Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa bordering South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya. With a land area of 241,550.7 km2, Uganda has a wide variety of habitats ranging from snow-capped Mountains of the Moon in the southwest to semi-arid savanna in the northeast. This variation in habitat makes Uganda an important destination for birdwatchers, hosting over 1060 confirmed species of birds according to the Uganda Bird Atlas project conducted between 1996 and 2016.
Bird Species Richness and Endemism in Uganda
With over 1000 species recorded, Uganda ranks as one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Of the 1060 confirmed species, 144 are endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley region which stretches from the Virunga volcanoes in the south to the Blue Mountains in the north. This makes the Albertine Rift the most species-rich endemic bird area in Africa.
Some of the Albertine Rift endemics found in Uganda include the Strange Weaver, Dusky Twinspot, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Blue-headed Sunbird and Green-breasted Pitta. Uganda’s list of Albertine endemics ranks third in Africa after the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya, and the Cameroon Mountains.
Other than the Albertine endemics, Uganda has 28 near-endemic bird species whose global range is limited to Uganda and the immediately adjacent parts of Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. Examples of Ugandan near-endemics include Ross’s Turaco, White-spotted Flufftail, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Brown Twinspot and Northern Long-tailed Cisticola.
Uganda’s Top Birding Sites
With its diversity of habitats, finding birds in Uganda is easy even for novice birders. Some of the top birding sites in the country include:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
A UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park contains both montane and lowland rainforest. Sitting within the Albertine Rift Valley, Bwindi has one of the highest concentrations of Albertine Rift endemics in Africa. Target birds here include the African Green Broadbill, Bar-tailed Trogon, Red-throated Alethe, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler and Short-tailed Warbler.
Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda’s largest National Park, Murchison Falls hosts savanna, riverine forest, woodland and wetland habitats. Notable birds occurring here are shoebill, saddle-billed stork, red-throated bee-eater, Chocolatethroated coucal and pygmy kingfisher.
Budongo Forest
The Budongo Forest Reserve contains 428 square miles of medium-altitude rainforest with a high diversity of understory birds. Look out for illadopsis species, green hylia, yellow-spotted nicator, honeyguide greenbul and Puvel’s illadopsis.
Kibale National Park
A mid-altitude rainforest, Kibale National Park hosts both forest specialists and Guinea-Congo biome species. Notable birds include the brown-eared woodpecker, white-bellied crested flycatcher, collared apalis, black bee-eater, grey cuckoo-shrike and blue-breasted kingfisher.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Scenic Queen Elizabeth National Park near the Rwenzori Mountains contains open savanna, wetlands, lakes and forest patches. Key species here include Harlequin quail, black-rumped buttonquail, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, pennant-winged nightjar and halfcollared kingfisher.
Semliki National Park
Located in western Uganda along the Congo border, Semliki National Park protects a lowland tropical rainforest within the Congo-Nile Divide. The park holds various Congo-basin species including Bango sunbird, yellow-throated cuckoo, blue swallow, black dwarf hornbill and fire-crested alethe.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Found on the Virunga Volcano range, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park spans montane bamboo forest and afro-alpine moorland. Gorilla trekking may be the top attraction but the park is also great for birding. Endemic species occurring here include Dusky Crimson-wing, Rwenzori Batis, Handsome spurfowl and Rwenzori nightjar.
Seasonality of Birds in Uganda
Generally, bird populations in most parts of Uganda do not vary much seasonally. The seasons are mainly defined by rainfall patterns rather than major bird movements. However some intra-African migrants like the woodland kingfisher and willow warbler are present only during the dry season between November and February. Palearctic migrants from Europe and Asia overwinter in Uganda between November and March, leaving again before May.
The best time for birding in Uganda may be January and February during the dry season. At this time migratory species can swell local bird populations and resident forest species come to feed on fruiting trees. The rainy seasons of March to May and September to November can have lower bird activity but forest trails are impassable during the peak rains.
Threats to Uganda’s Avifauna
Although still rich in birdlife, Uganda’s avifauna faces some key threats:
- Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, livestock grazing, wildfires, development projects and extractive industries
- Wetland drainage for agriculture and other developments
- Overgrazing and soil erosion in protected savanna parks
- Climate change leading to upwards altitudinal shifts for montane species
- Nest poaching and illegal wildlife trade
- Increasing human population and exploitation pressure
Concerted conservation action is required to preserve Uganda’s spectacular birds and prevent extinctions. Measures should include more public education on birds, stronger law enforcement against poaching and wildlife crime networks, habitat restoration, and reduced human encroachment on sensitive ecosystems.
Uganda’s Key Bird Families and Species
With over 1000 species recorded, Uganda has impressive diversity across most major bird families. Some of the prominent families represented include:
Ploceidae – Weavers
Uganda has around 65 species from the weaver family including the Black-headed Weaver, Vieillot’s Black Weaver, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver and African Golden Weaver.
Estrildidae – Waxbills, Munias and Allies
Some 60 species of the waxbill family inhabit Uganda such as the Common Waxbill, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black-faced Waxbill, Orange-winged Pytilia and Red-headed Bluebill.
Sylviidae – Sylvias or Old World Warblers
The sylvia family contributes about 50 species to Uganda including the Winding Cisticola, Carruthers’ Cisticola, Trilling Cisticola, Red-faced Cisticola and Arrow-marked Babbler.
Nectariniidae – Sunbirds
Sunbirds are a ubiquitous family across Uganda represented by 40-50 species. These include the Scarlet-chested, Blue-headed, Bronze, Collared, Olive, Purple-breasted and Superb Sunbirds.
Musophagidae – Turacos
Turacos are a quintessential African family contributing around 15 colorful species to Uganda. Look out for the Ross’s Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, White-crested Turaco and Ruwenzori Turaco.
Picidae – Woodpeckers
Around 25 woodpecker species may be found in Uganda with standouts like Grey Woodpecker, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Carder’s Woodpecker and Fine-spotted Woodpecker.
Accipitridae – Hawks and Eagles
Raptors are well-represented with 20+ species including Black-chested Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Banded Snake Eagle, African Cuckoo Hawk, Lizard Buzzard and Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle.
Apodidae – Swifts
At least 15 swift species grace Uganda’s skies including Common Swift, Pallid Swift, Nyanza Swift, Mottled Spinetail and African Palm-Swift.
Alcedinidae – Kingfishers
These colorful fish-eaters contribute around 15 Ugandan species like Grey-headed Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher.
Featured Bird Species Profiles
Below are profiles of some special bird species found in Uganda that help showcase the diversity and uniqueness of its avifauna:
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
- A huge iconic species reaching 150cm tall and weighing 4-7 kg
- Occurs in papyrus swamps of Murchison Falls NP and Queen Elizabeth NP
- Feed mainly on lungfish using its massive bill to secure prey
- Population estimated between 5,000 – 8,000 individuals
- Classified as Vulnerable with a declining population
Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata)
- One of Africa’s most spectacular turacos at 65cm long
- Unmistakable blue-green and crimson plumage
- Found in forests across Uganda and the Albertine Rift
- Eats fruits, buds, leaves, flowers and termites
- IUCN status is Near Threatened due to habitat loss
African Green Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena graueri)
- A 15cm insectivorous songbird endemic to the Albertine Rift
- Bright green plumage with black mask and broad red bill
- Inhabits montane and bamboo forest
- Forms small flocks when not breeding
- Classified as Near Threatened with declining numbers
Black Bee-eater (Merops gularis)
- A 27cm bee-eater with black upperparts
- Found in forest clearings across Uganda
- Makes nest burrows in vertical earth banks
- Feeds aerially on bees, wasps and flying insects
- Widespread but rarely seen in its habitat
Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum)
- Uganda’s national bird and icon of Africa’s savannas
- Stands over 1m; elegant dancer with inflated throat sac
- Nests in wetlands; threatened by habitat drainage
- Omnivorous, feeding on grains, insects, frogs etc
- Classified as Endangered with just 15,000 left worldwide
Where to See Uganda’s Top 100 Species
Here is a table summarizing some of the best sites in Uganda to find its top 100 highlighted bird species:
| Bird Species | Key Sites in Uganda |
|---|---|
| Shoebill | Murchison Falls NP, Queen Elizabeth NP |
| African Finfoot | Mabamba Bay Wetland, Queen Elizabeth NP |
| Pel’s Fishing Owl | Mabamba Bay Wetland |
| Black-throated Ground Thrush | Bwindi Impenetrable NP |
| Grauer’s Broadbill | Bwindi Impenetrable NP |
| Rwenzori Nightjar | Mgahinga Gorilla NP |
| Blue Swallow | Mabira Forest |
| Red-footed Flufftail | Papyrus swamps near Kampala |
| White-spotted Flufftail | Semliki NP |
| Grey-crowned Crane | Queen Elizabeth NP |
| Black-lored Cisticola | Queen Elizabeth NP |
| Red-winged Gray Warbler | Budongo Forest |
| Papyrus Gonolek | Mabamba Bay Wetland |
| White-headed Sawwing | Budongo Forest |
| Cassin’s Spinetail | Kidepo Valley NP |
| African Skimmer | Lake Bisina |
| Brown Twinspot | Bwindi Impenetrable NP |
| Red-throated Alethe | Bwindi Impenetrable NP |
| Red-collared Mountain Babbler | Rwenzori Mountains |
| Strange Weaver | Bwindi Impenetrable NP |
| Black-bellied Firefinch | Lake Mburo NP |
| Purple Grenadier | Bwindi Impenetrable NP |
| Grosbeak Weaver | Kidepo Valley NP |
| Gray-headed Silverbill | Queen Elizabeth NP |
| Black Bishop | Mweya Peninsula |
Conclusion
Uganda is truly a premier birding destination in Africa. With over 1060 species recorded, it ranks among the continent’s most diverse avifaunas. Particularly outstanding are its 144 Albertine Rift endemics found nowhere else. Although facing some conservation threats, Uganda still offers outstanding opportunities to find a wide array of savanna, wetland, forest and montane specials. This makes it a must-visit location for any birder wanting to experience the best of East Africa.
