Not as big a draw as the endangered Mountain Gorillas (the crown in Uganda’s safari offering), birding/ bird-watching safaris to Uganda are very under-rated – a contradiction of sorts given that the country is a bird watcher’s heaven.
Uganda harbors half of Africa’s bird species given its ecological/ geographical diversity. With about 1,100 confirmed Uganda bird species, for those that do not know, the country is one of the prime destinations for birding / bird-watching in Africa and the world.
The huge number of beautiful species that a bird watcher will see on safari in Uganda can be found across savannah grassland, forest, swamp/marsh and water. This is not to mention the migratory bird species from within Africa as well as from Europe and Asia.
Are you a bird enthusiast looking to see and photograph some of the beautiful birds found in Uganda?
Bird watching in Uganda offers three endemic birding areas that lie partly within Uganda including; the Albertine Rift Mountains, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo low-lands and the Kenyan Mountains in north eastern Uganda.
The secondary endemic birding areas are the dry woodlands west of Lake Victoria, north Uganda swamps as well as woodlands and savannah in the northeast of the country.
For a Uganda birding safari, Uganda is home to a total of 30 Important Birding Areas but a typical birding safari lasting two weeks or slightly more if you take it slow will cover the Mabamba Bay Swamp, Budongo Forest at Kaniyo Pabidi and the Royal Mile, Murchison Falls National Park, Semuliki National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.
A birding safari that covers all the places mentioned above only covers a fraction of what Uganda has got to offer as a destination for birding enthusiasts. You would simply have scratched the surface and only a return trip would do you justice as a birder.
Birds of Uganda
The Shoebill Stork is Uganda’s major draw among bird enthusiasts. The pre-historic bird can be seen in a number of locations including the Ramsar protected Mabamba marshes near Entebbe. Elsewhere, birders stand a chance to see this rare bird when they venture out on a boat trip to the Nile Delta in Murchison Falls National Park.
Beside the Shoebill, Uganda is also home to a good number of the Albertine Rift endemic species that visitors can watch out for on their birding safari and here is a list;
- Fox’s Weaver
- Ruwenzori Nightjar
- Rwenzori Turaco
- Blue-headed Sunbird
- Short-tailed Warbler
- Red-throated Alethe
- African Green Broadbill
- Handsome Francolin
- Red-faced Woodland Warbler
- Collared Apalis
- Mountain Masked Apalis
- Archers’ Robin-chat
- Dwarf Honeyguide
- Grauer’s Warbler
- Dusky Crimson-wing
- Rwenzori Batis
- Purple-breasted Sunbird
- Regal Sunbird
- Shelly’s Crimson-wing
- Stripe-breasted Tit
- Grauer’s Rush Warbler
- Kivu Ground Thrush
- Strange Weaver
- Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher
- Chapin’s Flycatcher
Where can I watch birds in Uganda?
Mabamba Bay Wetland
The word ‘Mabamba’ is a Luganda word translated as “a place of Lung Fish” in the local dialect. Declared a Ramsar Site in 2007, Mabamba Bay is a birding hotspot that stretches into Lake Victoria. Located an hour’s drive from Entebbe/ Kampala, it is one of the best places to see the rare Shoebill Stork! Among the 300 bird species recorded in Mabamba bay, visitors will also likely see the Blue Swallow, White-winged Tern, Gull-billed Tern in the migratory category. Papyrus endemics include Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Yellow Warbler among others. The marshy swamp is also a haven to spur-winged geese, yellow-billed ducks, and malachite kingfishers, African Jacana, Purple Heron and Squacco Heron, Weyn’s Weaver, Lesser Moorhen among others. On a visit, you employ a motorized canoe and navigate the narrow waterways and lagoons in the marshes in search for the prolific birdlife that this swamp has become very famous for.
Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary – is home to the rare Shoebill. An early morning boat trip in the sanctuary’s marshes can yield a sighting. The sanctuary is also prolific for birding (if you are not successful with the shoebill at Mabamba, the sanctuary’s marshes are a good second option). Be on the look-out for a lot of African species including; Abdim’s Stork, African Black Crake, African Black-headed Oriole, African Crowned Eagle, African Darter, African Fish Eagle, African Green Pigeon, African Hawk Eagle, African Marsh Harrier and a lot more.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls is home to over 451 bird species including some Albertine Rift endemics, marine birds, savannah woodland as well as forest birds. The shoebill stork can be seen at Murchison Falls National Park when you go on a boat trip to the Nile delta. Other species you should expect include; the Secretary Bird, the Giant pied Malachite, the African Pygmy Kingfishers, House Martin, African Rock Martin, Lesser Stripped Swallow, Ethiopian Swallow, Angola Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Rufous-chested Swallow and a lot more.
Kidepo Valley National Park
The Apoka Rest Camp at the Uganda Wildlife Authority HQ is a great place to begin your Kidepo birding experience. However, if you made the drive to Kidepo from Murchison Falls National Park with time to spare, I can guarantee you will have made birding stops en-route to Kidepo simply because your safari route to Kidepo is prolific for birds. Inside the park, birding can also be done on the fringes of the Narus and Namamukweny valleys. Among the birds you will see include the Abyssinian Roller, Purple Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and Clapperton’s Francolin, which is found only in Kidepo. Birders can go out in the morning of afternoon although it’s advisable to go out with parked lunch to avoid driving back to the lodge.
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park is a prime birding spot with about 375 bird species, including six Albertine Rift endemics. It is an excellent birding spot with habitats ranging from wet and dry tropical forests to woodland and savannah. Kibale is prolific for forest robins, scores of brown and scaly-breasted Illadopses, brown-chested alethe, green-breasted pitta, phantom-like black-eared and Abyssinian ground-thrushes, crowned eagle, red-chested owlet, African grey parrot, African fin-foot, hulking great blue turaco and a lot more.
Semuliki National Park
For avid birdwatchers, Semuliki National Park is a paradise waiting to be explored. Home to over 440 recorded bird species, including rare and endemic varieties, the park offers unparalleled opportunities for avian enthusiasts. This diverse habitat provides an exceptionally exciting destination for birdwatchers with the opportunity to see West African bird species given the park’s boundary between equatorial forest and savannah. The 440 bird species in Semuliki include over 300 forest birds and 80 Central African species found in very few forests in Africa. Whether amidst the dense forest canopy, around the Sempaya hot springs, or along the riverbanks, every corner of Semuliki teems with avian life waiting to be discovered. Keep your binoculars at the ready as you seek out elusive species such as the African Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-collared Lovebird, and Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, among many others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
The bird species in Queen Elizabeth National Park range from forest and woodland dwellers to the 54-raptor species, marine birds as well as the migratory types. Given the park’s diverse habitats, birding spots in Queen Elizabeth National Park include the Mweya peninsula, Lake Kikorongo, Maramagambo Forest, Kasenyi plains and the Ishasha sector. Look out for savannah and woodland species including the Grassland and Plain-backed Pipits, African Cuckoo Hawk, Flapped and Rufous Napped Lark, Black Cuckoo, Yellow-throated Longclaw, White-winged Tit, Ovambo Sparrow Hawk, Black Coucal, Blue-napped Mousebird, White-headed Barbet, Southern Red Bishop, Western Banded and Black-chested Snake Eagle, Martial Eagle, Bateleur and many more birds.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a birder’s heaven – home to many endemic and rare bird species. This forested heaven boasts about 350 species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics of which 14 are not recorded anywhere else in Uganda. The forest trails around Buhoma in the north are alive with opportunity as birders stand the best chance to catch a glimpse of olive long-tailed cuckoo, bar-tailed trogon, dusky tit, Abyssinian (Kivu) ground-thrush, white-bellied robin-chat, Equatorial Akalat, Grey-chested Illadopsis, Red-throated Alethe and a lot more birds. After birding Buhoma, you can continue onto Ruhija and head to Mubwindi Swamp for very serious birders. The walk down to the swamp is not for the faint-hearted but its where the most coveted of Bwindi’s Albertine Rift endemics can be found. The rare Grauer’s broadbill, one of Africa’s most sought-after birds can only be found here and a very remote forest in eastern DR Congo. Other species to look out for in Ruhija include Western tinkerbird, White-headed wood-hoopoe, Barred long-tailed cuckoo, Black-billed turaco, Red-chested flufftail, localized Grauer’s swamp warbler and Carruthers’ Cisticola.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers visitors an opportunity to see a good number of the Albertine rift endemics especially if you take the gorge trail. 180 bird species have been recorded here. Some of the birds you will see include; the Dusky Turtle Dove, Cape Robin-chat, Brown-crowned Tchagra Rwenzori Batis, Shelly’s Dusky Crimsonwing, Olive Pigeon, Western Green Tinker bird, Malachite Sunbird, Bronze Sunbird, Black-headed Waxbill and Streaky Seedeater. Others are Handsome Francolin, Kivu Ground Thrush, Cinnamon Bracken Warlber, White Starred Robin, Cape Robin, Malachite and Scarlet-tufted Sunbirds, Striped-breasted Tit and a lot more.
Echuya Forest Reserve
This forest reserve has over 150 bird species and 18 of these are endemic. Notable species include; Strip-breasted Tit, Collared Apalis, Dwarf Honeyguide, Archer’s Robin-chat, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike among others.
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park has a variety of birds that are easy to spot. Visitors will spot forest birds, savannah birds and water birds. The birds to look out for in Lake Mburo National Park include; Red-winged Francolin, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Barefaced Go-away Bird, Blue Quails, White-headed and Black-billed Barbet, Greenwood Hoopoe, Blue-breasted and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Black-winged Bishop, African Fish Eagle, Herons, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Rufous-chested Swallow, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Wing-snapping Cisticolas and more. Rubaga Forest, Miriti and Warukiri as well as the platform above the salt lick have been pointed out as the best birding spots at Lake Mburo National Park.
Budongo Forest Reserve – the Royal Mile
The Royal Mile in Budongo Forest Reserve lies at the edge of the Albertine Rift and is attached to Murchison Falls National Park in the south. Named for its popularity as a traditional leisure stopover for Uganda’s royals, the royal mile is a superb birding spot with many west and central African species.
It is home to over 250 bird species with the major ones including; African Crowned Eagles, Nahan’s Francolin, White-spotted Flufftail, Sabine’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Spotted Greenbul, Blue-throated Roller, Fire-Crested Alethe, Rufous-Crowned Elemomela and White-thighed Hornbill to mention but a few.
Rwenzori Mountain National Park
Unleash your inner ornithologist and embark on a birdwatching adventure amidst the park’s lush forests and mountainous terrain. Recognized as a key Birding Area by UNESCO, Rwenzori Mountains National Park is home to a diverse array of avian species, from the elusive African Long-eared Owl to the vibrant Golden-winged Sunbird. Guided by expert birdwatchers, enthusiasts have the opportunity to spot rare and endemic birds while traversing the park’s scenic trails. With binoculars in hand and a keen eye for detail, immerse yourself in the symphony of birdcalls that echo through the mountain valleys.
Mountain Elgon National Park
Renowned as an Important Bird Area (IBA), Mount Elgon National Park boasts an impressive array of avian species, making it a paradise for birdwatchers. With over 300 species of birds, including rare gems like the endangered Lammergeier, African blue fly-catcher, African goshawk, and cinnamon-chested bee-eater, bird enthusiasts are in for a treat as they explore the park’s diverse habitats and seek out its feathered inhabitants.
Best time for a bird-watching safari to Uganda?
Bird-watching in Uganda can be done all-year round. However, the best time for a birding safari in Uganda is during the dry season covering the months of January to March and then again between June to August when the ground is dry and the downpour does not interrupt your day. June is the breeding season – a time when birds in Uganda are very colourful.
A birdwatching safari to Uganda will take you to most of the country’s major national parks and nature reserves as your itinerary will show. This means that you will see other wildlife including the iconic Big5, you can go on a chimpanzee trek, a mountain gorilla trek and a lot more. All of these activities can be included in your birding safari itinerary without them interrupting the core of your trip – birdwatching. They embellish your Uganda birding trip in a rather unique way.
Ready to book a Uganda birdwatching safari adventure? Send an enquiry via our Contact Us page or email info@uzurisafaris.com
