Birds of Mgahinga national park

Birds of Mgahinga national park: Mgahinga national park is the smallest national park in Uganda found in the southwestern part of the country. The national park is famous for variety of attractions to include  harboring endangered mountain gorillas which are rare to find in the world. Apart from mountain gorillas, Mgahinga national park is a haven of birds with over 180 bird species living in the afro-montane forest as well as the bamboo vegetation.

About 180 bird species have been recorded in Mgahinga national park and it’s said that 14 of these are endemic to the Albertine region. The 14 endemic birds seen in Mgahinga national park include dusky crismsonwing, Kivu ground thrush, handsome francolin, Rwenzori turaco, blue-headed weaver, Rwenzori nightjar, regal sunbird, archer’s robin chat, Rwenzori batis, blue-headed sunbird, and red-throated alethe among others.

Birds of Mgahinga national park can be seen well when one takes walking safaris within the park with a well-trained ranger guide that knows about the birds. Tourists can also use safari guides that are good at birding on their birding trips to Mgahinga Gorilla park. A birding permit which you can obtain from UWA or at the park offices is another requirement needed to see the birds of Mgahinga Gorilla park.

Birds of Mgahinga national park

While on birding trips to Mgahinga you will encounter birds that include the dusky turtle dove, brown crowned tchagra, cape robin chat, strange weaver, white starred robin, lagden’s bushshrike, buff spotted flufftail, cinnamon bracken warbler, moorland chat, scarlet tufted malachite sunbird, brown crowned tchagra, cinnamon bracken warbler, ibis, white-necked raven, white-eyed slaty flycatcher, pin tailed whydah, strange weaver, black kite, dusky crimson wing, speckled mousebird, African paradise flycatcher, and waxbills.

Double colored sunbird, cinnamon chested bee-eater, regal sunbird, red-billed fire finch, white starred robin, banded prinia, cinnamon bracken warbler, chubb’s cisticola, speckled mouse bird, grey capped warbler, olive pigeon, narina tragon, alpine chat, yellow vented bulbul, Kivu ground thrush, blue-headed coucal, Rwenzori turaco, Rwenzori batis, mackinnon’s fiscal, montane double collared sunbird, Rwenzori night jar, scarlet tufted malachite sunbird, handsome francolin.

The Best time to see birds of Mgahinga national park.

Bird lovers can see birds of Mgahinga national park at any time of the year however certain months are better than others. November to April is the best time to see the birds of Mgahinga national park because this is always the season when migratory birds are within the park. When the migratory birds are within the park it does increase on the number of bird species to be seen.

Bird lovers intending to visit Mgahinga Gorilla park should know that the park has a dry season from June to September and December to February that is characterized by little or no rainfall. The dry season is good for bird watching because the walking trails are dry and easier to navigate and the vegetation is short and scattered with good views of wildlife.

Bird lovers to Mgahinga national park from October to November and March to May must know that that is when the park is receiving plenty of rainfall at any time of the day. The rainy season is somehow good for bird watching because there are a lot of birds in the park due to plenty of food however the rainfall makes walking trails muddy and slippery, and the vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife.

What to pack for a birding safari in Mgahinga national park?

What to pack for a birding safari in Mgahinga national park isn’t just about the clothes. There are a lot of things bird lovers need to pack in order to get the best out of their bird watching safari. What to pack for birding includes a light rain jacket, waterproof light bag, a bird guide book, waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a good camera, a pair of binoculars, a hat, a drinking water bottle, energy-giving snacks, long-sleeved shirts, and long-sleeved shorts to mention but a few.

How much does it cost to carry out birding trips in Mgahinga national park?

To carry out bird watching in Mgahinga national park requires only one thing and this is a bird watching permit. This bird watching permit can be got from Uganda wildlife authority offices or at Ntebeko which is the park office. The bird watching permit costs $30 for foreign non-residents, $25 for foreign residents, and UGX20,000 citizens of East African member states.