Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda Birding Safaris

Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park should be a perfect choice for any avid or seasoned birder visiting Uganda. 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 Park.

Referred to as the “medley of wonders” the park has a variety of wildlife against the 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.

Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Birds along the Kazinga Channel – Queen Elizabeth National Park

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 the park

For the best birding in Queen Elizabeth 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.

Bird watching in these areas can be done alongside other activities like game drives in the park or on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel.

Classified as an Important Birding Area (IBA), by Birding International, any birder should plan on visiting Queen Elizabeth 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 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.

For birding safaris in Uganda, contact Acacia Safaris for well-tailored trips alongside a very knowledgeable tour guide