Birding Safaris In Uganda: Are you looking for birding safaris in Uganda, as well as bird watching vacations and tours? Bird Uganda with a tailor-made African birding package tailored to your needs; explore Uganda’s birding paradise with a bird-watching guide. Uganda is one of the best bird-watching destinations in the world, not just in Africa. With over 1065 bird species identified.

Birds can be seen everywhere in Uganda. It has 24 endemic species. Uganda also has species that can only be found in the Albertine Rift. The unique endangered shoebill stork, Chaplin flycatcher, Ruhlman’s double-collared sunbird, regal sunbird, fox weaver, turacos, strange weaver, dwarf honeyguide, handsome spurfowl, and others are among the bird species that attract the majority of tourists in the country.

Despite the fact that Uganda is one of the top bird-watching destinations in the world. However, this is not marketed like primate tracking or game viewing, which are more appealing to tourists in Uganda than bird watching. Uganda still has experienced management, professional guides, and an information center.

The few people who want to promote birding are frustrated by the lack of general interest among influential decision-makers and the destruction of bird habitats. Despite the fact that birding safaris in Uganda face numerous challenges, the number of birds continues to increase, allowing Uganda to maintain its position as the best birding destination in East Africa. As a result, Uganda may rank first among other countries in terms of birding.

Bird species in Uganda

Uganda is home to a diverse range of unique bird species, making it ideal for birding safaris. The rare shoebill stork, crested crane, saddle-billed, African green broadbills, blue turaco, bee-eater, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Jameson’s ant pecker, brown chested, Nahan’s Francolin, saddle-billed stork, and Marabou stork are among the most commonly seen bird species.

The shoebill stork is Uganda’s most popular bird. This rare shoebill can be found in Uganda’s wetlands and marshes. Because the shoebill is uncommon in Uganda, there is no specific location where they can be found. Birders feel insignificant if they do not see shoebills while on a birding trip to Uganda. You must spend more time in the birding areas to fully appreciate this experience. Birds are agile and aerial creatures, which gives them an
advantage.

For the best experience, pay close attention and be patient when observing them. Some bird species in Uganda are migratory; they migrate from one area of the country to another in search of food, but this also depends on the season. Birds should not have high hopes of spotting them because they are  unpredictable. Unless the guides can go deep into the wilderness in search of the rare species, there is no guarantee of sighting.

The best place in Uganda for bird watching.

Birds can be found all over Uganda, but there are some prime spots for bird watching. They have the highest concentration of birds, which benefits bird watchers by providing a high chance of successful sightings. The majority of birding safari destinations in Uganda are swamps/wetlands, forests, and national parks. As explained further below;

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to half of the remaining mountain gorillas and is also the best place in the world to go bird watching. With over 350 bird species, 23 of which are endemic to the Albertine. The Africa Birding Magazine named Bwindi Forest National Park one of the top ten birding areas in Africa in 2010.

The following are some of the most common birds in the Bwindi National Park: Among the many species are the African broadbill, Narina’s trogon, collared pails, equatorial akalat, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, forest robin, Montane Oriole, red-throated athlete, rufous napped lark, pink-backed pelican, papyrus Gonolek, greater flamingos, pale-breasted illadopsis, lesser flamingos, Because the Bwindi National Park is too large, it is divided into four sectors: Ruhija, Rushanga, Nkuringo, and Buhoma. In any Bwindi sector, gorilla trekking can be combined with bird watching.

National Park of Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most popular bird-watching destinations.  With over 600 bird species, it is known as a bird sanctuary. Birds thrive in Queen Elizabeth Park because it is surrounded by savannah grassland, wetlands, woodlands, and tropical rainforest. It is near other national parks in western Uganda, as well as those in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which attract some species from central Africa. To get the most out of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you should stay at least 6 days and observe all of the specific species.

Kasenyi, Katwe, Lake Edward, Mweya, and George are the best birding areas in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Kazinga channel provides a beautiful view of various bird species along the shoreline. The rare shoebill, African jacana, yellow bishop, swamp flycatcher, black-billed barbets, knob-billed ducks, falcon, eagles, malachite, water-thick knee, grey-headed kingfisher, papyrus canary, squacco heron, white-winged warbler, long-tailed cormorants, and thing-tailed nightjars are among the bird species to see at Queen Elizabeth National Park.

National Park Kibale Forest

Kibale Forest National Park is located in western Uganda and is commonly known as the “primate’s capital of the world.” It is also a good ideal for bird watching with over 370 bird species including; shite-naped pigeon, red-chested fluff tail, red-winged francolin, Narina’s trogon, olive long-tailed cuckoo, Abyssinian-ground thrush, grey throated flycatcher, The Uganda woodland warbler and the scaly francolin

The Budongo forest.

Murchison Falls National Park contains the Budongo Forest. It is home to over 360 bird species and is one of the best places in Uganda for a bird-watching safari. Puvel’s illadopsis and the yellow-footed flycatcher are two of the most common birds in Budongo forest. The forest flycatcher, Yellow-browed camaroptera, Lemon-bellied crombec, dusky long-tailed, crowned eagle, crested alethe, and other birds can be found in the forest.

Swamp of Mabamba

The Mabamba wetlands are located on Lake Victoria’s shores and can be reached from Mpingi or Entebbe. Mabamba swamp is one of Uganda’s most popular tourist destinations because it is home to the unique endangered shoebill. The shoebill at Mabamba wetlands is tracked using canoes with the assistance of a birding guide or local fishermen. The pursuit of the shoebill at Mabamba is both fascinating and rewarding. Other birds to look out for in the area include the black-billed turaco, white-spotted fluff tail, Wayne’s weaver, blue-shouldered, sooty boubou, robin-chat, and others.

Wetland sanctuary at Bigodi.

This small wetland can be found in western Uganda, near the Kibale forest. It was established to safeguard small primates and birds. This wetlands is much smaller than Mabamba, but it is home to over 200 bird species. Papyrus
Gonolek, black-faced Rufus warbler, blue turaco, ibris, blue-headed coucal, and other bird species are common in this wetland.

When is the best time to go birding in Uganda?

Are you wondering what would be the best time to go birding in Uganda, the best time to visit Uganda for birding safaris is during the dry season, which runs from June to August and December to February, when the water levels are low and the grass is short, allowing you to search for the rare shoebill without disturbing it. However, some birds, such as migratory birds, are common in Uganda during the wet season, which lasts from March to April, May, October, and November, because there is plenty of food to attract them.

In Uganda, birding can be done all year, but the best time to go birding in Uganda is during the dry season. Please keep in mind that some of Uganda’s birding destinations, such as Kibale Forest National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and others, are located in tropical rainforests, so if it rains in the above areas, you must be prepared by bringing hiking boots, a raincoat, long clothes, hand gloves, and other items.