East Africa’s Birds — One of the World’s Great Birding Regions
East Africa is home to more than 1,400 bird species across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda — roughly 14% of all bird species on earth, concentrated in a region you can drive across in a few days. The diversity comes from the range of habitats: savannah, highland forest, Rift Valley lakes, equatorial rainforest, montane moorland, and coastline. Uganda alone has over 1,060 recorded species, making it one of the top birding destinations in the world. Rwanda, despite being the continent’s most densely populated country, has over 700 species thanks to the Albertine Rift forests that cover much of its western edge.
You do not need to be a dedicated birder to notice the birds here. The lilac-breasted roller sitting on a termite mound in the Serengeti. The African fish eagle calling from a dead tree over the Nile. A flock of flamingos turning a Rift Valley lake pink. But if you are a serious birder — if you travel specifically to tick species — East Africa will reward you in ways that few other regions can match. The Albertine Rift endemics in Uganda and Rwanda, the coastal forests of Kenya, and the highland forests of Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains are globally significant birding sites. Tell us your target species and we will build an itinerary around them.