KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK : birding safari guide.

KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Lying in the rugged Semi arid valleys of the Karamoja province on the far northern Boarder 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 NP 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 and Karamoja Apalis . The Apoka rest camp and park Head quarters overlooking the shallow, southern Narus Valley is a great spot to begin your Kidepo Birding. The attractive silver bird and small band of yellow billed Shrike frequent the thorn trees around camp , as do a number of other wild spread species such as Vinaceous Dove , Hoopoe , Nubian Woodpecker , Mosque swallow , Ruppell’s and superb starlings Scarlet-chested Sunbird , Little weaver and Red checked Cordon-bleu . A small permanent water hole at the edge of camp attracts swallows and a variety of seedeaters including yellow –rumped seedeater and is visited at night by four- banded Sand grouse, Elephant, Buffalo and occasionally lion .The delightful White faced scops Owl is likely to be a highlight of a night game drive at Kidepo valley National park.

Province: Karamoja

Size : 1442km2

Elevation: 914m on Kidepo Valley floor to 2749m atop Mount Morungole

Status : National park since 1954

Habitat : Semi –desert scrub , open throned scrub , open thron –bush , long and short grass open tree savannas , riparian woodland including Borassus and kigelia woodland , thick “miombo-like” woodland , montane forest and granite crops.

Timing : March –April for all the specials and many transit migrants although the good year –round.
Time required: 4-7 days

Birds recorded: 475 species

Key species:
Ostrich , African swallow-tailed kite , eastern pale chanting Goshawk , pygmy falcon , Fox kestrel , Stone Partridge , Clapperton’s Heuglin’s Francolins, Yellow-necked spurfowl , Kori,White-bellied and Hartlaub’s Bustards , Violet-tipped courser , Black –headed Plover , Four –banded Sand grouse , Bruce’s Green pigeon , Rose ringed Parakeet , White crested Turaco , White bellied Go-away-bird , White faced scops Owl , Long-Tailed and Standard winged Nightjars, Little green Bee-eater , Abyssinian and Rufous-crowned Rollers , Abyssinian scimitar bill , Abyssinian ground , Eastern Yellow and Jackson ‘s Hornbills , Red fronted and Black breasted Barbet , Brown –backed Woodpecker , Singing Bushlark , Red-wiged Lark , Ethiopian Swallow , Pied , Isabelline and Hueglin’s Wheatears , African Grey Flycatcher , Foxy and RedPate cisticolas , 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 sparrows , Yellow spotted Petronia , White headed and white -billed Buffalo-weavers, Grey capped Social and Speckle-fronted weavers , Green-winged, orange-winged and Red-winged Pytilias , Black-bellied and Black faced Fire finches , Blacked-faced waxbill , Steal-blue and straw tailed Whydahs , Brown-rumped Bunting .

Please note that on your birding trip, you may need birding binoculars, an othinology book for better indentification of Uganda birds. We also encourage you to participate in efforts that encourage avian conservation of Uganda tourism.

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