The country’s diverse landscapes and ecosystems provide ideal habitats for an enormous species including exotic forest birds to tall water cranes. The country is truly a heaven for bird lovers. There are many national parks offering a great birding view including Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Nyamuriro Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, Semliki Reserves, and more.
Following are few iconic birds of Uganda:
Shoebill Stork:
The bird got its name from the large bill that looks almost like a shoe, the bird looks quite old and weirdest.
Crested Crane:
Living among the grassy wetlands of Uganda, the crested crane is the national park of Uganda and features in the national park of the country.
Shelley’s Crimsonwing:
The most colorful bird that is quite slim and shy natured can be mostly spotted at Albertine Rift that borders the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Great Blue Turaco:
Widely believed by the locals that blue turaco brings good luck, is the most common bird that can be spotted in Uganda.
Marabou Stork:
This tall wading bird looks much wired due to its cloak-like wings, skinny legs and air sacs hanging down from the base of its neck. This is mostly considered as the ugliest bird of Uganda.
African Green Broadbill:
These small and elusive birds can only be spotted at the Bwindi National Park. With green feathers and light blue throat, the bird looks quite exotic and one of the rarest bird species of Uganda.
Uganda Birding Tours
Experience Uganda Birding Safari holidays(Uganda Birding Safari) grab a chance to spot some of the world’s most unique bird species. Although Uganda is a popular destination for primate trekking, it also boast a large number of bird species. Birding Safaris/bird watching safari in Uganda are one of the top 5 safari activities to include in your safari bucket list for Uganda. About 50% of Africa’s bird species and 11% of the world’s total bird species are found in Uganda, and over 1,070 bird species have been recorded in the country. Uganda Birding Safari Holidays are guided by well-trained and experienced birding guides in Uganda that have vast knowledge about the country’s birds.
During Birding safaris in Uganda, you will grab the opportunity to spot some of the endemic species, rare and migratory species alike. Our tours will take you to some of the best Uganda birding safari sites like the Mabamba Wetland, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Murchison Falls, and Queen Elizabeth National Park among others.
You will also witness the several Albertine endemic species on your Birding Safari in Uganda/Birding tours in Uganda.
Popular Birding Sites in Uganda – Where to go for bird watching in Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Popular for the endangered mountain gorilla population, the Bwindi forest is also home to an incredible number of bird species. Up to 350 different bird species have been recorded in Bwindi, most of which are forest birds. During safaris to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, one of the top experiences to do is bird watching. Bwindi has some of the best bird watching spots such as Ruhija and Buhoma.
Mabamba Wetland – Bird at Mabamba Swamp
The Mabamba wetland is one of the popular birding site in Uganda. The wetland is a Ramsar site and one of the Important Birding Areas in the country. Mabamba is close to Uganda’s capital city of Kampala and Entebbe town and can be accessed by road. Mabamba is popular for its iconic shoebill stork, a majestic bird that is rare and only found in a few places.
Besides the iconic shoebill, Mabamba Bay is also home to other 300 different bird species. The best way to explore the wetland and its bird life is by going on a traditional canoe trip along its narrow channel. Other popular encounters here include the lesser jacana, African jacana, Blue-breasted bee-eater, and pied kingfisher among others.
Kibale National Park – Birding in Kibale
Kibale National Park is another top birding site in Uganda. The Kibale forest is home to an impressive bird species with about 375 species recorded within the area. Most of the bird life in Kibale is resident although during the month of November and April when there are heavy rains in the north, this park receives a number of migratory species. Birding in Kibale National Park is remarkable since it will allow you to spot some of the rare and unique birdlife in the world.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Detached from the popular safari circuit, Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the best Safari destinations in Uganda for both wildlife viewing & birding. Kidepo Valley National Park is home to an impressive population of birds with up to 475 different bird species recorded within the park boundaries. Among the diverse birdlife in Kidepo, 60 species can not be spotted in any other National Park in Uganda. Birding safaris to Kidepo Valley guarantee sightings of rare and unique birdlife especially if you visit top birding spots like the Narus and Namamukweny Valleys. Bird encounters here include the four-banded sandgrouse, Clapperton’s francolin, Ruppell’s and superb starlings, black-breasted barbet, crimson-rumped waxbill, little weaver, vinaceous dove, red-cheeked cordon-bleu, mosque swallow, Nubian woodpecker, marsh tchagra, broad-tailed warbler, Abyssinian roller, and ground hornbill among others. Kidepo Valley is also a unique a beautiful National Park in Uganda, and perhaps one of the most Beautiful safari Parks in Africa.