Bird species in Lake Mburo National Park.

Bird species in Lake Mburo National Park: Lake Mburo National Park is one of the top bird watching destinations in Uganda, with unique avian life situated in the western part of the country. It is famous for hosting acacia dwelling bird species in the country. It is the nearest national park to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, which is about a 2- 3 hour drive. Lake Mburo National Park is the only park in Uganda that is part of the Zambezian Biome and provides excellent birding opportunities to bird lovers and ornithologists. It is blessed with unique ecosystems, including savannah grasslands, acacia woodlands, wetlands, and lakes that provide a habitat to various birds and wildlife species. It is home to over 340 bird species, including migratory birds, forest birds, acacia dwelling bird species, water birds, and savannah birds. Birders planning their birding safari in the pearl of Africa, Lake Mburo National Park, should add it to their bucket list as it promises exceptional bird watching experiences.

Bird species in Lake Mburo National Park.

Birders will delight themselves in over 340 bird species that call this awesome park home and there are various sites with rich birdlife suitable for bird watching, like Rubanga Forest, Miriti, and Warukiri marshes. The bird species to encounter on your birding safari, include Rwenzori Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Black-throated Coucal, Senegal Coucal, Shoebill, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, White-backed Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose, African Pygmy-Goose, Blue-billed Teal, Yellow-billed Duck, Red-billed Duck, Helmeted Guineafowl, Western Crested Guineafowl, Crested Francolin, Coqui Francolin, Ring-necked Francolin, Red-winged Francolin, Handsome Spurfowl, Scaly Spurfowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Speckled Pigeon, Rameron Pigeon, White-naped Pigeon, Dusky Turtle-Dove, Mourning Collared-Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Vinaceous Dove, Laughing Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Black-billed Wood-Dove, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Tambourine Dove, Namaqua Dove, African Green-Pigeon, Black-bellied Bustard, Great Blue Turaco, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Pied Cuckoo, Dideric Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, African Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Standard-winged Nightjar, Fiery-necked Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, Plain Nightjar, Freckled Nightjar, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Square-tailed Nightjar, Mottled Spinetail, Sabine’s Spinetail, Scarce Swift, Alpine Swift, Mottled Swift, Common Swift, African Swift, Little Swift, Horus Swift, White-rumped Swift, African Palm Swift, White-spotted Flufftail, Buff-spotted Flufftail, Red-chested Flufftail, African Crake, Lesser Moorhen, Eurasian

Eastern Plantain-eater, Blue-headed Coucal,White-browed Coucal, Black Coucal, Blue Malkoha, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Moorhen, Red-knobbed Coot, African Swamphen, Black Crake, African Finfoot, Gray Crowned-Crane, Senegal Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Common Ringed Plover, Three-banded Plover, Long-toed Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, Senegal Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Wattled Lapwing, Brown-chested Lapwing, Kittlitz’s Plover, Greater Painted-Snipe, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, Eurasian Whimbrel, Jack Snipe, African Snipe, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Temminck’s Stint, Ruff, Small Buttonquail, Bronze-winged Courser, Gray-hooded Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, African Skimmer, Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Southern White-faced Owl, Narina Trogon, Common Hoopoe, Green Woodhoopoe, Forest Scimitarbill, Little Grebe, Little Grebe, African Openbill, Black Stork, Abdim’s Stork, African Woolly-necked Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Marabou Stork, Yellow-billed Stork, Great Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, African Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, African Spoonbill, Dwarf Bittern, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, White-backed Night Heron, Rufous-bellied Heron, Western Cattle-Egret, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron,Yellow-billed Egret, Western Cattle-Egret, Hamerkop, Pink-backed Pelican, Great White Pelican, Great White Pelican, Black-winged Kite, African Harrier-Hawk, Palm-nut Vulture, African Cuckoo-Hawk, European Honey-buzzard, White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Hooded Vulture, African Hawk-Eagle, Martial Eagle, Booted Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Western Barn Owl, African Wood-Owl, Southern White-faced Owl, Spotted Eagle-Owl, Congo Pied Hornbill, African Gray Hornbill, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Red-throated Bee-eater, White-throated Bee-eater, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Yellow-fronted Canary, Papyrus Canary, Streaky Seedeater, Thick-billed Seedeater, Brown-rumped Bunting, Cabanis’s Bunting, Golden-breasted Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Black-billed Woodhoopoe, Forest Scimitarbill, Congo Pied Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill among others.

Best time to do birding in the park.

The park is open throughout the year, and the best time to see bird species in Lake Mburo National Park depends on an individual’s interest. The park has receives two seasons, the dry and the wet season, both provide unique and memorable birding experiences. The dry season runs from June to September and from December to February. During this season, the park receives little to no rainfall, the park is dry making it easy to penetrate. The wet season runs from March to May and October to November. During these months, the park receives enough rainfall, and the park is muddy, making it challenging to penetrate. This is a breeding season for most birds, and it’s the time of the year when migratory birds come to the park in search of food and good weather conditions.