Uganda has an increasing reputation as an exceptional worldwide sites for Bird Watching. The country hosts over 1500 species of birds, due to the diversity of its territory, ranging from savannah, semi-desert, montane tropical rain forests, wetlands, Lakes, rivers, and Afro-Alpine zone to thick impenetrable rain forests is a rich habitat for the most sought-after birds in the world.
Uganda’s 10 most commonly sought after birds:
- Shoe bill stork
- African green Broadbill
- Green-breasted pitta
- Nahans francolin
- Brown chested pullover
- Karamoja Apalis
- Black bee eater
- Ruwenzori turaco
- Red fronted anti pecker
- Purcell’s illadopsis.
Just Travel Uganda Birders’ Paradise sites
Kibale National Park
The bird list counts about 335 species including four spiecies Nahan’s francolin, Cassin’s spinetail, blue-headed bee-eater and Masked apalis not recorded in any other National Park. Other common bird spices of Kibale include Red winged francolin, red chested fluff tail, white napped pigeon, African pita, white-napped pigeon, Joyful green bull, grey winged pigeon, Abyssinian ground thrush, grey throated fly catcher, white bellied crested flycatcher masker, Uganda woodland warbler, chestnut-winged, Scaly Francolin, Marsh Tchagra, Black-bellied Seed cracker, Green-backed Twin spot, Bi- colored Manikin, White-napped Pigeon, Afep Pigeon, Narina’s Trogon, Joyful Green bull, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, the Black Bee-eater.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Birding any where in Queen Elizabeth National Park is good though the Mweya stands out for the myriad water birds on the Kazinga Channel, while the riparian forest at Ishasha is a good place to see more unusual species. This Park records over 600 bird species truly remarkable figure for a reserve that is relatively small by continental standards. Bird species, includes 11 types of king fisher, over 54 raptors, flamingoes, shoebill stork, African skimmer, white-winged warbler, papyrus Gonolek, black bee eater, Red-necked Falcon, Black-billed Barbet, Leaf-love, Black-chinned Quail-finch, African Pygmy-goose, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Lesser Swamp-warbler, White-headed Barbet and Yellow Bishop.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This is one of the richest flora and fauna forests of East Africa. It has over 350 a remarkably high figure and considering other national Parks checklist Bwindi has got very few water-associated bird species. This spot gives an opportunity of viewing the 23 Endemic species of Albertine rift and at least 14 species recorded nowhere else in Uganda. The common bird spices of Bwindi include Archer’s Robin chat, Kiev gerund thrush, Collared pails, Yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Rwenzori batis, Red-throated Alethe, Equatorial Akalat, Forest Robin, Montane Oriole, Grey-throated Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, African Broadbill, Black Bee-eater, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Narina’s Trogon, Pettit’s Cuckooshrike, Black-faced Rufous Warbler.
Rujija (Bwindi)
This is one of the most alluring bird walks in Uganda, with the possibility of ticking off some 20 bird species endemic to the Albertine Rift vallery, notable the extremely local African green broadbill and Grauer’s rush warbler. Other common bird spices include White-starred Robin, Grey Cuckoo shrike, Strange Weaver, Banded Prinia, Brown-chested Alethe, Slender-billed Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Green bull, White-browed Crombec, Mountain Illadopsis, Luehder’s Bush-shrike, Grey-green Bush-shrike.
Bigodi wetland sanctuary
The best bird watching sport where a four-hour trail has been laid out and local experienced guides will be able to show you several localized species that you might otherwise overlook. Some of the common bird spices in Bigodi wetland sanctuary include Black billed turaco, white spotted crake, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Scaly-throated Honey guide and Black-faced Rufus Warbler.
Budongo Forest
Budongo Forest is of great ornithological significance, with 366 bird species including 60 west or central African birds known from fewer than five locations in East Africa. The Yellow footed flycatcher often associated with ironwood trees known nowhere else in Uganda. Other common bird spices include OfIturi Batis, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Forest Francolin, Yellow and Grey Longbills, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Red-tailed Antthrush, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Banded Snake-eagle, African Pied Hornbill, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Black Bishop, Brown Twin sport, Black-bellied Fire finch, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, White-thighed Hornbill, Yellow-billed Barbet, Spotted Green bull, Cameroon Sombre Green bull, Slender-billed Green bull, Black-capped Apalis, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Green Hylia, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Forest Flycatcher, Fire-crested Alethe, Yellow Longbill, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, and African Dwarf Kingfisher among others.
Semliki National Park
The park is alluring to birdwatchers with 462 species recorded. The game drives on the open plains are likely to yield Abyssinian ground hornbill and a variety of raptors, the Mugiri river forest is best for elusive leaflovein Uganda, while areas of rank vegetation are good for Marsh tchagra and African crake and the night game drives are good for noctanal birds. Other common bird spices include Spot-breasted Ibis, Northern Bearded Scrub-robin, Capuchin Babbler, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Yellow-throated Green Cuckoo, White-bellied Kingfisher, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Black-winged Oriole, Red-eyed Puffback, Crested and Red-bellied Malimbe, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Zenker’s Honeyguide and African Piculet among others.
Mabamba Swamp:
Mabamba swamp has grown into one of the most interesting and spectacular site for bird watching in Uganda recent surveys recording over 157 species of birds. Apart from Murchison Falls National Park, Mabamba bay is the only site rated as the best in Africa and the whole world where the elusive Shoebill can be spotted at any one time of the day, approximately 38% of the global population of the Blue Swallow, and the globally threatened Papyrus Yellow Warbler plus other birds of global conservation concern and habitat to rare plant species. Some of the common birds sighted include Swamp Flycatcher, Purple Swamp hen, African Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, African Pygmy-goose, White-faced Whistling-duck, Squacco Heron, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding Cist cola, Goliath Heron, Blue-breasted kingfisher, Wayne’s Weaver, White-spotted Fluff tail, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Grey Parrot, Lemon Dove, Black-billed Turaco, Fire-crested Althea, Snowy-headed Robin-chat, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Hair-breasted Barbet, Woodland Warbler, Olive Green bull, Sooty Boubou. and Black Crake.
Lake Mburo National Park
With 315 species of birds recorded in Lake Mburo National Park, the park is probably the best place in Uganda to see acacia-associated birds plus a handful Lake and swamp associated birds including African Fin foot, Brown-chested Lapwing, Lilac-breasted Roller, Black-bellied Bustard, Helmeted Guineafowl, Coqui Francolin, Rufous-napped Lark, Morning Dove, Dideric Cuckoo, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-headed Weaver and Ring-necked Dove.