Birding safaris in Uganda

Birding safaris in Uganda  : Uganda’s all year favourable environment, bountiful water sources and diverse vegetation cover make it one of the most outstanding birding destinations in Africa. Immense types of birds fly in from around the world consistently.

Uganda is harbours over 1050 bird species making it a favoured destination for bird watching in Africa. The number of species make up 10% of all of the worlds bird species. It is also home to 24 of the Albertine rift endemics. Birding is done in both safeguarded regions and in private regions, with habitats for birds being wetlands and papyrus swamps, Savannah, rural terrains, forests, rough edges and Afro-pine moorland.

Uganda has 34 important birding Areas (IBA) which have been gazetted for bird watching and birding tours. Despite the fact that Uganda boosts these birding areas. Here are the Top 10 Birding Spots in Uganda

Bwindi National Park

Bwindi national park is known to be the home to the endangered mountain gorillas thus favouring Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris. Bwindi forest has turned into a bird sanctuary for birders in light of the fact that Bwindi Forest has one of the most outstanding montane forests where we track down various bird species. Bwindi forest has around 350 different bird species where by 14 of those birds can see exclusively here in Uganda. The main spots for bird watching in Bwindi Forest include; the Buhoma waterfalls in Buhoma sector, the Mubwindi swamp trail and the Bamboo zone.

Bird species include African green broadbill, blue-headed sunbird, Shelley’s crimson wing, the short-tailed warbler, Red-headed Bluebill, White-tailed Blue Flycatchers, African Blue, African Emerald Cuckoo, Kivu ground-thrush, black bee-eater and Common Bulbul.

Mabamba Wetland

Mabamba Swamp wetland is located on the edges of Lake Victoria. Mabamba wetland is one of the few places where one can sight the prehistoric shoe bill stork. Mabamba’s vicinity to Lake Victoria gives the ideal conditions to birds especially those that like to live near water.

Riding a Canoe to Mabamba swamp will let you explore a variety of bird species such as Black-billed Turaco, Blue-breasted kingfisher, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Fire-crested Althea, Grey Parrot, Hair-breasted Barbet, Lemon Dove, Olive Green bull, Snowy-headed Robin-chat, Sooty Boubou, Wayne’s Weaver, White-spotted Fluff tail among others

Murchison falls national park

Murchison falls national park is notable for amazing birding spots and it is on the right track to call Murchison falls national park, birders paradise. Around 450 bird species have been listed in Murchison Falls national Park and these can best be seen during game drives through the park or during boat rides to the lower part of Murchison Falls.

Bird species in include; Goliath Heron, Marsh Flycatcher, Abyssinian Ground Horn Bill, Red-throated Honey bee Eater, Northern Red Diocesan, African Quail Finch, Monster Kingfishers among numerous others. Bird watching in Murchison Falls national Park is an extraordinary activity of Uganda wildlife Safaris

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo is Uganda’s smallest savannah national park. Lake Mburo National Park boosts with over 350 bird species which include Migratory and residential birds.

These include red papyrus gonalek, black papyrus gonalek, yellow papyrus gonalek, Abyssinian ground hornbill, African fishing eagle, saddle billed stork, white winged warbler, papyrus yellow warbler, brown chested wattled plover, African fin foot, Grey crowned crane, black-billied bustard, bare faced go away bird, rufous-billied heron,cocui francolin, emerald spotted wood, red-faced barbet among many other species.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Birding is one of the fascinating and stunning activities to do in Queen Elizabeth national park. Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth park can be done in spots such as Kazinga Channel, Mweya peninsular, Maramagambo forest, Kasenyi plains, Ishasha sector, Lake Kikorongo , Katunguru Bridge and Katwe salt lake .

Some of the bird species include pin tailed whydah, slender billed weaver, grey headed kingfisher, pygmy kingfisher, swamp nightjar, African mourning dove, Nubian woodpecker, scarlet chested sunbird, pin tailed whydah, lesser masked weaver, grey headed kingfisher, African green pigeon, black headed batis, ross’s turaco, red tailed bristle, African emerald cuckoo and many more

Kibale National Park

Apart from Chimpanzee trekking in kibale Forest , the park is also one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. Kibale national Park is home to over 350 types of birds six of which are endemic to the region. Four bird species recorded in Kibale National Park have not been seen in any where and these include the blue-headed bee-eater, Nahan’s francolin, the masked appalis and the Cassin’s spinetail.

These include Black-capped waxbill, Africa Shrike-flycatcher, African Black-headed Oriole, 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,

Semuliki National Park

There are about 441 bird species in Semuliki’s riverine forest and this includes 23 Albertine rift endemics, forest birds, migratory birds, Guinea-Congo biome birds, water birds among others. Birding in Semuliki Park can be done while following the trails of Sempaya hot springs.

These may include Toro Olive Greenbul, Cassin’s Spine tail, Swamp Nightjar, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Grants Bluebill, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, White-tailed Robin-chat, Fire-crested Alethe, Abyssinian Ground-thrush, Common Stonechat, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Yellow-throated Nicator, Blue-headed Coucal, Shining-blue Kingfisher, Long-tailed Hawk, Black Saw-wing, Black-billed Barbet, Grey Ground-thrush, Double-toothed Barbet, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Great Blue Turaco and many more.

Mount Rwenzori National Park

Mount Rwenzori national park has recorded around 217 bird species. It is additionally home to 17 of the 24 Albertine Rift endemics and 58 of the 88 afro Tropical highland birds. These bird species include Ruwenzori Turaco, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Ruwenzori Puff back, Flycatcher- Batis, Black duck, Verreaux’s eagle, Lanner Falcon, Rufous sparrow hawk, African Lammergeyer, Mountain Buzzar and many more.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is well known to be the home to the gentle ginats – the mountain gorillas and Golden Monkeys which boost Uganda primate tours. Leaving that aside the park is also a home to over 180 bird species.

Here are the Top 10 birds to spot in Mgahinga Park Cinnamon chested bee eater, Strange weaver, Buff-spotted fluff tail, Lagden’s bushshrike , White starred robin , Scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird , Cinnamon Bracken warbler , Brown crowned tchagra , Scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird , Cape Robin chat  and  Dusky turtle dove.

Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi is situated in southwestern Uganda between Kabale and Kisoro. The word Bunyonyi is interpreted as little birds signifying ‘a position of little birds.’ It surely is a supernatural spot for bird watching.

Lake Bunyonyi has recorded about 200 bird species which include the the Grey crowned crane, the White tailed blue monard, the herons, the African Harrier Hawk, The egrets, Slender-billed baglafetch, Levillant cuckoo, Levillant cuckoo, and the cardinal woodpecker etc