Birds Found in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Birds Found in Kidepo Valley National Park: Kidepo National Park is one of Uganda’s most outstanding bird watching destinations, known for its semi- arid landscapes and rich bird life. It is located in the northeastern corner of the country, covering an area of about 1,442 square kilometers. It hosts over 490 unique bird species, including birds of prey, savannah birds, migratory birds, water birds, the park’s endemic species, and woodland species. The Kidepo’s rich avian life is supported by the presence of unique ecosystems such as open savannah grasslands, acacia woodlands, rocky outcrops, rivers, and wetlands that provide habitats to these unique bird species. This article will list some of the bird species to encounter on a bird watching safari in the park.
Birds Found in Kidepo Valley National Park.
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, 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, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, 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, 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 birds found in Kidepo Valley National Park include Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Olive Bee-eater, Common Reed Warbler, White-throated Bee-eater, Black Crake, Eurasian Moorhen, African Crake, Lesser Moorhen, Gray Crowned-Crane, Black Crowned-Crane, Senegal Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee , 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, 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, 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, among others
Best Time to do Birding in the Park.
The best time to see birds found in Kidepo Valley National Park depends on the traveller’s interests; the park is open throughout the year. It experiences two seasons: the wet season and the dry season. The wet season runs from March to May and October to November. During this period, the park receives enough rainfall, plants and tree species bear fruit, attracting various bird species. This is the time when migratory birds from Europe and North Africa come to the park, running away from the harsh weather conditions and searching for food. Since the park has sufficient food, spotting birds in this season becomes easy. The dry season runs from December to February and June to September; during this period, the park is dry, which makes it easy to penetrate.
