Semuliki National Park Birding; the lowland forests of Semuliki lie in the Albertine Rift Valley between the northwest foot hills of Rwenzori Mountains ranges to the southern mash edges of L. Albert. The low-lying lowland forests protected under Semuliki National Park represent an easterly extension of the great Ituri forest into Uganda, characterized by moist-deciduous vegetation and swamp communities.
This habitat is a true habitat of a Guinea-Congo forests biome with a variety of bird species reaching here at their eastern limits. The forest hosts a checklist of up to 450 species, representing half of the Congo Forest bird species making Semliki National Park a hotspot for true African forest birds. This checklist contains over 70 species in Uganda only known from here while more have a limited range and known other few sites.
Semuliki National Park Birding Specials
The lowland forests of Semuliki National Park offer the best access to exploit the bird-diversity of the larger and vast Congo’s Ituri forest that extend here in Uganda. Fruitful and rewarding trails explore the interior of this lowland forest classified as a true Guinea-Congo Forest biome hosting various restricted specialists where at Semuliki, they reach their easterly range limit. Of the park’s total checklist, 130 bird species of these are restricted to this unique biome and recoded here.
Semuliki’s top bird highlights include; White-thighed Hornbill, Eastern Little Hornbill, Dwarf Hornbill, Eastern Long-tailed Hornbill, Black-casqued Hornbill, Eastern Piping Hornbill and White-thighed Hornbill that occur across all sections of the forest. A full day birding along the Kirumia river trail Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Spot-breasted Ibis, Black-throated Coucal, Red-chested Goshawk, Long-tailed Hawk, Congo Serpent Eagle, Yellow-throated Nicator, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Forest Scrub Robin, Capuchin Babbler, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Ituri Batis, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, Blue-billed Malimbe, Crested Malimbe, African Piculet, Jameson’s Antpecker, Pale-fronted Negro-finch, Chestnut-breasted Negro-finch, Grant’s Bluebill, Swamp Palm Greenbul, Simple Greenbul will be encountered.
The oxbow lakes and other forest pools host the shy Hartlaub’s Duck, Simple Greenbul, Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike, parties of Capuchin Babbler, Leaflove, African Piculet, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Black-winged Oriole and Spotted Honeyguide.
Birding the hot spring trail look out for Lowland Akalat, Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike, Red-eyed Puffbuck, Lowland Sooty Boubou, Blue-billed Malimbe, Crested Malimbe, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Eagle, Orange-cheecked Waxbill and Magpie Mannkin.
Recent rare sighting known from Semuliki Forest include; Nkulengu Rail, Red-bellied Malimbe, Black-eared Ground-Thrush, Grey Ground-Thrush, Lyre-tailed honeyguide and Oberlaender’s Ground Thrush
Getting to Semuliki National Park
Semuliki NP lies on the north-west foothills of Rwenzori Mountain ranges some 60km or 1.5hrs on scenic road from the touristic town of Fort portal.