Birding in Uganda

Birding in Uganda. Uganda is home to over 1000 bird species, this makes it one of the best birding destinations in Africa offering different destinations for spotting different species of birds, these are found in various vegetation areas which include forests, swamps, grasslands in national parks, mountains agricultural and farmlands, rivers, and lakes among others.

One of the top birds to look out for in Uganda is the shoebill stork which is only found in specific areas. Uganda is also found in the Albertine region with this hosting various Albertine endemics as well being crossed by the Equator Uganda has great weather and climate hosting many migratory birds during specific times of the year.

Best places to go for Birding in Uganda

The Entebbe Botanical gardens

The Entebbe Botanical Gardens established in 1898 are situated on the northern shores of Lake Victoria virtually on the equator. They are referred to as the National Botanical gardens, it’s one of the many botanical gardens in the country. The gardens have a diverse of species of plants of the tropical, sub-tropical and temperate zones, besides several shrubs and other plants regenerated naturally over the years. It is also a home to different species of monkeys, birds, reptiles. It is a safe and has attracted different visitors for birding some of the bird species include red chested sunbirds, marabou stork, Orange Weavers, Violets black Weavers, hammerkops, African open billed stork, verreauxowleagles and black headed heron among others.

Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park has the best Birding spots in Uganda include, including Maramagambo forest, Kyambura forest, Mweya peninsular, Kasenyi plains and long the Kazinga channel spotted during the boat cruise in the channel. The park harbors over 600 bird species some of which are endemics and others are migratory birds, some of the birds include African Jacana, African green pigeon, Black-headed batis, Long- tailed Cormorant, yellow warbler, Black bee-eater, African Emerald Cuckoo, Purple headed starling, Speckled tinker bird, Yellow- backed weaver, Pied kingfisher, Wattled plover, open billed stork among others. For travelers interested in Birds, birding experience is another activity to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Semuliki National Park

Semuliki is a bird’s haven. Semuliki National Park is known as the birds’ haven with a lot of bird species for those interested in Birding in Uganda . These are some of the birds you can spot; Spot-breasted Ibis, Hartlaub’s Duck, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Long-tailed Hawk, Forest Francolin, Nkulengu Rail, Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Bates’ Nightjar, Chocolate-backed, White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers, White-crested, Black Dwarf, Red-billed Dwarf, Piping and Black-wattled Hornbills, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Spotted, Lyre-tailed and Zenker’s Honeyguides, African Piculet, Gabon Woodpecker, Red-sided Broadbill, White-throated Blue Swallow, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Sassi’s Olive, Xavier’s, Swamp, Simple and Eastern Bearded Greenbuls, Yellow-throated Nicator, Capuchin Babbler, Northern Bearded Scrub-Robin, Forest and Grey Ground Thrushes, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Red-billed Helmet -Shrike, Red-eyed Puff-back, Black-winged Starling, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Blue-billed, Crested and Red-bellied Malimbes, Pale-fronted and Chestnut-breasted Negro finches, Grant’s Bluebill.

Bird watching in Uganda

Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale Forest National Park is among Uganda’s best spots for Birding in Uganda with over 350 bird species which include; Albertine rift endemic birds which include Green-breasted pitta, African pitta, Abyssinian ground thrush, Crowned eagle, Dusky crimsonwing, Black-capped apalis, Collared apalis, Purple-breasted sunbird, Black bee-eater, Yellow spotted nicator, Little greenbul, Black-eared ground thrush, Brown-chested alethe, Yellow-rumped tinker bird, Blue-breasted kingfisher among others.

Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi is among Uganda’s best birding spots with over 200 bird species some of these are migratory birds, bird species on Lake Bunyonyi include; the grey crowned crane, the white tailed blue monard, the herons, the African Harrier Hawk, the egrets, slender-billed baglafetch, levillant cuckoo, levillant cuckoo, and the cardinal woodpeckerGray crowned crane(Uganda’s National bird), Giant Kingfisher, Giant Heron, Shoebill stork, Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Nightjars, Marabou stork, Black headed lapwing, Back-bellied Bustard ,Swamp Fly catcher, Giant Heron, Secretary Bird among others

Lake Mburo National park

Lake Mburo National park is situated in western Uganda. Briefly stop at the equator, proceed to Lake Mburo, birding to the entrance of Nshara gate. Expect the following Common Scimitarbill, species; Emerald Spotted Wood Dove, Bare faced Go-Away Bird, Crested Francolin, Green Wood Hoopoe, Lilac breasted Roller, Spot-Flanked Barbet Northern Black Tit, Common Scimitarbill, Trilling Cisticola, Greater Blue Eared Starling, African Grey Hornbill, Brown Parrot may be seen. Take lunch at Rwonyo Restaurant. After lunch, embark on late afternoon game drive along the Zebra Track which may expose you to species like Coqui Francolin, Black Bellied Bustard, Temmricks Courser, African Wattled Plover, Rufous napped Rufous, Chested Swallow and Flappet Lark.

Birding in Mubwindi Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

The 4km trail to Mubwindi Swamp is the best place for some of the most difficult to find of all rift endemics including Grauer’s (African Green) Broadbill, the beautiful Regal Sunbird, and Archer’s Robin-Chat. Mubwindi Swamp is also home to Dwarf Honeyguide, Stripe-breasted Tit, Ruwenzori Apalis, African Hill Babbler (sometimes treated as a separate species from Ruwenzori Hill Babbler), the rare and localized Grauer’s Scrub-Warbler. Some of the many species we have a chance of seeing here include Black Goshawk, Augur Buzzard, Crowned Hawk-Eagle, Handsome Francolin, Olive (Rameron) Pigeon, Bronze-winged Pigeon, Black-billed, Ruwenzori, and Ross’s Turacco, African, Barred Long-tailed, and African Emerald Cuckoos, Red-chested Owlet, Narina and Bar-tailed Trogons, Black and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, Blue-throated Roller, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Gray-throated, Double-toothed, and Yellow-spotted Barbets, Western and Yellow-rumpedTinkerbird, Thick-billed and Dwarf Honeyguides, Rufous-necked Wryneck, Tullberg’s, Speckle-breasted, Elliot’s, and Olive Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, Rock Martin, Black Saw-wing, Gray and Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike, Ansorge’s, Kakamega and Cabanis’ Greenbuls, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Kivu Ground-Thrush, Olive and Mountain Thrushes, Red-throated Alethe, Chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Ruwenzori, Black-throated, and Black-faced Apalis, Olive-green Camaroptera, Grauer’s Warbler, Cinnamon and Black-faced Bracken-Warblers, Mountain Yellow Warbler, White-browed Crombec, Short-tailed Warbler, Red-faced Woodland-Warbler, White-eyed Slaty- Flycatcher, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher, Sooty Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, White-starred Robin, White-bellied and Archer’s Robin-Chats, Ruwenzori Batis, White-tailed, and African Blue-Flycatchers, Pale-breasted, Mountain, and Gray-chested Illadopses, Ruwenzori Hill Babbler, Gray-headed, Western Violet-backed, Green, Green-headed, Blue-headed, Green-throated, Stuhlmann’s, Northern Double-collared, and Regal Sunbirds, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Ludher’s, Gray-green, Many-colored, and Lagden’s Bush-shrikes, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Slender-billed, Waller’s, Narrow-tailed, Stuhlmann’s, and Sharpe’s Starlings, Black-billed, Strange, and Brown-capped Weavers, Jameson’s and Woodhouse’s Ant-peckers, and Red-faced and Dusky Crimson-wings.

Bird watching in Uganda

Birding in Buhoma “The Neck”

“The Neck”. The Neck (where the forest narrows) offers excellent forest birding. Key species that we will look for there include many of the Albertine Rift Endemics that we may not have seen earlier. These include Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Nightjar, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, DuskyCrimsonwing. A few other species we may encounter as well include Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, Fine-banded and Cardinal Woodpeckers, Willcocks’s Honeyguide, KakamegaGreenbul, Red-tailed Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Mountain Wagtail, Cassin’s Flycatcher, Equatorial Akalat, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Dusky Tit, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Red-headed Malimbe, Dusky Twinspot, Cape Wagtail, Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, and Western Citril.

Birding on the Main Trail Buhoma

Species on the main trail found in Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park include Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Bar-tailed Trogon,Dusky Tit, Kivu Ground-Thrush, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Equatorial Akalat, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Red-throated Alethe, White-bellied Crested- Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher, Gray-green Bushshrike, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Black billed Weaver and Magpie Mannikin. High exposed perches in the open forest are favored by African Goshawk; the dazzling Black Bee-eater, Blue-throated Roller, Sooty Flycatcher and forest starlings including Waller’s, Stuhlmann’s and Narrow-tailed. One of Bwindi’s star avian attractions is the diminutive, pitta-like Neumann’s Warbler, a vocal yet very secretive bird! Other under-storey birds we hope to see include displaying African Broadbill; Banded Prinia and the handsome Black-faced Rufous-Warbler. The mid-storey and canopy supports Elliot’s and Tullberg’s Woodpeckers; Cabanis’, Kakamega and Ansorge’sGreenbuls; the strange Grauer’s Warbler and White-browed Crombec. The rare Jameson’s Antpecker may also been seen probing under moss on dead branches or gleaning warbler-like in the canopy. Overhead, Scarce Swifts forage over the forest. Birding at Buhoma is a truly magical experience. Other wildlife that we may be fortunate enough to find here include the huge Yellow-backed Duiker, Guereza Colobus; L’Hoest’s, Blue and Red-tailed monkeys; Chimpanzee and several species of Squirrels including Fire-footed Rope, Carruthers’ Mountain, Ruwenzori Sun and Red-legged Sun Squirrel.

Birding in Uganda with Eco Adventure Safaris

We at Eco Adventure Safaris our mission is to create life-changing and impactful Birding in Uganda which begin the moment you arrive in Africa. We are on a journey to transfer the normal way of how to explore Africa, that is on all our trips in Africa you have an optional opportunity to take part in activities mostly life changing and giving hope to the communities as well conserving for future generations such as planting a tree, volunteering and Packing for A Purpose among others. From our airport meet and great, welcome services to our private and group transfers to safari destinations your Adventure safari is well planned and managed. We have a strong concern on conserving the environment on all our trip we discourage where possible no to pack non-recyclable items and carry reusable items like water bottles among other important aspects to protect the environment.