Why Bwindi Is Both a Gorilla and a Birding Destination
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda is world-famous as the most reliable location on earth to track mountain gorillas in the wild. But Bwindi is simultaneously one of Uganda's premier birding destinations — an Albertine Rift Endemic Area with 23 Albertine Rift endemic species, 350 total species, and several birds found nowhere else in East Africa. Combining gorilla tracking with dedicated birding is the most rewarding way to experience Bwindi.
Top Bwindi Bird Species
The Albertine Rift endemics at Bwindi include African green broadbill, Grauer's warbler, Grauer's rush warbler, Kivu ground thrush, collared apalis, short-tailed warbler, Shelley's crimsonwing, handsome francolin, and Archer's robin-chat. These are joined by Rwenzori turaco, black-headed waxbill, dwarf honeyguide, and the spectacular bar-tailed trogon. A three-day birding stay with an experienced local guide routinely delivers 150 species within park boundaries.
Gorilla Tracking and Birding: A Practical Combination
Gorilla tracking permits must be booked months in advance through Uganda Wildlife Authority. The trek itself — typically three to six hours of forest walking to locate a habituated gorilla family — is excellent birding time. Accompanying birds along the trail include Ruwenzori nightjar, little greenbul, mountain masked apalis, and various forest flycatchers. After the mandatory one-hour gorilla observation limit, the return walk adds species missed on the approach.
Afternoon sessions on the days before and after gorilla tracking are devoted to specialist birding: forest edges for broadbills and sunbirds, the bamboo zone for warblers, and the Buhoma village area for mixed-species flocks. Shoebill Uganda Bird Tours can arrange gorilla tracking permits, a specialist birding guide separate from the gorilla ranger, and accommodation at lodges positioned for maximum forest access.