Come Bird Watch in Uganda
Uganda is a birder’s paradise. Over half of all bird species in Africa can be found in Uganda making it the richest African birding destination. Even within the surroundings of the capital city Kampala, you can record nearly 300 species in a day, and all this is thanks to the richly diverse of habitats from the scenic shores of Lake Victoria to the lush forests of the Albertine Rift and the banks of the mighty Nile River. Though Uganda has only one Endemic bird (Fox’s Weaver), 23 Albertine Endemics occur here and are difficult or even impossible to find somewhere else.
These are Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Nightjar, Dawrf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Collared Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Strip-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing, and Shelley’s Crimsonwing.
Uganda is a birder’s paradise. The record for the number of species recorded in a three-week period is 665! Don’t miss the rare, prehistoric–looking Shoebill. Uganda also offers the friendliness of the Ugandan people, incredible safaris, mountain gorillas and cultural tourism attractions found nowhere else in Africa!
This website is designed to help avid birders and all visitors plan their visit to our lovely country and explore all of the natural treasures that Uganda offers. Our Birding in Uganda section highlights hotspots around the country, the Build an Itinerary section connects you to tour operators specializing in birding itineraries, and the Birding Resources section provides everything you will need to get that life lister you’ve been looking for!
Birding in Uganda
This section of the website will help you become familiar with birding sites and species in Uganda. It features:
Go Birding in Uganda’s tourism hotspots including the best national parks, game reserves, wetlands, forests and other protected areas. Here are the some of the most popular Uganda national parks and protected areas that attract most birders;
Murchison Falls National Park
Royal Mile & Budongo Forest
Semuliki National Park
Kibale National Park & Bigodi Wetland
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Echuya Forest
Nile River Around Jinja
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
A list of some Ugandan birding locations
In Uganda, there are a lot of important birding locations. There are many significant birding destinations in Uganda. Some of the places include natural forests, national parks, and swamps, among others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Any birdwatcher traveling to Uganda wouldn’t want to skip Queen Elizabeth National Park. Uganda’s and East Africa’s top tourist destination, Queen Elizabeth Park, has the largest documented number of bird species. There are 600 bird species reported in the park that are unique to the Rift Valley and cannot be found in any other park.
Numerous birds have been drawn to Queen Elizabeth National Park because of how well it blends with different types of vegetation and diverse landscapes. On flat, mild slopes and gorges, Queen Elizabeth Park is adorned with savannah, thickets, forests, and tropical plants. The park encompasses the forests of central Africa and is located in the rift valley at the base of Mt. Rwenzori National Park.
At Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Mweya peninsula, Lake Katwe, Kazinga Channel, and Kyambura Gorge are the principal locations to observe birds. Kasenyi, which is primarily used for game viewing, is another important location. The Uganda Wildlife Authority organizes birding excursions with informed and skilled park guides. The experience of bird counting is carried out with the assistance of knowledgeable guides and adheres to a particular kind of bird.
Semuliki National Park
Uganda’s Semuliki National Park is a sanctuary for birds. About 440 different bird species can be found here, including about 23 native to the Albertine Rift Valley, 35 from the woodlands of Central Africa, and several migratory species. The park is one of Uganda’s most well-known and distinctive birding locations, and it is quite rewarding.
Savannah, thickets, and central African woods dominate Semuliki, providing a habitat for a variety of wild creatures and birds. One of Africa’s best forest bird species can be found there. The Sempaya Trail, which leads to the hot springs, and the Ntandi Trail are two of the several bird-watching trails that offer prime locations for seeing birds.
Mabamba Swamp
The Mabamba Swamp, which is located on Lake Victoria’s beaches, is one of Uganda’s top places to go bird watching. The Mabamba Swamp is well regarded for being the best-known location to view shoebill storks. As a result, Mabamba is the most popular place for birding. Birders in this area travel by canoe, which gets them closer to the area where they can see the enormous bird.
Bigodi wetland sanctuary
In western Uganda, a small marsh called Bigodi Marsh Sanctuary extends from Kibale National Park. The wetland was specifically gazetted to safeguard bird species and tiny primate species. Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary contains over 200 species of birds and roughly 13 different monkeys. In the marsh, the great blue turaco, Papyrus gonolek, Ibris, blue-headed coucal, and black-faced rufus warbler are the most interesting species to watch out for.
Entebbe Botanical Garden
The Entebbe Botanical Gardens are situated in Entebbe, near Lake Victoria. The Botanical Garden is the only national botanical garden in the nation to house numerous species. Some of the species that have been recorded are aquatic species, open country species, woodland species, and forest species.
Uganda Birds
Feature Birds showcases the top 5 species to look out for:
1. Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
2. African Green Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena)
3. Green-breasted Pitta (Pitta reichenowi)
4. African Finfoot (Podica senegalensis)
5. Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata)
Then review the Seasonality and Migration section to decide the time of year you prefer to travel to Uganda.
And don’t forget to read through our Partner Organizations pages to find other sites that offer additional resources
Going on a Birding Safari in Uganda
Uganda, being a nature tourist destination, has a lot of adventures to be proud of, and among them are birding adventures. A bird safari leads you to watch over 1090 bird species that are recorded in Uganda. The best information to help when organizing a birding safari in Uganda sits in the meeting realms where the Central African tropics meet the East African Savannah. This creates a wide habitat for various bird species in both the tropics and the savannah.
Uganda is one of Africa’s leading birding destinations. As of 2021, Uganda has recorded a total of 1090 bird species, of which some are endemic, others introduced, others accidental, and the rest hypothetical. About 24 of the species are endemic to the country, and some other species are only endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley line (Uganda, Rwanda, and the DR Congo).
In most cases, several visitors have combined their game-viewing safaris with bird-watching. On adventure safaris, the shoebill stork, ostrich, Stuhlmann’s double-collared sunbird, and Fox’s weavers have drawn much attention from several bird enthusiasts. While on a bird’s agenda in the beautiful Pearl of Africa, you don’t need to travel long distances. No, in all areas and everywhere in Uganda, you can sight at least 10 bird species.
Offering a birding trip means going through the highly elevated mountains, gently sloping tropical rain forests, valleys, swamps, water bodies, savannahs, thickets, and many other forms. If you are in any of the mentioned areas, then you have the opportunity to see a variety of incredible bird species.
The highest density of bird species here is attributed to two forms of life, which are diverse in habitation and located within the Equator, becoming tropical and savannah.