Offmap Experience
5 Countries · 95 Sites · 33 Safaris
Birding is one of the experiences around which Offmap Safaris can shape a private, tailor-made safari.
Use this page to explain what the experience is, what makes it special, where it can be done, how it works and what travellers should know before they go.
The Experience
Related safaris
Multi-CountryTravel Guide
East Africa Planning a Safari When to Visit
Where the herds usually are, month by month.
East Africa Birding Planning a Safari
Match your dates to the birds, not just the weather.
Kenya Luxury & Private Safaris Luxury Safaris
Dry season, rains and the migration, explained by month.
East Africa Conservation Culture
A forest walk with Batwa hosts, and how to do it respectfully.
Uganda Chimpanzees Communities
Forest people, kingdoms, markets and cattle herders, linked to the parks.
East Africa Gorilla Trekking Multi-Country Safaris
Plains, craters and gorillas across three countries.
Keep exploring
Need to know?
Uganda alone holds over 1,100 recorded bird species, roughly half of Africa’s total and 11 percent of the world’s, making the wider East African region one of the planet’s richest birding destinations.
Mabamba Swamp, a short drive from Kampala and Entebbe, is the region’s most reliable shoebill site, with canoe-based viewing through papyrus channels; Murchison Falls’ Nile delta and southern Lake Edward in Queen Elizabeth National Park are other strong options.
Uganda is generally considered the region’s leading birding destination, thanks to its unusually high species count for its size and habitats ranging from rainforest to wetland within a compact area.
November to April is generally strongest, when migratory species from Europe and Asia join the region’s resident birds, though resident species can be seen year-round regardless of season.
A specialist birding guide is not required but is strongly recommended, since identifying calls and spotting well-camouflaged species is considerably easier with someone trained specifically in the region’s birdlife.
