Bird watching safari in Murchison falls national park
Bird watching safari in Murchison falls national park; Murchison falls national park is the largest protected area located in northwestern part of Uganda. The national park was gazetted as a national park I 1952 and is known for harboring various wildlife species including the big four mammals which are the elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, other animals like giraffes, oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, warthogs, waterbucks, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons and variety of bird species.
Murchison falls national park is a home of over 556 recorded bird species including water birds, savannah birds, migratory birds, savannah birds, forest birds among others which makes it one of the best bird watching destinations in Uganda. Bird watching in Murchison falls national park can either be done very early in the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening with an experienced bird guide who is well conversant with different birding trails. Bird watching in Murchison falls national park can be done during the game drives, guided nature walks and boat cruise where you will be able to spot variety of bird species including the prehistoric shoebill stork, Red-throated Bee-eater, African open bill, Papyrus Gonolek, Grey Crowned Crane, Palm-nut Vulture, Great Blue Turaco, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Secretary Bird, African Fish Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork, Little Stint, Collared Pranticole, African Wattles Lapwing, Long Toed Lapwing, Black-crowned Night Heron, Spur-winged Goose, Pel’s Fishing Qwl, Purple Heron, Giant Kingfisher, Sacred Ibis, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Great White Egret, Long-tailed Cormorant, Martial Eagle, Denham’s Bustard, Red-chested Cuckoo, Bare-faced Go-Away Bird, Red-fronted Barbet, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Double-toothed Barbet, Lappet-faced Vulture, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Cinnamon Chested Bee-eater, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Plain Greenbul, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, White-thighed Hornbill, Yellow-footed Flycatcher among others.
Cost of bird watching in Murchison falls national park
Bird watching in Murchison falls national park costs 30 USD per person for foreign non residents, 25 USD per person for foreign residents and 20,000 UGX per person for East African citizens and the rates exclude park entrance fees and other activity fees.
Best time to go for bird watching in Murchison falls national park
Bird watching in Murchison falls national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of January to March and June to September because that’s the breeding plumage therefore you will be able to view colorful bird species. Also during the dry period there is less rainfall in the park hence access roads and bird watching trails will be dry and passable.
Bird watching in Murchison falls national park can also be done in the low season in the months of November and April because that’s the best time when you will be able to view migratory bird species.
What to pack for bird watching safari in Murchison falls national park
When going on a Uganda birding safari in Murchison falls national park, there are a number of essential items that you should pack including hiking shoes, field guidebook, a pair of binoculars, a wide brimmed hat, long sleeved shirt and trouser, sunglasses, insect repellent, light waterproof rain jacket, drinking water, waterproof backpack, camera and extra batteries among others.
Where to stay during bird watching safari in Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park has several accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your bird watching safari including Paraa safari lodge, Murchison River lodge, Twiga safari lodge, Red Chilli rest camp, Murchison falls Bamboo village, Nile safari lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Parkside safari lodge, Sambiya river lodge, Boomu Women’s group, Fort Murchison safari lodge, Tilenga safari lodge, Budongo eco lodge, Amuka safari lodge, Murchison tree house, Kabalega Wilderness lodge, Yebo safari camp, Uganda Wildlife Authority Campsite, Heritage safari lodge among others.
How to get to Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park is located in northwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via Masindi to the park headquarters which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.
Murchison falls national park can as well be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Pakuba, Chobe or Bugungu airfields and then transfer to park headquarters by road.
Other activities in Murchison falls national park
Apart from Bird watching, Murchison falls national park offers other interesting safari activities that tourists can engage in during the safari including game drives where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, lions, leopards, giraffes, oribi, warthogs among others, Nile delta boat cruise and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be able to view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, guided nature walk where you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species, top of the falls drive where you will be able to view the Murchison falls which is the world’s most powerful waterfall, sport fishing experience where you will be able to catch different fish species and chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest where you will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees.
Bird watching in Murchison falls national park is an exceptional activity that can be combined with other activities like chimpanzee trekking, Bigodi swamp walk or guided nature walk in Kibale forest national park. You can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris for more information about bird watching in Murchison falls national park or visit our website for various Uganda safari packages.
