Bird Guides

Bird Guides of the World: Alex Gabiito, Uganda

September 1, 2026 by Editor No Comments

What’s your favorite bird species?

Grauer’s Broadbill is one of the birds I enjoy seeing most because it’s rare and exciting to find.

What is your name and where do you live?

My name is Alex Gabiito, and I live in Uganda

Shoebill

What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?

I guide birding tours throughout Uganda and Rwanda and also tailor itineraries based on my clients’ target bird species and interests.

How long have you been a bird guide?

I have been a professional bird guide for over 15 years. During that time, I have guided birders from all over the world across Uganda, helping them to find the country’s unique and sought-after bird species while sharing my knowledge of their habitats and behavior.

Black-breasted Barbet

How did you get into bird guiding?

I developed a passion for birds and nature from a young age while growing up near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. When I was young, I used to walk to school every day. Behind our home, there was a bird that sang every morning at around 6 a.m.; its call became my alarm clock. Whenever I heard it, I could wake up, take a shower, and start my walk to school.

One day, I became curious and wanted to know which bird had been waking me up every morning. I searched for it and eventually found it, but I didn’t know its name. I drew the bird in my notebook.

On my way to school, I met a group of birders along the road. I showed my drawing to the bird guide, and he smiled and told me it was a robin chat. He encouraged me to keep drawing birds and learning about them. One weekend, he invited me to join him and his clients on a birding trip in the forest. I had nothing with me except a piece of paper and a pen. After the trip, he gave me a small notebook to record the birds we saw. From that day on,  continue learning about birds, gaining more experience and visiting more different national parks across Uganda.

My passion for birding grew stronger with every trip, and over the years it became my career. Today, I have more than 15 years of experience as a professional bird guide helping visitors discover Uganda’s incredible birdlife.

Saddle-billed Stork

What is the aspect of being a bird guide that you like best? Which aspects do you dislike most?

What I enjoy most about being a bird guide is sharing Uganda’s incredible wildlife with people from around the world. I love helping my guests find their target species and seeing the excitement on their faces when they spot a rare bird for the first time. I also enjoy being in nature every day and knowing that my work contributes to bird conservation by encouraging people to appreciate and protect wildlife.

The most challenging part of the job is that birding can be physically demanding. We often walk long distances, start very early in the morning, and sometimes spend hours searching for a single bird. Weather conditions and difficult terrain can also make guiding challenging; however, seeing my guests happy and successful makes all those challenges worthwhile. 

Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher

What are the Top 5-10 birds in your region that are the most interesting for visiting birders?

  • Shoebill- one of Africa’s most iconic birds, famous for its prehistoric appearance and usually found in wetlands such as Mabamba Swamp.
  • Great Blue Turaco- A beautiful and impressive forest bird with striking colour, commonly seen in Uganda’s forests.
  • Green-breasted Pitta- one of Africa’s most spectacular birds, especially famous among bird photographers visiting Kibale Forest.
  • Nahans Francolin- A rare forest bird found in Uganda’s tropical forests and a great target for visiting birders.
  • Red-faced Barbet- A beautiful and unique species found in Uganda’s woodland habitats.
  • Grauer’s Broadbill- A highly sought-after Albertine Rift endemic, especially exciting to find in the Bwindi Swamp.
  • Rwenzori Turaco- A special bird of the Albertine Rift, found in the Rwenzori and Mgahinga Mountains National Park.
  • Fox’s Weaver- a very special bird endemic to Uganda, found mainly in the eastern part of the country; it is a top target for birders because it has a very restricted range
  • Karamoja Apalis- another exciting Uganda speciality found in the Karamoja region. It is highly sought after by visiting birders because of its limited distribution.
  • Shelley’s Crimsonwing- a rare highland bird and a great target for experienced birders.

Fox’s Weaver

Can you outline at least one typical birdwatching trip in your area?

One of the most popular birdwatching trips I lead is a 3-day birding tour to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa’s richest forests for birdlife, especially Albertine Rift endemic species.

Key target birds are Grauer’s Broadbill, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Bar-tailed Trogon, Handsome Spurfowl, Ruwenzori Batis, Regal Sunbird, Archer’s Robin-chat, Ruwenzori Turaco, and many other Albertine Rift endemic species.

Northern White-faced Owl

What suggestions can you give to birders interested in your area?

My advice to birders planning to visit Uganda is to come prepared for a rewarding adventure. Uganda is Africa’s top birding destination, with over 1000 recorded bird species and a wide variety of habitats.

I recommend bringing 

  • A good pair of binoculars
  • A camera with a telephoto lens if you enjoy bird photography
  • Comfortable hiking boots for forest trails
  • Lightweight, neutral-colored clothing
  • A waterproof jacket, as rain can occur at any time
  • Insect repellent, sunscreen, a hat and a reusable water bottle.

Papyrus Gonolek

If any readers of 10000 birds are interested in birding with you, how can they best contact you?

Readers of 10000 birds who are interested in birding with me are welcome to get in touch. I would be happy to help plan a birding itinerary tailored to their interests:

Rwenzori Turaco

Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of 10,000 Birds?

The best reason to choose Uganda is its incredible bird diversity. The country offers a chance to see the iconic shoebill, many Albert Rift endemics and numerous East African specialities in a relatively small area. Birding can also be combined with Gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, game drives, and boat safaris, making Uganda a unique destination for nature lovers.

Rwenzori Batis