Quick Guide points on birding Safari in Uganda

Uganda is a mind-blowing avi-tourism destination in Africa with approximately 50% of the continent’s bird count and 11% of the world’s bird count. A birding safari in Uganda is a perfect option for birders to Uganda or East Africa as the country hosts a big bird count.

Over 1080 bird species have been confirmed to be present in the boundaries of Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. These bird habitats range from forests, swamps, wetlands, savannah plains, and the waters and air. In Uganda, you have the privilege of at least spotting a bird species in every single kilometer you cover during your birding safari.

For any ardent birder, there are several things you need to know before coming for bird-watching safaris in Uganda to help you plan better. Here are quick guide points on birding in Uganda;

How to plan a birding safari in Uganda

To have a great birding safari, you should endeavor to plan right, and planning right includes contacting a professional tour operator, ensuring you have a good bird guide, and carrying a field guidebook.

Contact a professional Uganda tour operator like Acacia Safaris to help you with all of your bookings. A professional tour operator is well conversant in all the birding spots and therefore can draft you the perfect itinerary.

Choosing a good bird guide involves you being very clear during booking such that at Acacia Safaris we get you a perfect bird-watching guide to suit your presence.

Carry a bird guidebook from your country or buy one when you reach Uganda. With the ever-developing technology, you can download several guidebooks that will help you with ticking your bird checklist.

Some of the bird species to expect while birding Safari in Uganda

Here are some of the bird species you should expect to tick on your bird checklist,

The 25 Albertine Rift Endemic birds include;

· Handsome Francolin

· Shelley’s Crimson-wing

· Rwenzori Turaco

· Willard’s Sooty Boubou

· Grauer’s Warbler

· Neumann’s Warbler

· Stripe-breasted Tit

· Grauer’s Broadbill

· Red-throated Alethe

· Dwarf Honeyguide

· Black-faced Apalis

· Rwenzori Apalis

· Grauer’s Swamp Warbler

· Red-faced Woodland Warbler

· Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher

· Rwenzori Batis

· Purple-breasted Sunbird

· Regal Sunbird

· Strange Weaver

· Dusky Crimson-wing

· Archer’s Robin-chat

· Blue-headed Sunbird

· Yellow-crested Helmet Shrike

· African Green Broadbill

· Stuhlmann’s Sunbird

Other birds seen on Uganda birding safaris include; Marabou storks, Long Crested Eagle, Black Bee-Eater, African Spoonbill, Knob-billed duck Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Chocolate Backed Kingfisher, Saddle-billed Stork, Green-Breasted Pitta, Helmeted guineafowl, Vulturine guineafowl, Standard-Winged Nightjar, Karamoja Apalis, Black Breasted Barbet, Rock pigeon, Bruce’s green-pigeon, African green-pigeon, Bar-tailed Trogon, White-backed duck, stone partridge, Nahan’s Francolin, and many more.

Best spots for birding Safari in Uganda

The best places for birding in Uganda include Bwindi Forest, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Semliki National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Mabamba Wetland for the shoebill stork

Best time for bird watching in Uganda

Generally, the best time for bird watching in Uganda is during the months of late May to September when the rains are less. Migrant birds are present in the country from November to April. If your interest is resident birds, then Uganda bird-watching tours are good all year round.