Bird watching in Murchison falls national park
Watching birds in Murchison Falls National Park. The park is in the northern area of Uganda, in the Masindi district, and is one of the best places to watch birds in the country. About 76 species of mammals live in Murchison Falls National Park. These include the “big four” or “big five” mammals: buffalo, elephants, lions, and leopards. There are also waterbucks, oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, giraffes, warthogs, hippos, Nile crocodiles, and primates like chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and many more.
Over 460 kinds of birds have been seen in Murchison Falls National Park. These include grassland birds, forest birds, water birds, and migratory birds. This makes it one of the best places in Uganda to go birdwatching. Bird watching is a fun thing to do in Murchison Falls National Park. You can do it with a knowledgeable bird guide either early in the morning or late at night. You can watch birds in Murchison Falls National Park on a boat trip through the Nile Delta or to the base of the falls.
You can also go on organized nature walks in the Budongo and Rabongo woods and go on game drives in the Buligi area, among other things. During birding, you will be accompanied by an experienced bird guide who will help you to spot different bird species including the prehistoric shoebill stork, Red Throated Bee-eater, Spur-winged Lapwing, Grey Crowned Crane, African Darter, Common Ringed Plover, Papyrus Gonolek, Egyptian Goose, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Little Stint, African Open Billed Stork, Rock Pranticole, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Hadada Ibis, Purple Heron, African Fish Eagle, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Secretary Bird, Denham’s Bustard, Red-chested Cuckoo, Double Toothed Barbet, Long Crested Eagle, Blue-headed Coucal, Black-crowned Tchagra, Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, White-thighed Hornbill, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, African Wattled Lapwing, Palm-nut Vulture, Senegal Among them are the Thick-knee Owl, the Green-winged Ptyilia, and the Pels Fishing Owl.
How much does it cost to watch birds in Murchison Falls National Park?
Visitors from outside of East Africa must pay 30 USD to watch birds in Murchison Falls National Park. Visitors from within East Africa must pay 25 USD, and East African locals must pay 20,000 UGX. Other events and the entrance fee to Murchison Falls National Park are not included in the prices. The fees are 45 USD for foreigners who are not residents, 35 USD for foreigners who are residents, and 25,000 UGX for East African citizens.
When is the best time to see birds in Murchison Falls National Park?
You can go bird watching in Murchison Falls National Park at any time of the year, but the best times are during the rainy seasons, from January to March and November to April. This is when there is a lot of food for the birds, so you will be able to see a lot of different kinds of birds. Bird fans will also be able to see a lot of different kinds of bright migrating birds during this time.
Denham’s Bustard seen while bird watching in Murchison Falls National Park
You can also go bird watching in Murchison Falls National Park during the dry season, from June to September. This is when the birding paths are dry and easy to walk on, making it perfect for bird watching.
What to bring on a tour to see birds in Murchison Falls National Park
For your Uganda bird watching safari, you should bring a pair of binoculars, a field guidebook, a camera with extra batteries, long-sleeved clothes, comfortable hiking shoes, a water bottle, bug spray, a hat, sunscreen, a waterproof rain jacket or poncho, and other things.
A list of places to stay in Murchison Falls National Park
You can stay at a number of places in Murchison Falls National Park during your birding safari. These include the Red Chili Rest Camp, the Paraa Safari Lodge, the Pakuba Safari Lodge, the Murchison Falls Bamboo Village, the Sambiya River Lodge, the Fort Murchison Lodge, the Murchison River Lodge, the Twiga Safari Lodge, the Budongo Eco Lodge, the Amuka Safari Lodge, the Murchison Tree House, the Nile Safari Lodge, the Parkside Safari Lodge, and the Tilenga Safari Lodge.
The best way to get to Murchison Falls National Park 1.
Murchison Falls National Park is in the northern part of Uganda. To get there, you can take a tour car from Kampala via Masindi and drive for about 5 to 6 hours to get to the park offices.
Other things to do in Murchison Falls National Park
You can do a lot of fun things in Murchison Falls National Park during your safari besides just watching birds. You can go on game drives to see animals like buffalo, elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, oribis, waterbucks, and more. You can also go on Nile Delta boat cruises and boat cruises to the bottom of the falls to see hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, go on sport fishing trips to catch different kinds of fish, go on cultural tours to meet the locals, go chimpanzee trekking to spend time with chimpanzees, or go on a guided nature walk to see more of the park.
In Murchison Falls National Park, watching birds is a fun thing to do. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can mix bird watching with gorilla climbing, gorilla habituation experience, batwa cultural tours, and other things. You can call us at Maseke Adventure Co.Ltd or visit our website to learn more about our different Uganda tour packages and to find out more about bird watching in Murchison Falls National Park.
