Birding in Murchison Falls

Birding in Murchison Falls: Murchison falls national park is located in the north Western part of Uganda covered with unique landscapes, waterfalls, rift valley escapement, forests, swamps, Savannah grasslands, wildlife, birds and so much more making it an ultimate safari destination in Africa.

Birding in Murchison Falls

Murchison falls national park also boasts as the country’s oldest national park gazetted in 1952 covering an area of 3,935 kilometers squared. One of the parks main attractions and what cause most tourists to visit there is the worlds strongest waterfalls in the worlds longest river.

Murchison falls national park boats with various animals like giraffes that can’t e views in the famous queen Elizabeth national park in western Uganda, other animals in Murchison falls national park are; lions, leopards, hyenas, buffaloes, warthogs, bush pigs, bush bucks, water bucks, antelopes, crocodiles and hippopotamus.

Birding

Murchison falls national park is home to over 450 species of birds, some of the birds here are rift valleyendemics, water birds and Savannah forest birds while others are migratory birds.

Examples of birds in Murchison falls are; white eyed seed eater, chestnut crowned sparrow weaver, rare shoebill, silver birds, chestnut napped moosebird, pel’s fishing owl, spotted verreaux eagle owl, white bellied night heron, long toed plover, grey cheeked crane, Goliath heron, red winged grey warbler, yellow throated leaf love, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Marabou stork, Malachite kingfishers, Black headed lapwing, Rock frantacole, Osprey, yellow fronted tinker bird, sand oipers, martial eagle, Denham’s bustard, Senegal thick knee and African jacana among the rest.

Birding in Murchison Falls

The best areas for bird watching at Murchison falls are between red chili rest camp and ferry crossing are, south bank of the Victoria Nile, Nyamusika cliffs, Lake Albert delta and other areas can also provide bird watching opportunities. The Unique rare shoebill can be best sighted from January to March and the best time for bird watching in Murchison falls national park is very early in the morning and in the evening hours. Bird watching can be done in nature walks, game drives or even on a boat cruise.

The best time for sighting migratory birds is from November to April, the disadvantage of other months is that heavy rains can occur making it difficult to access walking trails and the vegetation gets thicker hiding the birds. Tourists visiting Murchison falls for bird watching should come with binoculars for clear and unforgettable views, good shoes, sun glasses, hats, a bird guide book and water. You will be guided by an experienced guide who will show you most of the birds and share some knowledge about them you might have not known.

Murchison falls national park also offers chimpanzee trekking opportunities, tourists can visit the Budongo forest for a unique chimpanzee trekking experience its also one if the reaming last mahogany forests found in east Africa, at Budongo forest you will encounter other primates like black and whit colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkey and so much more.

There are various accommodation units that tourists visiting Murchison falls can sleep in some of this include; Shoebill campsite, UWA campsite, Boomu women’s camp, Chobe safari lodge, paraa safari lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Bwana tembo safari camp and many more. Murchison falls national park is about 5 hours drive from Kampala, there are also organized standard chattered flights that can be taken from Kajjansi airfield or Entebbe international airport.

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