Uganda is a country rewarded with amazing birdlife and over 1000 species of birds have been recorded, making it an important birding destination.
We’d say the evergreen vegetation, rainy & dry seasons, rainforests, and hilly landscapes contribute to this since some of the rare species are found in swamps & forests. An example is a famous Shoebill which can only be seen in a few places in Uganda i.e. Mabamba swamp and the river banks of Victoria Nile in Murchison Park.
This activity is certainly interesting and fascinating for most bird-watchers & among them are researchers, photographers, nature lovers, students, etc. The beauty of Uganda is amazing and one can tell that this is why a great number of rare bird species can be found here.
Bird Watching in Bwindi Impenetrable NP
In the southwestern part of Uganda lies one of Uganda’s oldest forests and home to over 350 species of birds including 23 endemics. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a world-class tourist destination and thousands of visitors across the world come here to enjoy Birding and other amazing activities like gorilla trekking.
Common birds found include African Emerald Cuckoo, Common Bulbul, African Blue, White-tailed Blue Flycatchers, and Red-headed Bluebill. The common areas to find these birds are around the waterfall trail in Buhoma and Mubindi Swamp trail in the bamboo zone, Ruhija.
Bird Watching in Queen Elizabeth NP
Queen Elizabeth National Park’s great variety of habitats makes it one of the greatest of any East African national park with over 600 bird species recorded here. Birders can be able to spot central African species as well.
Numerous water birds were spotted along the water channels, plus woodland & forest dwellers in the Maramagambo forest and other various migratory species.
Queen Elizabeth National Park’s birding spots will give you the best chances to see most of these birds and they include; the famous Kazinga Channel, Kasenyi plains, Mweya Peninsula, the Maramagambo Forest, Ishasha Sector (also famous for tree-climbing lions), Lake Kikorongo, Katunguru Bridge and the Salty Lake Katwe.
Bird Watching in the Kibale National Park
Known as a Primate Capital, Kibale National Park is also another place to see a great variety of forest birds. Over 372 species are found in this rainforest and visitors can enjoy seeing them during the day & night of nature walks.
Most Bird watching tours start at 7:00 am in the morning at the Kanyanchu tourist center and take about 2 hours, accompanied by an experienced guide. Some of the rare species found here include the Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, White-collared Olive back, and Papyrus Canary.
The nearby Bigodi Wetland, located just outside Kibale is another famous birding area with about 138 species seen during the guided walks.
Many bird species are seen along with the boardwalk trail and viewing platforms, especially the Great Blue Turaco. Others include; White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Black-crowned Waxbill, etc.
Other famous Birding Places in Uganda include; Lake Mburo, Kidepo Valley, Mabira forest, Budongo forest, and Botanical gardens in Entebbe.