Bird Species in Kidepo Valley National Park.

Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the parks in Uganda that offers exceptional bird watching opportunities to bird enthusiasts and ornithologists, though it’s less explored by travellers. This most scenic park is situated in the northeastern part of Uganda, known for its rich biodiversity. It covers an area of about 1,442 square kilometers, and it’s the second national park with a long list of bird species. Bird species in Kidepo Valley National Park are up to 480, including water birds, savannah birds, 32 Somali-Masai biome species, 16 Sudan and Guinea savannah, 4 Guinea Congo Forest biome species, 58 birds of prey, and 21 Afro-tropical highland species. These unique bird species are supported by the park’s unique ecosystems, including woodlands, savannah grasslands, wetlands, and rivers that provide habitats to these unique bird species. Bird watching in Kidepo Valley National Park is best done in areas around the Kidepo River, Apoka Camp, Narus Valley, and Namamukweny Valley, all of which offer equal chances of spotting unique bird species.

Bird Species in Kidepo Valley National Park.

Common Ostrich, African Pygmy-Goose, Knob-billed Duck, Spur-winged Goose, Helmeted Guineafowl, Western Crested Guineafowl, Stone Partridge, Crested Francolin, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Gray Hornbill, Jackson’s Hornbill, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Olive Bee-eater, Common Reed Warbler, White-throated Bee-eater, White-faced Whistling-Duck. Secretary Birds, Northern Camine bee-eaters, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Purple Heron, Clapperton’s Francolin, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Egyptian Goose, Garganey, Ring-necked Francolin, Orange River Francolin, Blue Quail, Harlequin Quail, Common Quail, Clapperton’s Spurfowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Speckled Pigeon, Mourning Collared-Dove, Lemon Dove, Dusky Turtle-Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Vinaceous Dove, Laughing Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Black-billed Wood-Dove, Namaqua Dove, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Little Swift, Common Swift, Horus Swift, African Palm Swift, Buff-spotted Flufftail, White-spotted Flufftail, African Rail, Lesser Moorhen, Allen’s Gallinule, Black Crake, Eurasian Moorhen, African Crake, Lesser Moorhen, Gray Crowned-Crane, Black Crowned-Crane, Senegal Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee, Spotted Thick-knee, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Black-winged Stilt, Black-headed Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Long-toed Lapwing, Wattled Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Greater Painted-Snipe, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, African Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Small Buttonquail, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Bronze-winged Courser, Temminck’s Courser, Gull-billed Tern.

Other bird species in Kidepo Valley National Park include, Purple Heron, Yellow-billed Egret, Hamerkop, Pink-backed Pelican, Osprey, Bruce’s Green-Pigeon, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Denham’s Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Black-bellied Bustard, Buff-crested Bustard, Great Blue Turaco, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, White-winged Tern,Little Grebe, African Openbill, African Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Abdim’s Stork, Black Stork, Reed Cormorant, African Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, African Sacred Ibis, Black-crowned Night Heron, Dwarf Bittern, Western Cattle-Egret, Black-headed Heron, Gray Heron, Western Cattle-Egret, Little Bittern, Ross’s Turaco, Eastern Plantain-eater, Black-throated Coucal, Senegal Coucal, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Pied Cuckoo,Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Standard-winged Nightjar, Fiery-necked Nightjar, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Long-tailed Nightjar, Freckled Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, White-rumped Swift, Mottled Swift, Scarce Swift, Alpine Swift, Nyanza Swift, African Swift, African Cuckoo-Hawk, African Harrier-Hawk, Black-winged Kite, White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Bateleur, Rüppell’s Griffon, Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle, Eastern Chanting-Goshawk, African Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Western Marsh Harrier, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Black Goshawk, Pallid Harrier, Grasshopper Buzzard, Common Buzzard, African Fish-Eagle, Western Barn Owl, Southern White-faced Owl, Northern White-faced Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Grayish Eagle-Owl, African Wood-Owl, Blue-naped Mousebird, Speckled Mousebird, Common Hoopoe, Bearded Vulture, European Honey-buzzard, Verreaux’s Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Martial Eagle, Martial Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Brown Snake-Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, among others

Best Time to do birding in Kidepo

The park is open throughout the year and the best time to see bird species in Kidepo Valley National Park depends on individual’s preferences. Just like any other park in Uganda it receives two seasons the wet season and the dry season. The dry season runs from June to September and December to February, during this period the park receives no rainfall, the tracks are dry which makes it easy to penetrate them, the vegetation cover is short and scattered which enables visitors to clearly see birds. The wet season runs from March to May and October to November, these months receive enough rainfall, plants and tree species bear fruits which attracts various birds including the migratory birds. This is considered the best time of the year to enjoy bird watching in Kidepo Valley National Park.