Birding in Bwindi
A bird-lover’s paradise, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is aflutter with more than 350 species of birds, including some of the rarest avian species on the planet and 23 that are endemic to the region. Our local expert will guide you on a two-to-four-hour walk in search of these feathered forest-dwellers, including the vibrant and elusive African green broadbill, the African emerald cuckoo, and the brightly colored African pitta. Whether you are a seasoned twitcher or a curious beginner, this is an experience not to be missed.
Treat For Avid bIRDERS
Special Birds of Bwind
In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, birders can spot special species such as Chapin’s flycatcher, short-tailed warbler, green tinkerbird, and the stunning turacos.
If you are very lucky, you might even be the first to photograph the rare Shelley’s crimsonwing in the wild.
The highlands of Ruhija Sector are especially rich in birdlife, and those who hike the Mubwindi Swamp trail may find the elusive African green broadbill.
A List of Special Birds In Bwindi
(NE) near-endemic = lives in Uganda and neighboring countries
- African broadbill
- Archer’s robin-chat (NE)
- Bar-tailed trogon
- Black bee-eater
- Black-billed turaco
- Black-faced rufous warbler (NE)
- Blue-headed sunbird (NE)
- Carruthers’s cisticola
- Chapin’s flycatcher (NE)
- Cinnamon-chested bee-eater
- Doherty’s bush-shrike
- Dusky crimsonwing (NE)
- Dwarf honeyguide (NE)
- Eastern mountain greenbul
- Fraser’s eagle owl
- Grauer’s broadbill (NE)
- Grauer’s swamp warbler (NE)
- Grauer’s warbler (NE)
- Great blue turaco
- Handsome francolin (NE)
- Kivu ground thrush (NE)
- Lagden’s bush-shrike
- Yellow-streaked greenbul
- Mackinnon’s shrike
- Many-coloured bush-shrike
- Mountain masked apalis (NE)
- Neumann’s warbler (NE)
- Purple-breasted sunbird (NE)
- Red-chested flufftail
- Red-faced woodland warbler (NE)
- Red-throated alethe (NE)
- Regal sunbird (NE)
- Ruwenzori apalis (NE)
- Ruwenzori batis (NE)
- Ruwenzori double-collared sunbird (NE)
- Ruwenzori nightjar (NE)
- Ruwenzori turaco (NE)
- Shelley’s crimsonwing (NE)
- Strange weaver (NE)
- Stripe-breasted tit (NE)
- Western green tinkerbird
- White-bellied robin-chat
- White-tailed blue flycatcher
- White-tailed crested flycatcher
- Yellow-eyed black flycatcher (NE)
Best Months For Birding in Bwindi
Birdlife in Bwindi is good year-round, but best in March and September. The months of June and July have the least rain, while March to May and September to November have the most. Heavy rains might interfere with your bird-watching time. The main nesting season is May to June, with food being abundant from late May through September.
If you are specifically looking for African green broadbill, this is most likely to be seen along the Mubwindi Trail over May to July. Migratory birdsare present from November to April, though they are not a significant part of Bwindi’s attraction to birders.