Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is an exciting birding hotspot lying along the Eastern Uganda Birding Circuit known for its habitat restricted specialists. The wildlife reserve protects a unique vegetational type of Somali – Masai biome, a major Important Bird Area stretching from the Horn of Africa, reaching here on its western-range limit with a collection of restricted range bird-species.
Extending over 2788 sq-kms, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve supports a checklist of over 280 species across a plethora of bird-rich habitats. This impressive checklist includes Uganda’s Endemic species namely; the Fox’s Weaver and Karamoja Apalis.
Key Birding Habitats and Tracks in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve
Pian Upe Wildlife reserve packs a variety of habitats from vast acacia commiphora savanna, to broad-leafed woodlands across rocky hills and seasonal flood grasslands. The towering Mount Kadam on the reserve’s northern boundary is covered in mountain forest, while the lower slopes protect an intact woodland dotted with grasslands rich in species.
The Loporokocho Swamp on the eastern edges is a key birding hotspot and breeding area for the Fox’s Weaver but also attracts vagrant Shoebill pairs.
Birds to see in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve
The main bird highlights and bucket list species to look out for while birding at Pian Upe is Uganda’s endemics; the Fox’s Weaver and Karamoja Apalis.
Highlights of range-restricted species include; Common Ostrich, Pale Prinia, Marsh Tchagra, Stone Partridge, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Amethyst Sunbird, Green-backed Eremomela, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, African Gray Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Shrike, White-bellied Tit, Chestnut Sparrow, Western Black-headed Batis, Pale Flycatcher, Superb Starling, Bruce’s Green Pigeon and more. Nubian Woodpecker, White Headed Barbet, Northern Red-fronted Tinkerbird, White-crested Helmetshrike, Clapperton’s Spurfowl, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Vinaceous Dove, Rufous Chatterer, etc.
Birding across the light wooded grassland highlights include; White-tailed Lark, Black Coucal, Quailfinch, Eastern Paradise Whydah, Harlequin Quail, Fox’s Cisticola, Cut-throat Finch, Reichnow’s Seedeater, White-bellied Canary, Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow, White-winged Widowbird, Green-winged Pytilia, Northern Red Bishop, Boran Cisticola, Compact Weaver, Red-headed Weaver, Gray-capped Social Weaver, Buff-bellied Warbler, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, White-billed Buffalo Weaver, Red-fronted Barbet, Rattling Cisticola, D’Arnaud’s Barbet and more.
Raptors are well represented in Pain Upe including; Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Dark-Chanting Goshawk, Hooded and White-headed Vultures, Fox Kestlel, Brown Snake-Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Bateleur, Lanner Falcon, Black-Shouldered Kite and African Pygmy Falcon. Both Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers are passage migrants here.