Bird Species Found in Murchison Falls National Park.
Birders planning a birding safari to Murchison Falls often ask about the bird species found in Murchison Falls National Park, and this article will identify various bird species that visitors can spot on their bird watching safari in the park. It is situated in the northwestern region of Uganda and is one of the best bird watching destinations in the country. Murchison Falls National Park is divided by the River Nile into the southern and northern banks. It’s the biggest park in the country, spanning an area of about 3892 square kilometres.
The park has various ecosystems like woodlands, savannah grasslands, and riverine tropical forests that provide a habitat to various bird species. It hosts over 453 bird species, including migratory birds, water birds, the Guinea-Congo biome, and forest birds. Murchison Falls has various sites specifically for bird watching, with unique bird species like Kaniyo Pabidi, Royal Mile, and the Albert Nile region.
Bird Species Found in Murchison Falls National Park.
There are various bird species found in Murchison Falls National Park that bird enthusiasts can spot while on their birding safari in the park. Some of the birds to see include Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, shoebill, Red-throated Bee-eater, Denham’s Bustard, Secretary Bird, African Fish Eagle, Black-bellied Bustard, Northern Carmine Bee-eater , Grey Crowned Crane, Black-bellied Bustard, Piapiac, Black-headed Lapwing, Senegal Thick-Knee, Heuglin’s Francolin, White-browed Sparrow- Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Shelley’s Sparrow, Black-headed Gonolek, Red-winged Grey Warbler, White-fronted Black Chat, Red-billed Quelea, Red-necked Falcon, Abyssinian Roller, Martial Eagle, Marabou Stork, Lappet-faced Vulture, Palm-Vulture, Rock Pratincole, Spotted Thick-knee, Long-toed Lapwing, African Quail-Finch, White-faced Whistling Duck, Yellow-billed Stork,, Black-headed Gonolek, Brubru, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Pied Crow, White-browed Coucal, Snegal Coucal, African Emerald Cuckoo, Little Bittern,, Glossy Ibis, Dwarf Bittern, Hamerkop, Common Greenshank African Openbill, Black Egret, Egyptian Goose, White-Faced Whistling.
Others include Lappet-faced Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, African Black Crake, Tawny Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Black-crowned Tchagra, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Bateleur, Brown Snake Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Tawny Eagle Open-billed stork, Silver bird, Eatern Grey Plantain, Black-billed Barbet, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Tawny Eagle, Grasshopper Buzzard African Pied Hornbill, White-thighed Hornbill, Black and white Casqued Hornbill, Narina Trogon, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Blue –breasted kingfisher, Chestnut wattle-eye, Forest Robin, White spotted Fluftail, Ituri Batis, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Buff-throated Apalis, Grey-headed Sunbird, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Green Hylia, Yellow-browed Caaroptera, Little Greenbul, Honey-whiskered Greenbul, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Grey Longbill, Brown Twinspot, Brown-chested Lapwing, Hood Vulture, African Green bleu, Green-winged Pytilia, Chinspot Batis, White-crested Turaco, Eastern Plantain-eater, Ross’s Turaco, Spotted Morning Thrush, Willow warbler, Green Crombec, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Red-faced Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Grey-capped Wrbler, Knob-billed Duck among more species.
Areas for Spotting Birds in Murchison Falls National Park.
The Royal Mile.
This is one of the best birding spots in Murchison Falls National Park, with a variety of bird species situated in the southern sector of the park within Budongo Forest. The forest hosts over 360 bird species such as Ituri Batis, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted and African Dwarf Kingfisher, White throated, Honey guide, Nahan’s partridge, Superb and Little Green sun, Western crested Guinea fowl, Grey-headed sunbird, Fire-chested Alethe, Brown-chested Alethe, Blue-throated Roller, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Chestnut wattle-eye, White-thighed Hornbill.
The Albert Delta Region.
It’s located in the southwest of the park, it’s where the Victoria Nile pours its waters into Lake Albert. This area has the highest number of water birds in the park. Visitors have an opportunity to see various water bird species hiding in shrubs and vegetation on the waters such as the elusive shoebill stork, African Darter, Open billed stork, African skimmer, Gull-billed stork, Comb Ducks, Eygptain Geese, Senegal thick knee, Malachite, Black-winged stilt, pied kingfisher, Lesser swamp warblers, sacred Ibis, Grey Heron, Giant among other species that can be seen in this area.
Kaniyo Pabidi.
This is one of the top birding sites in Murchison Falls National Park, found in the southern sector, about 8km from Kichumbanyobo gate. This woodland hosts various unique bird species such as Puvel’s Iliadopsis, Yellow-footed flycatcher, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Ituri Batis, Grey longbill, White-thighed Hornbill, Western-blacked-headed oriole, African Emerald Cuckoo, Brown-eared woodpecker, and Golden-crowned woodpecker, among others.
