Birds of Uganda and the Top 5 Best Birding Safaris in Uganda

See our definitive guide to Bird Watching in Uganda listing for you Birds of Uganda, the most common bird species in Uganda parks and Important Birding Areas.

We have listed some of the birds of Uganda in different birding locations that you must check out before deciding where to go on your birding safari in Uganda. We have as well shared the most idealistic birding safaris to some of these areas.

Best places to Birdwatch in Uganda: Birding Areas and their Birds

Queen Elizabeth National Park:

The bird checklist at Queen include; Alpine swift, White-rumped swift, Little Swift, Eurasian Swift, Crowned lapwing, Blue-naped Mousebird, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Violet-tipped Courser, Little Bee-eater, Spur-winged Lapwing, Collared prantincole, Temminck’s courser and Caspian Plover.

On the boat trip in the afternoon along Kazinga channel, hundreds of water birds of Uganda brace the banks. They include Palearctic migrants such as Heuglin’s Gull, Hammerkorp, Saddle-billled stork, Gull-billed Tern and Whiskered Tern and Flamingos.

Others birds of Uganda at the park include the African skimmer, Yellow-billed stork, Goliath Heron, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Intermediate Egret, Great Egret, Great White Pelican and more.

Ideal Bird Watching Tour to Queen: 4 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari

Murchison Falls National Park & Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary:

While in Murchison, expect to see the black-billed and blue-spotted wood-dove, Bronze-tailed, lesser, and greater blue-eared starlings, black-winged bishop, fan-tailed widowbird, white-crested turaco, yellow-bellied hyliota, African-moustached warbler and brown twinspot.

The seasonal lesser grey shrike, brown parrot, eastern grey plantain eater, African thrush, little sparrow hawk, African harrier hawk, grey-headed olive back, grey and Nubian woodpecker, white-chinned prinia, black and white mannikin, red-eyed, African morning, green-backed eremomela, ring-necked, and laughing dove.

Ideal Uganda Birding Safari to Murchison: 3 Days Murchison Falls Safari

Birds of Uganda in Budongo Forest:

Sabine’s spine tail, Cassin’s Spine-tail(rare), Pygmy Crake, Kingfishers (Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted, African Dwarf), White-spotted Fluff tail, Puvell’s Illadopsis, Brown Twin-spot, Cameroon Somber Greenbul, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Ituri Batis, Forest Robin, Little Green Sunbird, Grey-headed Sunbird, Olive Green Camaroptera while the famous Royal Mile “Uganda’s premier birding site” can be rewarding with the Nahan’s Francolin, Cassin’s Spinetail, and Chestnut-capped Flycatcher.

Greenbuls such as Spotted, Xavier’s, White-throated, Red-tailed & Honeyguide. The Yellow-mantled Weaver, Rufous Thrush, the Uganda Woodland-Warbler and numerous skulkers such as Scaly-breasted, Brown & Pale-breasted Illadopses, Fire-crested Alethe and the Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat.

Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Yellow Longbill and Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher among others. We will keep an eye on any openings in the forest canopy for Cassin’s and Crowned Hawk-eagles, Cassin’s and Sabine’s spinetails, and White-throated Bee-eater are all possible.

Pakuba Game Lodge:

Grey-headed, striped, and woodland kingfisher, red-shouldered cuckoos-shrike, beautiful sunbird, foxy, whistling, croaking, singing, rattling, sitting, and sniffling cisticola, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black-bellied and Stanley’s bustard, white-fronted black chat, sooty chat, yellow billed, woodchat and grey-backed shrike.

There are also the Abyssinian and rufous-crowned roller, spotted morning thrush, African quail finch, vitelline-masked weaver, black-billed barbet, swallow-tailed, northern carmine, little and the seasonal Eurasian, blue-cheeked and olive bee-eater, white-browed and chestnut-crowned sparrow-weavers, white-headed buffalo weaver, speckle-fronted weaver, rufous sparrow, superb starling,

Nile Delta and Murchison Falls National Park:

Shoebill, Secretary Bird, Abyssinian Roller and Ground Hornbill, Pied Kingfishers, Red-throated Bee-eaters, Goliath Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Water Thick-knee, Senegal Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing and the Long-toed Lapwing.

Little Bittern, Osprey, Red-necked Falcon, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Vinaceous Dove and Grosbeak Weaver. Other specials include Buff-bellied Warbler, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Spotted Morning-Thrush, Marabou Stork and the Red-throated Bee-eater.

Silver Bird, Black-headed Gonolek, Beautiful Sunbird, Speckle-fronted and Golden-backed Weavers, White-rumped Seedeater, Pel’s Fishing Owl, White Crested Turacco, Carmine Bee-eater, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver, Night jars (Pennant-winged &Standard-winged), White rumped canary and more.

Semliki National Park:

We shall look out for; white crested Hornbill, piping Hornbill, Black-casqued Watteld Hornbill, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill as well as the Red-sided Broadbil. Long-tailed Hawk, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk reside in this park.

At the hot-springs we should spot, African Green Ibis as well as the Spot-breasted Ibis. Other species include the golden-backed pytilia, melba finch, brown-backed scrub robin, orange-cheeked waxbill, marsh tchagra, and at the park edges birds like the red-billed dwarf, black dwarf, pipping, and black-wattled casqued hornbill are easily sighted.

African piculet, grants bluebill, crested and blue-billed malimbe, black-asqued wattled-hornbill, Maxwell’s weaver, green-throated cuckoo, white-crested, pipping, black-billed dwarf, roufous sided, and African broadbill.

There is also eastern bearded greenbul, western bronze-naped pigeon, black-billed turaco, African pitta, blue-throated roller, yellow-throated nicator, chestnut-bellied Nigro finch, orange-cheeked waxbill, and more.

Kibale Forest National Park:

We might come across the African Emerald Cuckoo, Purple-headed Starling, Black-billed Turacco, Yellow-billed Barbet, Grey-throated Barbet, Blue-throated Roller, Narrow-tailed Starling, Western Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-throated and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds.

Birds of Uganda in Bigodi Wetlands:

Papyrus endemics here include; Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, White-spotted Flufftal, Joyful Greenbul and Yellow-crested Woodpecker among others.

Ideal Bird Watching Tour to Kibale: 3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari

Mabamba Area:

Mabamba bay swamp is a home to various Birds of Uganda which among others include; the elusive Shoebill stork, African pygmy Goose, Blue-cheecked bee-eater, African marsh harrier, Eurasian marsh harrier, Osprey, Purple Swamphen, Allen’s Gallinule, Orange weaver, Winding cisticola, Black crake and the Blue swallow.

Wyne’s weaver, Narina’s trogan, Western nicator, White-breasted Negro-finch, Great blue Turaco, Black Egret, Broad billed Roller, African green Pigeon, Papyrus Gonolek, Gabar goshawk, Shikra and a Grey parrot.

Shoebill stork Uganda where to see

Shoebill storks, iconic for their prehistoric appearance, are best spotted in Uganda’s wetlands. Mabamba Swamp, near Entebbe, is a prime location, accessible by canoe, with high sighting chances.

Murchison Falls National Park offers sightings along the Nile’s marshy edges. Semliki Wildlife Reserve and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary’s swamps are also reliable.

Guided tours, costing $150–$300 for day trips, enhance success. Early mornings in rainy seasons (March–May, October–November) optimize sightings.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park:

The impenetrable forests of Bwindi are some of the Important Birding areas in Uganda with hundreds of bird species calling the forests their home. The most common include; the Giant kingfisher, Crowned hornbill, African harrier hawk, African green pigeon and Cinnamon-chested bee-eater.

There are also the Handsome Francolin, the Mountain Illadopsis, African Green Broadbill, the Grauer’s and Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Yellow Eyed Black Flycatcher, Blue Headed, Blue Throated, Red Throated Alethe, Purple Breasted and Blue Throated Brown Sunbird, Collard and Mountain Masked Apalis.

Best Birding Safari to Bwindi: 7 Days Kenya and Uganda Safari

Lake Bunyonyi:

Lake Bunyonyi is blessed mostly with small birds of Uganda such as the Scared swift, Little sparrowhawk, White-naped Raven, Augur Buzzard, Pied crow and Common stone chat, Streaky seedeater, flocks of Grey-crowned cranes, the Mountain Yellow Warbler, Black-headed waxbill and the Chabb’s cisticola among others.

Lake Mutanda:

Birds of Uganda here include the localized red-collared mountain-babbler and the endemics like the Rwenzori Apalis and Turaco, the Red-faced, Woodland, Red-throated Alethe, and Archer’s robin-chat, Doherty’s and many-colored Bushshrikes.

This is another good spot for the Rwenzori hill babbler, Grauer’s rush, handsome francolin, sooty boubou, yellow-eyed black-flycatcher, Neumann’s, and Grauer’s warblers as well as the black-faced Apalis.

Other residential birds of Uganda include Lagden’s bushshrike, Blue-headed, and Regal sunbirds, Purple-breasted, Stripe-breasted tit, Dusky crimson-wing, and strange weaver. Other birds you’ll hope to see include Kivu ground thrush, White-bellied robin-chat, and White-tailed blue-flycatcher.

Echuya Forest – Birds of Uganda:

Along the way, we shall look out for the white-starred robin, Rwenzori turaco, white-eyed slaty flytacher, olive thrush, mountain yellow warbler, olive woodpecker, white-tailed blue flyctacher, bronze sunbird, dusky crimson wing, lagden’s bush-shrike, cape robin, grey-caped warbler, yellow-crowned canary, white-napped raven, streaky seedeater, and on lucky days you shall try out the threatened Shelley’s crimson wing finch.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park:

The checklist for the birds of Uganda found in the mountains of the moon include; Rwenzori Turaco, Bamboo Warbler, White-crested Turaco, Golden-winged Sunbird, Chestnut Weaver, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Rufous Chatterer, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Hartlaub’s Bustards and Violet-tipped Courser.

There are also Abyssinian Ground-hornbill, Eastern Yellow Hornbill, Red-throated Bee-eater, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Clapperton’s Francolin, Black-breasted Barbet and Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird among others.

Rare Bird Species Uganda List

Uganda Albertine Rift endemic birds

The Albertine Rift, a biodiversity hotspot in western Uganda, hosts several endemic and near-endemic bird species, including the Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Nahan’s Partridge, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing, Kivu Ground Thrush, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Grauer’s Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, and Oberländer’s Ground Thrush.

These species, found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Rwenzori Mountains, and Semliki National Park, highlight the region’s unique avian diversity, drawing birders to these lush montane and forest habitats despite threats from habitat loss.

Wetland bird species Uganda

Uganda’s wetlands, including Mabamba Swamp, Lutembe Bay, and Lake Mburo, host a rich array of bird species such as the Shoebill Stork, African Skimmer, Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Canary, Lesser Jacana, Greater Swamp Warbler, Black-headed Heron, Grey Crowned Crane, African Fish Eagle, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, African Jacana, Long-toed Lapwing, Blue-headed Coucal, Swamp Flycatcher, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Black-crowned Waxbill, and Northern Brown-throated Weaver.

These species thrive in marshy habitats, with many, like the Shoebill and Papyrus Gonolek, being near-endemic or rare. Wetland conservation is critical as habitat loss threatens these birds, making sites like Mabamba key for birdwatching and ecological balance.

Top 5 Best Bird safari Uganda packages: 

1 Day Mabamba Bird Watching Tour

This is one of the best Uganda birding safari trips crafted for you to sight diversity of avifaunal species that make Uganda a birder’s paradise. Your bird watching expedition allows you enjoy the amazing sight of the elusive shoebill storks… View Tour

7 Days Bird Watching Safari Uganda

This birding safari takes you visit the greatest birding areas in Uganda such as Queen Elizabeth National park, Lake Bunyonyi which is one of the most bird watching destination in Uganda. You will have a chance to visit the botanical gardens… View Tour

3 Days Birding Safari Uganda

This birding tour covers 3 iconic bird watching spots; Mabamba Swamp East of Entebbe just at the shores of Lake Victoria, Botanical Gardens at Entebbe and Mabira Forest Reserve along Kampala. Your 3 days birding safari Uganda includes… View Tour

12 Days Uganda Safari Adventure

Explore the Pearl of Africa with our Uganda Safari Adventure packed with exciting tour activities. 12 Days Uganda Safari Holiday involves you exploring and experiencing Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park on game… View Tour

21 Days Uganda Safari

Our adventure packed 3 weeks holiday will lead you to a true African wilderness in a classic and eco-friendly way around Uganda as you do popular safari activities. They include game drives, boat cruises in the national park and primate safari… View Tour

Uganda bird watching tours cost

Uganda bird watching tour costs vary depending on duration, destinations, and services included. On average, a 1-day birding trip costs about $150–$250 per person, while multi-day safaris range from $200 to $500 daily.

Luxury birding tours with expert guides, private vehicles, and high-end lodges can exceed $600 per day. Budget birders can join group trips to reduce costs.

Prices usually cover transport, park entry fees, guiding, and accommodation, but exclude personal expenses, tips, and international flights.

Best time to see migratory birds Uganda

The best time to see migratory birds in Uganda is during the wet seasons, March–May and October–November, when Palearctic and intra-African migrants arrive.

Wetlands like Mabamba Swamp and national parks like Queen Elizabeth host species like the Eurasian Marsh Harrier and Abdim’s Stork, peaking in these periods.

Top birding national parks in Uganda

Here are the top birding national parks in Uganda:

• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – home to over 350 bird species, including Albertine Rift endemics like the African Green Broadbill and Shelley’s Crimsonwing.

• Murchison Falls National Park – excellent for the Shoebill Stork, Goliath Heron, and hundreds of waterbirds along the Nile.

• Queen Elizabeth National Park – rich habitats with over 600 bird species, making it Uganda’s most diverse birding site.

• Kibale Forest National Park – known for forest specials like the Green-breasted Pitta and Nahan’s Francolin.

• Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – a hotspot for Albertine Rift endemics, including the Blue-headed Sunbird and Dusky Crimsonwing.

• Semuliki National Park – features Congo Basin species rarely found elsewhere in East Africa, such as the Ituri Batis and Nkulengu Rail.

• Lake Mburo National Park – ideal for acacia-associated birds and papyrus species, including the Papyrus Gonolek and African Finfoot.

Bird Photography in Uganda: Tips and Locations

• • Mabamba Swamp: Near Entebbe on Lake Victoria’s edge; ideal for Shoebill Stork and waterbirds like Pied Kingfishers; canoe trips through papyrus channels offer close-up shots—use a telephoto lens for distant, undisturbed captures.
  • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Albertine Rift hotspot in Ruhija and Mubwindi Swamp sectors; target endemics like Regal Sunbird and African Green Broadbill; misty forests suit dramatic portraits—hike early mornings for soft light and active birds.
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park: Kazinga Channel boat safaris for 600+ species including African Skimmers and herons; savanna and wetlands for vibrant flocks—golden-hour cruises yield stunning waterbird action shots.
  • Murchison Falls National Park: Nile Delta for Shoebills and Pel’s Fishing Owl; savanna trails for 450+ species like African Fish Eagles—dusk riverine edges perfect for low-light silhouettes; boat rides enhance angles.
  • Kibale National Park: Forest trails for Great Blue Turaco and sunbirds; understory hides gems like Green-breasted Pitta—early walks capture foraging behaviors; pair with chimp tracking for diverse shots.
  • Semuliki National Park: Lowland rainforest for Congo biome rarities like Nkulengu Rail; Sempaya hot springs area for hornbills—dense canopy challenges light, so use wide apertures and flash ethically.
  • Lake Mburo National Park: Accessible savanna-wetland mix near Kampala; salt licks and shores for Grey Crowned Cranes and finfoots—roadsides ideal for drive-by shots; dry season for clear views.
  • Equipment Essentials: Pack 300mm+ telephoto lens for distant birds, sturdy tripod or monopod, and weather-sealed camera; binoculars (8×42) for scouting—extra batteries vital in remote areas.
  • Timing and Light: Dry seasons, June–September, December–February, for active migrants and clear trails; shoot 6–10 AM or late afternoons for golden light—avoid midday glare for better colors.
  • Technique Tips: Use fast shutter speeds (1/1000s+) to freeze flight; burst mode for action; hire local guides for hidden spots and calls—practice patience, stay quiet, and follow ethics to avoid disturbance.
  • Practical Advice: Book guided tours for access; carry field guide/app for IDs; rain gear for wet seasons; no drones without permits—focus on gazetted areas for legal, safe shooting.

Uganda Bird Guide Services & Rates

Uganda’s bird guide services, led by experts from Uganda Bird Guides Club, offer personalized tours in hotspots like Bwindi and Mabamba Swamp. Rates for 2025: $10–$15/day per person for full-day guiding; half for drivers.

Full safaris (8–14 days) cost $1,500–$9,000, including guides, permits, and lodging. Book via operators like Bird Uganda Safaris for certified pros.

Forest Birding Uganda Trails

Uganda’s forests offer exceptional birding trails for spotting over 1,000 species, including Albertine Rift endemics. Key trails provide access to vibrant forest ecosystems, ideal for birders seeking rarities.

• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: Ruhija and Buhoma trails target African Green Broadbill, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, and Rwenzori Turaco; misty paths suit endemics.
• Kibale National Park: Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and forest trails host Great Blue Turaco, Green-breasted Pitta; early walks best.
• Semuliki National Park: Kirumia Trail near Sempaya Hot Springs for Nkulengu Rail, hornbills; dense canopy challenges light.
• Budongo Forest: Royal Mile trail for Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Ituri Batis; guided tours enhance sightings.
• Mabira Forest: Central trails near Jinja for Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Yellow-throated Cuckoo; accessible day trips.