Kidepo Valley National Park is known as a great Uganda safari destination for wildlife sightings like, tourists think of the elephants, lions, kobs and much more wildlife, but then bird watching in Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the great activities in Kidepo Valley National park.

CNN described the park as Africa’s hidden gem because of its scenic landscape that gave it a ranking as one of Africa’s best wilderness, the profusion of wildlife and unique communities around.

The haven however isn’t just a home to the giants, bird species are sighted here too.

Kidepo Valley National Park is situated far North East of Uganda in Kaabong district between the borders of the country with Sudan and Kenya.

Its 410km from Kampala on almost a 12 hours’ drive making it one of the less visited Uganda safaris parks hence rewarding to those who take time to visit.

Virtually untouched this is the best place to have a true African experience just like before in the 21^st century.

Featuring rugged savanna with red thorn acacias, the 1,442sqkm (557sqmi) park is a varied habitat for a very impressive list of over 470 bird species, the second highest population of any Ugandan park coming second to Queen Elizabeth National Park with a recorded 600 bird list and the highest population in East Africa.

Sixty (60) of the birds on the list are endemic to Kidepo and a good place for spotting raptors with 60 species recorded.

Therefore, if you are looking for a rewarding Uganda bird watching safari destination then look no further than this wilderness.

To have a great birding experience, choosing where to stay in Kidepo Valley National Park is important and here Apoka Rest Camp comes in play as the best lodging facility to start your birding adventure as you watch birds migrate in the morning at a panoramic view.

At the edge of the camp is a small permanent water hole that attracts swallows and a variety of seed eaters including the Yellow-rumped Seed eater and is visited at night by the Four-banded Sandgrouse.

Birding can also be done on the fringes of the Narus and Namamukweny Valleys. The silver bird and small bands of yellow-billed birds are frequent on the thorn trees of the open savannah.

Bird species to expect while bird watching in Kidepo Valley National Park include;

Karamoja Apalis (endemic)

Ostrich (endemic)

Black-breasted Barbet (endemic)

Golden pipit (endemic)

Greater Kestrel (endemic)

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Kori Bustard

Red-and-yellow Barbet

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawk

Superb Starling

Rufous-crowned Roller

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill

Jackson’s Hornbill

White-faced Scoops Owl

Red-fronted Barbet

Black-breasted Barbet

White-bellied Tit

Brown-backed Woodpecker

Singing Bush lark

Black-headed Plover

Ethiopian Swallow

Isabelline Wheatear

Heuglin’s Wheatear

White-bellied Bustard

Hartlaub’s Bustard

Red-winged Lark

African Grey Flycatcher

Red pate Cisticola

Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit

Northern White-crowned Shrike

Yellow-billed Shrike

Red billed Oxpecker

Eastern Violet backed Sunbird

Beautiful Sunbird

Pygmy Falcon

Fox Kestrel (endemic)

Pygmy Falcon (endemic)

Stone Partridge

Clapperton’s Francolin (endemic)

Heuglin’s Francolin

Four-banded Sand Grouse

African Swallow-tailed Kite

Bruce’s Green Pigeon

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Slate-coloured Boubou

Fan-tailed Raven

Long-tailed nightjar

Standard-winged Nightjar

Little Green Bee-eater

Abyssinian Roller

Brown-rumped Bunting

Rufous Sparrow

Chestnut Sparrow,

Yellow-spotted Petronia

White-billed Buffalo Weaver

Grey-capped Social Weaver

Speckle-fronted Weaver

Steel-blue Whydahs

Straw tailed Whydahs

Purple Heron

Best Time for Bird Watching in Kidepo Valley National Park

Any time of the year can be the best birding time for you in Kidepo. However, March to April is the best time for most of the bird specials.

Migratory birds are present from November (least rains) to April. Birding in Kidepo Valley National Park can be either a morning or an evening activity.

Tailoring a birding safari with a Uganda wildlife safari in Kidepo is always the way to go such that you spot numerous wildlife species including endemics like the cheetahs.

From Kidepo, you can also continue for birding and wildlife safari to Murchison Falls National Park and the adjacent Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on a return drive to Kampala which are both rewarding Uganda tour or safari in Uganda destinations.