Top Bird Species in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best birding sites in Uganda, famous for its unique bird species. This article will list the top bird species in Queen Elizabeth National Park that bird lovers can encounter on their birding safari in the park. It’s one of the most considered national parks by tourists due to its rich biodiversity and accessibility. It has various natural systems, including wetlands, tropical forests, woodlands and savannah grasslands, which 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.
Top Bird Species in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
OTIDIFORMES: Otididae
- Black-bellied Bustard
- Denham’s Bustard (Neotis denhami)
COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae
- Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
- Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea)
- Afep Pigeon (Columba unicincta)
- Rameron Pigeon ( Columba arquatrix)
- Western Bronze-naped Pigeon(Columba iriditorques)
- Lemon Dove (Aplopelia larvata)
- Dusky Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia lugens)
- Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)
- Mourning Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decipiens)
- Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove (Turtur chalcospilos)
- Blue-spotted Wood-Dove ( Turtur afer)
- African Green-Pigeon (Treron calvus)
GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae
- Crested Francolin (Ptilopachus nahani)
- Coqui Francolin (Campocolinus coqui)
- Ring-necked Francolin (Scleroptila streptophora)
- Red-winged Francolin (Scleroptila levaillantii)
- Blue Quail (Synoicus adansonii)
- Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix)
- Heuglin’s Spurfowl (Pternistis squamatus)
- Handsome Spurfowl (Pternistis nobilis)
ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae
- White-faced Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna viduata)
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)
- White-backed Duck (Thalassornis leuconotus)
- Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)
- Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
- Yellow-billed Duck (Anas sparsa)
- Spur-winged Goose( Plectropterus gambensis)
- Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
- Northern Pintail ( Anas acuta)
- African Black Duck (Anas sparsa)
- Garganey (Spatula querquedula)
GALLIFORMES: Numididae
- Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
- Western Crested Guineafowl (Guttera verreauxi)
MUSOPHAGIFORMES: Musophagidae
- Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata)
- Bare-faced Go-away-bird (Crinifer personatus)
- Eastern Plantain-eater (Crinifer zonurus)
- Rwenzori Turaco ( Gallirex johnstoni)
- Ross’s Turaco (Gallirex johnstoni)
- White-crested Turaco (Tauraco leucolophus)
- Black-billed Turaco (Tauraco schuettii)
CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae
- Pennant-winged Nightjar (Caprimulgus vexillarius)
- Eurasian Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)
- Nubian Nightjar (Caprimulgus nubicus)
- Fiery-necked Nightjar (Caprimulgus pectoralis)
- Montane Nightjar (Caprimulgus poliocephalus)
- Swamp Nightjar (Caprimulgus natalensis)
APODIFORMES: Apodidae
- Mottled Spinetail (Telacanthura ussheri)
- Sabine’s Spinetail (Rhaphidura sabini)
- Cassin’s Spinetail ( Neafrapus cassini)
- Scarce Swift (Schoutedenapus myoptilus)
- Little Swift (Apus affinis)
- African Swift (Apus barbatus)
- Common Swift (Apus apus)
- Mottled Swift (Tachymarptis aequatorialis)
- Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)
- African Palm Swift (Cypsiurus parvus)
GRUIFORMES: Rallidae
- African Rail (Rallus caerulescens)
- African Crake (Crecopsis egregia)
- Gray-throated Rail (Canirallus oculeus)
- Lesser Moorhen (Paragallinula angulata)
- Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
- Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata)
- Allen’s Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni)
- African Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis)
- Black Crake (Zapornia flavirostra)
CHARADRIIFORMES: Burhinidae
- Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis)
- Water Thick-knee (Burhinus vermiculatus)
- Eurasian Thick-knee (Burhinus oedicnemus)
- Senegal Thick-knee (Burhinus senegalensis)
CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae
- Black-throated Coucal (Centropus leucogaster)
- Senegal Coucal (Centropus senegalensis)
- Blue-headed Coucal (Centropus monachus)
- White-browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus)
- Black Coucal (Centropus grillii)
- Blue Malkoha (Ceuthmochares aereus)
- Great Spotted Cuckoo ( Clamator glandarius)
- Levaillant’s Cuckoo (Clamator levaillantii)
- Pied Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus)
- Thick-billed Cuckoo (Pachycoccyx audeberti)
- Yellow-throated Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx flavigularis)
CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae
- Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola
- Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
- Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva)
- Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
- Forbes’s Plover (Thinornis forbesi)
- Three-banded Plover (Thinornis tricollaris)
- Little Ringed Plover (Thinornis dubius)
- Long-toed Lapwing (Vanellus crassirostris
