb starling as its national bird, a species that coincidentally won Tanzania’s “Bird of the Year 2025” title through a public vote.
Nature Tanzania believes that selecting a national bird will not only boost national pride but also enhance bird conservation efforts and promote eco-tourism in the country.
