Location
Total distance: 142.01 km North of Kampala
Coordinates: 0.6746121158056513, 32.52537094571618
Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch is a unique conservation area located in Nakasongola District, Uganda 176km north of Kampala {2hrs, 20min} on the Gulu high way towards Murchison Falls National Park. The wildlife ranch is a popular destination for tourists looking for adventure, Rhino trekking, birding, nature hikes, night-time nature walks and a shoebill trek and canoe ride.
It is home to the only southern white rhinos in Uganda and is an important breeding ground for the endangered species. However, the ranch is not only home to rhinos as it also has a diverse population of birdlife and other wildlife. You may well encounter warthogs, kobs, monkeys, oribis, bush bucks, water bucks and many other species of wildlife. So be sure to keep your cameras at the ready.
Rhino tracking
All the rhinos at Ziwa are free to move around the 27 square miles within the ranch. Therefore, it is often necessary to drive to the areas where the rhinos are, before continuing the trek on foot. Here you can experience the thrill of approaching rhinos on foot to within a few metres. You will need 1½ to 2½ hours depending on the location of the rhinos.
Nature walks and Birding
Ziwa is a popular destination for bird enthusiasts around the world with over 300 bird species to be spotted. The ranch has a varied habitat of woodlands, swamps and savannah that attract a wide variety of bird species.
You can walk through the forests, photographing the 300+ species of birds or take a canoe ride through the swamps to see the magnificent shoebill stork in its natural surroundings or trek through the woodland to see all the other wildlife.
Birding and photographic safaris in Ziwa are at a relaxed pace to allow you time to take as many photographs as you desire. The ranch has 4 different bird trails that allow birders, ornithologists and photographers alike to get what they wish.
The different habitats provide a conducive environment for birdlife to thrive at the ranch. The cheeky, red-beaked, black feathered bird hitching a ride atop a rhino’s back is an iconic image. Known as an oxpecker, it maintains a symbiotic relationship with Africa’s white and black rhinos.
Some of the bird species that can be found in the ranch include:
Shoebill Trek and Canoe Ride
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to diverse bird species. Notable birds include the Shoebill Stork, a rare species often seen in the sanctuary’s swamps. The shoebill stork a fantastic prehistoric-looking bird is one of the most sought-after birds to be seen in Uganda. And Ziwa is one of the only few places that you are almost always guaranteed to see them.
Other birds include:
- Shoebill
- Grey-crowned Crane
- African Fish Eagle
- African Jacana
- Pied Kingfisher
- African Grey Hornbill
- African Pygmy Kingfisher
- Marabou Stork
- White Egret
- Red-billed Oxpeckers
- Abdim’s Stork,
- African Black Crake,
- African Black-headed Oriole,
- African penduline tit (Anthoscopus caroli),
- Black rumped waxbill (Estrida troglodytes).
- Green winged pytilia (Pytilia melba).
- Olive sunbird (Cynomitra olivacea).
- Western Nicator (Nicator chloris).
- Collared sunbird (Hedydipnas collaris).
- African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer)
- African black headed Oriole (Oriolus percivali)
- African Cuckoo Hawk (Aviceda cuculoides)
- African Green Pigeon (Treron calvus )
- African grey horn bill (Tockus nasutus)
- African grey Woodpecker (Dendropicos goertae)
- African harrier-hawk (Polyboroides typus)
- African Jacana (Actophilornis africana )
- African moustached Warbler (Melocichla mentalis)
- African open-billed Stork (Anastomus lamelligerus)
- African palm Swift (Cypsiurus parvus)
- African paradise Flycatcher (Terpisphone virides )
- African penduline Tit (Anthoscopus caroli)
- African pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp)
- African pigmy Kingfisher (ceyx picta )
- African scops Owl ( Otus senegalensis)
- African Thrush (Turdus pelios)
- African wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus )
- Banded Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinerascens )
- Bar breasted Firefinch (Lagonosticta rufopicta)
- Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatis )
- Beautiful Sunbird (Nectarinia pulchella)
- Black billed Barbet (Lybius guifsobalito)
- Black Crake (Zapornia flavirostra )
- Black headed Batis (Batis minor)
- Black – headed Gonolek (Laniarius erythrogaster )
- Black – headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala)
- Black headed Weaver/village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus)
- Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
- Black- rumped Waxbill (Estrilda troglodytes)
- Black-crown Tchagra (Tchagra senegala)
- Blue – headed Coucal (Centropus monachus)
- Blue – naped Mouse Bird (Urocolius macrourus )
- Blue spotted wood dove (Turtur afer)
- Broad billed Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus)
- Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata )
- Brown Babbler (Turdoides plebejus)
- Brown – backed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas hartlaubi)
- Brown backed Woodpecker (Picoides obsoletus)
- Brown crown Tchagra (Tchagra australis)
- Brown Parrot/Meyer’s Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri)
- Brown – throated Wattle Eye (Platysteira cyanea)
- Bruce’s green Pigeon (Treron waalia)
- Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens)
- Collared Sunbird
Source: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Snap Uganda
Best time to visit Ziwa
Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch can be visited any time of the year, however the best time to visit is during the dry seasons, which are June to August and December to February. This is when the weather is most favorable for outdoor activities, making wildlife viewing, especially of rhinos, easier.
During June to August and December to February, the sanctuary experiences less rainfall, making trails drier and easier to navigate. This is also when animals tend to congregate near water sources, increasing the chances of spotting them, particularly rhinos.
Ziwa can be visited during the rainy season (March to May and September to November) though the trails can become muddy and slippery. However, the rainy season also offers a unique experience, with the sanctuary lush and green, making it a great time for birdwatching and photography.