Birding Destinations in Uganda, Best Bird Watching Tours in Uganda

Uganda happens to be a birding paradise with over 1070 bird species recorded on the checklist in the different birding destinations. Uganda consists 50% of Africa’s bird species and 11% of the world’s species making Uganda the most preferred and liked destination for bird watching in Africa.

For a great birding safari experience, Uganda provides easy spotting of many birds by covering a small area or birding for a short period of time with over 34 Important Bird Areas (IBA) both protected areas and private areas many of which have been developed for bird watching and birding tours across the country and to enjoy bird watching in Uganda you need to be prepared for long birding hours and expect some hiking in some areas.

For example, while birding in Ruwenzori Mountains, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Mt Elgon, Bwindi Impenetrable national park, there is a considerable amount of hiking up and down the mountainous areas.

The Uganda birding community has continued to identify new bird-rich spots across the country establishing birding trails and empowering local communities for the conservation and sustainable development of the birds.

In Uganda, Bird habitats include wetlands and papyrus swamps, forests, Savannah, agricultural lands, woodlands, rocky ridges, and Afro-pine moorland.

Top birding destinations in Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi impenetrable forest Uganda’s oldest forest which means it’s an ideal home for a variety of birds and it happens to be Africa’s best birding area by Africa Bird Club. The park offers over 350 species of birds and its easy accessibility has made it the number one destination for birders.

The forest also includes over 23 Albertine Rift Endemics 14 of which are not recorded anywhere else in Uganda.  Birds of Bwindi include; Kiva ground thrust, Handsome spurfowl, Dusky twin spot, Strange Weaver, Little rush warbler, Crowned hornbill, Giant kingfisher’, Black-billed turaco, Ruwenzori nightjar, African green pigeon’, African harrier hawk among others.

 Murchison Falls National Park      

Murchison falls national park being Uganda’s largest and oldest national park has been one of the best birding destinations in Uganda the Pearl of Africa. The very fact that the park is well known in the whole world due to the mighty world’s strongest waterfall has made it the number one destination for tourists in Uganda.

The park happens to be a home of over to over 450 bird species. When in Murchison falls national park, birding can be done on a game drive, boat cruise on the mighty River Nile, or a nature walk.  Expect to see birds like, Abyssinian ground hornbill, African jacana, African quail finch, black-billed barbet, goliath heron, malachite kingfisher, giant kingfisher, shoebill, silver birds, blue-headed coucal, Denham’s bustard, palm nut vulture, squacco heron, swamp flycatcher, eastern grey plantain eater, white-browed sparrow weaver among others in a variety of habitats within Murchison falls national park which includes, swamps, riverine woodlands, savannah and plains of acacia trees, forests and shrubs.

Mabamba Bay Wetland at Lake Victoria

This marsh- filled channels and papyrus lines trails of Mabamba swamp on the northern shore of the largest freshwater lake in Africa, Lake Victoria has been considered to be a prime birding territory in Uganda and the swamp happens to be the country’s best habitant of the notoriously elusive shoebill due to its easy accessibility.

Mabamba also happens to be a home of 300 bird species which includes, shoebill stock, lesser jacana, papyrus gonolek, orange weaver, black egret, black crake, black-faced rufous warbler, and goliath heron among others.

Queen Elizabeth National Park – Birding Destinations in Uganda

Queen Elizabeth happens to be a birders haven with over 600 bird species.  Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park is very easy because birds are easy to spot. Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park can be done on a game drive, community walk, and boat cruise on the Kazinga channel without forgetting the salt lakes of Lake Katwe and Bunyampaka which harbors very many flamingoes.

Birds of Queen Elizabeth national park include; African hobby, African finfoot, African skimmer, black bee-eater, broad-billed roller, Caspian plover, crab plover, palm nut vulture, common sand martin, papyrus gonolek, spotted redshank, white-backed night heron, yellow-throated cuckoo, yellow-bellied wattle eye among others.

Kibale Forest National Park/ Kibale Forest

Besides chimpanzee trekking, the Kibale forest is a prime birding destination with over 375 bird species which includes 6 endemics to the Albertine Rift area. Kibale’s dense vegetation has made it favorable for bird spotting. Different birds of Kibale include; African pitta, green breasted pitta, white napped pigeon,  crowned eagle, red chested owlet, black bee-eater, western nicator, little greenbul, African grey parrot, African pied wagtail, masked Apalis,  blue-headed sunbird, blue breasted kingfisher, brown illadopsis, Ruwenzori Apalis among others.

Other best birding destinations in Uganda includes Semuliki National; Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Ruwenzori Mountains National Park,  Maramagambo forest, Mabira forest, Budongo forest, Kalinzu forest, Echuya forest, PianUpe game reserve, Katonga game reserve, Mabamba Swamp, Nyamuriro swamp, and several agricultural lands.

Our Popular & Discounted Uganda Birding Safari Packages

Mega Wild Safaris Tailor all kind of Uganda Wildlife Safari Tour Packages to the top-rated safari tour Wildlife destinations which Include Bwindi Impenetrable Park, Murchison falls park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo Park, and Mgahinga Gorilla Park for Golden Monkey Tracking Tours.

Mega Wild Safaris Popular wildlife Safaris to give our clients a great opportunity to go and have an unforgettable experience Safari Trips to the popular Uganda wildlife safari destinations.