Birding in Kidepo Valley is amazing because the Kidepo Valley National Park prides of an extensive bird list of over 475 species. These can be sighted within the park area, making it the second birding spot after Queen Elizabeth National Park‘s 625 species. Kidepo Valley national park has 16 Sudan and Guinea Savanna, and 4 Guinea Congo forest Biome species, 3 of Uganda’s 32 Somali-Masai biome species. There are also 21 Afro-tropical highland species (recorded mainly from highlands of Lonyili, Morungole, Zulia and Lomej with their characteristic mosaic of forest, savanna and thicket)
Birding in Kidepo Valley National Park can be done year out, and most preferably done in the morning and evening time.
Highlighted ones include the ostrich, kori bustard, secretary bird, red throated bee eaters and the Abyssinian ground hornbill. Kidepo is also notable for its S8 species of birds of prey including the Verreaux eagle, Egyptian vulture and the pygmy falcon.
Other species that are in Kidepo include; Golden Pipit, Ring-necked Spurfowl, Taita Fiscal, Rufous Chatterer, Fox’s Cisticola, Yellow and red spotted Barbet, Fox’s Weaver, Lesser Kestrel, Pallid Harrier, Black-winged Pranticole, White-crested, Hartlaub’s Turaccos, Dusky-turtle Dove, White-bellied Go-Away bird, Abyssinian Scimitar bill, Karamoja Apalis, White-bellied Tit, Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit, Northern White-crowned and Yellow-billed Shrikes, Slate-coloured Boubou, Fan-tailed Raven, Superb Starling, Red billed Oxpecker, Eastern Violet backed, Pygmy and Beautiful Sunbirds, Rufous and Chestnut Sparrow, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Jackson’s and African-pied Hornbills, Yellow-billed Shrike, Emin’s Shrike, Piapiac, Red-winged Lark, Black-rumped Waxbillmay be seen in the rank grass along the normally dry stream bed adjacent to the camp or along the track to Apoka lodge.
Apoka Rest Camp is also one of the great spot to begin your Kidepo birding experience. Birding can also be done on the fringes of the Narus and Namamukweny Valleys. Among the birds seen are the Abyssinian Roller, Purple Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and Clapperton’s Francolin, which is found only in Kidepo.
The Apoka Rest Camp and Park Headquarters overlooking southern Narus Valley, is a great spot to begin your birding experience