Birdwatching in Uganda.
Uganda is one of the top birding destinations on the continent. It is the richest African Bird Watching Destination with about 1090 bird species. 50% of all Africa’s bird species are in Uganda, that’s 11% of the World’s Bird Species. Uganda is a “Hidden Eden and a wonderland for birds” as described by Sir Fredrick Jackson.
Uganda has only 1 endemic bird species, the Fox Weaver which is found in the Eastern part of Uganda.
There are also 25 Albertine Rift Endemic Bird species as below. Handsome Francolin, Shelley’s Crimson-wing, Dusty Crimson wing, Rwenzori Turaco, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grauer’s Broadbill, Red-throated Alethe, Dwarf Honeyguide, Black-faced Apalis, Rwenzori Apalis, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Stuhlmann’s Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Blue-headed Sunbird, Yellow-crested Helmet Shrike, and African Green Broadbill.
The Top 10 Birding Watching in Uganda Spots
Mabamba Bay Wetland on the edge of Lake Victoria.
A canoe ride through the Mabamba Bay Wetland offers sightings of the rare Shoebill Stork. Other bird species include Malachite Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Pied Kingfisher, Papyrus Gonolex, Black-headed Heron, African Open-billed Stork, Black Kite, African Marsh Harrier, black-headed weaver, northern brown-throated weaver, Clarke’s weaver and Carruther’s cisticola among many others.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Buhoma and Ruhija sector. Offers some of the finest montane forest bird-watching experiences in Africa. There are 350 bird species, 24 are Albertine Rift Endemics of which 14 are not recorded anywhere else in Uganda. Some of the bird species include; Grauer’s broadbill, Fraser’s eagle-owl, Chapin’s flycatcher, white-browed crombec, Neumann’s warbler, black-faced Prinia, handsome Francolin, Jameson’s antpecker, Abyssinian, Kivu ground thrush, White-bellied Robin-chat, Equatorial akalat, Grey-chested iladopsis, Red-throated alethe, White-bellied crested flycatcher, White-eyed slaty flycatcher, Black-faced rufous warbler, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Willcock’s honeyguide, Black bee-eater, Black-billed Weaver, Magpie Mannikin and Willard’s sooty boubou.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
The park is a birders’ haven and has about 600 bird species. Birding is done in the Northern part ( Kasenyi Plains) and Southern part of the park ( Ishasha Sector). The Kazinga Channel along the boat cruise is also a hot spot for birding. The bird species include; Swamp Flycatcher, African Skimmer, Malachite, Pied Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-headed Gonolek, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Sedge Warbler, White-winged Terns, Grey-capped Warbler, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars among others.
Murchison Falls National Park.
Uganda’s oldest and largest National Park is home to over 450 bird species. Birdwatching in Uganda is done on a game drive, nature walk, or boat trip. Bird species include White-crested Turaco, Double-toothed Barbet, Red-throated Bee-eater, Heuglin’s francolin, Brown babbler, Silverbird, Buff-bellied Warbler, Black-headed Batis, and Bar-breasted firefinch. The Nile Delta is also home to the rare Shoebill Stork and the savannah plains offer excellent sightings of Abyssinian ground-hornbill, Senegal lapwing, and Shelley’s rufous sparrow.
birding watching in Uganda
Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park.
Budongo Forest comprises of Kaniyo Pabidi, the Royal Mile, and the Busingiro areas. It lies at the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley and is home to about 360 bird species. These include Nahan’s francolin, Cassin’s spinetail, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, African Dwarf Kingfisher, African Pied Hornbill, Banded Snake-eagle, Black Bishop, Black-bellied Firefinch, Black-capped Apalis, Brown Twin sport, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and Crowned Eagle among others.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The park is one of the smallest in Uganda. It has about 180 bird species of which some are Albertine Rift endemics as it borders Rwanda and DR Congo. Some of the bird species include; Kivu ground thrush, Handsome Francolin, Dusky Crimsonwing, Red-throated alethe, Blue-headed coucal, Rwenzori nightjar, Rwenzori batis, Archer’s robin chat, Black-headed waxbill, western green tinkerbird and stripe-breasted tit among many others.
Semuliki National Park.
The park is in the Albertine Rift Area and hosts Guinea-Congo biome species in its lowland forest. There is a record of 441 species in its riverine, forest, and grassland habitats. The bird species include the Congo serpent-eagle, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Blue-billed Malimbe, Yellow-throated Nicator, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Nkulengu Rail, Piping Hornbill, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Dwarf Honeyguide, Great Blue Turaco, Purple-breasted Sunbird among others.
Kibale National Park and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.
Kibale Forest has over 375 bird species, including 6 endemics to the Albertine Rift. The bird species include; Green-breasted Pitta, Brown-chested alethe, Blue-headed Sunbird, Black-capped Apalis, Collared Apalis, Dusky crimsoning, Purple Breasted Sunbird, and Red-faced woodland warbler. The Bigodi wetland has 138 bird species recorded such as the speckled tinkerbird, speckle-breasted woodpecker, and white-spotted flufftail among others.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park
The park has 220 bird species, including 19 Albertine Rift endemics. Birding within the forest zone has sightings of the Rwenzori Turaco, Blue-headed Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, White-starred Robin, Long-eared Owl, Archers’ Robin-chat, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Slender-billed Starling among others.
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo is home to 320 bird species and birding can be done near the lake swamps at Warukiri and Rwonyo. Other habitats include dry hillsides, rocky outcrops, and the savannah. Bird species along the woodlands include Red-faced Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola, Bee-eaters, Cheeky Bronze-tailed Starling, Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, African Fish Eagle, Red-necked Spurfowl, Tabora cisticola, green-capped eremomela, Golden-tailed woodpecker and spot-flanked barbet among others. The swamp harbors the African finfoot, Papyrus gonolek, White-winged Warbler, African water rail, and White-backed night heron among others. The night game drives offer sightings of the Verreaux’s eagle owl, African scops owl, Marsh Owl, and Pennant-winged nightjars.
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