Queen Elizabeth National Park Bird Checklist
Queen Elizabeth National Park holds 606 confirmed bird species — one of the highest counts of any national park in Africa. The park's combination of savannah, forest, wetland, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel creates extraordinary habitat diversity supporting birds from multiple ecological zones.
Kazinga Channel Boat Trip Highlights
The 2-hour Kazinga Channel boat trip is the park's signature birding experience. Species regularly seen include shoebill stork, African skimmer, goliath heron, pink-backed pelican, African fish eagle, malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, giant kingfisher, African pygmy kingfisher, various herons and egrets, African jacana, African open-bill, African spoonbill, spur-winged goose, knob-billed duck and numerous waders along the banks.
Savannah and Woodland Species
Game drives on the Kasenyi plains deliver African wattled lapwing, black-headed plover, bare-faced go-away bird, African grey hornbill, northern white-crowned shrike, grey-backed fiscal, black-shouldered kite, long-crested eagle, bateleur, martial eagle and an impressive supporting cast of larks, pipits, weavers and sunbirds. Ishasha sector adds flappet lark, Shelley's francolin and additional savannah raptors.
Maramagambo Forest
The Maramagambo Forest within the park adds forest species: African green broadbill, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, grey parrot, narina trogon, African emerald cuckoo, black-and-white-casqued hornbill and forest flycatchers. The bat caves hold large colonies of fruit bats — a spectacle in their own right. A 2-night minimum at Queen Elizabeth is recommended; 3 nights allows thorough coverage of all habitats.