Birding
Bird Watching Trips Uganda
Birding in Uganda will surely reward any interested birder as the country has numerous bird species and knowledgeable bird watching guides. Uganda is home to about 50% of the bird species in Africa and about 11% of the world’s bird population. Over 1080 bird species have been confirmed to live within the boundaries of Uganda. One bird species is endemic to the country and this is known as the Fox’s weaver.
Birding trips in Uganda are very rewarding as an experienced and knowledgeable bird watching guide helps you spot all the different bird species in the country. During bird watching, you go out of the usual tracks to find the different bird and search all possible spots with expertize of your guide being very essential. With our knowledgeable bird guides come ready to have great tick off from the bird list, carry your cameras, high quality binoculars, Bluetooth speaker to play back bird song recordings and you will have an amazing bird watching experience.
Some of the bird species in Uganda include the Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s Crimson-wing, Rwenzori Turaco, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grauer’s Broadbill, Red-throated Alethe, Dwarf Honeyguide, Black-faced Apalis, Rwenzori Apalis, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimson-wing, Archer’s Robin-chat, Blue-headed Sunbird, Yellow-crested Helmet Shrike, African Green Broadbill, Stuhlmann’s Sunbird and many more.
Best places for birding in Uganda
There are several spots in Uganda that are great for birding, the famous and rewarding places for birding in Uganda comprise of Uganda safari national parks and several other destinations that host an array of bird species. Best nationalparks for Uganda birding tours are Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Mount Elgon National Park, Semuliki National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park should be a great choice for any avid or seasoned birder visiting Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park has a remarkable diversity of bird species with a bird count reaching 606 bird species. This is the highest bird count for any national park in Uganda, making it a top birding safari destination in Uganda.
For birders interested in spotting the Albertine rift endemics, a safari tailored for a visit along Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park will be very much rewarding. The 25 Albertine rift endemic bird species can be spotted on a visit to these two national parks that are also home to mountain gorillas. A birding safari to these parks can also be customized with a gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, about 10 days of birding here would be recommended.
Other reserves and places for bird watching in Uganda include; Semuliki wildlife reserve, Pian-Upe wildlife reserve, Bokora wildlife reserve, Matheniko reserve. For forest bird species, best forests for Uganda birding safaris include mabira forest, Mpanga forest and Budongo forest whereas Lutembe and mabamba ramsar sites are great wetlands for birding too.
Birding destinations in Uganda should be tailored on a long trip in Uganda for amazing trip rewards. However, there are also some destinations that can be visited for short day birding trips and these include a visit to Entebbe Botanical gardens, Mabira forest, Lutembe bay offer a great birding excursion checklist with over 20 bird species in a single excursion.
Lutembe bay on the shores of Lake Victoria is a ramsar site of interest because it’s a special stopover for European migratory birds which include terns (White-winged and Caspian), spotted flycatchers and the Grey-headed gulls. They are present here from October till March as they keep away from winter. Other bird species that can be sighted here include the Termnicks stint and Hottentot teals.
When to go birding in Uganda
The best time for birding in Uganda is during the months of late May to September when rains are less. However, birding can be done all year as resident birds are present in plenty.
Migrant birds are present from November to April.
The long dry season in Uganda which is between June to August and the short dry season of December to February are generally good seasons to customize Uganda birding trips with other activities in Uganda.
Plan a birding in Uganda tour with our safari experts and have an itinerary customized to suit your travel interests.