The African Harrier-Hawk was one of the raptors I most wanted to see before arriving in Uganda. It had been on my target bird list from the beginning of the trip.
What first caught my attention was its unique color combination — a bright yellow face paired with a soft gray body. It is an elegant and rather unusual look among raptors, and that distinctive appearance made the species especially appealing to me.
Observation at Lake Mburo National Park
We eventually observed this bird at Lake Mburo National Park. During the trip, the two parks where we saw the greatest number of raptors were Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.
However, in terms of raptor density, Lake Mburo clearly stood out. Raptors seemed to appear frequently, making every drive through the park exciting.
A Place Worth Returning To
Because of this, Lake Mburo quickly became one of my favorite locations during the trip. If we return to Uganda in the future, I would definitely like to spend at least two nights there to explore the area more thoroughly.
Reflecting After the Trip
After our Uganda journey, we continued birding in Nepal and Thailand. While both destinations were rewarding in their own ways, it made me realize once again how impressive Uganda’s overall bird density truly is.
The sheer number of birds encountered during the Uganda trip remains difficult to match.