Semuliki National Park offers the best lowland forest birding experience on any typical Uganda tour, bringing in a unique diversity of bird species-list. This top birding hotspot protects a vast lowland forest classified as a true Guinea-Congo forest biome characterized by moist-deciduous vegetation and swamp communities. Other bird-rich habitats here at Semuliki NP include, ox-bow lakes, savanna grasslands and woodlands.
Semliki National Park’s bird checklist of over 450 species represents half of the total Congo lowland forest bird species most of which are on their easterly range limit here.
Semuliki National Park Birding Highlights
Semuliki National Park bird specials comprises half of the total checklist of the larger and not-easily-accessed Congo’s Ituri forest specialists on their easterly range limit.
These 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.
On a full-day birding along the Kirumia river trail highlights include; 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 and 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 but 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 National Park 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.