Wildlife

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and harbours 10 primate species, some 110 other mammals, 348 bird species, 27 amphibians species, 14 snake species (9 restricted range), 14 lizard species and 310 butterfly species.

More than 348 bird species have also been recorded at Bwindi forest park. They include 25 restricted-range species, of which 23 are confined to the Albertine Rift and four are globally threatened: African Green Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena graueri; Vulnerable), Grauer’s Rush Warbler -Endangered), Chapin’s Flycatcher (Muscicapa lendu; Vulnerable) and Shelley’s Crimson-wing- Vulnerable).  Amphibian species have been identified. Eleven are endemic to the Albertine Rift. Six are of global conservation concern including the Western Rift Leaf-folding Frog (Afrixalus orophilus) (IUCN category “vulnerable”  and Ahl’s Reed Frog (Hyperolius castaneus) (IUCN category “vulnerable”

Fourteen snake species, 9 of which are endemic to Bwindi are known. Six species of chameleon, 14 species of lizards have also been recorded.

Bwindi hosts at least 220 butterfly species including 8 Albertine rift endemics. Three butterflies occur only in Bwindi: the Cream- banded swallowtail (Papilio leucotaenia), Graphium gudenusi and Charaxes fournierae. The threatened African giant swallowtail (Papilio antimachus) is also found in Bwindi.

There are an estimated 350 bird species with 23 endemic to the Albertine Rift and 14 recorded nowhere else in Uganda. Globally threatened species such as African Green Broadbill and Shelley’s Crimsonwing are also found here. Other birds include the Handsome Francolin; Black-billed Turaco; African Broadbill; Black and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters; Western Green Tinkerbird; Purple-breasted, Blue-headed and Regal Sunbirds; Short-tailed and Black-faced Rufous Warblers; Mountain-masked and Collared Apalis; Mountain and Yellow-streaked Greenbuls; and Many-colored Bush-Shrike, among others.