Is bird watching in Semuliki national park worth the money?

Is bird watching in Semuliki national park worth the money?: Semuliki national park is one of the protected areas on the western side of Uganda. The national park is located in Bundibugyo district on the borders of Uganda with DR Congo. Semuliki national park is a 220 sq. km piece of land that comprises of low land tropical forest and swampy vegetation.

Semuliki national park was gazetted in 1993 as a national park to protect different wildlife species and vegetation. So far 435 bird species have been recorded in Semuliki national park and this makes it an excellent bird watching destination in western part of Uganda.

Bird watching in Semuliki national park is worth the money because tourists get to see so many of the birds within the park. In Semuliki national park, there are local guides who know well about the jungle and they are hired to take tourists for bird watching in areas where a high population of birds live. Armed ranger guides also come along and their role is to protect tourists while they are in the jungle.

How much is bird watching in Semuliki national park?

To do any activity in Semuliki national park, you must pay a certain fee at the park offices or Uganda Wildlife Authority accounts. For bird watching, it’s $30 for foreign non-residents, $25 for foreign residents and UGX20,000 citizens of East African member states.

To do bird watching in Semuliki national park, tourists must pay park entrance fees in order to get access to the park. Park entrance fee for Semuliki national park is $35 for foreign non-residents, $25 for foreign residents, and UGX15,000 citizens of East African member states.

Which birds can be seen in Semuliki national park?

Shoebill stork, Blue-billed malimbe, Red-eyed puffback, Long-tailed hawk, yellow-throated nicator, Capuchin babbler, Capuchin Babbler, Orange Cheeked waxbill, African piculet, Eastern-bearded greenbul, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Red rumped Tinkerbird, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Bates nightjar, chestnut-bellied helmetshrike, Dusky nightjar, Icterine greenbul, Maxwell’s black weaver, White thighed hornbill.

Great blue Turaco, Xavier greenbul, Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, Red-bellied Malimbe, Leaf-love, White-tailed Hornbill, White-throated Blue Swallow, Green-tailed bristlebill, Forbe’s plover, Yellow-throated cuckoo, Gabon woodpecker, African pygmy goose, Crested Malimbe, Eastern-bearded Greenbul, Red-billed dwarf hornbill, Rufous-sided broadbill, Crested Malimbe, Yellow-throated nicator, Grant’s bluebill, piping hornbill, Hartlaub’s duck, Sassi’s olive greenbul, Nkulengu rail.

Dwarf honeyguide, Northern bearded scrub robin, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Zenker’s honeyguide, Blue-billed malimbe, great white pelican, Grant’s bluebill, Congo serpent eagle, Red-billed Dwarf hornbill, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Black-throated coucal, Northern bearded scrub, Orange-tufted sunbird, Grauer’s cuckoo-shrike, Red-thighed Sparrow hawk, pale-fronted negrofinch, Red-bellied malimbe, fiery- breasted bush-shrike, black-chinned quailfinch, White-crested hornbill, Long tailed hawk.

Long-tailed Hawk, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, White-bellied kingfisher, Piping Hornbill, Chestnut owlet, Black-dwarf hornbill, White-crested hornbill, Black-Dwarf hornbill, Fire-crested Alethe, Black-Dwarf hornbill, swamp palm bulbul, Gabon woodpecker, Purple-breasted sunbird, swamp palm bulbul, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Spotted honeyguide, Spot-breasted Ibis, Yellow-throated Nicator, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, malachite kingfisher, and Ross’s Turaco to mention but a few.

What is the most appropriate time to visit Semuliki national park for bird watching?

Semuliki national park is open for bird watching activities all throughout the year. Tourists who are looking at the best period to do bird watching in Semuliki national park should look at November to April. This is the period when migratory birds are within the park meaning that the number of species to watch does increase. Migratory birds are those coming from North African and European countries and it’s said they migrate to escape the winter.

Tourists who do bird watching in November, March, and April should know that there is plenty of rainfall in the park the fact that these months are rainy season months. Tourists should come well-prepared for any changes in weather and should be ready to go through muddy and slippery trails while searching for birds in some parts of the park.

Tourists can still use the dry season for bird watching because there are permanent birds still living in the park. The dry season has gotten perfect weather conditions characterized by little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine. The birding trails are dry and easier to go through meaning that birders access most of the park areas and the vegetation is short with good views of the bird species.