Birding in Uganda

Birding in Uganda

Birding in Uganda is one of the top safari activities. Uganda is famously known as a birding paradise and haven harboring over half of Africa’s bird species. It isn’t only the sheer number of bird species documented within Uganda’s boundaries that makes it a paradise for birders. It is easy to admit to the numerous bird-rich territories that are often complicated to get to in other countries.

The diverse habitats in Uganda’s most ancient forest appear to be the perfect habitat for a diversity of bird species, with over 1000 species recorded.

These bird species mainly migrated from Lake Victoria’s shores, the source of the Nile, and from the Albertine Rift. You can get to see these bird species from places like:

• The Queen Elizabeth National Park
• The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest,
• Lake Mburo National Park,
• Murchison Falls National Park,
• Semuliki National Park
• Mabamba Island among others.
• These are some of the Albertine Rift endemic species found in Uganda;
• Fox’s Weaver
• Blue-headed Sunbird
• Short-tailed Warbler
• Ruwenzori Nightjar
• Rwenzori Turaco
• Red-throated Alethe
• African Green Broadbill
• Red-faced Woodland Warbler
• Handsome Francolin
• Collared Apalis
• Mountain Masked Apalis
• Archer’s Robin-Chat
• Dwarf Honeyguide
• Grauer’s Warbler
• Dusky Crimson wing
• wenzori Batis
• Purple-breasted Sunbird
• Regal Sunbird
• Shelley’s Crimson-wing
• Stripe-breasted Tit
• Grauer’s Rush Warbler
• Kivu Ground Thrush
• Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher
• Strange Weaver
• Chapin’s Flycatcher
• Other species that are simple to spot are the Red-headed Bluebill, African Emerald Cuckoo, African Blue plus White-tailed Blue Flycatchers, and the Common Bulbul.
• Uganda’s Top Bird Species To Look Out For
• These are the top 10 bird species that many birders are interested in while on their birding tour in Uganda.
• The Shoebill: This is found in Murchison Falls or Mabamba Island, one of the few indefinable and uncommon bird species sited. It is a large bird with a whale-head and can mostly be seen in marshy areas. The adult’s feathers are medium blue-grey in color, while the juveniles are a bit browner.
• The Great Blue Turaco: They are large birds often hunted for thei
• Shelley’s Crimson-wing: These are rarely sighted. Their bills are bright red. The females have olive heads and red mantle, while the males have their backs, face, and crown all covered in bright red.
• The Standard-winged Nightjar: They are usually identified with flying foxes (fruit bats). They keep hidden away during resting or daytime by using their brown mottled plumage. Their feathers can stretch 38cm long, and they often soar at sundown into the late evenings.
• The Short-tailed Warbler: Often identified as the Neumann’s Warbler. A little bird with a large head with a unique striped outline and a very short tail has a broad arch of hair above each greyish-brown eye and, while the front of its eye is a dull green and white.
• The African Green Broadbill: It’s an endangered species globally and is often identified as the Grauer’s Broadbill. It lives mostly in tropical forests. They have a light green shade to their feathers, a blue throat with a small bill.
• The Green-breasted Pitta: They are hard to spot but are found in the tropical forests’ soggy lowlands. Its throat is encircled with a black line, and its breast is green in color.
• The Doherty’s Bushshrike: They can be heard but never seen. They are green with a cheerful red throat and forehead, a light yellow and lemon-like middle with a black tail, and a broad black-breasted band. The younger birds have a pale green color and striped green and yellow underparts.
• The Bar-tailed Trogon: They live in forests. They have yellow feet and a bill and a far-reaching long tail. Females have brown heads and light cinnamon throat and breast, while the males have blue-black heads, two orange and or yellow patches below the eyes that are of bare skin, and luminous colors of green-blue and violet on their upper breast.
• The Black-breasted Barbet: They have big heads and a hefty bill that is fringed with hackles. They are solitary birds that classically shell in tree openings. They feed on fruit, insects, and small reptiles. The female lays about 2 to 4 eggs, and both birds then incubate them for a period of 13-15 days.
• Some birds can only be found in some areas; however, Uganda is blessed with many birding spots where bird lovers can enjoy a birding trip and look out for these beautiful species. A skilled bird watcher can identify more than 100 species in just a single day. Starting early offers the finest opportunity of finding remarkable, beautiful species.
• Top Birding Spots in Uganda
• Bwindi Forest National Park
• Bwindi is a birdwatcher’s paradise, with 347 bird species. It is home to 24 of the total 25 Albertine Rift endemic bird species. Furthermore, Bwindi is the dwelling place for 76 of the 144 Guinea-Congo-forest biome bird species found in Uganda. The area also qualifies for the Afro-tropical-highland biome bird species with 68 of the total 86. The Lake Victoria biome has 4 of the 12 species.
• Birds are very abundant and very easy to spot; several species connect in mixed feeding flocks that are active all through the day. The main birding trails where birders can catch sight of these fantastic creatures are the Bamboo Zone, the Mubwindi Swamp trail in Ruhija, and the Waterfall trail in Buhoma.
• Some bird species include; Western Green Tinkerbird, African Wood Owl, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Fine-banded Woodpecker, etc.
• Mgahinga National Park
• Apart from mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, Mgahinga National Park is also home to over 180 species of birds, including the Albertine Rift region endemics. Perfect viewing points are the community and or farm trail, the Gorge trail, and the Bamboo trail.
• Species found here include: Brown Woodland Warbler, Kivu Ground-thrush, Stripe-breasted Tit, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Rwenzori Turaco etc
• Murchison Falls National Park
• Murchison Falls National Park is home to over 451 bird species. The diverse species include the Albertine Rift Endemics, the Waterbirds, and the Savannah Forest Birds. The shoebill is the major bird attraction that many come to see.
• Other species including; Dark Chanting-Goshawk, Martial Eagle, White-faced Whistling Duck, Hugli’s Francolin, Hamerkop, Rock Pratincole, among others.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park
• The species range from the forest and woodland dwellers to the 54-raptor species, the water birds, and those that migrated from other areas. There are different sections in this park, with each section harboring different bird species. The sections include;
• Kasenyi area with over 60 species.
• Mweya peninsula has over 70 species.
• Katunguru bridge area,
• Lake Kikorongo,
• Ishasha sector,
• Katwe area
• Maramagambo Forest.
• The park in total has got over 600 bird species, and some of these include; Hooded Vulture, Martial Eagle, Grey Kestrel, African Wattled Plover, Black-bellied Bustard, Black-lored Babbler, White-tailed Lark, etc.

Semuliki National Park

This park harbors over 400 species of birds, with 9 species of Hornbill. It has exceptional watching points at Ntandi, Sempaya, and River Kirumia area.

Species include; Yellow-throated Nicator, Great blue, Ross’s Turacos, Piping Hornbill, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Xavier’s Greenbul, etc.

Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park neighbors the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary with over 350 species of bird. The Bigodi wetland sanctuary is in Kanyanchu and Magombe swamp and has over 138 bird species observed by the birders’ broad walk trails.

The main species found here include; Papyrus Canary, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, White-collared Oliveback, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-billed Barbet. 

Lake Mburo National Park.

The birding spots here include the marshy areas of Miriti at the salt lick and in the forest of Rubanga and Warukiri, the waysides amongst the landing stage, and the Camp Rwonyo. Species include; the rare Red-faced Barbet, Grey-crowned Crane, Rufous-bellied Heron, White-headed barbet, Common Scimitarbill, Bateleur, Coqui Francolin, Green Wood-hoopoe, etc.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

The mountains are home to close to 217 species. Nineteen of these are the endemics of the Albertine Rift Valley Region. Species that are likely to be seen here are Golden-winged and Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Turaco, White-starred Robin, Long-eared Owl, Slender-billed Starling, Archer’s Robin-chat, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Laden’s Bush-shrike, Bearded Vultures, and Black Eagles, among others.

Nile River Birding in Jinja

Birding along the Nile River is done with a boat cruise and it harbors over 60 bird species. Species here include; Giant Kingfisher, Green-backed Herons, African Open-billed Storks, Rock Pratencols, and Great Blue Turacos.

Echuya Forest Reserve

This forest reserve has over 150 bird species, and 18 of these species are endemic. Notable species include; Archer’s Robin-Chat, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Dwarf Honeyguide, Collared Apalis, and Strip-breasted Tit.

The Royal Mile- Budongo Forest

The royal mile in Budongo Forest near Murchison Falls National Park is home to over 250 bird species. The main bird species include; Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Spotted Greenbul, Blue-throated Roller, Fire-crested Alethe, Rufous-crowned Elemomela, and White-thighed Hornbill.

Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

This sanctuary is home to the rare shoebill stork. The other species include; African Black Crake, African Fish Eagle, Black-crowned Waxbill, African Grey Hornbill, African Golden Oriole, African Darter, and African Broad Bill.

Lutembe Bay.

Lutembe Bay is in the Lake Victoria Basin and is home to millions of all kinds of Palearctic migrant and Indigenous birds. It is a habitat for more than 200 bird species. Of these, 26 are migratory. These include the African Pygmy Kingfisher, Holub’s Golden Weaver, White-winged Black Tern, African Green Pigeon, Lead-colored Flycatcher, Sooty Chat, Tropical Boubou, and Brown-backed Scrub robins.

Mabamba Island.

This swampy area is located at Lake Victoria’s edge and is only an hour’s drive from the City Center. A birding adventure is done with a 3-person wooden boat canoe. You can expect to see; Shoebill Stork, Pied Kingfishers, Blue-breasted Bee-eaters, African and Lesser Jacanas, and African Pygmy Goose.

It is advisable to carry the requirements that will help you on your birding safari, including; Binoculars, a map for the location, long-sleeved trousers and shirts, enough drinking water, and many more.

Although bird watching can be done all year round, the weather can be a limiting factor for some birders. The best time for bird watching would be the dry season in most of the parks between January to February and June to August. The trails are dry and not slippery thus trekking can be easy. You will also have enough time for bird-watching. However, some would say the most ideal time is between late May to September, when there’s less rain and the food is abundant. From November to April, migratory birds can be found in the parks. Birding is best done early in the morning and it’s easy to spot many bird species at that time. The parks tend to be crowded in the high season with many visitors coming in between June to September.

Apart from the many birding species found in Uganda, the country offers many other adventurous activities, including; mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, mountain climbing, cultural exploration, cycling, white water rafting, bungee jumping, and many more.