BIRD WATCHING IN UGANDA
Uganda is Africa’s most complete bird watching destination; with over 1200 species of birds have been recorded to exist in the country. Some of the exciting species you will view include the birds of water, the Shoe bill stork, Ostriches, the land shore birds, birds of scrub and woodland, forest birds and birds of the open plain. Uganda has half of the bird species recorded in Africa continent, and over 10% of those recorded through out the entire world. Therefore Uganda is a good birding potential area that a visitor can not miss visiting.
Most of Uganda’s National Parks have a diversity of bird species these include: Bwindi Impenetrable, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls, Kibale forest, Semuliki, Kidepo Valley Park etc and Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale.
Other birding potentials in the central region include Mabira ecotourism site, Mpanga forest ecotourism site, Ziika ecotourism site; Mabamba wet Land, Lutembe bay area, Naggalabi cronation centre.
Birdlife is prolific throughout Uganda, but certain key sites should be included in any ornithological itinerary.
In the west part of the country these include Bwindi National Park the haven for birds Albertine Rift endemics, Queen Elizabeth National Park for a peerless checklist of 600 species, Semuliki National Park for Congo Basin endemics, Mabamba Swamp for Shoe bill stork, the community- run guided trail through Bigodi Wetland, Kibale Forest Park for Great Blue Turaco and other colourful forest birds.
Rwenzori mountain National Park for the Rwenzori Turaco birds and Murchison Falls National Park for savannah specialists such as Abyssinian, Ground Hornbill, Red- Throated Bee- Eater and Denham’s Bustard.
A key birding location in Eastern Uganda is Lake Bisinia, a stronghold for the endemic Fox’s Weaver as well as papyrus- dweller birds such as shoebill and papyrus Gonolek.
Members of Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO)