Gorilla Tracking and Bird Watching at the Bwindi National Park

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in Kigezi highlands in the southwest of Uganda. It is one of the most popular national parks in Uganda due to its possession of the mountain gorillas and other wildlife species like wonderful tree species, ferns, butterflies, and also 120 mammals. Other than the mountain gorillas Bwindi impenetrable national park is known for being a good ambience for birds and it was voted the best birding destination in Africa in 2010 by African tourism magazine.

The Bwindi impenetrable national park lies on the surface area of 321 sq.kms, 1190-2607 meters above sea level. It is a densely forested area and comprised of medium-altitude moist evergreen forest, montane forest with patches of bamboo, montane marshes, and tropical rain forests. This makes it the best haven of bird watchers and it has 347 species of birds to watch in this beautiful environment. The jungle has 10 out of the 26 worldly endangered species of birds in Uganda. It has 23 species that are endemic to the Albertine rift and also other rare species like African green broadbill, Chapin’s flycatcher, and Shelley’s crimson-wing. The national park is endowed with 90% of all Albertine rifts endemics that cannot easily be found elsewhere in the world and among these seven of them are threatened species. It also has 76 bird species that are found in the guinea-Congo forest and this makes it a continental bird harbour.

The other common species of birds in Bwindi National Park are black-crowned night heron, spur-winged goose, African harrier hawk, lizard buzzard, African green pigeon, and the red-eyed dove to mention the few. The birds in Bwindi impenetrable national park are very interesting to watch as on a good day one spot over 100 different species of birds on a birding safari.

Its serene environment with flowing stream and beautiful tree species makes it conducive for bird watching as the visitor feels that is in the right place to have a good time with the birds. The bird experts are also in place to guide the bird lovers on how to easily see their favourite species of birds while in Bwindi impenetrable national park. The bird-watching safaris are always up for grabs online and Bwindi impenetrable national park should be the first destination on your itinerary to have a good time with the birds. While on a bird watching safari, the visitor can spend 3-10 days to fully get involved with the wonderful birds. Above all, Bwindi N.P is the No.1 destination for gorilla watching in Africa with 14 habituated gorilla groups.

Getting There

How do the visitors get to Bwindi impenetrable national park for a bird watching and/or gorilla tracking experience? Kampala city is the start-up point for every safari in Uganda and it is about 530kms from Kampala to Bwindi Forest. The parks are reached by road through several routes:
Kampala-Kabale-kanungu-buhoma (about 8 hours)
Kampala-ntugamo-rukigiri-kihihi-buhoma (about 7 hours)
Kampala-kabale-nkuringo (about 8 hours)

The visitor can also use air travel to Kisoro and Kihihi Air Strips by getting a charter plane from Kajjansi Airstrip. Additionally, Aerolink Uganda offers scheduled daily flights to the airstrips above.

Bird watching in Bwindi impenetrable national park gives the visitor a lifetime experience with the beautiful bird species of Uganda. So do not hesitate to get to the park with your binoculars and camera to see the wonderful birds.

Where to Stay?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a number of safari lodges and campsites for different levels to cater to different travellers based on their choice and budget. Their accommodation facilities are categorized into Basic accommodation to cater to budget travellers, Midrange / deluxe, and luxury/ superior lodges. You can get accommodation from as low as US$15 per night. Below are some of the safari lodges and campsites in Bwindi National Park.

• Mahogany Springs Lodge
• Buhoma Lodge
• Silverback lodge
• Gorilla Resort
• Bwindi Safari Lodge
• Gorilla Mist camp
• Bakiga Lodge
• Gorilla Safari Lodge
• Gift of Nature Lodge
• Gorilla Forest Camp
• Chameleon Hill Lodge
• Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
• Ruhija Gorilla Lodge
• Trekkers Lodge
• Rushaga Gorilla Lodge
• Wagtail Eco Camp and so many hotels, Inns and Guest Houses in Kabale and Kisoro towns.