Bird watching in Lake Mburo national park

Bird watching in Lake Mburo national park: Lake Mburo national park is a gazetted piece of land in the western part of the country. The national park was gazetted to protect a home of different animals and birds. It’s a savannah vegetated area of 260 sq. km making it the smallest savannah park in the country. Among the wildlife in the park include birds and so far 350 bird species have been recorded here.

Bird watching in Lake Mburo national park is a good decision for tourists who plan to have bird watching safaris in Uganda. This is because the park has over 350 bird species living in different areas of the park. The best birding areas in Lake Mburo national park are Miriti swamp, Wakukiri swamp, Rubanga forest, and salt lick.

Among the bird species living in this national park include the red-faced barbet which can only be seen in this park and nowhere else in the country. The park has forest birds living in Rubanga forest, savannah birds living in the savannah vegetation o the park, and water birds living around some of the lakes in the park.

Birds to encounter in Lake Mburo national park

On a bird watching safari in Lake Mburo national park, you will see as many bird species as you can because over 350 bird species reside within this park. Birds to look out for in this park include European bee eater, saddle billed stork, little egret, grey crowned crane, African fin foot, tabora cisticola, mourning collared dove, white throated bee eater, papyrus yellow warbler, red headed lovebird, blue checked bee eater, saddle billed stork, intermediate egret, grey snipe, Abyssinian ground hornbill, blue spotted wood dove.

Rare shoebill stock, long tailed cormorant, woolly necked stork, brown chested wattled plover, cinnamon chested bee eater, yellow breasted apalis, eastern plantain eater, black stork, bateleur, cattle egret, red faced barbet, grey crowned crane, brown chested lapwing, white winged barbet, Nubian woodpecker, pink backed pelican, great egret, ring necked dove, red fronted barbet, greater cormorant, African crake, white tailed pelican, emerald spotted wood dove, red shouldered cuckoo shrike, yellow billed duck, black shouldered night jar.

Yellow breasted apalis, white winged black tern, common quails, ross turaco, brown parrot, crested barbet, green hood hoopoe, black papyrus gonolek, black scimitarbill, brown parrot, bare faced go away bird, white headed barbet, square tailed nightjar, red chested cuckoo, handsome francolin, marabou stork, green pigeon, common scimitarbill, Senegal thick knee, lizard buzzard, long tailed cisticola, white winged tern, black crake, red eyed dove, black crowned night heron, coqui francolin, red papyrus gonolek, yellow fronted tinkerbird, giant king fisher.

White backed night heron, woodland kingfisher, blue breasted kingfisher, emerald spotted wood dove, black kite, African scops owl, emerald spotted wood, twany eagle, rufous bellied heron, red necked francolin, greater painted snipe, laughing dove, broad billed roller, African pygmy kingfisher, brown snake eagle, brown chested lapwing, black headed gonolek, crowned hornbill, diederik cuckoo, African grey hornbill,  pennant winged nightjar, lappet faced vulture, blue napped mousebird, long toed lapwing, striped kingfisher, grey backed camaroptera.

African jacana, crowned lapwing, African pied hornbill, banded snake eagle, rufous lapwing, booted eagle, red necked spurfowl, palm nut vulture, immature little bee eater, Namaqua dove, Egyptian goose, piapiac, speckled mousebird, red winged francolin, tropical boubou, pin tailed whydah, white headed vulture, African darter, great cormorant, white winged tit, black breasted snake eagle, abdmin’s stork, hammerkop, super winged lapwing, black cuckoo, Senegal lapwing, black and white casqued hornbill, lesser spotted eagle, lilac breasted roller, white backed vulture among others.

What to carry for birding activities in Lake Mburo national park

To make your bird watching exercise in Lake Mburo national park a great one you need to pack the right essentials and these include a pair of binoculars that help in seeing distant birds, a camera for photography, a field guidebook, waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, a hat, a birding book, a pen, a voice recorder, a light backpack, insect repellents, a sweater, a rain jacket, a drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks among others.

Best time for birding in Lake Mburo national park

Bird watching in Lake Mburo national park can be done at any time of the year however not every month gives out the best of the activity. November to April is the best time for birding in Lake Mburo national park because that is when migratory birds are visiting the park from Europe and North Africa. When one does bird watching when migratory birds are inside the park it means that there will be more birds to encounter.

During the rainy season it’s when one enjoys bird watching because there are so many bird species in the park since food is everywhere. Bird lovers should, however, note that the rainy season has plenty of rainfall that makes walking trails muddy and slippery and some vegetation is too tall giving unclear views of wildlife.

Lodging in Lake Mburo National Park

While visiting Lake Mburo national park for bird watching safaris you can stay in any of the accommodation facilities of your travel budget. The lodges include Mihingo Lodge, Eagle’s Nest Lodge, Mpogo Safari Lodge, Rwonyo Rest Camp, Rwakobo Rock, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge, Hyena Hill Lodge, Kigambira Safari Lodge, and Kasenyi Lake Retreat Lodge and Campsite among others.