Bird watching in Murchison falls national park

Bird watching in Murchison falls national park; Bird watching is one of the interesting activities that attracts a number of visitors to visit Murchison falls national park. Murchison falls National Park is the largest and oldest national park located in northern part of Uganda. The national park is known for harboring about 76 mammal species including buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, leopards, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, giraffes, warthogs, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons among others.

Murchison falls national park is a home of over 450 recorded bird species including migratory birds, water birds, Albert Nile endemic birds, savannah birds and forest birds which make it one of the best bird watching destinations in Uganda. There are various bird watching areas in Murchison falls national park for example Budongo forest, Kaniyo Pabidi forest, Rabongo forest, along the Albert delta, Buligi area among others. Bird watching in Murchison falls national park can either be done very early in the morning or in the evening during the game drive, Nile delta boat cruise, boat cruise to the bottom of the falls or guided nature walk with an experienced bird guide who will help you to spot different bird species including the prehistoric Shoebill Stork, Open Billed Stork, Grey Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Grey Crowned Crane, Papyrus Gonolek, Black Crake, Saddle-billed Stork, African Jacana, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, African Darter, Great Cormorant, Spur-winged Goose, African Wattled Lapwing, Black-crowned Night Heron, Grey-headed Gull, Collared Pranticole, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, Pied Kingfisher, African Fish Eagle, Malachite Kingfisher, Great Purple Heron, Long-tailed Cormorant, Secretary birds, Denham’s Bustard, Palm-nut Vulture, African Emerald Cuckoo, Bare-faced Go Away bird, Martial Eagle, Handsome Spur Fowl, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, Black-crowned Tchagra, Double-toothed Barbet, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Marabou Stork, Red-fronted Barbet, Cassin’s Spinetail, Brown Twinspot, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Olive-breasted Greenbul, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Crowned Eagle, White-spotted Flufftail, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Sabine’s Spine tail among others.

Cost for bird watching in Murchison falls national park

Bird watching in Murchison falls national park costs 15 USD per person for foreign non residents, 10 USD per person for foreign residents and 10,000 UGX per person for East African citizens. The rates however exclude park entrance fees and other activity fees like nature walk fee, and boat cruise fee.

Best time to do birding in Murchison falls national park

Bird watching in Murchison falls national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry low season in the months of January to march, November and April because that’s the best time to view colorful and migratory bird species.

Bird watching in Murchison falls national park can also be done in the dry season during the months of June to September because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore bird watching trails will be dry and passable which make birding easy.

What to carry for bird watching safari in Murchison falls national park

When going for bird watching safari in Murchison falls national park, there are a number of essential items that you should carry including waterproof rain jacket, hiking shoes, long sleeved shirt and trouser with neutral colors, warm sweater, a pair of binoculars, field guidebook, camera and extra batteries, drinking water, wide brimmed hat, flashlight, insect repellent, backpack among others.

Where to stay during your bird watching safari in Murchison falls national park Uganda

There are various accommodation facilities n Murchison falls national park where you can stay during your bird watching safari. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Paraa safari lodge, Twiga safari lodge, Red chilli rest camp, Fort Murchison lodge, Murchison River lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Murchison falls bamboo village, Sambiya River lodge, Budongo Eco lodge, Parkside safari lodge, Bar Lyec safari lodge, Nile safari lodge, Tilenga safari lodge, Chobe safari lodge among others.

How to get to Murchison falls national park Uganda

Murchison falls National Park is located in the northern part of Uganda and can be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter flights with Aero link Uganda or Bar aviation from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airfield to Pakuba, Chobe or Bugungu airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

Murchison falls national park can also be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via Masindi to the park headquarters which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.

Other activities in Murchison falls national park

Murchison falls national park offers other interesting activities that visitors can engage in apart from bird watching including boat cruise to the bottom of the falls and Nile delta boat cruise where you will be able to cruise on the Nile and enjoy views of hippos and Nile crocodiles, game drives where you will be able see different animals like buffaloes, elephants, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, waterbucks, giraffes, sport fishing where tourists will be able to catch different fish species, cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, guided nature walk and top of the falls drive where you will be able to enjoy great views of the waterfall, Ziwa rhino tracking among others.

Bird watching is an exciting activity in Murchison falls national park that can be combined with other activities like game drives, cultural tour, guided nature walks among others in Kidepo valley national park. For more information about bird watching, do not hesitate to reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris.