Birding In Queen Elizabeth National Park : Queen Elizabeth national park is located in the south west of uganda. The national park ranges from the humid rainforests to the savannah ishasha plains, fresh water lakes, salty water lakes, acacia and euphorbia bushes low lads and wetlands. With such it has made queen Elizabeth to be a bird’s paradise
The national park has over 600 bird species that makes it to be visited by birders while on their safari to queen Elizabeth national park. The national park has birds that are endemic, adopted birds as well as migratory birds. The ishasha swampy area is rewarding to spot the elusive shoebill stork
Best time for birding
Birding within queen Elizabeth national park can be done throughout the whole year but the best months are late May to September the rains are less. Then June to July when the park has least rainfall and April to May and September to November with most rains. The heavy rains interrupt an activity because of the slippery hiking tails and impassable roads. But during the wet months of November to April tourists are able to spot the migratory birds.
Birds can be found in various places within Queen Elizabeth national park starting from the savannah plains to the wetlands as well as lowland forests and these include;
NARAMAGAMBO FOREST AREA
The forest is found on the right of the western rift valley arm along the escarpment. Various bird species are spotted such as blue shouldered robin, African mustached warbler, barbets, African emerald cuckoo, red throated wryneck, little grebe, brown illadopsis, croaking cisticola, chestnut wattle-eye, Sulphur-breasted bush shrike among others
KATWE
In this area there are a number of crater lakes and swamps such as lake munyanyange where one can watch various water birds mostly lesser flamingo and a few of the greater flamingo other bird species include white breasted nigro-finch, chestnut wattle eye, African moustached warbler, croaking cisticola, southern red bishop, curlew sandpiper, Eurasian mash harrier among others.
KASENYI AREA
Various tourist vehicles head to kasenyi area every morning to adventure the parks big game in an open grassy area that’s occupied by savanna but its also a good place for African bird species such as hooded vulture, African white-backed vulture, grey kestrel, black-bellied bustard, long created eagle, African wattled plover, Senegal plover, white tailed lark among others.
ISHASHA SECTOR
The sector is known for having various tree climbing lions but it’s also a home to various bird species such as palm-nut vulture, shoebill, hooded vulture, white headed barbet, double-toothed barbet, greater honey guide, striped kingfisher, martial eagle, long-created eagle, African wattled plover, African cake, brown-backed scrub-robin, green crombec among others
KATUNGURU BRIDGE
Tourists have to cross the kazinga channel and peek beneath the bridge where there’s a papyrus swamp that harbors a number of bird species such as papyrus gonolek, white winged tern, pied kingfisher, malachite kingfisher, white winged warbler, greater swamp warbler among others
LAKE KIKORONGO
The lake is an extension of lake George and it’s known to be a home to waterfowls such as knob billed duck, African jacana, yellow wagtail, sacred ibis, lesser swamp warbler, papyrus gonolek, white-winged warbler, common squacco heron black crake, shoebill and saddle billed stork among others
MWEYA PENINSULAR
The mweya peninsular is found close to Kazinga channel up to lake Edward where most birds are spotted. Such as grey headed kingfisher, swamp night jar, little bee eater, swallows, martins, Nubian woodpecker, red capped lark, African morning dove, swallows, slender-billed weaver, pin tailed whydah, scarlet-chested sunbird, swifts, slender-tailed nightjar among others
Birders come to queen Elizabeth national park a home to a number of bird species and while on their safari they are expected not to forget a pair of binoculars for a clear view as well as cameras for taking pictures. This makes the birding Uganda safari an unforgettable experience.
