Birds to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Are you an Ornithologist or a nature lover looking for birds to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park? You are in the right place. This blog will list some of the bird species to encounter on your birding safari in the park.  Queen Elizabeth National Park is among the top bird watching destinations in Uganda, and it was ranked as an important birding area in the country by BirdLife International due to its rich birdlife. It’s the second biggest national park in the country after Murchison Falls National Park, covering an area of about 1973 square kilometers. The park has a rich biodiversity of over 10 primate species, 97 mammal species, including the Big Four mammals, and 200 butterfly species. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 600 unique bird species, including forest birds, migratory birds, savannah birds and water birds, making it the only park in East Africa with the highest number of bird species

Birds to see in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Bird enthusiasts will find the park a haven for birding, with over 600 bird species. It allows visitors to explore the bird watching spots, such as Kyambura Gorge, Katungulu Bridge, maramagambo Forest, Mweya Peninsula, and areas around Katwe, all providing equal opportunities of spotting unique bird species. Some of the notable bird species to spot on a birding safari in the park include the elusive Shoebill Stork, 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, Great Blue Turaco, Grey-crowned crane, Long-crested Eagle, Black and white Casqued Hornbill, 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,  Black-winged Pratincole, Marabou Stork, Black Heron, Slender-billed Gull, Greater Flamingo, Reed Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe ,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, 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, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Plain Nightjar, 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, 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, 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 and more.

Best Time to do Birding in the Park.

Visitors can see birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park at any time of the year, and the best time depends on the individual’s preferences. The park receives two seasons: the dry and the wet season, both providing unique birding experiences. The dry season runs from June to September and from December to February. During this season, there is little to no rainfall, making it easy to access the birding sites and providing a clear view of various bird species. The wet season runs from March to May and October to November, this season is characterized by enough rainfall, the park is slippery and muddy, making it challenging to penetrate the park. However, this is the season when migratory birds come to the park in search of food, and it’s the breeding season for various bird species.