Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

🇺🇬 Uganda

🦍 Trek to the Mountain Gorillas
🌍 #176 Global · 3.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #52 in Africa #82 in Tropical Forest
East Africa, Uganda 1511 spp. recorded

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a dense tropical rainforest situated in southwestern Uganda. Unlike the open savannahs typical of East Africa, this protected area consists of steep, mist-shrouded mountain ridges covered in thick, ancient vegetation and tangled vines.

-1.053° S   29.712° E

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

Eastern Gorilla ★
CR

Eastern Gorilla

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Gorilla beringei

70–80% · Very likely
Mantled Guereza ★
LC

Mantled Guereza

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Colobus guereza

50–60% · Likely
Northern Double-collared Sunbird ★
LC

Northern Double-collared Sunbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cinnyris reichenowi

60–70% · Likely
Johnston's Chameleon ★
LC

Johnston's Chameleon

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trioceros johnstoni

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

L'Hoest's Guenon
VU

L'Hoest's Guenon

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Allochrocebus lhoesti

60–70% · Likely
Common Bulbul
LC

Common Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus barbatus

60–70% · Likely
Black Sawwing
LC

Black Sawwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psalidoprocne pristoptera

50–60% · Likely
Green White-eye

Green White-eye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zosterops stuhlmanni

50–60% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
LC

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pogoniulus bilineatus

50–60% · Likely
Blue Monkey
LC

Blue Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cercopithecus mitis

50–60% · Likely
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
LC

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops oreobates

50–60% · Likely
Lühder's Bushshrike
LC

Lühder's Bushshrike

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Laniarius luehderi

40–50% · Likely
African Dusky Flycatcher
LC

African Dusky Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Muscicapa adusta

40–50% · Likely
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
LC

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eurillas latirostris

40–50% · Likely
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dioptrornis fischeri

40–50% · Likely
Chubb's Cisticola
LC

Chubb's Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola chubbi

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Eastern Gorilla ★
CR

Eastern Gorilla

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Gorilla beringei

70–80% · Very likely
Mantled Guereza ★
LC

Mantled Guereza

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Colobus guereza

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

L'Hoest's Guenon
VU

L'Hoest's Guenon

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Allochrocebus lhoesti

60–70% · Likely
Blue Monkey
LC

Blue Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cercopithecus mitis

50–60% · Likely
Red-tailed Monkey
LC

Red-tailed Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cercopithecus ascanius

30–40% · Possible
Olive Baboon
LC

Olive Baboon

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Papio anubis

30–40% · Possible
Boehm's Bush Squirrel
LC

Boehm's Bush Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Paraxerus boehmi

30–40% · Possible
Red-legged Sun Squirrel
LC

Red-legged Sun Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Heliosciurus rufobrachium

10–20% · With luck
Carruthers' Mountain Squirrel
LC

Carruthers' Mountain Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Funisciurus carruthersi

10–20% · With luck
Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel
LC

Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Heliosciurus ruwenzorii

10–20% · With luck
Chimpanzee
EN

Chimpanzee

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Pan troglodytes

10–20% · With luck
Weyns's Duiker
LC

Weyns's Duiker

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cephalophus weynsi

10–20% · With luck
Spectacled Lesser Galago
LC

Spectacled Lesser Galago

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Galago matschiei

Insufficient data
African Civet
LC

African Civet

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Civettictis civetta

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Northern Double-collared Sunbird ★
LC

Northern Double-collared Sunbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cinnyris reichenowi

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Common Bulbul
LC

Common Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus barbatus

60–70% · Likely
Black Sawwing
LC

Black Sawwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psalidoprocne pristoptera

50–60% · Likely
Green White-eye

Green White-eye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zosterops stuhlmanni

50–60% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
LC

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pogoniulus bilineatus

50–60% · Likely
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
LC

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops oreobates

50–60% · Likely
Lühder's Bushshrike
LC

Lühder's Bushshrike

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Laniarius luehderi

40–50% · Likely
African Dusky Flycatcher
LC

African Dusky Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Muscicapa adusta

40–50% · Likely
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
LC

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eurillas latirostris

40–50% · Likely
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dioptrornis fischeri

40–50% · Likely
Chubb's Cisticola
LC

Chubb's Cisticola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cisticola chubbi

40–50% · Likely
Black-billed Turaco
LC

Black-billed Turaco

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tauraco schuettii

40–50% · Likely
Collared Sunbird
LC

Collared Sunbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hedydipna collaris

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Johnston's Chameleon ★
LC

Johnston's Chameleon

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trioceros johnstoni

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Jackson's Forest Lizard
LC

Jackson's Forest Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Adolfus jacksoni

30–40% · Possible
Montane side-striped chameleon
LC

Montane side-striped chameleon

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trioceros ellioti

20–30% · Possible
Uganda blue-headed tree agama
LC

Uganda blue-headed tree agama

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Acanthocercus ugandaensis

20–30% · With luck
Great Lakes Bush Viper
LC

Great Lakes Bush Viper

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Atheris nitschei

10–20% · With luck
Tolley’s forest chameleon

Tolley’s forest chameleon

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Kinyongia tolleyae

10–20% · With luck
🦎 No photo available
LC

Multi-scaled Forest Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Adolfus africanus

Insufficient data
African Striped Skink
LC

African Striped Skink

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trachylepis striata

Insufficient data
Rhinoceros Viper
VU

Rhinoceros Viper

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Bitis nasicornis

Insufficient data
Montane Egg-eater
LC

Montane Egg-eater

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Dasypeltis atra

Insufficient data
🦎 No photo available
LC

African Tree Cobra

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Pseudohaje goldii

Insufficient data
Large-eyed Green Treesnake
LC

Large-eyed Green Treesnake

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Rhamnophis aethiopissa

Insufficient data
Bird Snake
LC

Bird Snake

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Thelotornis kirtlandii

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Kivu Reed Frog
LC

Kivu Reed Frog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Hyperolius kivuensis

Insufficient data
Kisenyi Forest Tree Frog
LC

Kisenyi Forest Tree Frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Leptopelis kivuensis

Insufficient data
Rugegewald Screeching Frog
LC

Rugegewald Screeching Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Arthroleptis adolfifriederici

Insufficient data
Secteur Munsenene Reed Frog
LC

Secteur Munsenene Reed Frog

Amphibian

Hyperolius lateralis

Insufficient data
🐸 No photo available
LC

White-snouted Reed Frog

Amphibian

Hyperolius frontalis

Insufficient data
Kisolo Toad
LC

Kisolo Toad

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Sclerophrys kisoloensis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Mountain Gorilla Trekking

Apr

Guided treks allow visitors to observe habituated mountain gorilla families in their natural forest habitat.

Eastern Gorilla
CR

Eastern Gorilla

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Gorilla beringei

70–80% · Very likely
🐦

Sunbird Courtship Displays

Jul

Male Cinnyris reichenowi perform dazzling aerial and nectar‑foraging displays to attract mates during the breeding season.

Northern Double-collared Sunbird
LC

Northern Double-collared Sunbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cinnyris reichenowi

60–70% · Likely
🦎

Chameleon Color Change Festival

Oct

Trioceros johnstoni exhibit vivid color changes during territorial and mating displays, a spectacular sight for visitors.

Johnston's Chameleon
LC

Johnston's Chameleon

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trioceros johnstoni

50–60% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
Eastern Gorilla
70–80
70–80
50–60
80–90
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
80–90
70–80
40–50
70–80
Mantled Guereza
30–40
30–40
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
40–50
Northern Double-collared Sunbird
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
70–80
Johnston's Chameleon
60–70
60–70
40–50
20–30
60–70
40–50
50–60
40–50
50–60
60–70
40–50
60–70
L'Hoest's Guenon
50–60
50–60
70–80
20–30
30–40
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
Common Bulbul
60–70
50–60
50–60
30–40
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
30–40
Black Sawwing
40–50
60–70
40–50
20–30
50–60
60–70
70–80
60–70
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
Green White-eye
50–60
50–60
50–60
20–30
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
50–60
50–60
60–70
40–50
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
30–40
30–40
40–50
Blue Monkey
30–40
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
50–60
10–20
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
50–60
50–60
50–60
30–40
40–50
40–50
50–60
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
Lühder's Bushshrike
30–40
40–50
40–50
50–60
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
African Dusky Flycatcher
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
50–60
40–50
50–60
40–50
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
50–60
30–40
50–60
30–40
50–60
40–50
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
40–50
40–50
20–30
10–20
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
Chubb's Cisticola
40–50
40–50
30–40
20–30
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
30–40
Animal Events
🦌 Mountain Gorilla Trekking
🐦 Sunbird Courtship Displays
🦎 Chameleon Color Change Festival

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good
🦍 Trek to the Mountain Gorillas

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
4.7 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
1032
🐒 Mammals
270
🦎 Reptiles
158
🐸 Amphibians
51
1511 Total Species
850 Global average across 296 parks
56 Threatened 4 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
3.1 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
57%
📊
Coverage (235 species at ≥5% of 1511 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
16%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 4 mammal, 1 reptile)
46% Global avg
72%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 Global avg
187
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
15 Global avg
10
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
24

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

The most likely sightings are Eastern Gorilla (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Northern Double-collared Sunbird (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), L'Hoest's Guenon (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Common Bulbul (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Mantled Guereza (seen by 50–60% of wildlife watchers) — among 1511 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for wildlife?

July has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see Eastern Gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Yes — about 71% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Gorilla sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 131 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Mantled Guereza in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Yes — about 58% of wildlife watchers report a Mantled Guereza sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 78 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Northern Double-collared Sunbird in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Yes — about 64% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Double-collared Sunbird sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 1,149 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Johnston's Chameleon in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Yes — about 53% of wildlife watchers report a Johnston's Chameleon sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 65 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

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