Bird Species in Murchison Falls National Park
Bird Species in Murchison Falls National Park: It is one of the top birding destinations in Uganda, situated in the northwest region of the country on the northern part of the Albertine Rift Valley. It is one of the largest national parks in the country, spanning an area of approximately 3480 square kilometers. The park is known as a paradise for bird watching and the Murchison Falls, which are the powerful waterfalls in the world, as one of the major attractions.
It features diverse ecosystems like woodlands, riverine tropical forests, savannah lands,and wetlands, which provide a habitat to various wildlife species that call it home. The park hosts over 453 bird species, including Afro-tropical highlands, the Guinea–Congo biome, Ituri species, migratory birds, water birds, and more bird species in Murchison Falls National Park. There are various sites where you can spot various bird species in Murchison Falls National Park, including Budongo Forest, Kaniyo Pabidi, and Royal Mile, each offering unique species.
Savannah birds in Murchison Falls National Park.
The flowing savannah landscapes of Murchison Falls Park are home to various bird species including Denham’s Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-bellied Bustard, , Northern Carmine Bee-eater, 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, Grey Crowned Crane, 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, Open-billed stork, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Red-throated Bee-eater, Silver bird, Eatern Grey Plantain, Black-billed Barbet, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Tawny Eagle, Grasshopper Buzzard among more species.
Migratory Birds in Murchison Falls National Park.
Migratory birds in Murchison Falls Park are seen in April and November. They migrate from Europe and Asia to escape harsh weather conditions and to find food in suitable habitats. The bird species include the rare western marsh harrier, Secretary Bird, pallid and mantagu’s, gregarious Abdim’s stork that breeds in the northern tropics of Africa, Red-backed, Grasshopper Buzzard, woodchat and Isabelline, pied wheat eaters, Osprey Northern and southern carmine Bee eaters, European Roller Great snipe, Bronze- winged courser, Eurasian thick-knee, Yellow Wagtail, Common Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Grey-headed Gull, Black Kite, Barn Swallow, White Stork among others .
Forest Bird Species
The forest birds are found in Budongo forest and Kaniyo Pabidi section, which are the major forests in the park. The forest bird species in Murchison Falls National Park include 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, Red-tailed Bristlebill, White-breasted Nigrita, Black-capped Apalis, Rufous Flycatcher Thrush, Blue-throated Roller, Spotted Greenbul, Jameson’s Wattle-eye among other bird species.
Best Time for Birding in Murchison Falls National Park.
Visitors can see bird species in Murchison Falls National Park throughout the year, however, the best time for birding is during the wet season, which runs from September to November and March to May which is characterized by abundant rainfall, lush greenery, and the park has enough food, which attracts migratory birds. This is a breeding season for most birds, and it’s easy to spot birds as they don’t move in search of food. Visitors should be prepared that during this season the trails are muddy and slippery, making it hard to move into the park, but with Caracal Explorers’ fleet of 4X4 Land Cruisers, we help you reach all the birding spots in Murchison Falls National Park.
