BIRDING WATCHING IN UGANDA

Did you know that Uganda has over 1500 bird species compared to any other African country?

Deemed the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is generally of the most famous bird watching destination in Africa and this has greatly contributed to it earning a great and ideal reputation over the rest of the countries. Basically Uganda is ranked among the richest countries in terms of bird population with over 1500 bird species in the country’s most famous birding areas.

Birds in Uganda are very huge in numbers and in types and this is attributed to the presence of diverse territories in which they inhabit. The places in which these birds stay include rain forests, grasslands like Savannah grasslands, wetlands and swamps, mountainous areas and tropical forests.

Uganda has critically endangered and rare bird species including king fishers, the shoe bill stork, ostriches, grey crowned cranes, flamingos, shearwaters, grebes, petrels, ducks, hawks, bastards, owl, African skimmer, African Jacana, eagles, spoonbills, caracaras, storks, and falcons among others. All the above species can be sighted in Uganda’s famous bird watching destinations.

In other words Uganda is the most attractive country in Africa to bird watchers and this is because it offers easy access to several bird-rich habitats that are difficult to reach elsewhere in the African countries. Birding in Uganda can be done all year round and almost in all national parks in Uganda and other bird watching sites.

Some of the famous bird watching sites in Uganda include the Mabamba wetland on Lake Victoria, national parks like Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki national park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Bigodi swamp in Kibale Forest National Park, Lake Albert and Murchison Falls National Park. Therefore Uganda boasts a variety of most sought-after wildlife species as well as including the amazing birds.

The rain forests of Western Uganda are seen as the country’s most important bird habitat and that is the greatest interest that a bird watcher would like, Kibale is also a spot for forest birds in Uganda and the nearby Magombe swamp and even the botanical gardens in Entebbe also shelter several interesting bird species in Uganda.

Uganda is a birder’s paradise and in case one conducts a tour in Uganda, then that simply means that the person is more likely to view all kinds of birds within the country’s famous bird watching destination. Birds such as the cranes are among the ones that visitors would like to ask about and this is generally because the bird is reflected in the national flag of Uganda.

Therefore anyone who is more willing to visit Uganda with a main purpose of seeing and watching wide range of birds in Uganda, they should visit Queen Elizabeth national park. Here one is able to view over 600 bird species, Lake Mburo national park where you can find the water birds and the acacia associated birds, Entebbe botanical gardens for the water and forest birds, Murchison Falls and Kidepo national parks for Savannah species.

Uganda is a known destination with vast wildlife animals and hence this has greatly influenced travelers to conduct more visits to this destination and ideally with different aspects. Some travelers would like to get themselves involved as well in adventure activities, gorilla trekking tours, chimpanzee trekking, as well as wildlife safaris in Uganda, among others.

Visit Uganda and get to explore the uniqueness of various bird species and be rewarded with great, memorable and unforgettable experience of the amazing birds within the heart of Africa.