Why Choose a Uganda Birdwatching Safari?
Priscy Adventures offers special taylormade Birdwatching Safaris in addition to general wildlife and gorilla safaris. These itineraries priorities the best birding times of day and local expert guides.
For a keen bird watcher, a bird watching safari in Uganda is one of the best African birding destination. Uganda alone is famous for harboring over 1,000 bird species. The rich biodiversity is a result of their position at the meeting point of several major biomes including savannah, dense afro-montane tropical forests, lakes, and wetlands.
Key endemic species in this region include as follows:
The Albertine Rift Endemics
The mountainous, dense forests along the Albertine Rift Valley the western branch of the East African Rift are a critical habitat. Destinations like Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable NationalPark and Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park are key strongholds where visitors actively seek species like the colourful Rwenzori Turaco, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, the bizarre Grauer’s Broadbill, and the striking Handsome Francolin.
The Congo Basin birds in Uganda
Some of the rare Congo basin endemics are found in Uganda’s Semuliki National Park. The true lowland forest and an extension of the great Ituri Congo Basin forests, Semuliki offers a chance to observe birds that are extremely rare or hard to find elsewhere in East Africa. They include the exlusive Nkulengu Rail, the formidable Congo Serpent Eagle, and various beautiful hornbill species like the White-crested Hornbill.
Lake Victoria Basin Endemics
The vast wetlands surrounding Lake Victoria are critical for another set of unique species. Birding in areas like the Mabamba Bay Wetland near Entebbe International Airport is a must-do for the shoebill stork. The wetlands in Akagera national park in Rwanda also provide an opportunity to spot Lake Victoria endemics including papyrus gonolek and papyrus yellow warbler.
The Iconic Shoebill Stork
The star of Uganda’s wetlands is the Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex). This prehistoric-looking, giant bird, instantly recognizable by its massive, shoe-shaped bill, is highly sought after globally.
Mabamba Bay Wetland. Located conveniently close to Entebbe international airport, this site offers the best chance to spot the Shoebill. Navigating the wetland is done through a traditional canoe which is noise-free allowing one to get closer to the bird.
Murchison Falls National Park
The delta area where the Nile River flows into Lake Albert is another prime location where visitors often spot the Shoebill from a boat safari, alongside the abundant water birds and large mammal species like elephants, hippos, buffaloes, ad giraffes.
Write us your plans what kind of bird you like to see and we work out a taylor made tour!
