UGANDA BIRDING TOURS

With thousands of bird species, Uganda stands out as Africa’s best and most thrilling birding destination. Being a landlocked country, Uganda falls at the confluence of a number of regional centres of endemism (phytochoria) or biomes, each characterized with distinct African sought-after avifauna species. Its supreme biodiversity lies in its range of habitats which don’t only attract birds but also with the glamour of large mammals in immense wilderness. Despite of its small size the country boasts of more than 1010 species of birds distributed in its wide range of habitats. Uganda’s rich birdlife exists in the Guinea-Congo Forests with 144 species of birds restricted to it, Lake Victoria Basin with 12 species, Afro tropical Highlands with 87 species, Somali-Masai with 32 species and Sudan and Guinea savanna with 22 species. Due to this diversity of physiognomic characteristics, Uganda ranks among the richest countries in bird species in Africa in relation to its size, with over 1010 species so far recorded.

Uganda's Birds

Uganda is arguably the best destination for core birders and Ecotourist seekers given the various range of habitats where bird watching can be carried out. These habitats range from snow capped mountain tops in the west to semi-arid areas in the north-east; rain forests in the centre and west to open waters of the numerous lakes. This diversity of habitats explains the unique biological diversity which includes endemic and globally threatened species. The bulk of the country lies in tropical Africa with the equator crossing the southern part of the country. It is bounded by the western arm of the rift valley in the west through a range of highlands along the western border including the Rwenzori Mountains and the Virungas in the south-western corner which attract birds endemic to the Albertine rift.

In the south, Lake Victoria (the second largest freshwater in the world) covers a substantial part of Uganda. The fresh water mass has various fringing wetland habitats ranging from lowland forests and papyrus swamps to open mud-flats. Some of these areas form important bird habitats that include large water bird congregations.

Mount Elgon and associated mountains in the east of the country form a distinct area. Lake Kyoga and its surrounding flood plain occupy the centre of the country. It is covered mainly by papyrus swamps and is expected to contain many of the birds endemic to the Lake Victoria biome, probably with a large population of shoebills. However, this region is largely unknown ornithologically.