Uganda Bird Watching Safari
Uganda Bird Watching Safari, Do you opt to visit Uganda purposely for bird watching? Right, we have got you the best information which can be helpful as far as organizing your birding safari is concerned. Uganda seats in the meeting realms where the Central African tropics meets with the East African Savannah. This creates a wide habitat for various bird species for both tropics and savannah.
Uganda is one of the Africa’s leading birding destinations. As of 2021, Uganda recorded a total of 1090 bird species of which some are endemic. Others introduced, others accidental and the rest are hypothetical. About 24 of the species are endemic to the country, and as well some other species are only endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley line (Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.
In most case several visitors have combined their game viewing safaris with bird watching. Along adventure safaris, the shoebill stork, ostrich, stuhlmann’s double collared sunbird, Fox’s weavers have drown much attention from several bird enthusiasts. While on a bird agenda in the beautiful Pearl of Africa, you don’t need to travel distances. No, all areas and everywhere in Uganda you can sight at least 10 bird species.
Offering a birding trip, means going through the highly elevated mountains, gently sloping, tropical rain-forests, valleys, swamps, water bodies, savannahs, thickets and many others forms. Being to any of the mentioned, then you have an opportunity to variety of incredible bird species.
List of Some Birding places in Uganda
There are many significant bird destination in Uganda. Among some of the places include natural forests, national parks, and swamps among many others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Any birder wouldn’t like to miss out Queen Elizabeth National Park on their bird trip while in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth Park is Uganda’s and East African leading destination with the highest number of bird species recorded. The park records about 600 bird species which can’t be recorded from any other park in the Rift Valley region.
The uniqueness of Queen Elizabeth National Park for blending with various vegetation covers and varying landscapes has attracted several of the birds. Queen Elizabeth Park decorated with savannah, thickets, woodlands, tropics that lay on flat, gentle slopes, and gorges. The park extends to central African forests and seats at the foothills of Mt. Rwenzori National Park within the rift.
Major points to watch birds while at Queen Elizabeth National Park include; Kasenyi which is majorly for game viewing, Mweya peninsular, Lake Katwe, Kazinga Channel, and the Kyambura gorge. The park has a unique bird experience which is arranged by Uganda Wildlife Authority on request, and this is bird counting. The bird counting experience is done alongside experienced guides and have a specified kind of bird species followed.
Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park Uganda’s birders haven. This is home to about 440 bird species of which about 23 are Albertine Rift Valley endemic, about 35 are of the Central African forests, and some others are migratory. The park is among the popular and unique birders destinations in Uganda and very rewarding.
Semuliki covered with the savannah, thickets and central African forests which are habitat for various wild mammals and bird. There is one of the finest Africa’s best forest bird species. There are several bird watching trails like the Sempaya trails that leads to the hot springs and the Ntandi trail for excellent bird viewing points.
Mabamba Swamp
Along the shores of Lake Victoria is the Mabamba swamp which has scooped a position of being among the right birding destinations in Uganda. Mabamba swamp is common for being the most famous destination for watching the shoebill stork birds. This makes Mabamba the most visited bird destination for birding purposes. Birders here take the canoe riding trail which sails closer to where the giant bird is sighted.
Bigodi wetland sanctuary
Bigodi wetland sanctuary is a small wetland that stretches from Kibale National Park western Uganda. The wetland purposely gazetted to protect small primate species and birds. About 13 various primates recorded in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary with about 200 species of birds recorded. The most fascinating species to look out for while in the wetland are the great blue turaco, papyrus Gonolek, Ibris, blue-head coucal and the black-faced rufus warbler.
Entebbe botanical garden
The Entebbe botanical gardens are located on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe. The botanical is the only national botanical garden in the country that host variety of species. Among the recorded species some are water species, open country species, woodland species and forest species.