Birding safaris in Uganda

Uganda best birding safari destinations

Uganda the pearl of Africa is incredibly blessed with a series of marvellous features as we are going to see but in this case we going to write about its ability to shelter a total of about 1,061 bird species. In short this indicates Uganda as the finest destination for birds, best destination where to watch birds from since it does contain almost half of the continent’s bird species. For a long while now the Pearl of Africa has been considered as the finest Africa birding safari terminus that any bird fervent must not miss on this bucket list.

Where to watch Birds from-Uganda best birding safari destinations

• Swamp species

Mabamba Bay Wetland Swamp

This swamp is situated in Lake Victoria (2^nd largest water body in the world). It is a famous place because it’s one destination never missed out by the bird watchers/lovers and any other interested party to spot birds like the Shoebill stork, bizarre-looking birds. Therefore, any tourist interested in viewing /spotting this bird related to the Dinosaur should involve Mabamba Bay wetland swamp for the clear sighting. This swamp is reached by use of road from Entebbe to Kampala still by road or water means of transport.

Mabamba Bay Wetland swamp is shelter to only the shoebill stork and other birds like African jacana, lesser jacana, black headed heron, Black kite, etc.

• Forest Bird Species

Semuliki National Park

This National Park does have a record of about 441 bird species in total, its positioned/located in the western parts of Uganda in the Albertine Rift Valley. It contains the Riverine, forest & grasslands bird species which can be spotted anytime of the year. Semuliki National Park also shelters the Guinea –Congo biome species in its lowland forest. Not only that but still shelters birds like African piculet, Maxwell’s black weaver, Blue billed malimbe, Black dwarf hornbill, Nkulengu rail, dwarf honeyguide, Great blue & Ross’s turaco, purple breasted sunbird, etc.

Kibale National Park

This park is recorded as one of the 10 finest watching destination in Uganda containing over 375 bird species. The bird species are widely spread to Albertine Rift area. It is quiet an amazing and stunning location for bird watching with a wide range home and thick vegetation, among the 10 existing bird species in this park there lives the Green breasted pitta, thought after birds in Uganda and the number one highly required in the Kibale forest. Other birds involve Blue breasted kingfisher, crowned eagle, purple breasted sunbird, little greenbul, black bee- eater, white naped pigeon, sacly- breasted illadopsis, etc.

Budongo forest

Watching of birds in this forest is majorly done at Kaniyo Padidi located in Murchison Falls National Park and the Royal mile 7 Busingiro regions positioned in the south side of the park. It sits at the edge of Albertine Rift Valley safe guarding the largest natural forest section in East Africa. It shelters approximately a total of about 350 bird species with the most required as Cassin’s spine tail, chestnut-capped flycatcher, Ituri batis, Nahan’s francolin, Black collared lovebird, Brown twinspot, etc.

Lake Mburo National Park

This is the smallest National Park among them all, easily reached from Kampala and Entebbe, several activities done in this marvellous park of which Bird watching is part of the activities. The finest spot for watching birds in this park is near the swamps of Warukiri and Rwonyo and at the lake of course. It shelters a total of about 315 bird species and these involve Crested francolin, brown parrot, barefaced go away bird, red necked spurfowl, common quails, black billed barbet greenwood hoopoe, African –grey hornbill, etc.

• Albertine Endemic species

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This National Park does take the 2^nd position among the 10 national parks where one can spot and watch birds from. It has been voted as the Africa’s finest/best birding spot by the African Bird Club. Out of the 24 Albertine bird species Bwindi its self does shelter about 23 of these bird species. This forest does also shelter various rare/infrequent bird species of which some are only witnessed here like the African Green Broadbill ,350 bird species stay here and they involve 23 Albertine Rift endemics,14 of which are not recorded anywhere else in the country.  Others include Chapin’s flycatcher, Shelley’s crimsoning, Handsome francolin, Mountain masked and collared Apalis, White –bellied Robin-chat, Black billed Turaco, Fraser’s Eagle, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Purple-Breasted, etc.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

This is marked as one of the principal destinations in Uganda sheltering over 177 bird species which involve 19 Albertine Rift that are widely spread. Watching of birds in this terminus is mainly done while on hikes in the forest sections since this is the highest point and famous Uganda Birding safari destination. Birds to look out here include Rwenzori Turaco, Long eared owl, Archers ‘robin-chat, lagden’s bush shrike, Blue –headed and Golden-winged sunbird, white-starred robin, Slender-billed starling, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Bearded vultures and swifts, etc.

There are other more places to consider like Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the Savannah bird species watched from places like Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and so on.