Bird watching in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the most amazing experiences the park has to offer. With over 350 bird species, including 23 Albertine endemics, Bwindi Impenetrable National has become one of Africa’s leading birding destinations. You will enjoy birding in Bwindi around the waterfall trail, in the Mubwindi swampland – from where Bwindi derives her name, and in the Ruhija sector.
While bird watching in Bwindi, in this rainforest, with its misty covering, you could catch a glimpse of the northern double-collared sunbird or the globally threatened species. These include; Shelly’s crimson wing, Chapin’s flycatcher, and African green broadbill – one of the most sought-after species in this part of the country. Uganda’s national bird – the grey-crowned crane (crested crane) is also a common sighting too!
More About Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Bird watching in Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park also protects an estimated 400 mountain gorillas, that’s roughly half of the world’s population. This is because of the several habituated gorilla families such as the Oruzogo gorilla family, which can be tracked.
This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.
Bwindi was managed as a productive forest reserve since 1932. In 1991, the forest gained a national park status with the official name of ‘Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’. It is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) as part of the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust/Area (BMCT/A).
BMCA comprises Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – the Ugandan portion of the Virunga Mountains. BMCA is also part of the Greater Virunga Landscape, which includes southwestern Uganda, the eastern Democratic of Congo (DRC), and northwestern Rwanda. In Rwanda, Volcanoes National Park is the primary home to the Mountain Gorillas.