LAKE MBURO – Uganda Birding Spot

BIRDING TOURS

MABAMBA BAY – Uganda Birding Swamp MABIRA FOREST BIRDING LUTEMBE BAY BIRD WATCHING BUSO FOREST BIRDING WATCHING BUDONGO FOREST RESERVE BWINDI IMPENETRABLE CONSERVATION AREA – Gorillas and Birding in Uganda KIBALE NATIONAL PARK – Uganda Birding Site LAKE MBURO – Uganda Birding Spot SEMILIKI NATIONAL PARK - Bird watching Uganda

Occupying 370 sq km at an Elevation of 1220 to 1828m above sea level, Lake Mburo National Park is another birding destination in Uganda with 317 species recorded in the park. The park has moist Acacia savanna, taller mixed wood land, and aquatic habitat including lakes and papyrus swamps, grassland plus rock-strewn ridges. Lake Mburo is dominated by tall grass savanna sprinkled with Acacia and Euphorbia trees. Thick thorn thickets occur along the watercourses. The area contains a widespread area of wetland, with numerous species of mammals and an immense bird population. The park’s sculptured scenery with rolling green hills and pleasant lakeshores has a varied assortment of habitats ranging from forest galleries; rich acacia tree valleys, to seasonal and enduring swamps, which all support an affluence of wildlife.

Lake Mburo Birding.
Frequently noticeable birds while driving towards Rwonyo Camp, the park head office include; Crested Francolin, Emerald spotted wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Barefaced Go-away -bird. Blue-napped Mousebird, Lilac-breasted Roller, and Green Wood-hoopoe, common scimitar bill, African Grey Hornbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola, Yellow-Breasted Apalis, Northern Black Tit, Chin-spot Batis, Greater Blue-eared starling and Marico sunbird. The woodland in the immediate neighborhood of Rwonyo also supports many of these widespread bird species.

The more open grassland north of camp, particularly along the Zebra Track, is worth at look at for species like Coqui Francolin, Red-necked Spur fowl, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck's Courser, African Wattled Plover, Rufous-Naped and lapped Larks, Rufous-chested Swallow, Yellow-throated Long claw and Southern Red Bishop. Little number of the migrant Brown-chested Plover is recurrently observed. Also try the grassland around the Mirllti Valley trail. The notable southern Ground Hornbill is one rarer visitor of these grassland species. Spot lighting along the entrance road with the park management permission may produce interesting Nocturnal species such as African Scops Owl; Verreaux's Eagle-Owl and Fiery-necked, White-tailed and Pennant-winged Nightjars.

The Kyempitsi path allows right of entry to aquatic habitats around Lake Mburo. The swamp along the Lake is superior for looking for some of the Papyrus Gonolek sing from the papyrus north of here in the morning and respond enthusiastically to tape recordings. The elusive shoebill may also be observed but is uncommon in the park. There are a few more places further along the lakeside where the road passes close up to the swamp. Particularly worth checking is the western part of the lake where Blue-Headed Coucal, the scarce Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Northern Brown-throated Weaver occur.

The idyllic Lakeside campground (kingfisher) is one of the best places in Uganda to see African Fin foot. Scan for this spectacular bird around the edges of the lake at dawn and dusk. Other species to look for here include African Darter, Water Thicknee, Hamerkop, African Water Rail, Spur-winged Plover, Giant, Pied and Malachite kingfishers, and Yellow-throated Leaf love the latter in dense, waterside thickets.

Carry on to the Kigambira Loop, which go across a variety of productive habitats. Taller, diverse forest in this area is a home to the park's most preferred bird, the localized Red-faced Barbet. Scan tall Euphorbia trees for this species. Black-collared Barbet, common and common elsewhere in Africa, is also available here but scarce. Other attention-grabbing birds to stare at in this moist forest comprise of the Long tailed warbler, Red-headed lovebird, Narina Trogon, Lead-coloured Flycatcher, Green-capped Eremomela and the Austral migrant plus the Black Cuckoo-shrike.

An astounding large number of raptors occur in this comparatively small park. Amongst the 35 species recorded is African White-backed Reppell's Griffon, Lappet-faced and white headed Vultures, African Marsh Harrier, Black-chested, Brown and Banded snake, Bateleur, African Harrier Hawk, Shikra, Gabar and Dark chanting Goshawks, Lizard and Augur Buzzards, African Fish, tawny, Steppe, African Hawk, Long-Crested and Grey Kestrel plus the Martial Eagles.