Birding in Uganda

With more than 1,000 different species of birds, Uganda is heaven for bird watchers. The best times to visit are between June and July, and December and February, as then you will see both endemic and migratory species. On a single visit to Uganda it is possible to see three or more distinct habitats, each of which has its own bird list, and our chosen guides are exceptionally knowledgeable about where and how to spot the different species, even those attempting to elude you!

In the Mabamba Bay wetlands, a papyrus fringed marsh on the western side of Lake Victoria, some 260 bird species have been recorded. These include shoebill and blue swallow, as well as the threatened pallid harrier, papyrus gonolek, and white-winged warbler.

The Kidepo Valley National Park is a semi-arid desert, and the most sought-after birds here are the black-breasted barbet and karamoja apalis. You might also visit Mabira Forest Reserve, Uganda’s largest surviving deciduous forest, to see species from the Guinea-Congo Forests, Sudan-Guinea Savanna, and Afrotropical Highlands biomes.