Uganda is blessed to be the best birding destination in Africa with the Bwindi Impenetrable forest being the top ranked birding destination in Africa.
Uganda is among the finest birder’s paradise on the entire African continent. The country has more than half of the total bird species in the whole of Africa so this has made it the wealthiest birding destination in Africa. Just on the outskirts of Kampala the capital of Uganda, you can see close to 250 bird species in a single day. This is all credited to the wide variety of habitats available ranging from the spectacular shores of the large Lake Victoria to the verdant forests found in the Albertine Rift as well as the banks of the great River Nile. Despite the fact that Uganda has a single Endemic bird – the Fox’s Weaver, there are twenty three Albertine Endemics here and these are very challenging or even hardly seen in any other places.
Among these endemic species are the Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Handsome Francolin, Dusky Crimsonwing, Rwenzori Turaco, Strange Weaver, Rwenzori Nightjar, Regal Sunbird, Dawrf Honeyguide, Blue headed Sunbird, African Green Broadbill, Red – faced Woodland Warbler, Purple breasted Sunbird, Red throated Alethe, Strip breasted Tit, Archer’s Robin Chat, Yellow eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Kivu Ground Thrush, Collared Apalis, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Short tailed Warbler and Grauer’s Warbler.
The top 10 most sought after Bird species in Uganda include:
Shoebill, Purvell’s Illadopsis, African Green Broadbill, Red-fronted Antpecker, Green-breasted Pitta, Ruwenzori Turaco, Nahan’s Francolin, Black Bee-eater, Brown-chested Plover and Karamoja Apalis.
Commonest birding habitats found in Uganda
Uganda the ‘Pearl of Africa’ being an equatorial country prides in rich fauna cover which has provided home to both the local and migrant bird species among which are:
Forests
Uganda has over 700 demarcated forest reserves and a prominent area is the Abertine Rift region which supports over 35 species endemic to Uganda, DRC, Rwanda and Burundi. Other prominent forested areas are the Bwindi forest and the Mgahinga forest.
Wetlands
There is an approximated 30,000 sq km of wetlands dispersed through the country. These wetlands support more than 200 bird species among which are most sought after Shoebill as well as the African Skimmer, and the endemic Fox Weaver, the Papyrus Canary, Papyrus Yellow warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, and the White-winged Warbler and.
Savannahs
The savannahs range from the isolated, semi-dessert, arid thorn-scrub area of Karamoja in northeastern Uganda, to the fertile savannahs within the western arm of the rift valley. Over 600 bird species many of which are in Queen Elizabeth National Park haven been recorded in Uganda’s Savannah areas.
Bird Watching Gear while in Uganda
- A pair of good binoculars
- A birding book (optional)
- A rain gear is mandatory (including a water proof jacket and hat) since the rains especially within the forested regions are unpredictable.
- Strong hiking boots preferably if they are somewhat water proof
- Sun screen lotion
- Sun glasses to shelter you against the bright sun
- Bottled water although this is normally provided by your tour company.
Uganda’s Top 5 Bird Species
1. Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex):
This prehistoric looking bird is very scarce but is sought out by many birders. It is a combination of both a pelican and a stork. It prefers to inhabit undisturbed swamps that are mostly associated with lungfish, its main meal, which it supplements with frogs. Although the female is smaller, bothBoth male and female look the same although the female is meant to be smaller. It can be seen in Mabamba swamps, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the shores of Lake Victoria and other swamps.
2. African Green Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena):
This is a beautiful leaf-green bird (Broadbill) with a pale blue throat, upper breast and vent. Its crown is buff-green with dark streaks. The young ones are duller with green vent. This species is endemic to montane forest in the Albertine Rift and very uncommon in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where it has only been recorded. At first, groups of 2-4 used to be seen in the upper levels of the forest undergrowth and in the lower canopy but now groups of up 14 birds have been recorded of recent. This species may join other mixed-species flocks, moving along branches as they feed. Its call is a high pitched hissing rhythmical series that sound like sii-sii-sii-siiiiiii, the last note falling slightly then raising, given while perched, flying or feeding in a group as a contact call.
3. Green-breasted Pitta (Pitta reichenowi):
This Pitta features shining colours, a whitish throat, green breast, red vent and sky-blue wing patches. It is a forest species that prefer staying in the interior and has been recorded in a good number of forests in western Uganda. It is known to call only at down and dusk and so not easily seen if you don’t know this, thus people think its uncommon.
4. African Finfoot (Podica senegalensis):
This is a blackish brown bird with white spots on the back, red bill and legs and a white line along the neck. Although it is a waterbird, it does not dive and so always feeding under over-hanging vegetation near the banks.
5. Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata):
This is a big and spectacular bird with ‘lipstick’. It is the only Turaco that does not show red in the wings as it flies. It has a yellow breast, chestnut vent, black tail band, yellow outer tail feathers and the rest of the body is blue. This is a common species in forests, and even urban areas that are well kept with good trees. One of their calls sound like water pouring from a gourd and when they start, they can go on for a very long period.