Best time for Bird Watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best spots for Uganda birding safaris with the highest population of bird species compared to any national park in East Africa. Any avid birder cannot miss out on visiting the park if they want to have great birding experiences.

Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park is good all year round, however, the best time to see birds is from late May to September. During May to September, the rain is lea and food is abundant. June to July also has the least rain and a good time for a safari. During the dry season, the park is generally warm and trails are good for bird watching.

Great bird-watching experiences can be experienced during these seasons as sightings are clearer and photography is good. With good photography, it is easy to capture all these bird species and take note of your spotted bird species.

April to May and September to November have the most rain. During the rainy season, it is not recommended as the best time to go birding in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park because the rains may result in delays on slippery trails. The delays may limit your bird-watching time too.

The best time to see migratory birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park is from November to April.

Birds along the Kazinga channel of Queen Elizabeth National Park

About Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park has a remarkable diversity of bird species with a bird count reaching 606 bird species. This is the highest bird count for any national park in Uganda, making it a top birding safari destination in Uganda. This is one of Uganda’s most popularly visited national parks because the park has several attractions and activities.

Covering nearly 2000 square kilometers this protected area was named to honor the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in the early 1950s. The park has picturesque features that were left behind by volcanic action decades ago and now form the major attractions of the park.

Some of these include Lake George to the northeast and Lake Edward to the southwest boundaries of the park. These two are connected by a channel referred to as the Kazinga channel which forms one of the attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Referred to as the “medley of wonders” the park has a variety of wildlife against a backdrop of natural beauty rarely found anywhere else.

Queen Elizabeth National Park has the highest birdlife of all the national parks in Uganda. The park is home to more than 606 bird species recorded within the boundaries of the park. This makes the park a great bird haven. Many of the bird species here follow the migratory trend of breeding in Asia and Europe but wintering in Africa.

Bird Species in Queen Elizabeth National Park

The common bird species in the park include the white-winged Terns, swamp fly-catcher, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged plover, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Sacred Ibis, Malachite Kingfisher, Lesser flamingos, African skimmers, Grey-headed Kingfisher, African jacana, martial eagle, Pin-tailed whydah, long-tailed cormorants, common squacco heron, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, white-winged warbler, papyrus canary, pink-backed pelicans, marabou storks, Egyptian goose, African mourning Dove and many more.

Flamingos in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Uganda isn’t a popular destination for flamingos like the neighboring Kenya which has thousands of pink flamingos. However, there is a small population of flamingos in Lake Munyanyange in the Katwe area of Queen Elizabeth National Park a small seasoned shallow crater lake northeast of the popular Lake Katwe area. These flamingos come to Lake Munyanyange between October and April.

Birding hot spots in Queen Elizabeth National Park

For the best birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the best hot spots include the Kazinga channel area, Kasenyi area, Mweya Peninsula, Maramagambo forest, Ishahsha sector, Lake Kikorongo, Katunguru bridge area, and Katwe area.

Classified as an Important Birding Area (IBA), by Birding International, any birder should plan on visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park when they come for birding in Uganda.

Uganda safaris offer great birding opportunities with many birding destinations that birders can visit. Situated along the western Uganda region, Queen Elizabeth National Park can offer very memorable Uganda wildlife safaris with possible sightings of the rare tree-climbing lions.

From the park, tours can be connected to the neighboring Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for Uganda gorilla safaris. Other activities within the region include hiking in the popular Rwenzori Mountains, nature walks, and chimpanzee trekking tours at Kibale Forest National Park.

Role of Female Gorillas in a Family

This ancient rainforest is one of the few in Africa to have flourished and is home to half of the world’s endangered population of mountain gorillas.

Looking into the expressive brown eyes of these giants is surely the most exciting and poignant wildlife encounter Uganda has to offer! Apart from the gorilla trekking Tour, the park boasts of 90 mammal species, including 11 primates and prominent bird species.

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Safari Uganda Tour – Mountain Gorillas Endangered

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Safari Uganda Tour

The 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Safari Uganda Tour takes you on a Uganda gorilla tour to Uganda gorilla safaris tour destination for gorilla trekking tours while on your Uganda safari to Bwindi Impenetrable forest park.

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An encounter with an earth-shaking 350-pound silverback or baby gorilla is an unforgettable experience! view the long-horned Ankole cattle papyrus acacia woodlands and terraced landscape of Kigezi highlands on your way to Bwindi’s impenetrable national park.