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Uganda - from the source of the White Nile on Lake Victoria to the snow-capped Rwenzori Range

Shoebill, copyright Nigel Voaden

Shoebill, copyright Nigel Voaden from the surfbirds galleries



From the source of the White Nile on Lake Victoria to the snow-capped Rwenzori Range, from the montane forests of the Virunga volcanoes to the desert plains of Karamoja, Uganda is an equatorial country of astonishing contrasts. No other area in Africa can match its amazing diversity of habitats and this richness is reflected in its ever-burgeoning bird list of over 1,000 species. Amongst these are many special birds such as the Shoebill and the numerous spectacular endemics of the Albertine Rift Valley that are difficult or impossible to find elsewhere. The huge bird list is all the more remarkable given the small size of the country (approximately the size of Great Britain), making it arguably the richest African birding destination.


Queen Elizabeth National Park

Set in the west of the Great East African Rift Valley and bordered by the Rwenzori Mountains, Queen Elizabeth National Park incorporates a variety of lakes from freshwater lakes and inland salt lakes to mirror-surfaced crater lakes. Marshland, broad savannah, wetlands, gallery and lowland forest create an amazing diversity where the bird list runs to over 550 species – the largest of any protected area in Africa. See elephant, warthogs, giant forest hog, topi, bushbuck, aardvark, buffalo, lion, leopard, civet, hyena, chimpanzee, baboon, colobus monkey, hippos, plus 500+ species of bird including Martial Eagle, Black-rumped Buttonquail, African Skimmer, Verneaux's Eagle-owl, Black- Bee-eater, White-tailed Lark, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek and Papyrus Canary.

Shoebill copyright Callan Cohen

Shoebill, copyright Callan Cohen from the surfbirds galleries

Murchison Falls National Park

The "Jewel in Uganda's crown" has been a destination for travellers since the days of Livingstone and Speke. See elephant, warthogs, pangolin, giraffe, aardvark, buffalo, lion, leopard, civet, hyena, chimpanzee, baboon, crocodiles, hippos, plus 370 species of bird including fish-eagles, bee-eaters, the Giant Kingfisher and the Shoebill.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

See at least 120 species of mammal in one of the richest ecosystems in Africa including mountain gorilla, chimpanzee and 8 other species of primate. See elephant, bushpig, giant forest hog, many species of bats and at least 350 species of birds including Albertine Rift endemics; Red-throated Alethe, Archer's Robin-chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Montane Masked Apalis, Collared Apalis, Grauer's Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis and Strange Weaver.

Giant Kingfisher copyright Nik Borrow

Giant Kingfisher, copyright Nik Borrow from the surfbirds galleries

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo is situated in rolling hills and open grassy valleys where impala, eland, waterbuck, klipspringer and the rare topi can be encountered along with zebra and buffalo. The park's lakes support crocodiles and hippos whilst the surrounding papyrus swamps hide the beautiful Sitatunga, an antelope adapted to marshland environments. The bird life includes species such as African Finfoot, Brown-chested Plover, Southern Ground Hornbill, Spot-flanked and Red-tailed Barbets, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Carruther's Cisticola and Northern Brown-throated Weaver.

Kibale Forest National Park

This tropical rainforest once held substantial numbers of the rare forest elephant; even now the park contains the largest population of this subspecies in Uganda. Although rarely seen and dangerous, the signs of these small elephants' presence are abundant. However, Kibale's claim to fame is its enormous variety of primates and its families of habituated chimpanzees. See Red, Black and White Colobus Monkey, Mangabey and Olive Baboon alongside some 325 species of birds including Red-winged Fancolin, Red-chested Flufftail, White-naped Pigeon, African Pitta, Joyful Greenbul, Grey-winged Robin, Abyssinian Ground-thrush, Grey-throated Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Masked and Black-capped Apalis, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Chestnut-winged Starling, Orange-tufted and Tiny Sunbird and Grey-headed Olive-back.

African Finfoot copyright Paul Cools

African Finfoot, copyright Paul Cools from the surfbirds galleries

Kidepo Valley National Park

In an area inhabited by the Karamajong people, perhaps the last truly traditional hunter/pastoralists in Africa, lies the Kidepo Valley National Park. Located in the far north-eastern corner of Uganda, nestled between the Napore and Zulia mountain ranges, Kidepo hosts populations of giraffe, zebra and elephant. As the only arid-savannah National Park in Uganda it supports a wider variety of mammal species than any other protected area in Uganda. See african hunting dog, hyena, leopard, lion and cheetah as well as some 475 species of bird.

Mount Elgon National Park

The spectacular Mount Elgon area provides some of the most incredible countryside in Uganda. The mountain is said to have one of the largest surface areas of any extinct volcano in the world and is peppered with cliffs, caves, gorges and waterfalls. See monkeys, leopard, elephant, buffalo, sitatonga, duiker and some 300 species of birds.

Ssese Islands

The 84 lush equatorial Ssese Islands form a world of their own on this extraordinary lake. The forests teem with wildlife including vervet and colobus monkeys and water and forest birds including hornbills, turacos, flycatchers and weavers.

With thanks to the Uganda Tourist Board

Rock Pratincole, copyright Artur Bujanowicz

Rock Pratincole, copyright Artur Bujanowicz from the surfbirds galleries