Best time for Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest National Park in Uganda – one of the best spots for Uganda birding safaris with the highest population of bird species compared to any national park in East Africa. Bird watching in Uganda in general is a top safari activity since the country is a great contender of top birding destination in the world. Uganda is home to 10% of the world’s total bird species. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a great place to visit for all bird lovers. Queen Elizabeth National Park has a remarkable diversity of bird species with a bird count reaching 606 bird species. This makes it a favorite birding safari destination in Uganda as it has the highest bird species of any national park in the country. This is one of Uganda’s most popularly visited national parks because the park has several attractions and activities. Best time for Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park is during the months of May to September, and June to July.

Best time for Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Bird watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park is good all year round, however, the best time to see birds is from late May to September. During the months of May to September, the rain is lea and food is abundant. June to July also has the least rain and good time for safari.

However, during the dry season, the park is generally warm and trails are good for bird watching and also ideal for all other safaris as well. Great bird-watching experiences can be experienced during these seasons as sightings are clearer and photography is good. With good photography, it is easy to capture all these bird species and take note of your spotted bird species.

April to May and September to November have the most rain. During the rainy season, it is not recommended as the best time to go birding in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park because the rains may result in delays on slippery trails. The delays may limit your bird-watching time too.
The best time to see migratory birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park is during the months of November to April.

Birding list of Queen Elizabeth National Park – Best time for Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

The common bird species in the park include the white-winged Terns, swamp fly-catcher, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged plover, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Sacred Ibis, Malachite Kingfisher, Lesser flamingos, African skimmers, Grey-headed kingfisher, African jacana, martial eagle, pin-tailed whydah, long-tailed cormorants, common squacco heron, verreaux’s eagle-owl, white-winged warbler, papyrus canary, pink-backed pelicans, marabou storks, Egyptian goose, African mourning Dove and many more.

Birding hot spots in Queen Elizabeth National Park

For the best birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the best hot spots include the Kazinga channel area, Kasenyi area, Mweya peninsula, maramagambo forest, ishahsha sector, lake kikorongo, katunguru bridge area, and katwe area. Bird watching in these areas can be done alongside other activities like game drives in the park or on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel. Classified as an Important Birding Area (IBA), by Birding International, any birder should plan on visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park when they come for birding in Uganda.

Best time for Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park