Birdwatching Safaris in Kidepo National Park.
Birdwatching safaris in Kidepo National Park are one of the most rewarding safaris that bird lovers and ornithologists can enjoy in Uganda’s untouched savannah park, which is celebrated for its rich avian life. It is found in the northeastern corner of Uganda, bordering South Sudan and Kenya. Its is one of the unexplored safari destinations in Uganda due to its remoteness. Kidepo is about 700 kilometres from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, and it is accessed by either road transport or air transport. The park was gazetted as a national Park in 1962 after Uganda gained its independence to protect the big game that existed at that time. It’s the third largest park in Uganda, covering an area of about 1,442 square kilometers.
Kidepo Valley National Park is a haven for bird watching, with over 490 bird species that call it home, including over 58 birds of prey, 16 Sudan and Guinea Savanna, 4 Guinea Congo Forest Biome species, 3 of Uganda’s 32 Somali- Masai biome species, 21 Afro-tropical highland species, savannah birds and the park’s residents. These unique bird species are supported by the presence of different ecosystems that provide habitats to these bird species, like acacia woodland, wetlands, rugged hills, riverine forests, and savannah grasslands. If you are a bird lover, seeking calmness and a less crowded place to enjoy birdwatching safaris, Kidepo Valley National Park should be added to your bucket list.
Birds to see in the Park.
Kidepo National Park is one of the best bird watching destinations in Uganda, known for being the second park with the longest list of birds in the country. Birding is best done in the morning and late afternoon hours when birds are more active. This is a guided activity led by an experienced birder who gives more information about the birds encountered in the park. Visitors will encounter various birds, including 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, 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 Grey 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.
Other birds to encounter on birdwatching safaris in Kidepo National Park include 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.
Best time to go for Birdwatching Safaris in Kidepo National Park.
The park is open throughout the year, and the best time for birding in the park depends on an 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 from December to February. During this period, the park receives no rainfall, the tracks are dry, which makes it easy to penetrate them, and 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 attract various birds, including the migratory birds. This is considered the best time of the year to enjoy bird watching in Kidepo Valley National Park.
