Birding in Uganda : Where to see birds in Uganda
Uganda is one of the best places in East Africa to go on a birding safari as it offers rewarding sightings in the different birding sites spread out across the country. The most sought after birds in Uganda are the Albertine Rift Endemic species as the country is situated within the Albertine Rift Region.
Over 1073 species of birds have been recorded in Uganda making it a prime destination for birders and birding enthusiasts. A number of birding sites are available in Uganda and birders are able to explore these areas, some are located in the Albertine Rift region others are located in dry woodland and others in forested areas. A number of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are present in Uganda and we will explain them in further detail below.
Uganda also hosts a number of moist lowland forests and therefore has more endemic forest bird species than any other part of Africa. Below are the top birding sites in Uganda and what you can expect to look out for when you visit;
Birding Sites in Uganda
Entebbe Botanical Gardens
Entebbe Botanical Gardens located in Entebbe town is a 40 acre botanical garden rich in bird life and is usually the first place we bird while on a birding safari.
The botanical gardens are a great way to start your safari as you have opportunity to look out for species that include;
Woodland Kingfisher, Ruppell’s Starling, Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Hamerkop, Eastern-Plantain Eater, Ruppell’s Starling, Yellow-billed Stork, African Jacana, Malachite Kingfisher, Reed Cormorant, Blue-checked Bee-eater, Pied Kingfisher, African Open-billed Stork, Viellot’s Black Weaver, Hadada Ibis, Village Weaver, Little Stint, Common Sandpiper, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Yellow-billed Kite, White-winged Tern, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, Green Crombec, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Water Thick-Knee, Tambourine Dove, Red-billed Firefinch, Black-headed Gonolek, Tooro Olive Greenbul, Egyptian Goose, Wood Sandpiper, Black Crake, Black-headed Weaver, Superb Sunbird, Gray Crowned-Crane, and Angola Swallow among others. The botanical gardens consist of indigenous trees, about 389 species of plants and a stretch of 5km along the Lake Victoria shore line which offers chances to see water birds.
Entebbe Botanical Gardens
Mabamba Bay Wetland
Mabamba Bay Wetland is one of the best places to see the pre-historic and elusive Shoebill which is one of the big birds in Uganda. The site offers opportunity to look out for the Shoebill, papyrus dwellers and forest birds in the nearby Nkima Forest. Mabamba Bay Wetland is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and about 260 species of birds have been recorded at the swamp.
Species to look out at Mabamba Swamp include;
African Jacana, Blue-headed Coucal often seen perched on the papyrus in the swamp, Lizard buzzard, Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-breasted Bee eater, Yellow-billed ducks, Pied Kingfisher, Papyrus Canary, Blue Swallow, White-winged warbler, Slender-billed Weaver,Yellow-backed weaver, Wood Sandpiper, Woodland Kingfisher, White-browed Cuckoo, Black-headed Weaver and Carruthers’s Cisticola among others. At Nkima Forest you look out for the White-spotted Flufftail, Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher, Whistling Cisticola, Western Nicator, Vanga Flycather, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill and Tambourine dove among others. Birding here is rewarding because you take a motorized canoe for the Shoebill and papyrus dwellers and then combine that with a walk through Nkima Forest for some more birding.
Shoebill at Mabamba Wetland
Lake Mburo National Park
Hosting about 315 bird species, Lake Mburo National Park is a popular birding site in Uganda and a great stop before heading to the forest parks. The national park consists of rocky ridges, papyrus swamps and forested gorges which all serve as great habitats for birds.
Birds in Lake Mburo National Park that you look out for include;
Bare-faced Go-away bird, Red-chested Cuckoo, Crested Francolin, Little Bee-eater, Long-crested Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Meyer’s Parrot, Red-faced Barbet which is an endemic specie, African Green Pigeon, Black Heron, African Grey Hornbill, Red-headed Lovebird, African Finfoot, Greater Blue-eared Starling, African Stonechat,Slate-colored Boubou, Papyrus Gonolek, Carruther’s Cisticola, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Red-billed Ox-pecker, Gray Crowned-Crane, Lilac-breasted Roller, Black-bellied Bustard, Malachite Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Blue-headed Coucal, Pink-backed Pelican, Hairy-breasted Barbet, African Wattled Lapwing, Bateleur, Ross’s Turaco, Pied Kingfisher, Long-tailed Cisticola, Papyrus Yellow-Warbler, Ruppell’s Starling, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Greater Painted-snipe etc. On safari in Lake Mburo national park you choose to do a night game drive to look out for some nocturnal species like the Black-shouldered night jar and the Freckled night jar. The park also offers wildlife sightings during day game drives that include zebras, impalas, Uganda kobs, hippos, eland antelopes, giraffes, water bucks, bushbuck, topi and crocodiles that can be seen while on the Lake Mburo boat ride.
Mabira Forest Reserve
Mabira Forest Reserve is a moist semi-deciduous rain forest located along the Kampala-Jinja highway. The forest is rich in bio-diversity with about 312 tree species, plant species, butterfly species and 23 small mammal species. Mabira Forest is also home to the endangered specie- the Uganda Mangabey. In terms of birding, Mabira Forest offers great sightings and is a great option for visitors who are around for a short time but would like to bird, since its easily accessible from Kampala and Entebbe.
About 315 species of birds have been recorded at the forest reserve.
Birds to look out for while here include;
Great Blue Turaco, Forest Wood-hoopoe, African Grey Parrot, Nahan’s Francolin, Weyns’s Weaver, White-spotted Flufftail, Blue-throated Roller, African pied Hornbill, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Hawk-Eagle, Cassin’s Spine tail, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Little Greenbul, Hairy-breasted Barbet and a number of other bird species. Mabira Forest is rewarding birding site and hosts 74 of the 144 bird species of the Guinea-Congo Forests biome.
At a 1 Day birding excursion in Mabira Forest Reserve
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a must visit while bird watching in Uganda as it is one of the best places to see Albertine Rift endemics and high elevation birds. Bwindi National Park has a high record of over 350 species of birds which include forest specialists and migratory species. The most sought after bird in Bwindi is the African Green Broadbill also known as the Grauer’s Broadbill which is endemic to the Albertine Rift Mountains of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Bwindi National Park covers an area of 321 square kilometers and birding in Bwindi offers one an opportunity to exhaust the forest. Different sectors of the park offer different birding experiences and chance to see different bird species.
Birds to look out for include;
Handsome Francolin, Cinnamon-Chested Bee-eater, Western Tinkerbird, Variable Sunbird, White-browed Robin-chat, White-starred Robin, Strange Weaver, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Apalis an Albertine Rift endemic, Yellow-eyed Black flycatcher, Doherty’s Bushshrike, Snowy-Crowned Robin-chat, Northern double-collared Sunbird, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Black Bee-eater, Cassin’s Flycatcher, African Black Duck, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Brown-capped Weavers, Frazer.s Eagle owl,Black-billed Weaver, Equatorial Akalat, Brown-throated Wattle eye, Blue-throated Roller, Speckled Tinker bird, Many-colored Bushshrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, African Green Broadbill and the Kivu Ground thrush a rarely seen but beautiful specie. Birding in Bwindi involves birding in Ruhija sector which has a number of high elevation endemics, Ruhija is at about 1900-2500m above sea level. You also bird Buhoma sector via the Neck a popular birding trail in Bwindi.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to about 600 bird species with presence of water birds, woodland species and forest birds mainly spotted at Maragambo forest , a medium-altitude rain forest adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The national park located in western Uganda covers an area of 1,978 square kilometers that consists of abundant wildlife, plant life, mammal species, crater lakes, forested areas and open savanna.
Birds to look out for for while in the park include;
Sooty Chat, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Crowned Lapwing, Senegal Lapwing, Pin-tailed Whydah, Red-faced Cisticola, Moustached Grass-Wabler, African Harrier-Hawk, Banded Snake-eagle,Yellow-billed Oxpecker, African Skimmer, African Spoonbill,Red-necked Spurfowl. The Kazinga channel boat ride in the park offers chances to look out for water birds and other bird species. Birds to look out for here include Saddle-billed Stork, Great Egrets, African Skimmers, Marabou Storks. Gull-billed Terns, Pink-backed Pelicans,White-bellied Cormorants, Little Egrets, Great Egrets, and Malachite King fisher among others. The Kazinga Boat ride also offers opportunity to look out for wildlife like Hippos, Crocodiles, Elephants, Water bucks and Cape buffaloes that like to come to shores to drink water on a hot day. The park is also home to birds of prey like the Ruppell’s Vulture, White-backed Vulture and Lappet-faced Vulture that are sometimes encountered feeding on the remains of a lion’s hunt. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a perfect destination for some one looking to bird and see wildlife while at it.
African Harrier-Hawk in Uganda
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale National Park located in western Uganda is also rewarding birding destination with mid-elevation and lowland forest bird species. The park hosts 375 bird species with the most sought after bird being the endemic Green-breasted Pitta. Kibale National Park is also home to the chimpanzees in Uganda and visitors often combine birding with the chimpanzee trekking adventure. The park that covers an area of 766 square kilometers with a high presence of primate species (13 primate species have been recorded) and consists of lowland forest, montane forest, 229 tree species, plant species,herbs and shrubs.
Kibale Forest is a bird watcher’s paradise and species to look out for include;
Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Double-toothed Barbet, White-Collared Oliveback, Northern masked Weaver, African Gray Parrot, Green-backed Camaroptera, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Green throated Sunbird, Speckled Tinkerbird, and Masked apalis among others. The great thing about birding Kibale is you get to bird the forest and the nearby sites that offer rewarding opportunities. Birding sites near Kibale include Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary which is the best place to look out for the Great Blue Turaro, BEARC trail which is a community run trail, Rwengobe chinese walks and Turaco Trails near Bigodi trading centre.
Birds to look out for in these areas include;
Woodland Kingfisher, Western Nicator, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-billed Barbet, White-tailed Ant Thrush, Tambourine Dove, Ross’s Turaco, Shining-blue Kingfisher, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Double-toothed Barbet, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Gray Parrot, Papyrus Gonolek, Black-headed Paradise-Flycatcher, Green Crombec, Red-faced Crombec, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat, Yellow-billed Barbet, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Red-headed Bluebill, Red-faced Cisticola, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Lesser Striped Swallow, Slender-billed Greenbul, Toro Olive-Greenbul, Green Hylia, Green White-eye, Brown Illadopsis, Gray-winged Robin-chat, Speckled Tinkerbird, Green-headed Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Black-necked Weaver, Bronze Mannikin, Black-and-white Mannikin, Gray-headed Nigrita, Yellow-mantled Weaver,Northern Gray-headed Sparrow, Red-headed Malimbe, African Harrier-Hawk and Yellow-fronted Canary among others. Kibale is a must stop while birding in Uganda and a great destination for your Uganda birding checklist.
Great Blue Turaco
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in Uganda and is well known for its spectacular game viewing and thunderous Murchison Water Falls that are the park’s most popular attraction. The park is rich in wildlife and also makes for a birding haven as it hosts 650 species of birds and harbors the elusive Shoebill that is best seen while on the Delta Boat ride. The park is home to escarpment species, low land species, savanna birds and hosts 14 of the Sudan-Guinea Biome species.
Birding to Murchison Falls National Park begins en-route as you look out for species like the Stripped Kingfisher, Grey-headed Oliveback, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu and the Brown Babbler. Birding Murchison then continues at Budongo Central Reserve at the Royal Mile which is a stretch of murram road between the main research station and a forestry college. The Royal Mile is known as the richest bird watching site in Uganda and about 366 bird species have been recorded at the site. Birds to look out for at the Royal Mile in Budongo forest include the African Yellow Warbler, Cabanis’s Bunting, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Forest-Robin, White-thighed Hornbill, Uganda Woodland-warbler, African dwarf Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher (a rare sighting), Black headed Gonolek, Purple-headed starling.
The Royal mile in Budongo
Birding then continues to the main Murchison Falls reserve where you do full day game drives and boat ride on Victoria Nile in search of water birds, escarpment species and savanna species.
Birds to look out for in the national park include;
Bateleur, Gray-headed Bushshrike, Marsh Tchagra, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Abysinnian Ground Hornbill, Red-necked Falcon, Spotted thick-nee, Greater Painted-snipe, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Red-throated Bee-eater, Gray Crowned-cranes, Senegal thick-knee, Water thick-knee, Black-bellied Bustard, Silver Bird, Gray Kestrel, White-faced Whistling duck, Saddle-billed Stork, African Swamphen, Rock Pratincole usually seen on a hike to the bottom of the falls perched on rocky outcrops, and the Goliath Heron which is the world’s largest heron among others. Nocturnal species to look out for while on a night game drive in the park include the Slender-tailed Night Jar and the Greyish Eagle-owl.
Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park is located in Bundibugyo district in the western region of Uganda. The national park is situated along the border of Democratic Republic of Congo and lies in the western section of the East African rift valley and is at the base of the Albertine Rift region.
Semuliki National Park is rich in birdlife making it a bird watcher’s paradise with over 441 species of birds and at least 300 species of butterflies. Semuliki is mainly visited by bird watchers to look for the 35 Guinea-Congo forest biome bird species which are only found in this park and nowhere else in East Africa.
African Sacred Ibises in Semuliki National Park
Bird species to look out for in Semuliki National Park include;
Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Brown-eared Woodpecker, White-crested Hornbill, Yellow-throated Nicator, Red-Tailed Greenbull, African Crake,Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Marsh Tchagra, Red-eyed Puffback, African Sacred Ibis, Congo Serpent Eagle, Papyrus Gonolek, Long-tailed Hawk, Black-casqued Hornbill, Lowland Alakat, Forest Scrub Robin, Simple Greenbul, Palm nut-vulture, Piping Hornbill, Blue-billed Malimbe, Spotted Honeyguide, Grant’s Bluebill, Hartlaub’s Duck,Carruthers’s Cisticola, African Pied Hornbill, Spot-breasted Ibis, Swamp palm bulbul, Gabon Woodpecker, Black-winged Oriole, Standard-winged Night Jars among other species. Semuliki National Park is also home to the elusive Shoebill which can be sighted while on boat trip on Lake Albert at Ntoroko. Semuliki National Park is a birder’s dream and is one of the destinations that offers the best birding in Uganda.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers an area of 996 square kilometers which protects the upper slopes of the Rwenzori Mountains which stretch for almost 120 kilometers along the Democratic Republic of Congo border west of Kasese and Fortportal towns.
The park hosts 217 species of birds including the Albertine Rift Endemics and has a diverse Eco system that is composed of montane forest, giant lobelias, wildlife, small waterfalls and lakes. The birds to look out for in Rwenzori Mountains include Ruwenzori Turaco, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Long-eared Owl, Barred long-tailed Cuckoo, White-starred Forest Robin, Blue-headed sunbird, Ruwenzori Batis, Lagden’s bushshrike, Montane sooty boubou, Golden-winged Sunbird, and Strange Weaver among others.
Best time for birding in Uganda
Birding in Uganda is rewarding all throughout the year and one can bird any time from January to December since the main focus is usually on resident species. However due to the weather and rainy days the best time to bird Uganda is during the months between May – September, during this time the rainy days are less and the food is in plenty for birds making it rewarding to bird. These months also make it easy to navigate forest trails and other birding trails since there is less rain.
Birding Tours in Uganda
