BUDONGO FOREST RESERVE

BIRDING TOURS

MABAMBA BAY – Uganda Birding Swamp MABIRA FOREST BIRDING LUTEMBE BAY BIRD WATCHING BUSO FOREST BIRDING WATCHING BUDONGO FOREST RESERVE BWINDI IMPENETRABLE CONSERVATION AREA – Gorillas and Birding in Uganda KIBALE NATIONAL PARK – Uganda Birding Site LAKE MBURO – Uganda Birding Spot SEMILIKI NATIONAL PARK - Bird watching Uganda

Uganda Bird Watching Site

Budongo Forest covers an area of 793 km out of which only 53% is forest and 47% is grassland. The altitudinal range is 700 -1270m and the coordinates are: 31°N 35° E 1°S 45° N. This forest category is classified as medium altitude semi deciduous moist forest. Budongo has a high biodiversity with 24 species of small mammals; nine being primates; 465 species of trees and shrubs; 359 species of birds; 289 species of butterflies; and 130 species of moths.

Brief History of Budongo Forest Reserve
The topography is flat allowing walking conditions for the average tourist; the campsite is located on the edge of the chimpanzees’ home range, considerably diminishing the risk of long trekking excursion before contact is made with the group; the habitat consists of primary forest with medium understory vegetation-density enabling good visibility of the canopy (and as a result of the chimpanzees) and the presence of savanna and grassland areas neighbouring the primary forest offer an interesting chance for viewing of different ecosystems. Budongo Forest reserve, one of the most important in Uganda, lies on then escarpment north-east of Lake Albert. It consists of a medium altitude moist semi-deciduous forest (covering 42,800ha), with areas of Savanna and woodland. The reserve occupies gently undulating terrain, with a general slope north-west towards the rift valley. The forest is drained by four small rivers (Sonso, Waisoke, Wake and Bubwa) which flow into Lake Albert. Budongo has five main forest types: colonizing, mixed, Cynometra, Cynometra-mixed and swamp-forest. The majority of the reserve is covered by tropical high forest communities. Medium-altitude semi-deciduouos Cynometra-celtis forest covers about half of the site and Combretum savanna is wide spread in the drier areas.

There are two tourist sites Kaniyo-Pabidi and Busingiro which are part of the Budongo Forest Reserve. An eco tourist project was set up in 1993 and opened to the public in 1994 for chimpanzee viewing at both sites.

Budongo Forest Bird Species Recorded:
The area has over 360 species of birds, 290 species of butterflies, 130 species if Moths, 465 species of trees, 24 species of mammals - 9 of which are primates. Two species of birds found on Budongo forest are not found elsewhere in East Africa. The forest is the second most important in Uganda (after Semliki National Park) for species of the Guinea-Congo forest Biome. Yellow-footed Flycatcher, only well-known from Budongo in Uganda, used to be common in mature forest, but is now exceedingly hard to find. Illadopsis puveli, a recent addition, is not known elsewhere in East Africa. Other bird species that make Budongo amongst the best bird watching spots in East Africa consist of Ceratogymna fistulator, Smithornis rufolateralis, Ixonotus guttatus, Neafrapus cassini, Sylvietta denti, Batis ituriensis and Zoothers camaronensis. These species are also known to be in a few other forests in Uganda. Visitors in Budongo forest are always treated with rare species in the forest like the Pitta reichenowi and Parmoptila woodhouse, both with several recent records. Birding in the forest is well facilitated with a wide-ranging excellently maintained 115km trail system.