Birding in Lake Mburo
Birding in Lake Mburo : Lake Mburo national park is situated near Kampala the capital city of Uganda in the western part of the country, the park derives its name from Lake Mburo which is one of the five lakes found within the national park.
Lake Mburo covers an area of about 260 kilometers squared of acacia woodlands, rocky out drops, green hillsides, savannah grasslands, lush forests, swamps and lakes. Lake Mburo national park offers a unique safari experience however small it is it the perfect weekend gateway destination for tourists.
Birding in lake Mburo
Lake Mburo national park is home to about 350 species of birds, some of the bird species in the lake include; rare shoebill, grey crowned crested crane, brown chested wattled plover, African fin foot, tabora cisticola, papyrus yellow warbler, saddle billed stork, grey snipe, white winged barber, Abyssinian ground hornbill, pink backed pelican, greater cormorant, yellow billed duck, white tailed pelican, white winged black tern, brown parrot, Ross’s turaco, green hood hoopoe, bare faced go away bird, common scimitar bill, white headed barbet, long tailed cisticola, yellow breasted apalis and so many more.
The best place for watching birds in Lake Mburo is in the Warukiri and Miriti swamps, Rubanga forest and areas around the lake not forgetting the salt lick where there is a viewing platform you can view bother wildlife and various bird species. Lake Mburo national park is also home to exceptional wildlife species; some of the wildlife tourists can see while on a game drive is zebras, giraffes, elands, Topi, giraffes, buffalos, and reedbucks, bush bucks, leopards, Klipspringers and so much more.
Lake Mburo national park is also one of the national parks that conduct night game drives, the night game drives in Lake Mburo offer great opportunities of seeing nocturnal animals like hyenas and hippopotamus and leopards can also be spotted occasionally.
Horse riding is one of the most famous activities in Lake Mburo national park, tourists can intermingle with other wildlife like various antelopes and zebras on a horse back. The night horse rides can also be organized during night time and the cost for this activity will depend on the time taken.
When visiting Lake Mburo tourists can sleep in Lake Mburo safari lodge, Rwakobo rock, Rwonyo rest camp, Mihingo lodge and eagle’s best lodge among the rest. The best time to go for birding in Lake Mburo is in April to May and November and October when migratory birds from Europe and North Africa are in the park. The best time for wildlife viewing is in June to September and December to February.
Lake Mburo national park is only 3-4 hours drive from Kampala and it’s a perfect weekend getaway or stop over destination when going to the parks in western Uganda or coming from hectic gorilla trekking safari.
