Location : South Western Uganda, on the edge of the western rift valley, shared by Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro Districts.
Size : 331 square kilometres.
Altitude Range : 1160 metres (Ishasha gorge) 2607 metres (Rwamunyonyi Peak).
Annual Temperature Range : 7-20 degrees Celcius

Coldest Period : June-July
Annual Precipitation : 1130 mm - 2390 mm
Rainfall Pattern : Heaviest rains experienced in March-April and September - November. Other months are generally dry.
Local People : Majority are Bakiga and Bafumbira, constituting the most dense settlements in Uganda, (233 people/ square kilometers)

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MT. ELGON NATIONAL PARK

Mt. Elgon is an extinct volcano that first erupted more than 24 million years ago. With the largest surface area of any extinct volcano in the world (50 km by 80 km ), Mt. Elgon is the fourth highest mountain in Eastern Africa, with the second-highest peak in Uganda (Wagagi Peak - 4321 metres ). Mt. Elgon contains crater covering over 40 km' at the top of the mountain, surrounded by a series of rugged peaks.

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QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most popular game reserve and certainly one most scenic. It stretches from the crater-dotted foothills of the Rwenzori range in the north, along the shores of Lake Edward to the remote Ishasha River in the south, incorporating a wide variety of habitats that range from savanna and

wetlands to gallery and lowland forest. This remarkable diversity is reflected in its bird list of over 550 species, the largest of any protected area in Africa.

About the Park

Districts : Rukungiri, Bushenyi and Kasese.
Altitude Range : 900 metres on Lake Edward to 1845 metres above sea level. at the top of Escarpment of the Western Rift.
Size : 1978 km sq.
Status : National Park
Habitat : Medium altitude moist semi-deciduous forest, moist thicket, riparian forest, riverine bush land, open woodland, open grassland, seasonal and permanent swamps, lakes and rivers.
Timing : December - February.
Time required : 2-3 days.
Birds Recorded : 606 species.

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KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

Kibale is an extensive National Park, protecting a large block of rainforest that offers some excellent forest for bird watching. It harbours the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa. Superb birds and primates combined with easy access, a good infrastructure and a variety of interesting

activities make this forest a worthwhile destination. Many of the facilities are community based, thus providing the local community with the necessary revenue to keep their interest focused on the long-term protection of the area.

The area is mainly occupied by two tribes ie Batooro and Bakiga traditionally both tribes utilised the forest for food, fuel, building materials and medicines.

District : Kabarole.
Elevation : 1110 metres to 1590 metres
Size : 560 km 2
Habitat : The forested section ( 77% ) of the park is covered by medium altitude moist evergreen forest in the north and medium altitude moist semi-deciduous forest at lower altitudes in the south. The remaining 23% consist of grassland, swamps and some plantations with exotic conifers.
Status : National Park since 1993
Birds Recorded : 335 species.
Timing : March - May, September - November
Time Required : 2 days

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KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Lying in the rugged, semi-arid valleys of Karamoja province on the far northern border with the Sudan, Kidepo Valley is Uganda's most remote national park. Few undertake the pilgrimage to the park but the spectacular beauty of this pristine wilderness impresses all that make it. For the visiting birder, Kidepo Valley National Park boasts a bird list of over 475 species, a total second only to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Amongst the host of dry, eastern " specials" not found in any other Ugandan national park are some of East Africa's rarest and most sought after birds such as Black-breasted Barbet and Karamoja Apallis..

Province : Karamoja.
Elevation : 914m on Kidepo valley floor to 2749m a top Mount Morungole
Size : 1442 km 2
Habitat : Semi-desert scrub, open thorn-scrub, open thorn-bush, long and short-grass open tree savannas, riparian woodland including Borassus and Kigelia woodland, thick, "miombo- like" woodland, montane forest and granite out-crops..
Status : National Park since 1954
Birds Recorded : 475 species.
Timing : March-April for all the specials and many transit migrants, although good year - round.
Time Required : 4-7 days

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LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK

Location : Mbarara District 3.5 hours drive from Kampala
Size: 260 km2
About the park
Its a very special place every part of it is alive with ; variety, interest and colour contains an extensive area of wetland one of the only two such habitats to be included within a National Park in Uganda.

It harbours several species of mammals; Zebras, Impala, Buffaloes, and birds. comprising bill storks which are found nowhere else in the country. Its sculptured landscape with rolling grassy hills and idyllic lake shore has a varied mosaic of habitats forest galleries, seasonal and permanent swamps and rich acacia wood valleys which all support a wealth of wildlife.

The park is only 260 sq. km being the smallest of the Uganda’s savanna National Parks Its mosaic habitat, dry hillside, rocky outcrops, bushes thickets, open and wooded savanna forests, lakes and swamps are home to a surprising diversity of plants and animals.

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MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park although the smallest in the country ( about 33.7 km ) is very important, as it is one of the only two parks in Uganda that offer habitat for the endangered Mountain gorilla.

Situated in Kisoro District, South western Uganda, this park was gazetted in 1991 and is a part of the great Virunga Conservation Area, which is 434 km. It adjoins Rwanda's Volcano and the Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Parks. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park experiences two wet rainy seasons; February - May and September- December of each year. The maximum amount of rainfall in a year is 250mm (October) and Minimum is 10mm (July).

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SEMLIKI NATIONAL PARK

Situated in a remote corner of southwestern Uganda, Semliki National Park protects an eastern extension of the vast Ituri Forest and forms part of a forest continuum that stretches across the Democratic Republic Of Congo to the Zaire River. Being a relatively stable forest " refugium " during the climatic upheavals

of the Pleistocene, this is one of the richest areas for forest birds in Africa. A large number of predominantly Central African species reach the eastern limit of their distribution here and cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa. These include some of the continent's most spectacular and sought-after birds such as; Congo Serpent Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Nkulengu Rail, Black-wattled Hornbill and Lyre-tailed Honey guide . Although it lies a bumpy three hours' drive from Fort Portal, birders who make it to Semliki National Park will be richly rewarded with some of the very best forest birding in Uganda.

Districts : Bundibungyo
Size : 220 km sq.
Altitude Range : 670m-760m a.s.l
Habitat : Moist semi-deciduous forest, mostly ironwood- dominant(Cyanometra alexandri) with patches of swamp forest, and aquatic habitat represented by forest streams and oxbow lakes with adjacent swamps.
Timing : Rain falls year round and birding is good anytime although the peak breeding season is just after the Jan- Feb "dry " season.
Time required : 3-4 days.
Birds Recorded : 400 species.

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MOUNT RWENZORI NATIONAL PARK

The fabled " Mountains of The Moon " lie in Western Uganda on the Congolese border, with snow-covered, equatorial peaks rising to height of 5110 m and lower slopes blanketed in moorland and rich montane forest. Most of the park is accessible to hikers with magnificent scenery and 19 Albertine Rift endemics, amongst them;

Rwenzori Turaco and Shelley's Crimsonwing, would be ample reward for the intrepid, backpacking birder.

Districts : South Western Uganda, on the edge of the western rift valley, shared by Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro Districts.
Size : 996 Km-Sq.
Elevation : 1700 metres to 5109 metres atop Margherita peak on Mount Stanley.
Habitat : Montane forest with bamboo ( Arundinaria ) on lower slopes, heath and Afro-alpine moorland on higher slopes.
Status : National Park since 1991.
Timing : January - February and July - August are the driest months but rain is possible year round.
Time required : 3 days for the shorter foothill hike and 6-7 days for the usual mountain loop.
Birds Recorded : 195 species.

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MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

Murchison Falls Conservation Area ( MFCA ) comprises of Murchison Falls National Park, Bugungu and Karuma Falls Wildlife Reserves. This is where the Nile explodes through a narrow gorge and cascades down to become a placid river whose banks are thronged with Hippos and Crocodiles, Waterbucks and Buffaloes.

The vegetation is characterised by savannah, riverine forest and woodland. Wildlife includes lions, Leopards, Elephants, Giraffes, Hartebeests, Oribis, Uganda Kobs, Chimpanzees, and many bird species.

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MOUNT MOROTO

Mount Moroto Lies in the extreme east of Uganda and is the most accessible place to see some of the dry northeastern " special ", many at the western edge of their ranges here in Karamoja province. One of a chain of volcanoes along the Kenyan border that begins with Mount Elgon in south and includes Mountains Kadam and Morungole, Moroto is a forest reserve protecting a range of habitats from arid thorn savanna to dry montane forest. Although a long hike is required to reach the higher areas, excellent arid thorn savanna and rocky slopes are accessible from the town at the foot of the mountain.

Province : Moroto.
Elevation : 920-3084m above sea level.
Size : 483 km excluding surrounding areas.
Habitat : Dry Combretum and Acacia savanna, dry montane forest.
Status : Forest Reserve and public land.
Birds : 225 species.
Timing : All year round.
Time Required: 1-2 days