Uganda birding safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park - Uganda safari News
Kasenyi Area
This Uganda wildlife safari hotspot is a must stop birder’s destination for bird enthusiasts. This area is home to many Africa bird species making it a must-see birding safari destination in Uganda. As part of your adventure in this open grassy area dominated by savanna, expect to see species like:
- Palm-nut Vulture
- Hooded Vulture
- African White-backed Vulture
- Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Brown Snake Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Bateleur
- Long-created Eagle
- Martial Eagle
- Grey Kestrel
- African Crake
- Black-bellied Bustard
- Temminck’s Courser
- African Wattled Plover
- Crowned Plover
- Senegal Plover
- Kittlitz’s Plover
- Rufous napped Lark
- Flappet Lark
- White-tailed Lark
- Brown-backed Srub-Robin
- Zitting Cisticola
- Croaking Cisticola
- Grey-capped Warbler
- Black-lored Babbler
- Grey backed Fiscal
- Black-headed Gonolek
- Black-crowned Tchagra
- Fork-tailed Drongo
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Raptors
- African Mourning Dove
- Diederik Cuckoo
- Squire-tailed Nightjar
- Slender-tailed Nightjar
- Swamp Nightjar
- Blue-naped Mouse bird
- Grey-Headed Kingfisher
- Pygmy Kingfisher
- Little Bee-eater
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Red-capped Lark
- Martins
- Swallows
- Swifts
- Grey-capped Warbler
- Swamp Flycatcher
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Red-chested Sunbird
- Black-headed Gonolek
- Lesser Masked Weaver
- Slender-billed Weaver
- Yellow-backed Weaver
- Pin-tailed Whydah
Marabigambo Forest covers a big part of Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda and it is strategically located along the Kicwamba escarpment on the right side of the western rift valley arm in Uganda. As part of your Uganda birding safari adventure, expect to see species like;
- Little Grebe
- African Finfoot
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- Black Cuckoo
- African Emerald Cuckoo
- Yellowbill
- Black Coucal
- Blue-breasted Kingfisher
- Black Bee-eater
- Blue-throated Roller
- Barbets
- Red-throated Wryneck
- Brown-eared Woodpecker
- Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike
- Honeyguide Greenbul
- Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat
- Dark-capped Warbler
- Green Crombec
- Broad-tailed Warbler
- African Moustached Warbler
- Croaking Cisticola
- Black-headed Batis
- Black-and-white Shrike Flycatcher
- Chestnut Wattle-eye
- African Paradise Flycatcher
- Brown Illadopsis
- Brubru
- Marsh Tchagra
- Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike
- Western Black-headed Oriole
- Black Bishop
- White-breasted Negrofinch
In this area, there are several crater lakes and swamps. Here, Lake Munyanyange is favored by various water birds, especially a concentration of Lesser Flamingos and a few Greater Flamingos. Other species found here include;
- Eurasian Mash Harrier
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Avocet
- Common Greenshank
- Little Stint
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Gull-billed Tern
- Red-capped Lark
- Broad-tailed Warbler
- African Moustached Warbler
- Croaking Cisticola
- Southern Red Bishop
Lake Kikorongo is an extension of Lake George and it is a habitat to several water birds or waterfowl. Bird species likely to be spotted here include;
- Common Squacco Heron
- Saddle-billed Stork
- Shoebill
- Sacred Ibis
- Knob-billed Duck
- Black Crake
- African Jacana
- Yellow Wagtail
- Lesser Swamp Warbler
- Greater Swamp Warbler
- White-winged Warbler
- Carruther’s Cisticola
- Papyrus Gonolek
Ishasha is one of the biggest birding areas in Queen Elizabeth National Park that offers a lot to birders in Africa, despite being best-known for its tree-climbing lions that attracts several tourists for a short Uganda wildlife safari, Uganda wildlife safaris, short Uganda safari and many more. Species to see while here include:
- Shoebill
- Palm-nut Vulture
- Hooded Vulture
- African White-backed Vulture
- Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Brown Snake Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Bateleur
- Long-created Eagle
- Martial Eagle
- African Crowned Eagle
- Grey Kestrel
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- African Crake
- Black-bellied Bustard
- African Wattled Plover
- Senegal Plover
- African Green Pigeon
- Ross’s Turaco
- Striped Kingfisher
- Broad-billed Roller
- Double-toothed Barbet
- White-headed Barbet
- Greater Honeyguide
- Grey Woodpecker
- White-browed Robin-Chat
- Brown-backed Scrub-Robin
- Green Crombec
- Cisticolas
- Grey-backed Fiscal
- Yellow-billed Oxpecker
If you venture to the Katunguru Bridge, where you cross the Kazinga Channel from the Kasese district to the Rubirizi district, be sure to peek beneath the bridge as there is a papyrus swamp hosting species that include:
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Gull-billed Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Pied Kingfisher
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Lesser Swamp Warbler
- Greater Swamp Warbler
- White-winged Warbler
- Carruther’s Cisticola
- Papyrus Gonolek
The Kazinga channel is a magnet for water birds a launch cruise reveals species such as; Great-white and Pink-backed Pelicans, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squaco Heron, African open-billed Strok, White-faced Whistling and Knob-billed Ducks, African Fish Eagle, Black Crake, African Jacana, Water Thick-knee, Spur-winged and African Wattled Plovers, Malachite and Pied kingfishers, Swamp flycatchers and Yellow backed Weavers are all common and conspicuous. Numbers of migrants peak in February and March and are nothing short of spectacular with hundreds of thousands of White-winged Terns hovering over the water, millions of common sand Martins and Yellow -wagtails roosting in reed-beds and lesser numbers of Palearctic waders such as the Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpipers, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh, common and Wood sandpipers, Spotted Redshank and common Greenshank feeding along the marshy fringes. A number of national rarities have been recorded from the hippo wallows along the channel including Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Northern Pochard, Mongolian Plover and Jack Snipe. Hundreds of African Skimmers may be seen roosting on sandbars near the entrance to Lake Edward but are migrants from southern tropics and usually present only from December to May. The Kazinga channel may also be viewed from the Katunguru Bridge on the main Mbarara-Kasese road where Pelicans, Terns, Greater Swamp and winged Warblers, Winding and Carruther’s Cisticolas and Papyrus Gonolek may be seen.
Queen Elizabeth national park, is situated in the south western part of Uganda the park ranges from the savannah Ishasha plains to the humid rain forests, salty water lakes, fresh water lakes the acacia and euphorbia bushes low lands and wetlands. This has made Queen Elizabeth a top habitat for the birds in Uganda. The park contains over 600 bird species making it a must visit destination for birders to Uganda, Migratory birds are seen from November to April, however birds can be seen throughout the year. Queen Elizabeth National Park observatory area was established in 1997 with the aim of studying Migratory and resident birds in the park. Increasing awareness and guide training, developing Avid tourism by creating hides, walk away and birding trails. Some birds are endemic while other Migratory en route from Europe and summer nesting sites from South Africa. Queen Elizabeth nature has adapted birds to fit every variety of habitat. These birds are seen mostly at their special habituated areas that are listed below.
Katwe area
This area consists of lake munyanyange which is graced with numbers of lesser flamingos and few greater flamingos other water birds common here are; white breasted nigro-finch, chestnut wattle eye, marsh tchagra, Sulphur breasted bush shrike and black bishop among others
Katuguru Bridge Area
This area contains papyrus swamps around the Katuguru Bridge where the kazinga channel crosses from kasese district to Rubirizi district. This offers a habitat to birds such as, papyrus gonolek, white winged tern, pied kingfisher, malachite kingfisher, white winged warbler, greater swamp warbler and lesser swamp warbler among the rest
Lake Kikorongo Area
This lake is an extension of lake George an is and habitat to waterfowls most species seen here are; knob billed duck, African jacana, yellow wagtail, sacred ibis, black crake, shoebill and saddle billed stork from the rest.
Kasenyi Area
This famous tourist spot with outlying savannah consists of species such as; black belied bustard, flapet lark, white tailed lark, palm but culture, long created eagle, croaking cisticola, hooded vulture, white backed vulture, brown backed scrub Robin, sitting cisticola, ripeols griffon vulture and grey backed fiscal from the rest of other numerous birds.
Maragambo Forest Area
This area is located on the right side of the western rift valley arm along the kichambwa escarpment species like the African fin foot, yellow bill, black coucal, red-throated wryneck, blue shouldered Robin chat, African mustached warbler, barbets, African emerald cuckoo, brown illadopsis and many more others
Ishasha Sector
This area is most known for tree climbing lions but doesn’t necessarily stop it from being a habitat to some to bird species such as palm but culture, shoebill, grey kestrel, African wattled plover, African green pigeon, cisticola, martial eagle, African crowned eagle among the rest.
The Mweya Peninsular Area
This area lies next to the Kazinga channel to the far lake Edward most bird species seen here are African morning dove, grey headed kingfisher, swamp nightjar, little bee eater, Swift’s, swallows, Martins, Nubian woodpecker and swamp fly catcher among many other species. Birding reservations in Queen Elizabeth can be done at Katwe tourism information center.
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