Bird Species found in Queen Elizabeth National Park : Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular to savannah national park in Uganda famous for the tree climbing lions found in the Ishasha Sector and a huge population of birds, the park is located in the western region of Uganda spanning across Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri.
The park is approximately 400 kilometers by road, southwest of Kampala – the capital city of Uganda, the park lies on the Africa’s Western Rift Valley floor covering an area of 1,978 square kilometers at an altitude of 884 – 1,337 meters.
Queen Elizabeth National Park formerly known as Kazinga National Park was established in 1952, later in 1954 it was renamed to commemorate the visit the late Queen Elizabeth II’s visit.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 600 bird species hosted in a wide variety of habitats including forest, bushy grasslands, savannah lake shore and wetland among others. The park hosts a lot of bird species commonly known as specials in East Africa, the huge population make Queen Elizabeth National Park among the top birding destination in Uganda and Africa at large.
Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park is done in different areas around the park including Maramagambo forest, Kazinga channel, Mweya peninsula, Lake Edward, Ishasha sector, and Lake George. These areas offer the most unforgettable birding experience while on your birding safari in Uganda.
Kazinga channel.
Kazinga Channel is one of the most wonderful attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park and the best birding sites for a Uganda birding safari, the channel is a water channel body connecting two lakes that is Lake George and Lake Edward.
Kazinga Channel’s banks host a variety of birds including water birds such as yellow-billed stock, malachite kingfisher, lesser black gulls, grey hooded gulls, open-Billed stork, African shoebill, saddle bill stork, Great and long tailed cormorant, Darters, pink-Backed pelicans among others.
Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel offers unmatched views of birds from the boat, as you sail look out for colorful birds on the vegetation and trees along the banks of the river. Kazinga Channel also attracts a lot of wild animals including crocodiles, hippos, elephants, antelopes and many more.
Kasenyi plains
Kasenyi plains in Queen Elizabeth National Park are found in the north eastern part of the park, the area is also known as Mweya or Kasenyi Sector. This area is famously known for huge populations of antelopes that is Uganda Kobs which attract many predators and huge numbers of bird species.
Kasenyi plains has a number of routes which are used for game viewing and bird watching, some of the many birds you will see include 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
Mweya Peninsula is a birder’s haven in Queen Elizabeth National Park situated on the northern bank of Kazinga Channel and provides direct access to the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward.
Mweya Peninsula is one of the most visited areas n Queen Elizabeth National Park and the best site to visit for birder on a bird watching safari in Uganda, some of the birds to lookout for include 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
Ishasha Sector is another attraction and most popular regions in Queen Elizabeth National Park located in the Southern region of the park, the sector is famous for the tree climbing lions which are rare lion species and different bird species.
Birding in Ishasha Sector is great all year round and some of the resident bird species to see include African White-backed Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture and Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture.
In additions to birds, you will see tree climbing lions lounging on fig trees and other wild animals like impalas, cape buffaloes, Uganda kobs, topis, hippos among others.
Maramagambo Forest
Maramagambo Forest is a medium altitude rainforest found within the Southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, the forest is found near the Kicwamba escarpment on the right side of the western rift valley.
Maramagambo forest is one of the best areas in the park for a bird watching experience. Maramagambo forest has over 60 bird species, bird watching in the forest is offered as either a half day or full day hike offering you a chance to find crater lakes 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. During the like you will also see different primate species including Chimpanzees, Baboons, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Red Tailed Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, Blue Monkeys and among others.
Lake Edward
Lake Edward is among the best areas for bird viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the lake is home to many bird species which you will enjoy watching. Some of the birds to lookout for include African Finfoot, Black Cuckoo, Black Coucal, African Emerald Cuckoo, Yellow bill, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Little Grebe, and Red-chested Cuckoo. and among others.
In addition to Birds, you will also be able to see many animals along the shores of the lake such as Nile crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, elephants and lions among others.
Lake George
Lake George is a lake of 259 square kilometers , the lake is among the best places for bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park, during birding safari some of the birds to lookout for include White-browed Robin-Chat, Yellow-billed Oxpecke, Grey-backed Fiscal, Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, Green Crombec, Cisticolas and many more.
Also lookout for Uganda Kob, hyenas, zebras, hippos warthogs, antelopes, buffaloes and many more.
When to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for bird watching trip.
Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be done all year, however the best time is during the late May to September when the rain is less and fruits are in abundant.
During the dry months running from June – July, there is lack of food due to the less rain.
Queen Elizabeth National Park receives high rainfall in the months of April – May and September – November, in this seasons most of the roads are impassable due to the slippery and muddy hence difficult to drive through the route thus limiting viewing of many birds.
From November – April, the migrating bird species are commonly seen in the park.
