Top birding destinations in Uganda
Top birding destinations in Uganda : Uganda birding tours. Birding in Uganda is one of the top safari activities. Uganda is popularly known as a birding paradise and a haven, containing over half of Africa’s bird species. Uganda is known for its rich and diverse birdlife, with over 1,000 species recorded in the country. Among these are several unique and interesting bird species: shoebills, green-breasted pittas, fox’s weaver, African finfoot, African fish eagle, Rwenzori turaco, arrow-marked babbler, hamerkop, and many more. Here are some of the top birding destinations in Uganda:
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is the most magnificent of Uganda’s tropical forests and one of the most rewarding protected areas to explore. The park covers an area of about 795 kilometres and is famously known for hosting over 13 captivating primates, including fascinating chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-chipped mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, bush babies, and pottos. The national park is home to over 370 bird species, making it ideal for Ugandan birding tours. During your Uganda birding tour here , you’ll get an opportunity to spot all most all the bird species including such African Emerald Cuckoo, African green-pigeon, Black-crowned Tchagra, African wood owl, alpine swift, Ash flycatcher, Barn swallow, Black-and-white shrike-flycatcher, Black-billed Turaco, Black-billed weaver, African dusky flycatcher, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Blue-throated Roller, Zebra Waxbill, Brown-eared woodpecker, African-pied wagtail, Cameroon Sombre greenbul, papyrus canary, papyrus gonolek, and white collared olive, Little greenbul, Black-eared ground thrush, Brown-chested alethe, Yellow-rumped tinker bird and Blue-breasted kingfisher, Chubb’s Cisticola among others.
Murchison Falls National Park
Birding in Murchison Falls National Park is one of the most interesting activities that are done in the park, whereby tourists get an opportunity to see different bird species of their interest. Murchison Falls National Park is famously known for housing a diverse range of animals, such as buffaloes, lions, and elephants. Rhinos and leopards have attracted or boasted a number of tourists in the country. The national park also houses a number of different bird species, with over 450 birds recorded, making it ideal for your Uganda birding tours. While on a Uganda birding safari in Murchison Falls, you’ll get a chance to sight see these majestic bird species such as the shoebill stork, black bee-eater, swallow-tailed bee-eater, red-throated bee-eater, woodland king fisher, francolins, hornbills, grey heron, hamerkop, doves, mousebirds, shrikes, flycatchers, cuckoos, coucals, woodpeckers, crombecs, and warblers, ducks, geese, stilts, the marabou storks, ground horn bills, secretary birds, black-bellied bustards, and open-billed storks, among others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated in Rubirizi district in the western part of Uganda, covering a total area of 1,978 square kilometres, making it the second largest protected area in Uganda after Murchison Falls National Park. It sits at an altitude of 900 meters on the adjacent lake Edward, up to 1,845 meters at the peak of the western rift valley’s eastern escarpment. Queen Elizabeth is also the home of the tree-climbing lions and is renowned for its diverse array of wildlife species; however, the national park is one of the true birder’s destinations in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park has recorded a number of over 600 species of birds, making the park one of the magnificent destinations for tourists on a Uganda birding tour adventure. Among the bird species found here are the secretary bird, osprey, balk-winged kite, European honey buzzard, African cuckoo hawk, African harrier hawk, palm-nut vulture, Egyptian vulture, bateluer, black-chested snake eagle, white-headed vulture, lizard buzzard, African fish eagle, and Eurasian buzzard. Long-crested eagle, Crowned eagle, martial eagle, white-fronted plover, long-toed lapwing, spur-winged lapwing, black-headed lapwing, Eurasian thick-knee, Senegal, thick knee, three-banded lapwing, common greenshank, common redshank, spotted thick knee, black-winged pratincole, black-tailed Godwit, hadada ibis, African spoonbill, among others
Semliki national park
Semliki National Park is situated in the extreme west of Uganda, in the Bundibugyo District. It lies along the Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border within the western arm of the East African Rift Valley. In the southeast are the Rwenzori Mountains; to the west is the DRC; and to the north are the Semliki Flats and Lake Albert further on. The national park harbors over 400 bird species, making it the perfect place for your Uganda birding tours. Such birds that can be easily spotted in Semliki forests include the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Long-tailed Hawk, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Grant’s Bluebill, Afep Pigeon, Blue-headed Coucal, Bates’s Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, Cassin’ Spinetail, Sabine’s Spinetail, White-bellied Kingfisher, Shining-Blue Kingfisher, Gabon Woodpecker, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-billed Barbet, White-headed Barbet, Common Stonechat, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, among others.
Mabamba Bay wetland
Mabamba Bay Wetland is a wetland area located on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Uganda’s largest lake, just a short drive from Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. The wetland covers an area of approximately 16,500 hectares. This wetland is renowned for its exceptional birdwatching opportunities. Mabamba Bay Wetland stands out as a true haven for avid birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. The wetland’s tranquil and breathtaking surroundings make it an ideal location for birdwatching. The tranquil waterways, lush vegetation, and expansive lake views create a magical ambiance for your birding adventures. Mabamba Bay Wetland boasts a unique ecosystem characterized by a labyrinth of papyrus reeds, open water channels, and floating vegetation. This diverse habitat provides shelter and sustenance for a wide range of bird species, such as long-tailed cormorant, long-toed lapwing, malachite kingfisher, marsh harrier, northern brown-throated weather, orange weaver, papyrus gonolek, pied kingfisher, pied wagtail, pink-backed pelican, pin-tailed whyda, purple heron, red-eyed dove, red-headed lovebird, shining blue kingfisher, speckled mousebird, spur-winged goose, and spur-winged, among others.
Mabira Forest Reserve
Makira Forest Reserve in Uganda is an extraordinary destination for birding safaris. The forest can be easily accessible via the Kampala-Jinja highway, and it’s located in Buke district. Located just 54 kilometres from the capital city, Kampala, it’s easily accessible for both local and international birding enthusiasts. The forest encompasses a variety of habitats, including primary rainforest, secondary forest, wetlands, and grasslands. Each habitat harbors its own unique bird species, allowing birdwatchers to explore different environments and observe a wide diversity of birds. Makira Forest Reserve is home to a variety of diverse bird species. The forest offers an excellent opportunity for birdwatchers to immerse themselves in the captivating world of bird wonders. Birding in Makira Forest Reserve is an experience you’ll treasure for a lifetime. The forest boasts over 300 bird species. While on your birding tour in Mabira Forest Reserve, expect to spot birds such as the magnificent African Grey Parrot, Great Blue Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, bare-faced go-away bird, eastern plantain-eater, red-chested cuckoo, black cuckoo, African cuckoo, bleu-headed coucal, white-browed coucal, blue malkoha, Klaas’s, African emerald cuckoo, dideric cuckoo, dusky long-tailed cuckoo, black-bellied bustard, rock pigeon, speckled pigeon, lemon dove, mourning collared dove, red-eyed dove, ring-necked dove, laughing dove, tambourine dove, among others.
Besides the above, there are other destinations where birding tours are also exhilarating to most visitors, such as Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Entebbe botanical garden, Kidepo national park, Matheniko wildlife reserve, Mount Elgon national park, Mount Rwenzori motional park, and Budongo forest reserve, among others.
