Uganda birding DAY6

 Uganda DAY6

Whole day hiking at semuliki  National park 

Semuliki National Park, established as a forest reserve in 1932 and upgraded to national park status in 1993, is East Africa’s only true lowland tropical rainforest. Situated on the remote western side of the Rwenzori Mountains, the park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the vast Ituri Forest of the Congo Basin. This is one of Africa’s most ancient and biodiverse forests, surviving the last Ice Age 12,000 to 18,000 years ago.

Semuliki National Park: The Gateway to Central Africa in Uganda

During the wet season, large sections of the park become flooded, offering a glimpse into the past, when the entire valley lay submerged beneath a prehistoric lake for over seven million years.

A Living Link to Central Africa

Semuliki’s landscapes and biodiversity bear more resemblance to Central Africa than to the rest of Uganda. The Semuliki River, which forms the international boundary with the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a miniature version of the mighty Congo River. Its meandering waters are lined with West African oil palms, and the forest harbors wildlife typically found in Central rather than East Africa.

“A Wildlife and Birding Paradise”

For birdwatchers, Semuliki is one of Uganda’s premier birding destinations, with over 435 recorded bird species.

Semuliki National Park is a hidden gem, offering a unique blend of biodiversity, geological wonders, and cultural richness. It provides a taste of Central Africa within Uganda’s borders, making it a must-visit destination for adventurers, nature lovers, and birdwatchers alike

Kirumia Trail, which traverses habitats ideal for sighting rare birds, such as the Congo serpent eagle and the Nkulengu rail. The park’s birdlife attracts ornithologists and casual birdwatchers alike, offering a unique glimpse into Central African avifauna.

The fire-crested alethe (Alethe castanea) is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found in central Africa, from Nigeria to Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Juvenile

A common understory bird found in the undergrowth or on the ground in forests of all types, from the lowlands into the foothills. The reddish-brown back and tail are noticeable when the bird flies away in the undergrowth, but look also for the white undersides, dark gray legs, and gray face. This alethe’s fiery crest is hard to see in the field and often appears as a reddish-brown crown stripe. Sometimes imitates other species, including illadopsises. Distinguished from Brown-chested Alethe by its plain gray face, dark legs, and reddish crown stripe. Gives a distinctive two-parted whistle, “go where?”, with a distinct pause between the notes.

The ashy flycatcher (Fraseria caerulescens) is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the drier areas of South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, where it inhabits subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and savanna. It has a disputed generic placement, with different authorities variously putting it in Muscicapa, Fraseria, or other genera. Ashy flycatchers are mostly grey in colour, with pale grey or white underparts, and display no sexual dimorphism.

The blue-throated roller (Eurystomus gularis) is a species of roller in the family Coraciidae. It is native to the African tropical rainforest.

The blue-throated roller occurs in western sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to Cameroon, south to northern Angola, and west to south-eastern Uganda.It is also found on Bioko Island.The blue-throated roller tends to remain high up in the tops of trees and hunts above the canopy of primary and secondary rainforest, plantations, gallery forests and relict forest patches in cleared regions. They prefer clearings, riversides and giant emergent trees.

Barbudo piquigualdo oriental,

A large brightly colored barbet of forests and forest edges. Distinctive with its bright yellow bill and eye ring, dark head, back, and tail, and bright yellow belly with dark patches along the sides. Found in rainforest and lower montane forest, usually in the understory, and especially in treefall gaps, and along forest edges. Voice consists of a low “oop” or “op-oop” given in slow succession, sometimes for several minutes.

Activities and Experiences

Guided Nature Walks

The park’s network of trails allows visitors to experience its dense forests and diverse ecosystems up close. Guided walks often highlight key ecological features, including the Semuliki River and its floodplain, where aquatic and terrestrial habitats converge. These treks provide opportunities to observe primates, birds, and other wildlife in their natural settings while learning about their roles within the forest ecosystem.

Sempaya Hot Springs

Semuliki National Park contains two notable geothermal features: the male and female Sempaya hot springs. These are located approximately 500 metres apart along a public trail near the eastern boundary of the park. The “female” spring, Nyasimbi, is the more active of the two. It ejects boiling water to a height of up to 2 metres and maintains a surface temperature above 100 degrees Celsius. The “male” spring, Bintente, is broader and cooler, forming a natural geothermal pool that releases sulphur-rich steam along its periphery.

These springs occur due to underground geothermal pressure associated with tectonic activity along the Albertine Rift. Besides their physical characteristics, the springs are regarded by surrounding communities as culturally symbolic. Local Bamba and Bakonjo narratives assign gendered significance to the two features. Though cultural interpretation varies by guide and context, the springs are formally protected under Uganda Wildlife Authority protocols.

After dinner at the hotel we went back to the national park in order to spot some night birds . When we arrive the place Joseph start to call the owl and after that not more than 5 minutes we got these good pictures ,Awesome.

 

The African wood owl (Strix woodfordii) or Woodford's owl, is a typical owl from the genus Strix in the family Strigidae and is arguably the most common forest owl in Africa.

It inhabits wooded areas and possesses a distinctive call. During the day it roosts singly or in pairs in dense cover, high in trees, whilst at night it forages for food.

African wood owls live in indigenous forests and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa (occasionally found in plantations). In Southern Africa they inhabit riparian, coastal and escarpment forests. They can also be found in well wooded suburban areas. African wood owls are strictly nocturnal and eat mostly insects, but will also eat reptiles, small mammals, and other birds which are mostly caught by swooping from a perch.

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