Kibale National Park

Location:

330 km from Kampala via Fort Portal.

Air: 241.59 km (150.12 mi) West of Kampala.

96km from Semliki Park (Nandi) via Fort Portal to Kibale (Kanyanchu)

Air: 50 km (30.97 mi) (27.80 mi) South West of Semliki National Park.

33 km from Fort Portal along Kamwenge Road.

Coordinates: 0.4330546, 30.3925610

Kibale National Park is within half a day’s drive from Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori Mountains and Semuliki National Parks, as well as the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve. Kibale adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park to the south creating a 180km-long corridor for wildlife connecting to Queen Elizabeth National Park

With 13 primate’s species, Kibale National Park is known is the Primates Capital of the world. It hosts about 1500 chimpanzees out of the 5000 recorded in the country. Kibale is also home to East Africa’s largest population of the threatened Red colobus and the rare L’Hoest’s monkeys. Other primates include: The Red- tailed monkey, Black and white Colobus, Velvet monkey, Blue monkey, grey-cheeked Mangabey, Olive baboon, Bush baby and Potto.

Measuring 795 Km², the park has tracts of tropical forest interspersed with patches of grassland and swamp. Kibale has 375 and 250 bird and butterfly species respectively in addition to 70 mammal species.

Birding

Kibale Forest National Park with over 300 bird species, including the rare Green-breasted Pitta, Kibale is a birder’s paradise. The park’s mix of different habitats of lowland and forest attracts a wide variety of birds that include Albertine Rift endemics and four species that have yet to be recorded in any other Ugandan national park. These are: Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Nahan’s Francolin and Masked Apalis.

Some of the birds that can be randomly seen are: African Crowned Eagle, Red-chested Owlet – African Wood Owl, Chubb’s Cisticola, Black-capped Waxbill, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill.

A must for bird-watchers is the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, about 4 km away from the park. Bigodi is also home to other mammals such as sitatungas, bushbucks and otters.

Bigodi is rich in birds with over 200 species of birds including Hornbills, Great African Turacos, Parrots, Cranes, Kingfishers and many swamp endemics.

A good number of forest birds can be seen walking along the roads while serious birders looking for forest interior specials, such as green-breasted pitta – one of the biggest highlights will need to go deep into the forest.

Bird list for Kibale National Park and surrounding areas

Source: eBird

Best Time for Bird Watching

Birdlife in Kibale is good year-round though it is at its best from March to May and from September to November. June to September is the main fruiting season with food is abundance, and with many birds in breeding plumage. Migratory birds can be found from November to April.

Kibale National Park

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