Uganda part 5 - Queen Elizabeth NP

On December 7th 2025 we headed from Kibale towards Queen Elizabeth NP. En route we stopped at a few places, including a lunch stop at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge. I ate very quickly to leave time for a little bit of birding before heading off. The lodge grounds held excellent birds, including Great Blue Turacos, Green-headed and Olive-bellied Sunbirds, and more (eBird checklist here).

Black-crowned Waxbill

Brimstone Canary

We also did a mandatory stop at the equator crossing spot - thanks Yani for the snap.

We arrived at Queen Elizabeth NP in the afternoon.

We stayed in the national park for two nights (until December 9th). After a few days of neck-wrecking forest birding, it was good to bird in open country again. The beautiful savanna habitat of Queen Elizabeth held so many birds and mammals. Every safari drive was packed with quality birds and offered surprises.

One of the hugest bull Elephants we met

Defasa Waterbuck

Wattled Lapwing looking smart

Senegal Lapwing looking elegant

Black-bellied Bustard looking a bit silly

Small Buttonquail looking weird

Harlequin Quail looking shocked (encountered during a night drive)

The undoubted birding highlight of our stay in QENP was a boat trip along Kazinga Channel. Similar to the boat trip we did in Murchinson Falls NP, this boat trip should not be missed. Despite the midday heat and harsh light, it was fabulous (eBird checklist here).

Woodland Kingfisher

Can you pot the male Greater Painted-Snipe? Here with Spur-winged Lapwing, Common Ringed-Plover, and Wood Sandpiper:

Goliath Heron

Plenty of gulls and terns along the channel, including good numbers of African Skimmers, this is a recently-fledged young, already looking sharp:

Lesser Black-backed Gull of some sort, maybe heuglini? Head is a bit too streaked IMO but mantle isn't jet black enough for fuscus:

Gray-hooded Gulls

There were many mammals by the water, mainly Buffalos, and literally tons and tons of Elephants. Mammals = Yellow-billed Oxpeckers:

We had fantastic luck with cats in QENP. One evening we encountered not one but two Leopards, just before dusk. Super animals.

That pattern

The big surprise happened after dusk, when we spotted a mindblowing SERVAL hiding in tall grass. What an incredible animal and we had fantastic views. Despite many previous visits to Kenya and Tanzania, this was my bimbo Serval. Wow.

Our accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park was at Buffalo Safari Lodge. It was wonderful there, the rooms and facilities, and the birding. The only issue was that after dusk walking around is not advised without armed escort. Because of these guys.

As mentioned above, birding was excellent at Buffalo Safari Lodge.

One can never have enough of Black-headed Gonoleks, even when they behave like House Sparrows:

Can you see me?

Nubian Woodpecker

Chasing off an opponent

Swamp Flycatchers were feeding a young just by the restaurant

Gimme that hoverfly!

Taken by phone

Double-toothed Barbet

Northern Crombec

Red-chested Sunbird

Rooftop Red-necked Spurfowls

Tanzania days 3 & 4 - Tarangire National Park

On November 7th we drove from Arusha to the wonderful Tarangire NP. Already at the entrance gate area we were overwhelmed by the abundance, diversity and quality of birds. The two tiny water pools attracted so many birds coming in to drink. The endemic Yellow-collared Lovebird is very beautiful - it was a pleasure to observe them from so close:

The drinking pools attracted many finches and other seedeaters - mainly both Cordon-Bleu species - Red-cheeked and Blue-capped, here with a female Cut-throat:

Here with a Red-billed Firefinch

With female Pin-tailed Whydahs (PTW), Speke's Weaver and Northern Gray-headed Sparrow (NGS)

From L to R: PTW, NGS, Chestnut Sparrow and Cut-throat

When the mighty White-bellied Go-away-bird comes in, all the other birds bugger off!

The woodland at the park gate was busy with birds too. Noisy, endemic Ashy Starlings were everywhere:

A lovely Pearl-spotted Owlet was hooting in the trees

Several stunning Black-headed Orioles were singing

We drove into the national park birding along the way. There are so many elephants in Tarangire! Over our two-night stay in the national park we must have seen in excess of 800 different individuals. Mindblowing. 60 here, another 40 there, more and more parades. We drove up to a small waterhole by Public Campsite No. 1. Hundreds of animals came in for a drink, bath and play.

From our perspective, all the large animals were dwarfed by one small bird on the floating vegetation - a rare rufous-bellied heron was wrestling with a large frog. Excellent bird.

The classic landscape of Tarangire consists of open acacia savanna, dotted with enormous and impressive baobab trees. Those trees are a dominant feature in Tarangire's skyline. Baobas are huge, each one a mini-ecosystem. Under them, on top of them, around them, there's so much life.

So many animals depend on Tarangire River during the dry season

Our first Cheetah was (self!) spotted at a distance drinking from the river, then it sat down in the shade. Amazing animal.

Lots of super birds too - we saw over 130 bird species each day.

Black-faced Sandgrouse

Coqui Francolin

African Hoopoe

Green Woodhoopoes

East African classic - Lilac-breasted Roller

Red-bellied Parrot

Red-and-yellow Barbet

D'Arnaud's Barbet

Red-throated Tit

A highlight of our visit to Tarangire was the magnificent Silale Wetland. After a prolific rainy season, the huge wetland still held plenty of water, and attracted enormous numbers of Elephants, as well as other mammals and of course many birds. 

We met there Lions, doing what lions usually do - sleep. Here they are sleeping next to the rear half of a Wildebeest.

Another lion, actually awake, resting by the wetland

Big numbers of White-faced Whistling-Ducks present

With fewer Fulvous among them

And a few Knob-billed Ducks too

Plenty of Long-toed Lapwings

Another East African classic - Gray-headed Kingfisher

The picnic site there was beautifully-positioned and as always attracted lots of birds.

A little water spilled on the table brought in this D'Arnaud's Barbet

Another special section of Tarangire is Little Serengeti. This area of grasslands was appropriately full of grassland birds, including many bustards:

Black-bellied Bustard

Buff-crested Bustard

White-bellied Bustard being magnificent

Double-banded Coursers are lovely birds

Pangani Longclaw - another East African specialty

Yellow-throated Sandgrouse

We stayed at Tarangire Safari Lodge, that held lots of cool birds:

Mountain Gray Woodpecker

The resident African Scops Owl

Eye-burning Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Yellow-bellied Greenbul