Explore The Avian Wonders Of Bwindi With Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Birding in Bwindi

Bwindi is a 321-km2 National Park located in the southwestern corner of Uganda. The park is a biodiversity hotspot and is home to over 320 species of birds, including most of Uganda’s rare species.

The Park hosts 23 endemic bird species; these particular areas of the Albertine Rift, Handsome Francolin, African Wood Owl, Rwenzori Nightjar, Bar-tailed Trogon, Black Bee-eater, Western Green Tinkerbird, Dwarf Honeyguide, Fine-banded Woodpecker, African Green Broadbil, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Shelly’s Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground-Thrush, Mountain Yellow Warble, Grauer’s Rush Warble, Red-faced Woodland Warble, Short-tailed Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Strip-breasted Tit, Tit Hylia, Purple- breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Montane Oriole, Strange Weaver, Brown-capped Weave, Red-fronted Antpecker, Dusky Twinspo, Dusky Crimsonwing, Shelley’s Crimsonwing.

The birdlife in Bwindi is good year-round but at its best in March and September. June and July have the least rain while March to mid-May has the most. Heavy rains might result in delays due to impassable roads and slippery hiking trails, which can limit your bird-watching time. The main nesting season is in May and June, with food being abundant from late May through September. Migratory birds are present from November to April.

Bird spots

Some of the great spots of birds include the longtrail to Mubwindi and also the short trail. This area enables a clear Watch of birds like the Montane Oriole, Waller’s starling, Blacke–billed turacos, barbets, Carruthers’ Cisticola Red chested Flufftail, Cabanis’s Green bull, Dwarf Honey guide, Oriole Finch and Bar tailed trogon. These portray the beauty of the forest.

Ruhija area also has birds like the Red-tailed and Shelley’s Greenbul, Grey-throated Barbet, Common Buzzard, Black Bee-eater and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Red-throated Alethe, African Shrike-flycatcher Ayres’s Hawk-eagle, to mention but a few. The forest of bamboo and afro montane habitats surrounding the draughty Rwamunyonyi peak also supports a variety of birds, several endemic to the Albertine rift.

At our very own Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge with only a glimpse you can observe a variety of these roaming around, with our experienced Birding Guides, you will have an insider’s perspective of village life in rural Uganda and the wonders of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, all at your own pace.

Around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, there are various birding spots any bird enthusiast cannot afford to miss while on a tour to the southern part of Uganda. Let’s talk about the following birding spots;

The Echuya forest reserve.

With almost 150 species of birds, eighteen (18) of which are endemic to the reserve, including the elusive Grauer’s Swamp warbler, Echuya Forest Reserve is a fantastic birding destination located in the southern western part of Uganda as it lies on the main Kabale to Kisoro road near the Rwandan border in the Albertine Rift section of the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot, the most endemic-rich region in Africa. Muchuya Swamp is home to an important population of 30-50 pairs of the Endangered Grauer’s Swamp-warbler and the entire Reserve is considered a priority amongst BirdLife International’s 30 Ugandan Important Bird Areas (IBAs). Therefore, there is no doubt that Echuya is a dream come true for bird watchers.

The fascinating forest is ranked as Uganda’s most important forest habitat due to the rarity of its flora and fauna and has much potential for sustainable tourism initiatives due to the dense human population of the area and the growing interactions between these people and the forest.

Any birder heading to this reserve should be sure to use the local guides and Nkuringo walking safaris can never let you down. We have a wide range of skilled birders who will help you to find and identify birds as they are the true experts of this environment. A few birds located in this area include; Dwarf Honeyguide, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Red-faced, Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Collared Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Strip-breasted Tit, Regal Sunbird, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Montane Oriole, Strange Weaver, Brown-capped Weaver, Strange Weaver.

The Buniga bird experience.

The name “the pearl of Africa” indeed did not come by coincidence but rather Uganda is gifted by nature. The Batwa home now turns into a birding paradise for bird enthusiasts, the birding activity in Buniga Forest provides the means for the Batwa to preserve and earn an income from their culture and heritage. The birding experience does not stop at that but also provides the Batwa bird guides with employment while the Sanuriiro visit enables women to sell crafts. Thus, the initiative benefits the Batwa themselves, you the visitor, and the forest.

The Buniga birding experience is arranged by the Nkuringo Walking Safaris; it starts and finishes at the Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge as the forest is located just 300m away from our lodge. This location has been well received by birders that have stayed with us while looking for Bwindi Forest endemics. Easy to see are the African Emerald Cuckoo, Common Bulbul, African Blue and White-tailed Blue Flycatchers, and Red-headed Bluebill. Always look forward to contacting us for your fascinating birding experience.

The “Pocket” Nombe forest.

A “Pocket” forest known as Nombe is located some 5km from our incredible Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge in the southern sector of Bwindi’s impenetrable national park is another tranquil location to further boost your birding experience after tracking the forest gentles in the impenetrable forest. Birds species that exist in the pocket include the following, Handsome Francolin, Short-tailed Warbler, Collared Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Dawrf Honeyguide, Grauer’s Warbler, Dusky Crimson wing, Rwenzori Batis, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Shelley’s Crimson wing, Strip-breasted Tit, Blue-headed Sunbird, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Strip-breasted Tit, Kivu Ground Thrush among others.

Traveling with Nkuringo Safaris, we provide you with professional local guides, that provide the opportunity to immerse yourself in the fabric of rural Uganda few others get to discover.