When to spot Most Birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park
When to Spot Most Birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park: Many travelers, especially birdwatchers, always ask about the best time to go birding in Uganda’s birding destinations. But the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for birding is during a time that is convenient for birders to have a successful birdwatching experience, particularly the season when visitors can enjoy fantastic birdwatching opportunities. It is essential for every birder planning a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park to know the best time to visit to have a successful birding experience.
When to Spot Most Birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today, we will examine several months of the year when visitors should visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and enjoy themselves during bird-watching safaris. Although the national park is open for birdwatching throughout the year, certain seasons are better than others.
The dry season at Queen Elizabeth National Park lasts from June to September and December to February, whereas the rainy season lasts from March to May and October to November. Since birds can still be spotted in the park, all of these seasons are good. While the wet season is wonderful because there are many bird species in the park, including migratory ones, because there is plenty of food and a constant fruiting season, the dry season is also ideal because there is no rainfall, the vegetation is short and dry, and the birding trails are dry.
Additionally, the dry trekking routes, minimal foliage cover, and little to no rainfall make the dry season an excellent time to see birds. Given the tall foliage, muddy and slick trails, and heavy rainfall, the rainy season may not be ideal, but visitors do benefit from cheaper lodging options. Prices are lowered by the lodges to draw in a few visitors to the park, which lowers the safari budget.
Best seasons to spot birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park
The Wet Season.
In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the wet season may not be ideal for birdwatching; however, November through April are excellent months. Rainfall is heavy throughout these months, making the birding trails muddy and slick. The tall foliage makes it difficult to see distant species, but the presence of migrating birds in the park makes these months ideal for birdwatching.
The presence of migratory birds in the park does increase the number of bird species, so you can see both the daily visitors and the birds that go great distances. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, migratory birds such as passerines, flamingos, Black Terns, raptors, storks, and waders, many of whom come from Europe and Asia, come to avoid the severe winter season.
The dry season
Late May through September is one of the best seasons to see birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park because there is little to no rainfall and an abundance of food. The park is warm, and it’s easy to navigate the dry birdwatching trails. You may capture good photos of the birds during the dry season because of the excellent weather, good sightings, and great visibility for photography.
The vegetation is so sparse during the dry season that even birds that are far away can be seen with binoculars. Although there aren’t many or any migrating birds in the park, skilled birders can still spot over 600 birds at the various birding locations. When there is little to no rainfall, the foliage is sparse, and the trails are dry and navigable; birdwatchers who plan to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for bird viewing and other activities might consider going during the dry season.
Birding Experience
As part of Queen Elizabeth National Park’s guided birdwatching programme, armed ranger guides lead visitors to various park locations. Places like the Kasenyi plains, Kyambura Gorge, Katunguru Bridge, Lake Kikorongo, the Katwe area, Ishasha, Maramagambo Woodland, and Kazinga Channel are among the popular bird-watching destinations in Queen Elizabeth National Park. During your nature walks, you will have the opportunity to see as many different bird species as possible because they inhabit different parts of the park. To view distant bird species, bird enthusiasts are asked to move with the camera, sound recorders, and binoculars. Seeing the majority of the bird species can be accomplished by visiting three or more birding locations if you
Birds of Queen Elizabeth National Park
The park has over 600 bird species, such as the following: Freckled Nightjar, African Darter, African Pygmy Goose, Shoebill Stork, Little Swift, Pennant Winged Nightjar, Comb Duck, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Greater Flamingo, Yellow-billed Stork, Squacco Heron, Mottled Spine-tailed Swift, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Little Bittern, African Palm Swift, Mozambique Nightjar, Little Swift, Rufous-billed Heron, Striated Heron, Nubian Nightjar, Diederik Cuckoo, Scarce Swift, and Senegal Cuckoo.
Other birds include African finfoot, Handsome Francolin, African Sacred Ibis, white-rumped swift, Allen’s Gallinule, African Crake, Lesser Moorhen, Abidim’s stork, red-knobbed coot, African emerald cuckoo, common swift, Black-crowned Night Heron, Sabine-tailed Swift, Red-chested Cuckoo, African swift, Mottle swift, African cuckoo, Plain Nightjar, African Rail, Common Cuckoo, European white stork, water thick-knee, slender-tailed nightjar, woolly-necked stork, and Eurasian thick-knee.
Black-billed bustard, blue-headed coucal, Senegal thick-knee, common quail, African open bill, little ringed plover, yellow bill, hadada ibis, Spotted thick-knee, Glossy ibis, white-spotted fluff tail, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Eastern Plantain-eater, Madagascar pond heron, marabou stork, Long-toed lapwing, Caspian plover, Red-chested fluff tail, African Black Coucal, Kittlitz’s plover, Intermediate Egret, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Horus swift, Jacobin Cuckoo, Purple heron, ross’s turaco, cattle egret, Saddle-billed stork, little grebe, Goliath heron, Forbe’s Plover, Black-headed lapwing, black crake, Levaillant’s cuckoo, grey plover, three-banded plover, black-headed heron, great egret, great spotted cuckoo, and Grey Crowned Crane.
Dusky long-tailed cuckoo, Spur-winged lapwing, Black-billed Turaco, Long-tailed Cormorant, white-brown coucal, Bare-faced go-away bird, Great White Pelican, White Crested Turaco, Hammerkop, Black Heron, Dwarf bittern, Denham’s bustard, white crested tiger, buff-spotted fuff tail, Pacific golden plover, African spoonbill, Hilderbrandt’s francolin, fiery-necked nightjar, Alpine swift, pied avocet, black-winged stilt, Swamp Nightjar, common ringed plover, grey crowned crane, and hamerkop. Great blue turaco, white-fronted plover, Nahan’s francolin, grey heron, and Common Moorhen, among others.
