Overview
Uganda is home to over 1000 bird species recorded making it more than 50% and 11% of Africa and the world’s bird population respectively. Uganda is renowned for its array of specialty, endemic, and migratory species. With diverse habitats, from tropical rainforests and high-altitude Mountains to extensive savannas and wetlands; Uganda offers incredible opportunities to see unique and rare birds, including 27 Albertine Rift endemics and the highly sought-after Shoebill. The country’s growing birding tourism is helping to fund conservation efforts, so birdwatchers contribute directly to preserving these beautiful natural habitats and the species within them.
The different bird species include the fox’s weaver, African green broadbill, Rwenzori turaco, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Grauer’s broadbill, dwarf honeyguide, red-throated alethe, Grauer’s swamp-warbler, strange weaver, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, shoebill, great blue turaco, handsome francolin, kivu ground thrush, montane oriole, western green tinkerbird, African emerald cuckoo, crowned hornbill, giant kingfisher, Rwenzori batis, Rwenzori nightjar, apalis, ostrich, hartlaub’s duck, Eurasian wigeon, yellow-billed duck, maccoa duck, flamingos, grebes, doves, rock pigeon, thick-billed cuckoo, spinetail, crakes, African finfoot, grey crowned crane, lapwings, African jacana, sandpipers, snipes, bushshrikes, African skimmer, marabou stork, yellow-billed stork, great cormorant, great white pelican, herons, egrets, bitterns, and many more.
Uganda’s birding safaris are sure to leave lasting memories and sightings, making it an ideal destination for both seasoned birders and newcomers to the hobby below are the different places where birding can be enjoyed:
Birding in Mabamba swamp
Mabamba Swamp is a must for birders as it’s both a Ramser site and one of the best birding destinations on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, near Entebbe. The swamp is an extensive marshland covered in papyrus, lilies, and other wetland vegetation, making it a crucial habitat for over 300 bird species including threatened, migratory, and restricted species making it a birder’s haven. Mabamba Swamp is one of the best places in Africa to see the elusive Shoebill, a prehistoric-looking bird with a large shoe-shaped bill. Spotting a Shoebill in its natural habitat is a highlight of any birding trip to Mabamba.
Birding excursions in Mabamba Swamp often involve guided boat safaris, allowing visitors to explore the swamp’s waterways and channels while searching for birdlife. Boat trips provide excellent opportunities to see elusive species such as the Shoebill and offer a unique perspective on the swamp’s biodiversity. Birding in Mabamba Swamp has a unique opportunity to explore one of Uganda’s most important wetland habitats while encountering diverse bird species, including the rare Shoebill, papyrus gonolek, blue-breasted bee-eater, malachite kingfisher, African jacana, African fish eagle, long-toed lapwing, squacco heron, blue swallow, Eurasian marsh harrier, yellow-throated greenbul, ross’s turaco, pink-backed pelican, pygmy geese, saddle-billed stork, speckled mousebird, mosque swallow, orange weaver, grey parrot, common bulbul, black crake, cormorants, herons, and many more. With water birds, wetland species, beautiful papyrus channels, and Lake Victoria views, Mabamba offers a rewarding and memorable birding experience.
Birding in Entebbe Botanical gardens
As the only national Botanical garden, established in 1901, Entebbe Botanical Gardens is located near Lake Victoria in Entebbe. With trees, shrubs, and open spaces, the Botanical Gardens attract bird species, including common and rare species, alongside many butterflies and other wildlife like the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and reptiles. The gardens provide a crucial green space that supports a diversity of bird species in an urban area, making it an important site for both resident and migratory birds.
The gardens are home to a mix of birds including African grey parrot, black and white casqued hornbill, palm-nut vulture, great blue turaco, eastern plantain-eater, African fish eagle, ross’s turaco, red-chested sunbird, pied kingfisher, crowned hornbill, speckled mousebird, brown-throated wattle-eye, black-headed heron, little egret, hammerkop, hadada ibis, warblers, flycatchers, and many more. With Lake Victoria as a scenic backdrop and the gardens’ peaceful atmosphere, birdwatching provides a serene and memorable experience.
Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of Africa’s most biodiverse and ancient rainforests and offers a unique opportunity to be explored with some of the most sought-after bird species with over 350 species with 23 endemics to the Albertine Rift making it a birder’s paradise. Through trails like the Buhoma waterfall trail, Mubwindi swamp trail, Bamboo zone, Kashasha River, and Ivy River trail one is spoilt for choice as all trails will feed the eye enough with the available bird species in the different areas.
Some of the bird species include African green broadbill, Grauer’s broadbill, Rwenzori turaco, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, handsome francolin, dwarf honeyguide, red-throated alethe, stripe-breasted tit, great blue turaco, black bee-eater, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, white-bellied robin-chat, kivu ground thrush, bar-tailed trogon, purple-breasted sunbird, blue-headed sunbird, green-breasted pitta, montane oriole, western green tinkerbird, African emerald cuckoo, crowned hornbill, giant kingfisher, Rwenzori batis, Rwenzori nightjar, apalis, and many more. For birders seeking to spot Albertine Rift endemics and rare species in a beautiful, challenging environment, Bwindi is an unforgettable destination as the forest is a conservation area to help protect both the birds and the endangered mountain gorillas.
Birding in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers a unique opportunity to explore a biodiverse montane forest habitat in the Virunga Mountains. While the park is primarily known for its population of mountain gorillas, it also boasts a rich variety of bird species. Key birding areas within Mgahinga Forest include the Bamboo Zone, where you may encounter species such as the Stripe-breasted Tit and Archer’s Robin-Chat, and the montane forest, where you can search for the Albertine Rift endemics and other forest-dwelling species.
Mgahinga is part of the Albertine Rift, a biodiversity hotspot known for its high levels of endemism. The forest is home to several bird species found only in this region, such as the Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis, and Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird. The montane forest habitat of Mgahinga is teeming with birdlife. Look out for species such as the Dusky Turtle Dove, Olive Pigeon, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, and Montane Oriole. While birding in Mgahinga, you may also have the opportunity to encounter the endangered Golden Monkey, a primate species endemic to the Albertine Rift. Keep an eye out for these charismatic monkeys as they move through the forest canopy.
Birding on Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi, located in southwestern Uganda, is a delightful experience due to its rich avian diversity and stunning natural beauty and the second largest lake in Africa. Lake Bunyonyi is renowned for its tranquil atmosphere, lush greenery, and numerous small islands dotting its waters, creating an ideal habitat for a wide variety of bird species as the name Bunyonyi means ‘the place of little birds’, and it is home to about 200 bird species. While birdwatching can be rewarding throughout the area, some specific hotspots around Lake Bunyonyi are particularly renowned for birding. These include Bwama Island, Bushara Island, Kyahugye Island, and Habukomi Island, among others. These areas provide diverse habitats, from marshes and wetlands to woodlands and gardens, attracting a wide range of bird species.
Expect to see birds like the grey-crowned crane, white-winged swamp warbler, papyrus gonolek, African jacana, malachite kingfisher, black-headed heron, scarlet-chested sunbird, green-headed sunbird, black and white casqued hornbill, yellow-billed barbet, brown-throated wattle-eye, speckled mousebird, common stonechat, pin-tailed whydah, double-toothed barbet, augur buzzard, African fish eagle, yellow wagtail, black kite, barn swallow, and many more. Other activities like canoeing, hiking, swimming, and cultural encounters will still give you a chance to enjoy the different bird species available in and around Lake Bunyonyi. The combination of papyrus swamps, islands, and hills ensures that a birding safari at Lake Bunyonyi will be rewarding and unforgettable.
Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park located in western Uganda provides an excellent opportunity to explore the diverse avian life of this renowned conservation area with about 610 bird species and the range of wildlife and diverse ecosystems. The park’s variety of habitats, from savannas and wetlands to forests and lakes, makes it an ideal place to see both migratory and resident species. With spots like Maramagambo forest, Kazinga channel, Mweya peninsula, Ishasha sector, and Katwe area one can discover the wealth of avian diversity. Queen Elizabeth National Park encompasses diverse ecosystems, including savannah grasslands, forests, wetlands, and water bodies like lakes and rivers, each supporting different bird species.
The park has several bird species like papyrus gonolek, African skimmers, black-headed gonolek, swamp flycatcher, red-chested sunbird, saddle-billed stork, African jacana, African fish eagle, yellow-billed stork, African finfoot, blue-headed bee-eater, martial eagle, white-tailed lark, shoebill stork, great blue turaco, grey-crowned crane, long-crested eagle, Egyptian vulture, lappet-faced vulture, egrets, flamingos, herons, cormorants, tinker birds, cuckoos and many more together with wildlife like lions, leopards, rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, hyenas, antelopes, warthogs, forest hogs and many more. With its extensive bird list, diverse landscapes, and year-round birdwatching opportunities, Queen Elizabeth National Park is a must-visit for any birder traveling to Uganda.
Birding in Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls is a haven for a diverse array of wildlife and over 450 bird species and the park offers an exceptional experience, set against a backdrop of the mighty Nile River, savannas, and the breathtaking Murchison Falls. The park enables birders to see a mix of water birds, savanna birds, forest species, and African raptors through trails like the Nile Delta, Nile River, Budongo forest reserve, Kaniyo Pabidi forest, and Paraa area.
Visitors can spot birds like the rare shoebill, goliath heron, African fish eagle, grey-crowned crane, African jacana, great white, pelican, pink-backed pelican, Abyssinian ground hornbill, secretary bird, black-bellied bustard, speckled-fronted weaver, red-throated bee-eater, martial eagle, chocolate-backed kingfisher, cassin’s spinetail, ituris batis, Puvel’s illadopsis, bateleur, African harrier-hawk, northern carmine bee-eater, rock pratincole, Denham’s bustard, and many more. The possibility of seeing rare species like the shoebill and Pel’s fishing owl, alongside vibrant savanna and forest species, ensures a rewarding experience for birders of all levels.
Birding in Kibale Forest National Park
Best known for its primate population including the chimpanzees, Kibale forest is also one of Uganda’s top birding destinations with over 370 bird species. It is located in western Uganda, the tropical rainforest offers birdwatchers a chance to spot a mix of forest endemics, colorful species, and even some Albertine Rift endemics. The birding hotspots in the Kibale forest are the Kanyanchu area, the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, and the Sebitoli sector. The opportunity to see both birds and chimpanzees in one trip makes Kibale a must-visit destination for birders and nature enthusiasts alike.
Birders will view birds like dusky crimsonwing, red-faced woodland warbler, blue-headed sunbird, green-breasted pitta, African grey parrot, Abyssinian ground thrush, black bee-eater, blue-breasted kingfisher, speckle-breasted woodpecker, yellow-billed barbet, hairy-breasted barbet, superb sunbird, little green sunbird, African blue flycatcher, crowned eagle, African goshawk, white-naped pigeon, scaly-breasted illadopsis, purple-throated cuckoo shrike, and many more. The combination of lush forests, accessible trails, and diverse birdlife makes it one of the best places for birding in Uganda.
Birding in Lake Mburo national park
Birding in Lake Mburo National Park offers a unique opportunity to explore a range of habitats, including savannah, acacia woodlands, and wetlands, which support over 350 bird species. The park is known for its unique wildlife diversity, and birding here is complemented by sightings of impalas, zebras, and the occasional leopard. The park offers several prime birding locations, including the swampy areas around Lake Mburo and Lake Kacheera, the Rwonyo rest camp area, as well as the acacia woodlands and grasslands within the park.
Birds like African finfoot, African jacana, white-backed duck, egrets, herons, Abyssinian ground hornbill, red-faced barbet, crested francolin, bee-eaters, weavers, martial eagles, lappet-faced vultures, grey-crowned crane, papyrus gonolek, yellow-breasted apalis, malachite kingfisher, crested barbet, African fish eagle, mariqua sunbird, rufous-naped lark, and many more. The range of birding activities, from boat safaris to walking safaris, provides multiple ways to observe birds and enjoy the park’s natural beauty.
The best time for birding in Uganda is typically during the dry seasons, from December to February and June to August as they offer more comfortable conditions for exploring the diverse habitats however at times it depends on the visitor’s desire or need to determine when they can go birding. This means that we also have the breeding season normally from March to May and September- to November as the birds are in full breeding plumage and highly vocal, which can enhance birdwatching experiences. However, December to February is often considered the best time for birding in Uganda, as it aligns with migratory bird arrivals, reduced rainfall, and good visibility.