Semuliki Valley National Park is a true birders’ heaven.
It is situated within the Albertine Rift, bounded to the northwest by the Semliki River, which runs along the Congolese border into Lake Albert, and to the east by the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo Road. The park protects a practically unspoilt tropical lowland forest, essentially an easterly extension of the great Ituri forest that stretches all the way from Uganda to the Congo River. Considering its small size, Semliki National Park protects an extraordinary diversity of fauna. It’s of particular interest to birdwatchers: 435 bird species have been recorded, including a high proportion of forest birds and about 45 species seen nowhere else in Uganda, including the rarity of the smallest African piculet. For amateur birders, Semliki is not only sure to throw up a clutch of “lifers”- it also offers a faint but real possibility of a brand-new East African record like Congo Serpent-Eagle, Grey-Throated Rail, and Black-Throated Coucal. Only 53 mammal species occur, and 11 species are seen nowhere else in Uganda, including Pygmy Antelope, Two Types of Flying Squirrels, and Six Types of Bats. However, the patchy look of the existing checklist (no nocturnal primates or small carnivores and only one species of duiker) suggests that it is far from complete.
