Best Time for Bird-watching in Uganda

From a birder’s perspective, Uganda is good all year round, mainly since the main birding interest lies in the resident birds. The climate is the main factor to consider, and Uganda is a very wet country. During the Wet seasons, roads and forest trails might be in poor condition, and rains could interfere with birding time.
In general, the best time for bird watching is from late May through September, when there is less rain and food is abundant. The main nesting season in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga (key sites for the Albertine Rift endemics) is in May and June, but from mid-April to mid-May, the rains might still be too heavy. February and early March is the only time Toro-Semliki is relatively dry, but it is uncomfortably hot in the north, including in Murchison Falls NP. December and January are also good months since the north is not yet too hot and there is less rain in the south.

Common ostrich (Struthio camelus) World’s largest bird, a flightless savanna resident, in Uganda restricted to Kidepo and the far northeast. Can also be seen at the Zoo in Entebbe.

African darter (Anhinga rufa) Also referred to as the snake-bird after its habit of swimming low with elongated rufous neck (longer than any cormorant) extended in serpentine fashion, fairly common in most freshwater habitats with fringing vegetation, perches openly, often with wings spread open to dry.

Goliath heron (Ardea Goliath) As the name suggests, an immense heron (1.5m tall) with lovely cryptic purple-grey and orange markings, commonly seen from boat safari launch trips on the Vicotira Nile in Murchison Falls.

Pelicans (Pelecanus spp) Large, charismatic waterbirds often seen swimming in tight flotillas on open lakes and the Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP). Two species are present in Uganda.

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) Peculiar, medium-sized, brown waterbird with no close allies, a backward-pointing crest and long bill that combine to create the hammerhead effect for which it is named. Builds a vast scruffy nest, a good example of which can be seen on the Mweya Peninsula, QENP.

Saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) The largest and most handsome of several storks common in Uganda, up to 1.4m high, with black-and-white feathering and gaudy red, yellow and black bill, usually seen in pairs, regular on safari game drives north of Murchison Falls.