Uganda Birding Safari
Uganda Birding Safari is one of the highlights of most of the African safaris in the pearl of Africa since Uganda is blessed with quite a number of bird species. Uganda has been a genuine birding destination for over 10 years and birders all over the world have found the pearl the best destination for bird watching. Uganda offers the best birding experience in all of east Africa; perhaps, it is due to the numerous bird species with in the national park of Uganda. and besides, the pearl of Africa holds the most unique and rare species of birds for the birders all over the world, for example, the prehistoric shoe bill stork, hammock, and other species from the Albertine region, et cetera.
Uganda birding safaris will take you to the most magical safari of the pearl of Africa. Uganda stands on top of the list for the best birding destinations in east Africa and other African countries. The destinations for birders in Uganda have numerous bird species including the most endangered species in the whole world. The numerous birding destinations in Uganda make Uganda the birding paradise of the African continent and other parts of the world. The birding destinations are scattered all around the country such as the cities, national parks, forest among others.
Uganda is blessed with an array of unique birds of east Africa and others are migratory birds. Uganda has over 1010 species of birds which you will enjoy during the Uganda birding safari. Most of the birds are found in the national parks of Uganda which act as the biggest habitats for the birds in Uganda. The birding safari in Uganda is a chance for you to also marvel at a number of wild animals in the national parks, the forests and along the water edges.
Uganda birding safari destinations
Queen Elizabeth national park
Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the best birding destinations in the pearl of Africa; Queen Elizabeth national park is the best because it holds an array of bird species in a number of distinctive categories. Queen Elizabeth national park boost over its exceeding bird species of birds adding up to over 600, which also makes the destination such a charming one for all the bird lovers around the world.
Queen Elizabeth national park keeps its birds in a number of ecosystems such as the moist semi-deciduous forest, moist thicket, riparian, and the ravine bush-land. The different bird species categories are named according to the different bird habitats they dwell, for example, the woodland birds, river birds, open savannah grassland birds, seasonal lake birds, swamp birds among others.
A birding safari in queen Elizabeth national park is a chance for you to spot a number of water birds such as; squacco heron, African jacana, yellow-backed weavers, open-billed stork, water – thick-knee, the black crake and the knob – billed ducks, long-tailed cormorants, African fish eagle, white-faced whistling, spur-winged plovers and pied kingfisher among others. You can find a lot of these birds along the kazinga channel water line during the famous kazinga channel boat cruise. The forest birds in Queen Elizabeth national park include the grey woodpecker, black and African emeralds cuckoos, among others.
Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls National Park is another destination for Uganda birding safari with over 451 species of birds. The birds in Murchison falls national park are categorized into the Albertine rift endemic birds, the open savannah birds and the water birds among others. Bird watching in Murchison falls national park is fantastic as you enjoy the birds together with the other wild animals in the park such as the Rothschild’s giraffes and the olive baboons among others.
The birds in Murchison falls national park are mainly spotted during the top of the falls hike and the bottom of the falls boat cruise to the Albert delta. Some of the most interesting bird species of Murchison falls national park include the grey crowned crane, the giant heron, the giant kingfisher, the sought after shoe bill stork, nightjars, the black-headed lapwing, and the black-bellied bustard among others.
Lake Mburo national park
Uganda birding safari is also possible in Lake Mburo national park which a home for a number of swamp birds, water birds, and forest birds. Birding in Lake Mburo national park is best-done spots like the salt licks, the forested areas, and the valley swamps of Lake Mburo national park. Lake Mburo national park harbors a number of bird species about 310 types. Lake Mburo is the best place in Uganda where you can find the acacia-dwelling birds.
Rubanga forest in Lake Mburo national park is the spot for you to enjoy the sights of a number of beautiful forest birds. However, the papyrus swamp also holds the lives of the special papyrus birds of Uganda such as the papyrus gonolek and the blue-headed coucal, among others. Besides, you can also enjoy the sightings of the southern birds such as the black collared barbet and the bare-faced go-away bird among the rest. Lake Mburo national park also hosts a number of migratory birds every year especially in the months of November, December to April.
Kibale national park
Kibale national park is famously known as the birders paradise especially is a special birding spot called the Bigodi swamp or magombe swamp. Kibale national park holds about 350 bird species plus a number of migratory birds every year. Kibale national park is the destination to be for all the bird watchers around the globe. Kibale forest has a number of forest birds that you can spot all the time you walk through the forest for nature walks or chimpanzee trekking. The forest birds in Kibale national park include the African pitta which is birders special for all the avian lovers in the world.
Kibale national park is also a home for four endemic birds which you cannot find in any other national park in Uganda such as the Cassin’s spinetail, the blue-headed bee eater, Nahan’s francolin, and the masked apalis among others. The other birds you can enjoy watching in bigodi wetland of Kibale national park include; tropical boubou, African pied wagtail, great blue turaco, Pin-tailed whydah and slender-billed weaver among others. The guides in the bigodi bird sanctuary will help you spot a number of birds during the swamp walk. From November to April you can enjoy the sighting on some of the migratory birds that visit Kibale national park every year.
The other birding destinations in Uganda include the mabamba bay which is an extensive marsh along the narrow bay near the great lake of east Africa called lake victoria, also Africa’s largest fresh water lake. Mabamba bay is an important birding area that is close to Entebbe international airport. Still, in Entebbe, you can enjoy a day’s birding experience by visiting Lutembe bay still along the Lake Victoria shoreline. Also, Entebbe botanical gardens are home for a number of swamp birds and forest birds, situated near Lake Victoria shoreline. Other destinations where you can enjoy birding include, butongo ecotourism site, kaniyo pabidi in Murchison falls national park, mabira forest which is also near to Jinja town among others.
Best time for Uganda birding safari
You can visit Uganda any time of the year for the birding safaris in the different destinations around the pearly pearl of Africa, however, the finest timing for birding enjoyment in the national parks of Uganda is always the dry season, the dry season gives you chance to spot the birds flying under the clear skies of the sunny day through the year. It is best if you book for you birding safari in Uganda during the month of December, January and February. You can enjoy the Uganda birding safaris for 2 days or three days depending on the number of destinations you want to visit. However, you can also enjoy a single day’s birding experience in Entebbe such as lutembe bay, mabamba bay and botanical gardens or mabira forest along the Kampala -Jinja highway.
