UGANDA - AFRICA'S RICHEST BIRDING DESTINATION

UGANDA - AFRICA'S RICHEST BIRDING DESTINATION

Uganda is home to over 1,050 different bird species, which can be spotted in numerous ranges of habitats from forests, swamps and agricultural lands, to lakes and Savannah.

Uganda is the only place with astonishing incredible bird list of over 1000 species than any other African country thus making a birding safari in Uganda a truly unique experience.

Birds such as the rare shoebill stork and other unique species endemic to the Albertine rift. The endless bird list is more remarkable given the small size of the country making it the richest African birding destination.

Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable national park

Bwindi impenetrable forest is marked Africa’s best birding area by the Africa bird club, depending on the rare bird species found in the forest and the park’s conservation efforts. Bwindi provides shelter to 350 species of birds, of which 23 are Albertine Rift endemics and 14 are not found anywhere else in Uganda. It’s easy to access birds via the well maintained birding trails in the forest. Species that are spotted out for include; the African green broadbill, chapin’s flycatcher, Shelley’s crimson wing, handsome francolin, mountain-masked and collared apalis, white-bellied robin chat, black billed turaco, Fraser’s eagle, western bronze-napped pigeon, and purple-breasted sunbirds.

Birding in Murchison Falls national park

Murchison falls national park is Uganda’s biggest safari park, named after the mighty Murchison falls, the world’s strongest waterfalls forms as the Nile is forced to pass through a 7-meter gorge at a very high speed forming a permanent rainbow.

The park has over 450 bird species and can be viewed on an early morning or evening game drive, boat trip along Victoria Nile or nature walks in Budongo forest.

The two main sectors in Budongo forest are Kaniyo-Pabidi found in Murchison falls national park, the royal mile and Busingiro located in the southern sector of the park on the out skirts of Albertine Rift valley, protecting the largest natural forest in east Africa.

A number of bird habitats in the national park are; swamps, riverine woodland, savannah and plains of acacia trees. Birds in this area include shoebill stork, goliath heron, African quail finch, Abyssinian ground hornbill, swamp flycatcher, northern red bishop, red-throated bee-eater, malachite and giant kingfishers.

Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park

The birdwatcher’s paradise with over 600 species is Queen Elizabeth national park. Birds in this place are easily spotted and you can take better photos as you are sightseeing the park and its environment. Also spot the sea birds while on a boat ride on Kazinga channel, which is probably the longest channel in the world joining Lake Edward and Lake George.

Bird species here include; African mourning dove, swamp flycatcher, grey-headed kingfisher, African skimmer, malachite and pied kingfishers, white-winged terns, grey-capped warbler, collared  pratincole, pin-tailed whydah, martial eagle, gabon and slender-tailed nightjars, black-headed gonolek, verreaux’s eagle-owl, sedge warbler, papyrus canary, great white and pink-backed pelicans, yellow-billed stock, flamingos at the salt lake of katwe and Bunyampako.

Birding in Kibale Forest national park

Kibale forest national park is the greatest bird spot that has over 375 bird species of which 6 are endemic to Albertine Rift area. It’s a good spotting area because of the dense vegetation; the unique bird in Kibale forest is the green breasted pitta. The other bird species to search out for include; the red-cheasted owlet, blue-breasted kingfisher, crowned eagle, little greenbul, black bee-eater, white-napped pigeon, white-headed wood hoopoe, yellow-throated incator, yellow-spotted barbet, dusky-blue flycatcher, grey-winged robin, black-billed turaco, crested flycatcher, grey-throated flycatcher, Purple-breasted sunbird, blue-shouldered robin chat, white-napped pigeon, tiny sunbird and red-chested flufftail.

Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla national park

Mgahinga Gorilla national park is home to 180 bird species and is situated in the south-western part of Uganda, at the boarder of Rwanda and DR Congo. It gives a great bird viewing opportunity along the gorge trail, bamboo trail and community trail.

Mgahinga’s dominant bird species include; Kivu ground thrush, bracken warbler, white-starred robin, Rwenzori Batis, brown woodland warbler, black-headed wax bill, archer’s robin chat, olive pigeon, western green tinker bird, stripe-breasted tit, white-starred robin, cape robin, scarlet-tufted, greater double-collared sun birds.

If you ever thought of a birding safari, it should be one in Africa. A trip in Africa so unique that offers lifelong memories.