Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park
Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park is arguably an amazing activity since the park harbors the highest number of bird species compared to any other national park in the country. Queen Elizabeth national park has the highest bird count in East Africa reaching 600 bird species which makes the ark one of the best birding destinations.
Avid birders on a birding safari shouldn’t miss out on visiting the national park if they are looking forward to having a great birding experience. Birding is a guided activity within Queen Elizabeth national park where armed anger guides take birders to different regions of the park protecting them from getting lost and also dangerous wild animals
Bird watching activities in Queen Elizabeth national park are carried out in form of nature walks, game drives, as well as boat cruises on Kazinga channel. The nature walks for bird watching in Queen Elizabeth national park take bird lovers to areas such as Mweya peninsula, Katwe, Katunguru bride, Ishasha, Kazinga channel, and Kasenyi plans among others.
The bird watching activity starts with birding lovers gathering in one place and armed ranger guides teaching them about the rules and regulations of the birding activity. After that, birders follow their ranger guides to the best spots and they are always given time to search and see different bird species.
Birds of Queen Elizabeth national park
The Rufous billed heron can be spotted in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Birds of Queen Elizabeth national park include White-faced whistling, red-capped robin chat, duck, fulvous whistling duck, rock’s martins, Egyptian goose, red-tailed ant thrush, garganey, hottentot teal, hadada ibis, rufous billed heron, rufous-breasted sparrow hawk, olive woodpecker, white-tailed ant thrush, yellow-billed duck, African black duck, red-billed teal, Angolan swallow, mountain buzzard, and white-backed duck.
Other notable birds of Queen Elizabeth national park include the African finfoot, common waxbill, spur-winged goose, ayre’s eagle, village indigo bird, gray hooded gull, common moorhen, Africa pygmy goose, brown-capped weaver, crowned lapwing, comb duck, helmeted guinea fowl, red chested owlet, white-throated bee-eater, common scimitar bill, brown snake eagle, bearded woodpecker, and African spoonbill
More birds of Queen Elizabeth national park are crested guinea fowl, great egret, sanderling little stint, Namaqua dove, lesser flamingo, African wattled lapwing, black cuckoo, plain night jar, emerald-spotted wood dove, common hoopoe, three-banded plover, great crested grebe, hairy-breasted barbet, dwarf bittern, nahan’s francolin, Eurasian spoonbill, and white-rumped swift among others.
How much is birding in Queen Elizabeth national park?
Just like any other protected area, birding in this national park comes at a fee because it’s a guided activity. A birding permit for Queen Elizabeth park costs $30 for foreign non-residents, $20 for foreign residents, and UGX20,00 for east African citizens. The birding permits can be bought at the park headquarters or Uganda Wildlife Authority Kampala.
What to pack for birding in Queen Elizabeth park?
Carry along with a pair of binoculars on your birding safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park
What to carry for your next birding safari in the national park should be based on the weather or season you are visiting the park. The national park can receive rainfall at any time of the day even in the dry season, bird watching activities are done in the forest like Maramagambo as well as wetlands like Kazinga channel.
This means that your list of essentials should include long-sleeved pants, long-sleeved shirts, waterproof shoes, long cotton stocks, gardening gloves, insect repellents, a field guidebook, a pen, a voice recorder, a camera, a pair of binoculars, drinking water bottle, energy giving snacks, a hat, sunscreen, a rain jacket, a light backpack among others. Bird lovers should remember that packing the right essentials helps one to have the best birding experience.
Best time to visit Queen Elizabeth national park for birding activities
Tourists can visit Queen Elizabeth park for birding activities at any time of the year because the park is always open. The best time to see the bird species of Queen Elizabeth park is from late May to September because there is always plenty of food in the park. November and April are also good months because that is when migratory birds are within the park.
June to July has little or no rainfall making it a good time to have a safari as well as birding activities. During the dry season, there is little or no rainfall in the park, sightings and photography are clearer, the temperature is warm, the trails are dry and passable and the bird watching activity is really amazing.
Accessing Queen Elizabeth national park for birding safaris
Tourists can access the park for birding activities in a single day using road transport or air transport. With air transport, there are airline companies like Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda which organize flights from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport to Mweya airstrip inside the park or Kasese airstrip.
Tourists that want to access Queen Elizabeth park for birding activities can use two routes from Kampala and access the park in 7-8 hours. There is a route from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi to the park. There is another route from Kampala via Mubende, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal, and Kasese to the park.
Where to stay on a birding safari to Queen Elizabeth park?
Queen Elizabeth park has so many accommodation facilities ranging from budget to mid-range to luxury options and therefore tourists can’t fail to get where to stay. These accommodation facilities are of different prices and have different facilities so travelers choose where to stay based on their budget.
Accommodation facilities in Queen Elizabeth park include Elephant Hub Cottages, Mweya Safari Lodge, Jacana Safari Lodge, Hippos Safari Lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Bush Lodge, Volcanoes Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Marafiki Safari Lodge, Enganzi Game Lodge, Mweya Hostel, Simba Safari Camp, and Kazinga Channel View Resort among others.
