How Many Days Do You Need at a Particular Destination? - An Incredible Uganda Birding Safari Guide

Referred to as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda has vast captivating landscapes that wow a tourist driving by the countryside during their Uganda tour, water bodies including the second largest freshwater lake; Victoria and the world’s longest river; Nile, and forests like the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mabira Forest and many more. All these once visited on your tour Uganda, you will indeed witness why it is called the Pearl of Africa. Uganda has an equatorial climate and has the Albertine Rift Valley in the Western part of the country which is host to several bird species.
Uganda, the pearl of Africa is home to about 1061 bird species. This makes Uganda one of the best bird watching places in Africa with almost half of the continents bird species. Uganda has for long been considered as one of the best Africa birding safari destinations that any bird fanatic must not miss on his bucket list. Safari Uganda for your Uganda bird watching safari and get to witness several bird species that call Uganda home, the rich culture and wildlife diversity that has seen a rise in Uganda birding safaris tours, Cultural Safaris in Uganda and Uganda Wildlife Safaris respectively in the past years.

Where best can I see Forest bird species?

Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National park has a record of 441 bird species. The park is located in Western Uganda in the Albertine Rift Valley. It has riverine, forest and grasslands bird species which can be viewed at any time of the year. It is also home to the Guinea-Congo biome species in its lowland forest. In order to explore well the different bird species in Semuliki National Park Uganda, you require about 3-4 days
Timing: Rain falls year-round and birding is good any time although the peak breeding season is just after the Jan-Feb “dry” Season.

The time required is 3 -4 days depending on your Uganda tour itinerary.
Bird species here include the African piculet, Maxwell’s black weaver, blue-billed malimbe, yellow-throated nicator, black dwarf hornbill, Nkulengu rail, piping hornbill, blue-billed malimbe, yellow-throated cuckoo, dwarf honeyguide, great blue and Ross’s turaco, purple-breasted sunbird, orange weaver, white-crested hornbill, red-billed dwarf hornbill, African piculet and swamp palm bulbul.
Kibale National Park
Kibale National park forest is one of the 10 best bird watching places in Uganda with over 375 bird species. These include 6 that are endemic to the Albertine Rift area. 3 days will get you an enjoy the best in this excellent birding spot with varied habitat and dense vegetation. The Green-breasted pitta in Kibale National Park Forest is one of the 10 highly thought after birds in Uganda and the number one highly sought in Kibale forest. Other birds include the red-chested owlet, purple-breasted sunbird, blue-breasted kingfisher, crowned eagle, little greenbul, black bee-eater, white-naped pigeon, Scaly-breasted illadopsis, yellow-throated nicator, white-headed wood hoopoe, red-headed malimbe, yellow-spotted barbet, dusky-blue flycatcher, grey-throated flycatcher, Grey-winged robin, crested flycatcher, blue-shouldered robin chat, yellow-spotted barbet, black-billed turaco, white-naped pigeon, red-chested flufftail and tiny sunbird.

Budongo Forest

Bird watching in Budongo forest is manly done at Kaniyo Pabidi found in Murchison Falls National Park, and the Royal Mile and Busingiro areas found south of the park. It lies at the edge of the Albertine Rift valley, protecting the largest natural forest area in East Africa. The forest is perfect for bird watching because it is home to more than 350 bird species, with the most sought-after birds in this area being the Cassin’s spine tail, chestnut-capped flycatcher, Ituri batis, Nahan’s francolin, Black-collared lovebird, brown twinspot, chocolate-backed, blue-breasted and African dwarf kingfishers. The best time you can spend here is about 2-3 days depending on your itinerary.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National park is the smallest Savannah national park in Uganda, easily accessible from Kampala and Entebbe. There are numerous Uganda safari activities in this beautiful park but the core are only two, Uganda wildlife safaris and birding safaris in Uganda, which is one of the major activities. The best bird-watching spots in Lake Mburo are near the swamps at Warukiri and Rwonyo and at the lake. The park is home to 315 bird species and these include the crested francolin, emerald-spotted wood dove, brown parrot, barefaced go-away bird, red-necked spurfowl, common quails, black-billed barbet, greenwood hoopoe, blue-napped mousebird, lilac-breasted roller, African-grey hornbill, Nubian woodpecker, trilling cisticola, bee-eaters and the cheeky bronze-tailed starling and the majestic crowned crane. You also have chances of sighting the rare African finfoot, shoebill, African fish eagle, and malachite and pied kingfishers

Where best can I see swamp species?

Mabamba Bay Wetland Swamp

Situated on Lake Victoria, the second-largest water body in the world, Mabamba bay swamp is the best Uganda birding safari destination to spot a shoebill. The swamp has been made popular by birders that cannot miss seeing the shoebill stork, bizarre-looking birds. Travellers interested in short bird watching safaris in Uganda normally don’t miss out this Uganda birding destination in their itinerary. In fact, the shoebill is one of the most sought birds in Uganda. This bird is related to the dinosaur. The swamp is easily accessible from Entebbe by road and water and from Kampala by road. There is a lodge close by for people interested in a night over.
Exploring the best of mabamba requires only one day. The period to be here is between September and March because, at this time, there is a lot to see within the wetland as migratory birds arrive from Europe. So many water birds can be found here including the swamp flycatcher, papyrus gonolek, malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, black-headed heron, black kite, African open-billed stork, African jacana, lesser jacana, winding cisticola, Veillot’s black weaver, grosbeak weaver, black-headed weaver, yellow-billed duck, white-faced whistling duck, and African marsh harrier.

Where best can I see savannah bird species?

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National park in South Western Uganda is also one of the 10 best bird watching places in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National park Uganda is a paradise for a bird watcher with over 600 bird species. These birds are easily seen with your guide during game drives, the boat safari on Kazinga channel, and during the forest, nature walks. The birds include African mourning dove, swamp flycatcher, grey-headed kingfisher, African skimmer, malachite and pied kingfishers, white-winged terns, Grey-capped warbler, collared pratincole, Pin-tailed whydah, martial eagle, Gabon and slender-tailed nightjars, black-headed gonolek, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, sedge warbler, papyrus canary, great white and pink-backed pelicans, African mourning dove and yellow-billed stork, etc. There are also seasonal flamingos at the salt lakes of Katwe and Bunyampaka. It is recommended to take a 2-3 days bird watching safari and on such that you can be able to spot as many as more than half of the 550 species recorded within this park.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is by far one of the best birding destinations in Uganda and Africa at large. You don’t need so many days here, you only require about 4 Days Murchison falls. Murchison Falls National park is the oldest and largest national park in Uganda. The park is named after the strong Murchison falls that you can sight during your Uganda safaris in this park. The Murchison falls are the world’s most powerful waterfalls that form as River Nile forces through a 7-meter gorge.
Murchison Falls Park has over 450 bird species some of which can be seen during game drives, boat safaris and or on guided nature walks. Bird watchers can see a variety bird species; forest species, swamp species, riverine woodland species and savannah species. You should look out for the elusive shoebill, swamp flycatcher, goliath heron, Abyssinian ground hornbill, northern red bishop, red-throated bee-eater, African quail finch, pied, malachite and giant kingfishers.
It is also possible to modify your Birding safari in Uganda or Birding tour in Uganda to feature other Africa safari destinations like Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya among the many. Congo safaris or a Congo safari offers you chance enjoy a Congo gorilla safari in Kahuzi Biega National Park to trek lowland gorillas or a Congo gorilla trekking tour in Virunga National Park to trek the famous Mountain gorillas.

Where best can I see Albertine Endemic Species

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Second, on the list of the 10 best birding safari, Uganda destinations are Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable has been voted as Africa’s best birding spot by the African Bird Club. Out of the 24 Albertine rift bird species, 23 of them are found in Bwindi Forest National Park Uganda. The forest is home to many rare bird species, some only found here, for instance, the African Green Broadbill. 350 bird species stay here and these include the 23 Albertine Rift endemics, 14 of which are not recorded anywhere else in Uganda.
You may not do proper birding in one day, it is however recommended you take 2-3 days on a Uganda birding tour and this will allow you spot as many birds as you want which is every birder’s dream. During this Uganda bird watching tour, look out for the Chapin’s Flycatcher, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Handsome Francolin, Mountain-masked and Collared Apalis, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Black Billed Turaco, Fraser’s Eagle, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Purple-breasted, Blue-Headed and Regal Sunbirds among others. This is also the best destination for a Uganda gorilla trekking safari and both activities can be tailored in a single trip.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Rwenzori Mountains National Park is one of the prime bird-watching destinations in Uganda with over 177 bird species which include 19 Albertine Rift endemics. The best time you can spend here is about 2-3 days depending on your itinerary. Bird watching is mostly done while on hikes in the forest zones since this is the highest point and popular Uganda birding tour destination. Birds to look out for here include the 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, Bearded vultures, and swifts.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the smallest Uganda safaris park popular for Uganda gorilla tours but also a spot not to undermine for birding. It is not only home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, but it is also home to about 180 bird species some of which are the Albertine Rift endemics. Bird species here include the Kivu Ground Thrush, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Batis, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Olive Pigeon, Black-headed Waxbill, Western Green tinker bird, Cape Robin, White-starred Robin, Brown Woodland Warbler, Stripe-breasted tit, Brown-crowned Tchagra and Scarlet-tufted, Greater double-collared Sunbirds. The best time you can spend here is about 2-3 days depending on your itinerary.

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