Bird Species to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

If you are planning a bird watching safari and contemplating the bird species to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park, this article will guide you on some of the bird species to encounter on your birding safari in the park. It’s one of the most considered national parks by tourists due to its rich biodiversity and accessibility. The park is situated in western Uganda, and it’s around 5 5-hour drive from Kampala to the park. It’s the second largest national park in the country after Murchison Falls National Park.

The park’s diverse natural systems, including wetlands, tropical forests, woodlands and savannah grasslands, provide habitats to various wildlife species. It hosts over 12 primate species, 200 butterfly species, 96 mammal species, including the Big Four lions, leopards, buffalo and elephants. Queen Elizabeth National Park is the only park in East Africa with the highest number of bird species, up to 610 bird species, including forest birds, migratory birds, water birds, and savannah birds. Making it one of the best parks for bird watching safaris in East Africa. It was designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International due to its rich birdlife.

Bird Species to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Bird lovers will indulge in over 600 bird species on their birding safaris in the park. There are various sites with unique bird species that visitors visit to see birds in the park, such as Maramagambo Forest, Katwe area, Kyambura Gorge, Mweya Peninsula and Katungulu Bridge. Visitors will encounter birds like Rwenzori Turaco, White-crested Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, ,Black-tailed Godwit, Black-throated Coucal, Blue-headed Coucal, White-browed Coucal, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Dideric Cuckoo, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Shoebill Stork, Great Blue Turaco, Grey-crowned crane, Long-crested Eagle, Black and white Casqued Hornbill,  Bateleur, Pied Avocet, White-backed Duck,  Black-bellied Plover, Knob-billed Duck, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose, African Pygmy-Goose, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Yellow-billed Duck, Blue-billed Teal, Blue-billed Teal, African Black Duck, Yellow-billed Duck, Red-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Helmeted Guineafowl, Western Crested Guineafowl, Nahan’s Partridge, Crested Francolin, Coqui Francolin ,Harlequin Quail, Common Quail,Blue Quail, Red-winged Francolin,Ring-necked Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, Scaly Spurfowl, Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl, Handsome Spurfowl ,Rock Pigeon, Speckled Pigeon, Afep Pigeon, Rameron Pigeon, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-eyed Dove, Mourning Collared-Dove.

Others include, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Nubian Nightjar, Common Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Pied Cuckoo, Freckled Nightjar, Dideric Cuckoo, Blue-headed Coucal, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Montane Nightjar, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Dideric Cuckoo, Alpine Swift, Cassin’s Spinetail, Alpine Swift, Mottled Swift, Dusky Turtle-Dove,White-naped Pigeon, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Ring-necked Dove, Vinaceous Dove, Laughing Dove, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Black-billed Wood-Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove,Tambourine Dove, African Green-Pigeon, Black-bellied Bustard, Denham’s Bustard, Eastern Plantain-eater, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Pied Avocet, Senegal Thick-knee, Forbes’s Plover, Crowned Lapwing, Common Ringed Plover, Long-toed Lapwing, Caspian Plover, Pacific Golden-Plover, Three-banded Plover, Brown-chested Lapwing, Kittlitz’s Plover, Green Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Snipe, Lesser Jacana, Dunlin, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Rock Pratincole, Black-winged Pratincole, Marabou Stork, Black Heron, Slender-billed Gull, Greater Flamingo, Reed Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Plain Nightjar, Common Swift, Little Swift, African Crake, Lesser Moorhen, African Swamphen, Red-knobbed Coot, Horus Swift, Gray-throated Rail, African Finfoot, Spotted Thick-knee, Eurasian Thick-knee, and more.

Best Time to see birds in the Park.

Queen Elizabeth National Park can be visited at any time of the year, and the best time for birding varies from individual’s interests. The dry season is the most liked season by travellers, and this runs from June to September and December to February. During this season, there is little to no rainfall, the tracks are less muddy and slippery, making it easy to penetrate the park. Visitors can also visit during the wet season, which runs from October to November and March to May. It is characterised by sufficient rainfall, and the tracks are muddy, making it challenging to penetrate the park.