Uganda Birding Safaris
Uganda is undoubtedly the leading African birding safari destination with 50% of the continent’s bird species concentration and 11% of birds in the world.
Uganda is endowed with 1085 species of birds including one endemic bird species called the Fox Weaver.
Our Uganda birding safaris present to you a great opportunity to explore a range of Uganda’s re-known habitats for a range of bird species.
These include Lakes and Rivers, Marshes and Swamps, dense forests, Open Savannah, Mountains, and deep valleys in search of beautiful birds in their respective range of categories.
Uganda Birding Safari Packages
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BIRDING IN UGANDA ∣ SEE WHAT BIRD WATCHING IN UGANDA HAS TO OFFER YOU DURING YOUR UGANDA BIRDING SAFARI TOUR-TRIP
Introduction To Birding In Uganda
Birding in Uganda takes you to a country that boasts 11% of all bird species on the planet. Almost the size of the US state of Oregon, Uganda is a beautiful equatorial country with a diverse range of habitats and an incredible bird list of over 1085 species.
Lush rainforests, woodlands, savannahs, lakes, and wetlands, all host fascinating birdlife.
The African Geographic in Oct 2013 listed Uganda’s top ten (10) birds impressive to look out for while on a Uganda birding tour/Uganda bird watching safari tour and these included; Shoebill, Green-breasted Pitta, African Green Broadbill, Great Blue Turaco, Shelley Crimsonwing, Standard-winged Nightjar, Short-tailed Warbler, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, and the Black-breasted Barbet.
While the “Pearl of Africa” only has one endemic species, the little-known Fox’s Weaver, several species are endemic to specific habitat areas shared with other countries. One such area is the Albertine Rift, an area of lakes, mountains, and forests which stretches from northern Uganda along its borders with Rwanda and Congo. 24 of the 37 species endemic to this area are found in Uganda and 23 of Uganda’s Albertine Rift Endemics occur in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, including Africa’s most fabulous Turaco, Rwenzori Turaco, and of course the “must-see” African Green Broadbill. Other important sites are the Rwenzori Mountains with 17 Albertine Rift Endemics, Mgahinga Gorilla NP with 14, and Echuya Forest with 12.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the leading Uganda Birding safari park where much birdwatching in Uganda is done with about 606 bird species.
Other notable Uganda birding destinations include;
- Murchison Falls National Park with 451 bird species.
- Kidepo National Park with 475 bird species,
- Kibale National Park with 375 species of birds,
- Semliki National Park with 441 bird species,
- Lake Mburo National Park with 350 bird species
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with 350 bird species.
The outstanding swamps like Mabamba feature specific species like vulnerable shoebill storks while the Opeta – Bisina Wetland system is the home to Uganda’s endemic Fox Weaver.
The Uganda Birding safaris can be conducted all year round though there are special months (November to April) for exploring the migratory species, especially along Kazinga Channel and Lake Victoria.
Uganda’s papyrus swamps host the mighty Shoebills. Several localized species reside in the lowland rainforests of Semuliki, Budongo, and Kibale Forest, the home to the mythical Green-breasted Pitta.
Uganda birding safaris in the savannah focus on Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Queen Elizabeth Nation Parks.
In addition to the wonderful birdlife, Uganda features a variety of peculiar wildlife including a great many primates.
Most of our Uganda birding tours feature Uganda gorilla trekking in Bwindi and chimpanzee tracking in Uganda Kibale.
If you prefer to get your adrenaline kicks in other ways, you can try white water rafting down the Nile alongside your avian adventures.
Top Iconic Birds of Uganda ∣ Birds in Uganda
Uganda is a bird lovers’ dream destination. Twitchers fly from all over the world to tick off items on their birdy bucket lists.
Even if you have no interest in birds, you may be blown away by a majestic African Fish Eagle calling high from a riverine perch or flocks of Abyssinian ground hornbills matching with comic through the savannah.
Here are some of the top iconic birds of Uganda you can look for on your Uganda birding tours:
- Shoebill
- African Green Broadbill
- Green-Breasted Pitta
- African Pitta
- African Grey Parrot
- African Finfoot
- Afep Pigeon
- Chocolate-Backed Kingfishers
- Blue-Breasted Kingfishers
- Bar-Tailed Trogon
- Black-Billed Turaco
- Black Bee-Eater
- Blue-throated Roller
- Congo Serpent Eagle
- Dusky Crimsonwing
- Doherty’s Bushshrike
- Denham’s Bustard
- Great Blue Turaco
- Rwenzori Turaco
- Short-Tailed Warbler
- Nahan’s Francolin
- Handsome Francolin
- Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo
- White-Thighed Hornbill
- Piping Hornbill
- Forest Wood-Hoopoe
- Red-Faced Barbet
- African Dwarf Kingfishers
- African Skimmer
- Papyrus Gonolek
- Puvel’s illadopsis
- Lühder’s Bushshrikes
- Red-throated Alethe
- Jameson’s Antpecker
Top 13 Birding Destinations in Uganda ∣ Birding Sites in Uganda
Where to watch birds in Uganda? Uganda has several amazing bird-watching destinations. We have picked the top 13 birding destinations in Uganda/birding sites in Uganda below:
- Entebbe Botanical Garden
- Mabamba Swamp on Lake Victoria Shore
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Budongo Forest Reserve
- Kibale National Park
- Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
- Semuliki National Park
- Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Echuya Forest Reserve
- Lake Mburo National Park
- Mabira Forest Reserve
- Birding in Entebbe Botanical Garden
Birding In Entebbe Botanical Garden
Located about 8km from Entebbe International Airport, the beautiful and bird-rich Entebbe Botanical Garden is reachable within a 10 to 20-minute drive from any hotel or guesthouse in Entebbe.
Laid out in 1898, these expansive gardens are situated near Lake Victoria – Africa’s largest lake and are perfect for a leisurely birding stroll after checking into your hotel and after you have refreshed yourself.
The garden offers a very good introduction to birding in Uganda and is actually a reliable site for the Endangered and super-intelligent African Grey Parrot.
Other birds here include;
- Great Blue Turaco,
- Ross’s Turaco,
- Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill,
- Red-headed Lovebird,
- Double-toothed Barbet,
- White-throated Bee-eater,
- Palm-nut Vulture,
- Orange Weaver,
- Black-headed Gonolek etc.
Other wildlife species to be seen here include the attractive Black-and-white colobus monkeys, Red-tailed Monkeys, and Vervet Monkeys.
Uganda Birdwatching In Mabamba Swamp
Covering an area of 16,500 hectares on the edge of Lake Victoria, the Mabamba Swamp is a bird lover’s paradise in Central Uganda.
Situated about 57km from Kampala, this papyrus swamp is part of the list of Wetlands of International Importance as chosen by the Ramsar Convention, as well as one of Uganda’s 33 Important Bird Areas (IBAs).
Mabamba is the best place in the world to truly reliably and easily see the Shoebill in its natural habitat. This prehistoric-looking bird is very high on most world birders’ wish lists, and for good reason.
It is just so different, with huge, yellow, human-like eyes and that massive bill that looks like a shoe.
Birding in Mabamba is done on a big canoe paddled by an expert local bird guide.
The canoe ride along the narrow channels of the swamp also gives you chances of sighting over 300 bird species including the localized Papyrus Gonolek, African Fish Eagle, African Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, Palm-nut vulture, Swamp Flycatcher, Blue-headed Coucal, Malachite and African Pygmy Kingfishers, Blue Swallow and several weavers.
Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Situated in South-western Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a bird-lovers dream destination. This UNESCO Natural World Heritage-listed site is one of Africa’s oldest rainforests and one of the few that predate the arid conditions of the last ice age.
Its 321km2 of Impenetrable Forest has carpeted the margin of the Albertine Rift Valley for some 25,000 years.
During this time, it has accumulated remarkable biodiversity including nearly half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas, more than 120 other mammal species, 220 butterfly species, and over 1000 species of flowing plants.
For birding, a total of 351 bird species have been recorded, a remarkably high figure when you consider that it includes very few water-associated birds.
Of particular interest to visitors on Uganda birding tours to Bwindi are the 23 Albertine Rift Endemics (which is 90% of all Albertine Rift endemics). These include:-
- African Green Broadbill
- Handsome Francolin
- Rwenzori Turaco
- Rwenzori Nightjar
- Dwarf Honeyguide
- Kivu Ground Thrush
- Red-Throated Alethe
- Archer’s Robin-Chat
- Rwenzori Apalis
- Mountain Masked Apalis
- Grauer’s Swamp Warbler
- Grauer’s Warbler
- Neumann’s Warbler
- Yellow-Eyed Black Flycatcher
- Chapin’s Flycatcher
- Rwenzori Batis
- Stripe-Breasted Tit
- Blue-Headed Sunbird
- Regal Sunbird
- Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbird
- Purple Breasted Sun Bird
- Dusky Crimsonwing
- Shelly’s Crimsonwing
Birding In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is mainly done in the two sectors of Ruhija and Buhoma.
Ruhija sector offers some of the most amazing forest birding walks on the African continent. Bird walks down to the famous Mubwindi Swamp is not for the faint-hearted and it is an obligate pilgrimage for the serious birder.
It is where the most exclusive of Bwindi’s Albertine Rift endemics reside such as the mythical Grauer’s broadbill.
The Grauer’s broadbill also known as the African Green Broadbill, is a globally threatened species and only known from two sites in the world, the other being a remote forest in eastern DR Congo.
Other fantastic bird species to watch for include:
- Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo
- Lühder’s, Petit’s And Doherty’s Bush-Shrikes
- Bar-Tailed Trogon
- Black Bee-Eater
- Ross’s, Great And Black-billed Turacos
- Equatorial Akalat
- Dusky Tit
- Dusky Twinspot
- Jameson’s Antpecker
- Cassin’s And Ayre’s Hawk-Eagle
- Augur Buzzard
- Magpie Mannikin
- Willard’s Sooty Boubou
- Western Bronze-Naped Pigeon
- White-Headed Wood Hoopoe
- Western Citril
- Dwarf Honeyguide
- Chubb’s Cisticola
- Pink-Footed Puffback and many more
Other Activities You Can Do During Your Uganda Birding Tour In Bwindi National Park
- Uganda Gorilla trekking
- Uganda Gorilla Habituation Experience
- Community walks
Birding In Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda
Birding in Queen Elizabeth NP is an incredible treat and if you’re into bird watching in Uganda, you definitely need this place on your wishlist.
Situated in southwestern Uganda on the Albertine Rift Valley floor, this 1978km2 park contains an amazing variety of habitats. These include rolling savanna grasslands, moist acacia woodlands, verdant tropical rainforests, fresh-water lakes, saline crater lakes, and wetlands.
This diversity is reflected in the list of 611 Uganda bird species – reputedly the most of any protected area in East Africa.
Also, over 95 species of mammals including the uncommon tree-climbing lions and other classic African big game animals reside in Queen.
Uganda birding tours here are done on Boat Cruises, Nature walks, and in 4×4 safari vehicles.
Here Are The Best Uganda Birding Spots/Experiences In Queen Elizabeth Park:
Birding Drive In Kasenyi Savannah Plains
The vast and scenic Kasenyi Savannah Plains is a wildlife and birding hotspot of Queen. It is where nearly every tourist vehicle heads in the morning because of the many fantastic Uganda birds and big games like Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalos, Hyenas, and Kobs.
In this open, grassy area dominated by savanna; birders can see specials like;
- Grey-Crowned Crane (Uganda National Bird)
- Palm-Nut Vultures
- Bateleur
- Long-Created Eagle
- Martial Eagle
- Brown Snake Eagle
- Grey Kestrel
- African Crake
- Black-Bellied Bustard
- Temminck’s Courser
- Zitting Cisticola
- Croaking Cisticola
- Grey-Crowned Cranes
- Black-headed Gonolek
- Brown-Backed Scrub-Robin
- African Wattled Plover
- Kittlitz’s Plover
- Crowned Plover
- Senegal Plover
- Flappet Lark
- Black-crowned Tchagra
- Fork-Tailed Drongo
- Pin-Tailed Whydah and more.
Birding Around/On The Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
The thrilling Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise offers an exceptional Uganda birding experience.
A cruise along this 45km long channel allows you to see a variety of fantastic waterbirds, the world’s highest concentrations of hippos, as well as large numbers of Nile Crocodiles, African bush elephants, and African buffalos.
Top Uganda Birds To Look For On The Boat Cruise Along The Kazinga Channel Include:
- African Open-Billed Stork
- Yellow-Billed Stork
- White-Billed Stork
- Saddle-Billed Stork
- Marabou Stork
- Pink-Backed Pelican
- Great White Pelican
- White-Faced Whistling Duck
- Knob-Billed Duck
- African Skimmer
- African Spoonbill
- African Jacana
- African Fish Eagle
- African Spoonbill
- Goliath Heron
- Water Thick-Knee
- Black-headed Gonolek
- Pied Kingfisher
- Gull-Billed Tern, And Others
Birding In Uganda Around The Katunguru Bridge Area
If you venture to the Katunguru Bridge, where you cross the Kazinga Channel from the Kasese district to the Rubirizi district, be sure to peek beneath the bridge as there is a papyrus swamp hosting species that include;
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Gull-billed Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Pied and Malachite Kingfishers
- Lesser and Greater Swamp Warblers
- White-winged Warbler
- Carruther’s Cisticola
- Papyrus Gonolek, and more
Birdwatching-Birding Walks In Maramagambo Forest
In the southern sector of Queen lies the lush Maramagambo Forest. This Forest’s vastness is alluded to in its name which is derived from a local phrase meaning “the end of words”.
It refers to a legend about a group of young people who got lost in this forest many years ago, and it took them several days to trace their path back to the local village from which they had come.
On returning to the village these young people couldn’t speak for long since they were extremely worn out, hence the word “Maramagambo” for ‘the end of words’.
Bird walks in this medium-altitude rainforest offer a rich selection of forest birds and several other unique bird species, including:
- Little Grebe
- African Finfoot
- Red-chested, Black Cuckoo, and African Emerald Cuckoos
- Yellowbill and Black Coucals
- Blue-breasted Kingfisher,
- Black Bee-eater
- Blue-throated Roller;
- Barbets
- Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike & Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike
- Greenbuls
- Broad-tailed Warbler
- African Moustached Warbler,
- Black-and-white Shrike and African Paradise Flycatchers
- Chestnut Wattle-eye
- Brown Illadopsis
- Brubru
- Black Bishop, and more
Birding in Katwe Area – Queen Elizabeth Park
Several craters lakes like Lake Munyanyange and swamps in this area and favored by various amazing water birds such as:
- Lesser Flamingos
- Greater Flamingos
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Common Greenshank
- Little Stint
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Gull-billed Tern
- Broad-tailed Warbler
- African Moustached Warbler
- Southern Red Bishop, and more
Birding in Ishasha Sector – Queen Elizabeth Park
Bounded by Lake Edward to the north, the Ishasha River, and River Ntugwe to the East, the remote southern Ishasha sector features a mix of grassy plains, acacia thornveld, and mixed scrub. Most famous for its legendary tree-climbing Lions, this portion of the park is also alive and full of bird species.
Top Uganda bird species to look for in Ishasha include:
- Double-Toothed Barbet
- Scaly-Throated Honeyguide
- Purple-Banded Sunbird
- Mustached Grass Warbler
- Fan-Tailed Grassbirds
- African Crake
- Black-Bellied Bustard
- Senegal Lapwing
- African Cuckoo
- African Hoopoe
- Flappet Larks
- Saddle-Billed Stork
- Lappet-Faced Vultures
- Bateleur
- Brown Snake Eagle
- Grey Kestrel
- Crowned Hornbill
Other Activities You Can Do During Your Uganda Birding Tour In Queen Elizabeth National Park
Aside from fantastic birding, you can also make unforgettable memories in Queen Elizabeth National Park by the search for the rare tree-climbing lions; undertaking night game drives, and taking experiential wildlife tours that are themed around mongoose tracking and lion tracking, and hippo censuses.
Kyambura gorge chimp trekking also offers unforgettable encounters with our closest living relatives.
If you would like an authentic look into the Ugandan people’s culture, visit Kikorongo Cultural Center to weave traditional baskets, make beaded necklaces, or go watch dance performances at Leopard Village.
Uganda Birding in Murchison Falls National Park
Home to 451 bird species, the 3895km2 Murchison Falls National Park is the country’s largest national park and a major destination for Uganda birdwatching trips.
It is famous for its large number of big gems and the dramatic falls, where the legendary Nile River explodes through a 7 meter wide cleft in the rift valley escarpment, before falling 45 meters to what has been termed the “devil’s cauldron” below, forming a plume of spray marked by a thunderous roar and a permanent rainbow.
Birding in Murchison offers fantastic opportunities of seeing many specials including the iconic Shoebill, the main motivating factor behind many birding tours to Uganda. With their prehistoric-like appearance, the shoebills capture the imagination.
Sightings of the shoebill in Murchison are almost guaranteed on a boat cruise along the Nile towards the Lake Albert delta.
The river also provides one of Uganda’s finest game viewing opportunities including congregations of African elephants, Giraffe, African Buffalo, Hippo, Nile crocodiles. Other ornithological highlights on the cruise include:
- Piapiac
- Pel’s Fishing Owl
- Long-toed Lapwing
- Red-throated Bee-Eater
- Red-winged Grey Warbler
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Saddle-Billed Stork
- Goliath Heron
- Squacco Herons
- African Darter
- African Fish Eagles
- Spur-Winged Lapwing
- Senegal Thick-Knee
- Yellow-Bellied Oxpeckers
- Kingfishers
- Palm-nut vulture
Birding in the savannah woodland and open grassland also offer great opportunities of seeing the spectacular Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Denham’s bustard, Grey Crowned Crane, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Black-billed and Double-toothed Barbets, Secretary bird, Senegal Coucal, Whistling Cisticola, Silverbird, Grey-headed Bushshrike, White-thighed Hornbill, and spectacular Great Blue Turaco, to name just a few.
Activities to Do You Can During Your Birding in Murchison Falls National Park
- Boat cruise along the Nile to the bottom of the fall
- Hiking to the top of Murchison Falls
- Hot Air Balloon Safaris
- Spot fishing in the Nile River
Uganda Birding Watching In Budongo Forest
Nearly 830km2 in size, Budongo is a largely untouched tropical forest on the southern edge of the Albertine Rift Valley near Murchison Falls Park.
It is a species-rich forest reserve, known for its population of about 800 Chimpanzees, huge mahogany trees, and phenomenal birdwatching – over 360 bird species.
Budongo forest is the second most important in Uganda after Semuliki for species of Guinea – Congo forest region. It has two main birding locations – Kaniyo Pabidi and the Royal Mile at Busingiro.
Kaniyo Pabidi sector supports a variety of localized forest species including Chocolate-backed kingfisher and East Africa’s only known population of Puvel’s illadopsis.
The Royal Mile is a premier forest birding road that lies under a lush forest canopy and is widely regarded to be one of Africa’s single most rewarding birding hotspots. It is a superb Uganda birding site with a variety of sought-after key species including:
- Nahan’s Partridge
- Narina Trogon
- African dwarf kingfisher
- Sabine’s and Cassin’s Spinetail
- Black-eared ground thrush
- Blue-breasted Kingfisher
- Brown twinspot
- Cassin’s hawk-eagle
- Chestnut-capped Flycatcher
- Crowned eagle
- Grey-headed sunbird
- Ituri batis
- Lemon-bellied Crombec
- Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo
- Little green sunbird
- Olive-breasted greenbul
- Plain greenbul
- White-spotted Fluftail
- White-thighed hornbill
- Yellow-crested woodpecker
- Yellow-footed Flycatcher
- Tit Hylia and others
Birding in Uganda – Kibale National Park
Dabbled in the ‘Primate Capital of Africa’, the 776km2 Kibale National Park is a tropical rainforest in western Uganda with 375 species of birds, including 6 Albertine Rift endemics.
The park is famous among birders for Green-breasted Pitta Pitta reichenowi. Like most of the other Pittas, it is a brilliantly colored terrestrial bird with a rainbow of colors to show off. That is if you can find it! It is a very shy and skulking species and is rarely seen or photographed.
Other forest specials here include;
- African pitta,
- African Grey parrot,
- Afep Pigeon,
- Black Bee-eater,
- Dusky Crimsonwing,
- Black-capped and Black-collared Apalis,
- Blue-headed and Purple-breasted Sunbird
- Red-faced Woodland Warbler,
- Olive Long-tailed and African Emerald Cuckoo,
- Crowned Eagle,
- Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird,
- Western Nicator,
- Abyssinian Thrush,
- Blue-breasted Kingfisher,
- Brown-chested Alethe,
- Brown Illadopsis, and many others.
The reason that naturalists from all over the world come to Kibale, however, is the fact that it has one of the highest densities and diversity of primates in Africa.
They include over 1500 chimpanzees, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Red Colobus, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed Monkey, Guereza, Blue Monkey, the vulnerable L’hoest’s Monkey, East African Potto, Demidoff’s Dwarf Galago, Thomas’s Dwarf Galago.
Other Activities You can do Before/After your Uganda birding tour birding in Kibale
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
- A nature walk in Bigodi Wetland
- Visiting Amabeere Cave
- Hiking to Fort Portal Crater lake Field
- Cycling in Mpanga Tea Estate
Birding in Bigodi Wetland
Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a superb community development enterprise located on the fringe of Kibale National Park. It is home to 8 species of monkeys and about 200 bird species that can be easily seen on any of the guided tours along the boardwalk trail.
A spectacular bird strongly associated with the wetland is the Great Blue Turaco.
Other Top Uganda bird species to look for include Papyrus gonolek, Black-and-white casqued hornbill, Bronze sunbirds, Black-crowned Waxbill, White-spotted Flufftail, White-breasted Negrofinch, Black Bishop, Hairy-breasted and Double-toothed barbets, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds, Bocage’s bushshrike, Brown-eared woodpeckers, and Blue-throated roller.
Birding In Semuliki National Park
Covering an area of 220km2, the forest tract of Semuliki National Park is an extension of the West African jungle that stretches from Equatorial Guinea through Congo, forming a habitat for some special Guinea-Congo biome species that do not exist in other areas of east Africa.
It is East Africa’s only tract of true lowland tropical forest, contiguous with the DRC’s huge Ituri forest. The park is also famous for its primordial hot springs.
Over 441 bird species have been recorded with 35 Guinea-Congo biome species which can be seen in only 3 other places in Uganda and several other specials like:
- Nkulengu Rail
- Congo Serpent Eagle
- Piping Hornbills
- Long-Tailed Hawk
- Lyre-Tailed Honeyguide
- Spotted-Breasted Ibis
- African Piculet
- Black Dwarf Hornbill
- Black-Wattled Hornbill
- Red-Bill Hornbill
- Simple Greenbuls
- Xavier’s Greenbuls
- Blue-Bellied Malimbe
- Crested Malimbe
- Maxwell’s Black Weaver
- Chestnut Owlet
- Yellow-Throated Nictor
- Yellow-throated Cuckoo
- Lowland Akalat
- Bronze-Naped Pigeon
- African Wood Owl
- Shining-Blue Kingfishers
- Leaf-Love
- African Paradise-Flycatcher
Uganda Birding In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Situated in south-western Uganda, the 33km2 Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest protected park, hosting over 180 bird species, golden monkeys, and mountain gorillas.
It is situated in the dramatic Virunga Mountains that straddle the border between Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo.
The park enjoys a magnificent setting on the northern slopes of three of the extinct volcanic cones of Muhavura, Gahinga, and Sabinyo. It is a reliable site for magnificent Albertine Rift endemics such as:
- Rwenzori Turaco
- Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird
- Kivu ground thrush
- Handsome francolin
- Dusky Crimsonwing
- Red-throated alethe
- Rwenzori nightjar
- Rwenzori batis
- Archer’s robin chat
- Dwarf Honeyguide
- Mountain Masked Apalis
- Rwenzori Apalis
- Strange Weaver and others
Aside from birding, other amazing activities include gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, Volcano hiking, and Batwa Heritage Trail Experience.
Birding Echuya Forest Reserve
Located near Mgahinga Gorilla Park, Echuya Forest Reserve is another fantastic site for Albertine Rift Endemics.
These include the elusive Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Dwarf Honeyguide, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Rwenzori Batis, Strange Weaver, Regal Sunbird, Strip-breasted Tit, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis and Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher.
Birding In Lake Mburo National Park
Home to 350 bird species, the 260 km2 Lake Mburo National Park is a superb wetland and Acacia savanna sanctuary that is a famous spot for serious birders, and also a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.
Together with 13 other lakes in the area, Lake Mburo forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. Five of these lakes lie within the park’s borders.
The park is home to one of Africa’s best sites for African Finfoot, along with White-backed Night Heron, Rufous-bellied Heron, and the incredibly localized and near-endemic Red-faced Barbet. It is also the only reliable site for Brown-chested Lapwing.
Other avian gems of the park include
- Papyrus gonolek,
- White-winged Warbler,
- Bare-faced Go-away-bird,
- African Marsh Harrier,
- Vultures, Brown Snake Eagle,
- Bateleur, Coqui Francolin,
- Grey Crowned Crane,
- Black-bellied Bustard,
- Red-headed Lovebird,
- Green Wood Hoopoe,
- Common Scimitarbill,
- White-headed Barbet,
- Nubian Woodpecker,
- Tropical Boubou,
- Green-capped Eremomela,
- Meyer’s Parrot,
- African Green Pigeon,
- Green-capped Eremomela,
- Honeyguides,
- Zitting Cisticola,
- Wahlberg’s Eagle,
- Water Thick-knee and
- Kingfishers
Other wildlife at Lake Mburo includes African buffalos, Plains Zebras, Rothschild’s giraffe, Impalas, Elands, Topi, Oribi, Leopard, and Waterbuck.
Other Uganda safari activities here include horseback safaris, cycling tours, Sportfishing, and another interactive Uganda cultural tour to the nearby Banyankole community.
Birding In Mabira Forest
Home to about 315 bird species, Mabira is a moist semi-deciduous forest in central Uganda about 54km from Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The presence of various ecotourism facilities here makes the forest site a popular destination for bird watching in Uganda.
It is also home to many species of Guinea-Congo biome including the rare Nahan’s Francolin, Black-Shouldered Nightjar, Capuchin Babbler, Yellow and Grey Longbills, and Yellow-Mantled Weaver. Other activities you can enjoy in Mabira include Ziplining and Mangabey tracking.
We incorporate all the above birding destinations in Uganda/birding sites in Uganda into our Uganda birding safari packages.
List of Essential Things to Pack for Your Uganda Birding Tours
If you have never joined a birding tour of course you need guidance on essential things to pack for your birding Uganda tours. But even the most experienced birding tour veteran of course also needs the specifics about a new birding destination.
We often joke that as long as you remember your binoculars (and yourself!), that will suffice. But in reality, you will feel a lot more comfortable if you also bring various other items listed below.
- Facemask
- Hand Sanitizer
- Binoculars
- A bird field guide
- Bird photography equipment. Some people bring a point-and-shoot camera to photograph African megafauna and scenery during the birding safari along with their big DSLR birding cameras/lenses.
- Spare batteries for photographic and other gear
- Flashlight/torch/headlamp with spare batteries
- Toiletries
- Personal medication
- A valid Yellow Fever Certificate
- Rain gear
- Alarm clock
- Visas, copies of passports, medical insurance policies, and other important documents
- Cash for drinks, gifts, tips, items of a personal nature, etc.
- Hiking boots plus another pair of shoes and sandals
- Swimming gear
- Cap/hat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen and lip sun protection
- Insect repellent
- Long-sleeved clothes and trousers as a precaution against biting insects
When to Go Birding in Uganda?
You can have a very pleasant birding tour in Uganda any time of the year. Being a tropical country straddling the equator, the country features excellent weather year-round, usually ranging from 18oC to 33oC during the day and nicely cooler at night.
There are two rainy seasons in Uganda which generally run from March to May and then again from late September to November each year.
Some birding destinations in Uganda like the famous Murchison Falls National Park and the beautiful Kidepo Valley National Park are relatively arid though.
They are less affected by rain compared to the forested birding sites in Uganda which include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Semuliki National Park, Kibale National Park, and Budongo Forest.
Best Time To Go Birding in Uganda
What is the best time to go birdwatching in Uganda? The months of June, July, August, and September are the best time to go birding in Uganda is during the months, specifically usually in August, which are considered the optimal timing.
August is believed to be perfect for Uganda birding trips for a variety of reasons:
- Intra-African migrants from southern Africa are in Uganda in August (and at least the month before and after). These include several cuckoos like the Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo which spends the southern summer in countries such as Mozambique and Malawi.
They also include hirundines like the Vulnerable and declining Blue Swallow, which breeds in high-altitude grasslands of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Malawi and then migrates to a completely different habitat.
In Uganda, it is great to see these elegant swallows flitting around and foraging near Shoebills in Mabamba Swamp.
- Birds are in spectacular breeding plumage at this time of the year, as August is right in the middle of the main nesting season in Uganda. These include the brightly coloured weaver species, the males of which are spectacular-looking at this time of the year, with dazzling yellow, orange, brown and black plumages.
- Some of the top birds of Uganda are most easily located from June through September (August being perfect). These include the Vulnerable, mysterious Grauer’s Broadbill /African Green Broadbill of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which nests at this time of the year.
The dazzling Green-breasted Pitta can also be reliably found when it displays at this same time of year (it becomes very elusive at other times of the year when it doesn’t give away its presence by its display call!).
Chimpanzees and other charismatic primates can also lurk at the same site you look for the pitta, Kibale National Park.
- The dry months of June July, August, and September also make travel more enjoyable and mean that you will not be interrupted by much rain on your Uganda bird watching tour.
- Also, there is plenty of food available for other amazing Uganda wildlife during this month. This can make it more successful for primate viewing as figs, which are favored by all kinds of great apes and smaller monkeys, are fruiting in abundance. Similarly, fresh grass is available for grazers and the typical African megafauna have plenty to feed on.
Whether you are an experienced birder or just beginning the bird-watching hobby, the beautiful and diverse landscapes of Uganda offer can you a premier setting to see some of the world’s most unique and fascinating birds.
We do offer tailor-made birding tours in Uganda virtually any month of the year because Uganda does not have bad seasons when birdwatching tours can not be done.
