Birding Safaris Tour

Uganda Birding Safaris Tour offers a feast of rare and colorful species, and the chance to improve dramatically on your species life list. More than 1,065 bird species inhabit a range of habitats – from montane forests to wetlands, agricultural lands, lakes, and savannahs.

Uganda is on the equator, and the endemic species-rich Albertine Rift valley separates the west of the country from DR Congo and Rwanda, so expect impressive biodiversity.  In no particular order, here are arguably the best Birding Safaris Tour spots in Uganda:

Mabamba Marsh at Lake Victoria– Birding Safaris Tour in Uganda

Mabamba Marsh is one of the best places to catch a glimpse of the highly – prized shoebill. Victoria is the largest freshwater body in Africa and is home to about 260 bird species.

Look out for the shoebill, blue swallow, pallid harrier, papyrus gonolek, swamp flycatcher, pigmy goose, lesser jacana, white-winged warbler, Viellot’s weaver, grosbeak weaver, palm-nut vulture, black-headed weaver, northern brown-throated weaver, Clarke’s weaver, and Carruthers’scist cola.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Bwindi is the heart and soul of Ugandan Birding Safaris Tour, the make-and-breaker of bird lists, and the home of many endemic and rare bird species. This forested heaven boasts about 350 species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics of which 14 are not recorded anywhere else in Uganda.

The forest trails around Buhoma are ALIVE with opportunity as you stand your best chance to catch a glimpse of the olive long-tailed cuckoo, bar-tailed trogon, dusky tit, Abyssinian (Kivu) ground thrush, white-bellied robin-chat, equatorial akalat, grey-chested Iladopsis, red-throated leather, white-bellied crested flycatcher, white-eyed slaty flycatcher, the enigmatic Chapin’s flycatcher, white-browed crombec, Neumann’s warbler, black-faced Prinia, handsome francolin, Jameson’s anti-pecker, black-faced rufous warbler, northern double-collared sunbird, Willcock’s honeyguide, black bee-eater, black-billed weaver, magpie mannikin and newly described Willard’s sooty boubou.

Murchison Falls National Park– Birding Safaris Tour in Uganda

Murchison Falls is Uganda’s oldest and largest national park, named after the mighty waterfall of the same name – formed as the mighty Nile River is forced through a 7-meter gap in the rocks.

The park is home to about 450 bird species, and Birding Safaris Tour can be done on a game drive, via a boat trip (on the Nile), or on a nature walk. Habitat types include forest, swamp, riverine woodland, palm savannah, and acacia-dotted plains.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a birdwatcher’s haven, with about 600 bird species across a variety of habitats – from sprawling savannah to dense forest, lakes, and wetlands.

Moving from Ishasha to Mweya you will do well keeping an eye out for African crake, blue-throated roller, flappet lark, sooty chat, black-and-white shrike-flycatcher, northern black flycatcher, black-headed gonolek, mustached grass warbler, Red-chested sunbird, and slender-billed weaver. And along the banks of the Kasinga channel, you can expect grey crowned-crane, hamerkop, African jacana, flocks of African skimmer, gull-billed tern, as well as grey-headed and lesser black-backed gulls.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park– Birding Safaris Tour in Uganda

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to about 180 bird species, including some of the spectacular Albertine Rift endemics. It is located in the southern part of Uganda, bordering Rwanda and DR Congo, and comprises dense highland forest on the slopes of 3 extinct volcanoes.

Mgahinga offers excellent bird viewing opportunities along the gorge trail, bamboo trail, and farm/community trail.

The bird species to look out for include Kivu ground thrush, handsome francolin, dusky crimson wing, red-throated leather, blue-headed coucal, Rwenzori nightjar, Rwenzori batis, Archer’s robin chat, black-headed waxbill, western green tinkerbird and stripe-breasted tit.

Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National Park, in the Albertine Rift Valley of western Uganda, has about 440 species in its riverine, forest, and grasslands avian habitats.

It hosts Guinea-Congo biome species in its lowland forest. The species to look out for include the Congo serpent-eagle, long-tailed hawk, African piculet, Maxwell’s black weaver, blue-billed malimbe, yellow-throated nicator, black dwarf hornbill, Nkulengu rail, piping hornbill, yellow-throated cuckoo, dwarf honeyguide, orange weaver, white-crested hornbill, red-billed dwarf hornbill, black-wattled hornbill, lyre-tailed honeyguide, capuchin babbler and swamp palm bulbul.

Kibale Forest National Park– Birding Safaris Tour in Uganda

Kibale Forest is a prime Birding Safaris Tour spot with about 375 bird species, including six Albertine Rift endemics. It is an excellent Birding Safaris Tour spot with habitats ranging from wet and dry tropical forest to woodland and savannah.

The number one sought-after bird in the Kibale Forest is the green-breasted pitta. This “mega” has recently become available, though finding it still takes a good measure of luck.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are home to about 220 bird species, including 19 Albertine Rift endemics, with habitats ranging from high elevation forest and open montane grasslands, to peat bogs, snowfields, and glaciers.

The mountains lie in western Uganda, with snowcapped peaks reaching 5,110m. Most of the Birding Safaris Tour in the forest zone and species to see include Rwenzori turaco, long-eared owl, Archers’ robin-chat, Lagden’s bush-shrike, blue-headed and golden-winged sunbird, white-starred robin, slender-billed starling, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, and bearded vulture.

Lake Mburo National Park– Birding Safaris Tour in Uganda

Birding Safaris Tour is one of the major activities in Lake Mburo National Park, and the best spots for Birding Safaris Tour are near the lake swamps at Warukiri and Rwonyo. Other habitats include dry hillsides, rocky outcrops, and dense savannah.

The park is home to about 320 bird species, which include red-faced barbet, brown parrot, barefaced go-away bird, black-billed barbet, blue-napped mousebird, and Nubian woodpecker, papyrus canary, papyrus gonolek, African finfoot and shoebill.

Budongo Forest– Birding Safaris Tour in Uganda

Budongo Forest has two main sections – Kaniyo Pabidi (Murchison Falls National Park), and the Royal Mile and Busingiro areas found south of Murchison. It lies at the edge of the Albertine Rift valley, protecting the most extensive natural forest area in East Africa. Budongo is home to about 360 bird species.

At Royal mile look out for the elusive and skulking Nahan’s francolin, the fleeting Cassin’s spine tail, and the dainty chestnut-capped flycatcher.

Also search for the stunning chocolate-backed, blue-breasted, and African dwarf kingfishers. The forest is full of illadopses and clothes, and the diversity of greenbuls here is simply incredible.

But for those who don’t fancy cryptic birds, there are plenty of more colorful species such as the white-thighed hornbill and black bee-eater. Other species include Cassin’s hawk-eagle, Ituri batis, black-collared lovebird, and brown twins-pot.

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