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Birding is one of the most exciting adventures travelers to Uganda indulge in in the naturalistic habitats scattered all over the country. Uganda is such a sensational bird-watching destination on the African continent and has up to 34 Important Birding Areas. The bird-watching adventure in Uganda takes travelers through thick tropical rainforests, wetlands and bushes to ensure that they spot the exciting endemics.
The most outstanding bird species are the Albertine rift endemics which are scattered and can be observed in the various natural areas all over the country, especially in the forests and wetlands. Some of the many bird species that can be sighted include violet-eared waxbills, lanner Falcons, palm swifts, red-billed teals, sunbirds, barn outs, martial eagles, vultures, rufous checked nightjars, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black bee-eaters, cinnamons, egrets, hammerkops, African fish eagles, turacos, grey crowned cranes, marabou stocks and secretary birds.
Birding Destinations in Uganda
Uganda has a variety of birding sites across all the regions, the most outstanding birding destinations in the country include;
Mabamba wetland.
Mabamba is a prime wetland in Uganda known for the beautiful bird species it hosts. It is renowned for the sightings of the famous shoe bill that excites many birders from all corners of the world. This wetland is located in the surroundings of Lake Victoria in the northwest of Entebbe peninsula. It is a celebrated Ramsar site and hosts about 300 bird species. This wetland is an Important Birding Area made up of papyrus, water lilies and plenty of wetland grasses that are a favorite feeding ground for birds. The birds in the swamps feed on lungfish and worms that they enjoy hunting in the mud. Several birding spots have been developed in the area with state-of-the-art binoculars to help guests watch birds that are both near and far and not miss any exciting species.
Lake Mburo national park.
Lake Mburo National Park is yet another Important Bird watching area in Uganda that cannot be mentioned. It is located in Kiruhura district just about 240 kilometers from Kampala. The nearest town to the park is Mbarara, roughly a 30-minute drive. The National Park is a favorable habitat for the lives of countless bird species. These live in the surroundings of the lake within the National Park which is also a perfect hunting ground for the birds. Numerous birds fly over the lake as they look for fish and other edibles in the nearby bushes and forests. The woodlands in the surroundings of the lake further supplement the hunting grounds and it's here that visitors can get the opportunity to spot some of the birds by just a mere drive through the National Park. These birds inhabit the trees and shrubs in the park. Lake Mburo National Park is famous for the shoebills, secretary birds, scavengers, hadada ibis, African fish eagles, turacos and grey-crowned cranes.
Budongo forest.
Budongo Forest Reserve is perched in the northwest of Kampala city, it is just adjacent to Murchison Falls National Park and lies in the escarpment in the northeast of Lake Albert. The forest covers an area of about 825 square kilometres that is made up of hardwood trees, shrubs and thick vegetation which provides a favorable habitat for a variety of bird species. By just a mere walk through the trails in the forests, tourists can set their eyes on about 100 species of birds. The canopies of the forest are a good habitat for bird life hosting about 400 Albertine endemic species.
Mabira Forest.
Mabira Forest is another birding site to check out when in Uganda. It is located on the Kampala – Jinja highway in Mukono district. It is home to over 315 bird species that can be seen flying through the beautiful canopies of the trees. Several bird viewing spots have been gazetted in the forest to enhance the birders' experiences and sightings. They are fitted with binoculars to help travelers spot birds that are not only near but also far. It is a favorite spot to view hadada ibis, African darters, hammerkops, African paradise flycatchers, sunbirds, secretary birds, marabou storks and great blue turacos.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Ruhija sector).
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is not only good for gorilla tracking but also for bird-watching activities. Sensational bird-watching experiences in Bwindi can be obtained in the Ruhija sector. Ruhija sector is one of the four gorilla sectors in Bwindi located in the eastern part of the park. It is home to over 23 endemics which travelers can get the chance to observe when in the thick rainforests of the park. It is an Important Birding Area where travelers can watch over 150 birds in a day. The sector is about a 10-hour and 15-minute drive from Kampala city.
Mgahinga National park.
Mgahinga National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda. It is made-up of thick tropical rainforests and lush flora which form a very comfortable habitat for a variety of bird species. It is an Important Birding Area housing about 300 bird species including the lanner Falcons, hammerkops, African fish eagles, turacos, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black bee eaters, cinnamons, egrets, secretary birds, African paradise flycatchers, shoebills and owls. The National Park is popular for its mountainous relief in which birdlife flourishes in both the higher and lower spots of the park.
Our Partners
Uganda Tourism Board
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Uganda Wildlife Authority
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The Buhoma Gorilla Camp
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The Bwindi Kids Charity
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What our customers Say ?
Headspun2023-07-16Unforgettable Rwanda Emerald tailored our 5 day trip to Rwanda to all our many and frequently changing requests without any fuss. Chris, our driver/guide for the duration, could not have been more helpful and professional
Nic2022-10-25Amazing holidays! Great holidays! Even my special wishes were included into the planning although time was short. Our guide and driver City Tyson Magezi was caring and responsible. We traveled for four weeks and stayed in different accommodations from hut to tent to amazing hotels.
Susanne2022-08-19Just amazing It felt so safe and comfortable and exciting to travel with emerald. Our guide was so caring, so experienced and always friendly and an a great mood. He showed us so many animals included lions and leopards. That was just amazing . We saw wonderful landscapes like waterfalls and had contact to people . No Uganda or Eastern Africa without emerald . I m deep in love with Uganda and will come back as soon as possible.
Jose Murta2022-05-13Memorable Family Trip in Uganda Fantastic Trip that exceeded our expectations! Travelled to Uganda with wife and 2 children (9 and 10y old) for 7 days. Since the start (at planning stage) got a great support from Bob (company owner) and Edmund (our guide) via WhatsApp. They tailored a program to our needs including the unforgettable mountain gorillas hike, general hikes to waterfalls, safari including boat trip to see hipos!! Edmund, our guide, always super polite and the kids enjoyed him a lot! All our hotels, meals included in the package so no hassle on this….we just paid for drinks! The only regret I have is not staying one extra day in the Mburo National Park to explore a bit more ;) Memorable trip with so much nature and a super-humble people that made the experience even more enjoyable!! Super recommend!! The whole family just feeling we need to get back to explore more ;)Dwayne B2022-05-13Great Experience With Emerald!! It was an amazing experience! My guides Lucky and Hillary made me feel as if I was family and took care of everything I needed. They were very knowledgeable as we trekked to gorillas in Bwindi and a ride a wildlife safari through Queen Elizabeth. I learned so much from them about the animals, the terrain and the surrounding people. They we also incredibly helpful in helping me find activities around Buhoma, where I stayed, all of which were great. By the time I left I knew I had made friends who I will continue to stay in touch with. Can’t wait to come back with my family!
Dávid B2022-05-12Feeding python - 9 lions on a tree - leopard vs. lion We saw all animals and extremely special situations in a short period of time, good organization and friendly guide Paul with lots of knowledge.
Rachmurta2022-05-10Unforgettable trip! We spent one week in Uganda travelling by the guidance of Gorilla Experience safari. The whole experience were definitely above our expectations. Edmand was a friendly, polite and kind guide the whole time!
Vit Siv2022-04-22Ultimately Unique Experience of Uganda! It was unbelievable unique experience, one in a life time. Everything right from arrival to minor ditals was taken care of, too service! Itinerary was compiled/tailor to our wishes and needs as well as to include as much activities as possible. Tyson was our guide. He is an amazing guide, but even better person. He did an incredible job to put this all together, and make it all happen. We managed to do everything we wanted and even more. Definitely a trip to remember!!
Emmanuel OKalany2022-01-08A rewarding experience for a family visit to queen Elizabeth National Park My family and I had an excellent guided tour to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The itinerary planning provided was good and the costing of items was realistic. The care and hospitality of the team was excellent. They were also flexible to make time adjustments brought about because of traveling with children
Gordon Y2021-06-23Trip to Kaiso Tonya Game Reserve The guide/driver was too keen to find out my interests. That way, we always had something to talk abouts. Thank you
