Kidepo Valley National Park set in the remote north-eastern tip of Uganda is the country’s premier birding hotspot with a checklist of over 480 species across a plethora of unique habitats including the Somali- Masai Biome. This unique checklist includes up to 23 out 32 biome restricted species unique to the dry-country and semi-arid habitat extending here on their southern and western range limits at Kidepo Valley NP and rarely occurring anywhere else in Uganda!
Birding Habitats in Kidepo Valley NP
The 1442km2 Kidepo National Park is a true African wilderness recognized as an Important Bird Area due to the diversity of habitats it protects. Among these habitats is the unique Somali-Masai Biome, a typical of Horn of Africa that extends here at Kidepo Valley NP on its western range limit. Elsewhere, the park’s habitats include; savanna grasslands and woodlands, extensive wetlands, dry shrub thicket and bush-land interspersed with rocky outcrops.
Kidepo Valley NP spans at altitudes of 914m-2750m hemmed in by lush mountain ranges and watered by two seasonal rivers systems that influence the local climate within this wilderness.
Best bird highlights in Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley NP top highlights include; Karamoja Apalis also Uganda’s second endemic, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Bristle-crowned and Magpie Starlings, Black-breasted Barbet, Pale Prinia, Pygmy Batis, Pygmy Sunbird, Yellow-billed Shrike, Clapperton’s and Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Rufous Chatterer, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Grey Wren Warbler, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Superb Starling, White-headed Buffalo Weaver and White-browed Sparrow-Weaver.
Dry bush hornbills include Eastern Yellow-billed, Red-billed and Jackson’s Hornbills.
Raptors are well represented in Kidepo Valley NP including; Eastern-Chanting and Dark-Chanting Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon, Tawny Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Secretary Bird, Lesser, Fox and Greater Kestrels. Rare scavengers include the vulnerable listed Lappet-faced Vulture, Egyptian Vulture and occasional Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus).
Other highlights include; Purple Grenadier, Taita Shrike, White-bellied Go-away bird, Abyssinian Roller, Three-Streaked Tchagra, Black Cuocal, Northern White-crowned Shrike, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Fan-tailed Raven, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Red-winged Lark, Namaqua Dove, Bruce’s Pigeon, Spotted-thick Knee and Three-banded Plover.
The grasslands around Kakaine tracks are hunted by the gigantic pairs of Abyssinian Hornbills, Denham’s, White-bellied, Buff-Bellied and Hartlaub’s Bustards and attract seasonal millions of Red-billed and cardinal Queleas. Harlequin Quail, Common Quail, African Crake frequent the wet grasslands.
The wetlands in Narus valley host African Jacana, Black Coucal, Winding Cisticola, Malachite Kingfisher and more.