Top Ugandan locations for birdwatching
Uganda birding tours are among the best places to go birdwatching in Uganda. One of the most popular safari activities in Uganda is bird watching. With more than half of Africa’s bird species, Uganda is often regarded as a birding paradise and a sanctuary. With more than 1,000 bird species known to exist there, Uganda is renowned for its abundant and varied birdlife. The fox’s weaver, African finfoot, African fish eagle, Rwenzori turaco, arrow-marked babbler, hamerkop, shoebills, green-breasted pittas, and many other unusual and fascinating bird species are among them. Here are a few of Uganda’s best places to go bird watching:
Kibale National Park
One of the most rewarding protected regions to explore is Kibale National Park, which is home to Uganda’s most stunning tropical woods. Over 13 unique primates, including intriguing chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-chipped mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, bush babies, and pottos, may be found in the park, which spans approximately 795 kilometers. The national park is perfect for Ugandan birding tours because it is home to more than 370 different species of birds. You will have the chance to see almost every species of bird during your Ugandan birding tour here, including the African Emerald Cuckoo, 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, papyrus gonolek, white collared olive, Little greenbul, Black-eared ground thrush, Brown-chested alethe, Yellow-rumped tinker bird, and Blue-breasted kingfisher, Chubb’s Cisticola, among others.
National Park at Murchison Falls
One of the most fascinating things to do in Murchison Falls National Park is birdwatching, which gives visitors the chance to witness various bird species that pique their curiosity. Famously, a wide variety of species, including buffaloes, lions, and elephants, may be seen in Murchison Falls National Park. Numerous tourists have been drawn to the country by the presence of rhinos and leopards. The national park is perfect for your Uganda birding trips because it is home to a variety of bird species, with over 450 species documented. You will have the opportunity to see these magnificent bird species while on a Ugandan birding safari in Murchison Falls, including the woodland king fisher, francolins, hornbills, grey heron, hamerkop, doves, mousebirds, shrikes, flycatchers, cuckoos, coucals, woodpeckers, crombecs, and warblers, as well as the marabou storks, ground horn bills, secretary birds, black-bellied bustards, and open-billed storks.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Situated in the western region of Uganda’s Rubirizi district, Queen Elizabeth National Park spans 1,978 square kilometers, making it the country’s second largest protected area after Murchison Falls National Park. Its elevation ranges from 900 meters on the nearby Lake Edward to 1,845 meters in the easternmost point of the western rift valley. Although Queen Elizabeth is known for its wide variety of wildlife and is also home to tree-climbing lions, the national park is one of Uganda’s best places to go birdwatching. With more than 600 bird species identified, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most impressive places for visitors on a Uganda birding tour. Osprey, balk-winged kite, European honey buzzard, African cuckoo hawk, African harrier hawk, palm-nut vulture, Egyptian vulture, bateluer, black-chested snake eagle, white-headed vulture, lizard buzzard, African fish eagle, and Eurasian buzzard are some of the bird species that can be found here. African spoonbill, Senegal, thick knee, three-banded lapwing, common greenshank, common redshank, spotted thick knee, black-winged pratincole, black-tailed Godwit, hadada ibis, long-crested eagle, crowned eagle, martial eagle, white-fronted plover, long-toed lapwing, spur-winged lapwing, black-headed lapwing, Eurasian thick-knee, thick knee, and so on
National Park Semuliki
Semliki National Park is located in the Bundibugyo District in Uganda’s far west. It is located in the western arm of the East African Rift Valley, at the boundary between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Rwenzori Mountains are to the southeast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is to the west, and the Semliki Flats and Lake Albert are to the north. With more than 400 bird species, the national park is the ideal location for your Ugandan birding excursions. The Eurasian Oystercatcher, Long-tailed Hawk, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Grant’s Bluebill, Afep Pigeon, Blue-headed Coucal, Bates’s Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, Cassin’ Spinetail, Sabine’s Spinetail, White-bellied Kingfisher, Shining-Blue Kingfisher, Gabon Woodpecker, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-billed Barbet, White-headed Barbet, Common Stonechat, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, and others are among the birds that are easily spotted in Semliki forests.
Mabamba Bay Wetland
Only a short drive from Kampala, the capital of Uganda, is Mabamba Bay Wetland, a wetland area on the northern borders of Lake Victoria, the country’s largest lake. The total size of the marsh is roughly 16,500 hectares. This marsh is well known for its superb prospects for birdwatching. For serious nature lovers and birdwatchers, Mabamba Bay Wetland is a veritable paradise. The wetland is a great place to go birdwatching because of its serene and beautiful surroundings. Your birding experiences will take place in a wonderful setting thanks to the serene streams, abundant vegetation, and expansive lake views. Open water channels, floating plants, and a maze of papyrus reeds define the distinctive habitat of Mabamba Bay Wetland. Numerous bird species, including the long-tailed cormorant, long-toed lapwing, malachite kingfisher, marsh harrier, northern brown-throated weather, orange weaver, papyrus gonolek, pied kingfisher, pied wagtail, pink-backed pelican, pin-tailed whyda, purple heron, red-eyed dove, red-headed lovebird, shining blue kingfisher, speckled mousebird, spur-winged goose, and spur-winged are among the many bird species that find refuge and food in this varied habitat.
The Mabira Forest Reserve
For birding safaris, Uganda’s Makira Forest Reserve is a remarkable location. The woodland is situated in the Buke district and is conveniently accessible by the Kampala-Jinja route. It is conveniently accessible for both domestic and foreign birdwatchers, being only 54 kilometers from Kampala, the capital. The forest has a range of habitats, such as meadows, marshes, secondary forests, and primary rainforests. Because each habitat is home to a distinct kind of bird, birdwatchers can explore several settings and see a vast variety of birds. Numerous bird species can be found in Makira Forest Reserve. Birdwatchers have a great chance to become fully immersed in the fascinating world of bird wonders in the forest. You will always remember your time spent birdwatching in Makira Forest Reserve. There are more than 300 bird species in the woodland. The magnificent African Grey Parrot, Great Blue Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, bare-faced go-away bird, eastern plantain-eater, blue malkoha, Klaas’s, African emerald cuckoo, dideric cuckoo, dusky long-tailed cuckoo, black-bellied bustard, rock pigeon, speckled pigeon, lemon dove, mourning collared dove, red-eyed dove, ring-necked dove, laughing dove, and tambourine dove are just a few of the birds you can expect to see during your birding tour in Mabira Forest Reserve.
In addition to the aforementioned, most tourists find birding tours to be thrilling at other locations, including Budongo Forest Reserve, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Entebbe Botanical Garden, Kidepo National Park, Matheniko Wildlife Reserve, Mount Elgon National Park, and Mount Rwenzori Motional Park.
