Uganda is an equatorial country with an amazing diversity of habitats. Truly a Kingdom of Birds, Uganda is home to over 1,000 bird species, both Albertine Rift endemics and rarities with half of the known species on the African continent, and over 10% of those recorded worldwide. For a bird watching safari, Uganda is a perfect destination. The country located in the Albertine region is also on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, the source of the White Nile, and the country is extremely fertile with parks, wildlife, lakes, and rivers. Mountain ranges, parks and cool, attractive scenery.
Uganda enjoys a tropical climate with rainy seasons that last from April to May and from October to November, which is a favorable condition for the existence of birds, since the birds breed during the wet season. The wide variety of birds are found in both urban and rural areas of Uganda and the most popular birds are Shoebill, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-fronted Antpecker, Green-breasted pitta, Black bee-eater, Purvell’s illadopsis, Karamoja Apalis, Nahans Francolin, the African Green Bill and the Brown-breasted Plover. Species of the city and suburbs primarily include the African hobbyist, bat hawk, copper sunbirds, white-faced scops owl, freckled nightjar, and many more species.
Other bird species include orange weaver, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, pied kingfisher, grey-headed gull, black-headed heron, yellow-billed duck, marsh flycatcher, Vieillot’s black weaver, the Hamerkop, the Great Blue Turaco and the Ross’s Turaco Forest Kingfisher. Broad-billed Roller, Splendid Starling, African Fish Eagle, Hadada Ibis, Shikra, Angolan Swallow, Grey-headed Warbler, Long-crested Eagle, Palm and Hooded Vulture, Gray Kestrel and many more species not mentioned.
Uganda’s equatorial location, the transition to the savannah of East Africa and the tropical rainforests of the west combine with the altitude and wide variety of terrain types to provide an overwhelming variety of opportunities for keen bird watchers, making makes it the most comprehensive birdwatching destination in Africa.
Top birding spots in Uganda include: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for endemic Albertina Rift species such as Black Bee-eater and African Green-billed Murchison Falls National Park for savannah specialists such as Shoebill, Hornbill Abyssinian terrestrial and the red-throated bee-eater, the Kibale forest for the green-breasted pitta, great blue Turaco. The Queen Elizabeth National Park inhabits about 600 species such as the African mourning dove, Temminck’s steed. Mabamba Swamp for the Shoebill Stork, Budongo Forest for the White-crested Turaco, Bright Blue Kingfisher, and Semliki National Park for the White-crested Sunbird species. The Rwenzori Mountains with various bird species, Lake Mburo for Gonelek Papyrus and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for Black-billed Turaco, White Spotted Crake and many more colorful bird species.
A variety of unique habitats and many magnificent birds make a visit to Uganda a must for all bird watchers. This birding hotspot augments a bird list of over 1000 bird species, some of which are the rare and most sought after birds of East Africa, and spectacular globally threatened species. Uganda is home to the largest variety and concentration of birds, primates such as chimpanzees, and wildlife, lakes and rivers, snow-capped mountain ranges, parks, and landscapes. Good infrastructure and a variety of interesting activities such as gorilla tracking, sport fishing and white water rafting make Uganda a worthwhile destination and enhance the bird watching experience.