Bird Species found in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Queen Elizabeth national park has over 600 bird species, since it has a wide variety of habitats that is forest, savannah and wetland and among others. Queen Elizabeth national park also hosts a lot of bird species which are commonly known as specials in East Africa, this make it to be among the top best destinations not only in Uganda but also other parks in Africa with large number of different birds. Bird lovers visit Queen Elizabeth national park and enjoy a memorable experience of your life time.
Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth national park is done into different areas that is Maramagambo forest, Kazinga channel, Mweya peninsula, Lake Edward, Ishasha sector, and Lake George. All these areas offers you unforgettable experience during your birding safari in Uganda.
Some bird species in Queen Elizabeth national park are endemic while others are migratory en route from South Africa and Europe has summer nesting sites. Birds in this park are commonly found in these areas as explained below;
Kazinga channel.
Kazinga channel is among the most wonderful attractions in Queen Elizabeth national park and it is links two lakes that is Lake George and Lake Edward. The major activity on Kazinga channel is boat cruise which takes about 2 hours to complete. Boat cruise on Kazinga channel gives a chance to watch beautiful views and uncommon vegetation with a lot of bird species which includes; the open-Billed stork, African shoebill, saddle bill stork, Great and long tailed cormorant, Darters, pink-Backed pelicans and among others. The shores of Kazinga channel also attracts a lot of wild animal species like crocodiles, hippos, elephants, antelopes and many more.
Kasenyi plains
On your birding safari to Queen Elizabeth national park do not miss out to visit Kasenyi plains because it is good for bird watching as well as game viewing, while drive through the tracks in the plains you will see many bird species and these are some of them; the African White-backed Vulture, Long-created Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture, African Crake, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Temmick’s courser, Lappet-faced Vulture, Senegal Plover, African Wattled Plover, Bateleurs, White-tailed Lark, Martial eagle, Crowned Plover, Black-crowned Tchagra, Grey Kestrel, Rufous napped Lark , Brown Snake Eagle, Hooded Vulture, Kittlitz’s Plover, Black-headed gonolek, and among others.
Mweya peninsula
Bird lovers in Queen Elizabeth national park should not miss out to visit Mweya Peninsula for bird watching, as it is among the bird spotting areas within the park with various bird species like Raptors, Squire-tailed Nightjar, Diederik Cuckoo, African Mourning Dove, Swamp Nightjar and Slender-tailed Nightjar. You will also see the beautiful views of water that is sighted flowing to Rwenzori Mountains.
Ishasha sector
Bird watching trip in Queen Elizabeth national park around Ishasha sector is such a wonderful experience which gives you a chance to see different bird species such as African White-backed Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture and Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture. While on your bird watching safari in Ishasha sector, you will also see the tree climbing lions in the park. This areas also good for game drive which gives you unforgettable game viewing experience around the rift valley skies so on your trip expect to see wild animals like impala, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, topis, hippos an so on.
Maramagambo Forest
Maramagambo forest is one of the best areas in Queen Elizabeth national park where one can go for bird watching experience. The forest has over 60 bird species. Maramagambo forest is found near the Kicwamba escarpment on the right side of the western rift valley arm and it takes a big part of Queen Elizabeth national park. This trek is for half day which gives you an opportunity to find Crater Lake like Lake Nyamusingire and Kamunzuku which is a home of water and forest birds like Yellow bill, Blue-breasted, African Finfoot, African Emerald Cuckoo, Little Grebe, and Red-chested Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Black Coucal, Kingfisher and many more. You can also see different Primate Species on your birding safari in Maramagambo forest like Chimpanzees, Baboons, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Red Tailed Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, Blue Monkeys and among others.
Bird Species found in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Lake Edward
Lake Edward in Queen Elizabeth National park is among the best areas one can go for bird viewing. Lake Edward is a home to many bird species and these include African Wattled Plover, Grey Kestrel, Black-bellied Bustard, Helmeted Guineafowl and African Crake, and among others. You can also see wild animals around the shores of lake such as crocodile and hippos as well as buffaloes, elephants, lions, can be seen.
Bird Species found in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Lake George
Lake George is also a part of Queen Elizabeth National Park covering 250 square kilometer and it is also a best place for bird watching in the park and these are some of bird species you can see on your birding safari in around Lake George include; White-browed Robin-Chat, Yellow-billed Oxpecke, Grey-backed Fiscal, Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, Green Crombec, Cisticolas and many more. You also have a chance to see the Uganda Kobs, hyenas, zebras, hippos, warthogs, antelopes, Buffalos, monkeys, baboons and many more.
When to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for bird watching trip.
The best time for bird watching trip in Queen Elizabeth national park is during the late May to September when there is less rain and food is abundant. However it is also okay to do bird watching all year round. During the dry months that is from June-July there is lack of food due to the less rain, and you have to note that during the months of April- May and September- November the rainfall is too high in the park. Therefore most the roads are impassable due to the slippery and muddy hence difficult to hike trails which reduces your chances of viewing many bird species. From November- April is when migrating bird species are commonly seen.
Besides Queen Elizabeth national park, there are also other tourist destinations in Uganda where you can do bird watching safari and these include; Lake Mburo national park, Semuliki national park, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, Rwenzori mountains national park, Kibale forest national park, Mabamba Bay Wetlands at Lake Victoria and among other areas.
