Bird watching Uganda from late May through September

Are you interested in booking a bird watching safari in Uganda from late May through September and you are wondering if this is the best time for you to travel; well we are here to bring you the details.

Birding in Uganda is one of the most popular safari activities that attracts tourists from several parts of the word. Uganda is a home to about 50% of the bird species in Africa and with an estimate of 11% of the world’s bird population.

Over 1080 bird species have been confirmed in several parts of Uganda including the savannah national parks, forest national parks, national game reserves, wetlands among other spots.

More still, Uganda is a home to about 150 species that cannot be seen anywhere in the East African region.

If you are looking at bird watching Uganda from late May through September, expect to see notable birds like; African jacana, Black-headed lapwing, Orange weaver, Red-throated alethe, Shoebill.

The endemic and near-endemic bird species in Uganda are; Archer’s robin-chat, Black-lored babbler, Blue-headed sunbird, Chapin’s flycatcher, Grant’s bluebill, Dusky crimsonwing, Dwarf honeyguide, Fox’s weaver, Grauer’s broadbill, Grauer’s swamp warbler, Handsome francolin, Jackson’s francolin, Karamoja apalis, Nahan’s francolin, Red-throated alethe, Uganda woodland warbler, Grauer’s cuckoo-shrike, Neumann’s warbler, Yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Ruwenzori apalis, Hartlaub’s turaco, Oberlaender’s ground thrush, Turner’s eremomela, Purple-breasted sunbird, Red-faced barbet, Red-faced woodland warbler, Ruwenzori double-collared sunbird, Regal sunbird, Ruwenzori batis, Golden-winged sunbird, Ruwenzori nightjar, Ruwenzori turaco, Shelley’s crimsonwing, Strange weaver, Stripe-breasted tit,

Other Birding Specials in Uganda include; Black bee-eater, Masked apalis, Equatorial akalat, Great blue turaco, Jameson’s antpecker, Lühder’s bush-shrike, Red-tailed ant thrush, Magpie mannikin, Olive long-tailed cuckoo, Ituri batis, Papyrus gonolek, Blue-throated roller, Pennant-winged nightjar, Red-chested owlet, Yellowbill, Rufous flycatcher-thrush, White-bellied crested flycatcher, White-bellied robin-chat, Ansorge’s greenbul and White-naped pigeon. The migrant bird species in Uganda are present from November to April.

From a birder’s point of view, birding in Uganda is good throughout the year because the country is home to several resident bird species.  The climate is one of the major factors to consider if you are choosing to go for a bird watching tour, therefore Uganda experiences both wet and dry season.

During the Uganda’s wet seasons, roads and forest trails tend to be in poor conditions and rains might interfere with birding time.

It should be noted that the best time for bird watching in Uganda is from late May through September, when the country experiences less rain and abundant food for birds.

The main nesting season in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park which host the Albertine Rift endemics happens in May and June, however, from mid-April to mid-May, the rains tend to be too heavy.

It is relatively dry in Toro-Semuliki from February and early March but uncomfortably hot in the northern parts of Uganda including Murchison Falls National Park.

Uganda birding safaris in December and January are also good since the north is not yet too hot and there is less rain in the southern region.

If you are planning to combine bird watching experiences with gorilla & chimpanzee trekking as well as wildlife viewing in Uganda, the best time for your tour is during the dry season that runs from June to August and December to February.

Where to go Bird watching Uganda from late May through September

Excellent and rewarding birding destinations in Uganda range from national parks, wetlands to agricultural farm yards. The following are the major bird watching spots in Uganda; Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Mount Elgon National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Semuliki National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.

Other places for the best birding safari in Uganda are; Echuya forest, Mpanga forest, Pian-Upe wildlife reserve, Bokora wildlife reserve, Mabira forest, Mabamba swamp, Budongo forest, Matheniko reserve among others.

The above birding spots can be combined for an ultimate birdwatching tour especially if you are on a long birding safari in Uganda while those on a short excursions or day trips, can visit Entebbe Botanical gardens, Mabira forest, Lutembe bay and Mpanga forest. Twitchers can spot over 20 bird species in a single excursion.

The Ramsar site of Lutembe bay on the shores of Lake Victoria hosts several migratory birds from Europe which include terns (White-winged and Caspian), spotted flycatchers, and the Grey-headed gulls.