SIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES IN LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK

Game drives and Nature Walks are the most excellent options that will make one of your unforgettable experiences as your Encounters will be close and capture the best shots since animals here are not so shy, unlike other parks in the country. Commonly recorded mammals include Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Yellow-winged Bat, Side-striped Jackal, Dwarf and Banded Mongooses, Grant’s Zebra, Hippopotamus, Common Warthog, Buffalo, Bushbuck, Oribi, Deffasa Waterbuck and Bohor Reedbuck. Large herds of Eland are frequent and the recently introduced Nubian Giraffe. This is also the only park in Uganda that has Impala.

Lake Mburo is home to no fewer than 3 species of otter( African clawless, Swamp and Spot-necked) and the surrounding papyrus swamp support the elusive  Sitatunga, Senegal Galago, Zorilla, Blotched Genet, White Tailed Mongoose and the wild cat may be seen on a night drive out of Rwonyo camp. Some of the shy and rare and therefore less likely to be encountered species include  Red-legged sun and striped ground squirrels, Crested Porcupine, Striped Weasel, Servaline Genet, Ichneumon, Slender and Marsh Mongooses, Spotted Hyena, African Civet, Serval, Leopard, Giant Pangolin, Aardvark, Giant Hog, Bush Pig and Bush Duikers.

Bird Watching Lake Mburo National Park

Most of the park is dominated by tall grass savanna dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees. Dense thorn thickets occur along the watercourses. Common and conspicuous birds in this habitat include the Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away bird, Green wood-hoopoe, Blue-naped mouse bird, Lilac-Breasted Roller, 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. Most of these should be encountered whilst driving towards Rwonyo camp, the park headquarters, from either of the two entrance gates.

The more open grassland north of camp, particularly along the Zebra track, is worth exploring for species such as Coqui Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black Bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, African wattled Plover, Rufous –Naped and Flappet Larks, Rufous-chested swallow, Yellow-throated long claw and Southern Red Bishop. The first clearing on the lakeside is a good spot to look for some of the papyrus specials, lesser and Greater Swamp Warbler, white-winged Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek.

The elusive Shoebill may also be observed but is irregular in the park. Spotlighting along the entrance road may produce interesting Nocturnal species such as; African scoops owl, Verreaux’s eagle-Owl and Fiery-necked, white-tailed and Pennant-winged Nightjars.

Other species include Blue-headed Coucal, the scarce Papyrus Yellow warbler and Northern Brown-throated weaver, on the Lake African Fin foot, African Darter, Hamerkop, African Water Rail, spur-winged plover, Pied and malachite kingfishers, and Yellow-throated leaf love.

Other interesting Birds to watch in this moist woodland include Red-headed lovebird, Narina Trogon, Spot Flanked, Red Faced and Black Collared Barbets, Yellow Billed Oxpecker, Lead Collared Flycatcher, Green Capped Eremomela and austral migrant, Black-cuckoo shrike.

A surprisingly large number of Raptors occur in this relatively small park. Amongst the 35 species recorded are African white-backed, Ruppell’s Griffon, Lappet-faced and White-headed Vultures, African Marsh Harrier, Black-chested, Brown and Banded Snake Eagles, Bateleur, African Harrier-Hawk, Shikra, Gabar and Dark  Chanting  Goshawks, Lizard and Augur Buzzards, African Fish, Tawny, Steppe, African Hawk, Long-crested and Martial Eagles, and Grey Kestrel.

Night Game Drives in Lake Mburo National Park

Through nocturnal game drives, Lake Mburo National Park gives tourists a special opportunity to interact with the park’s animals. These drives take place after sundown and let guests experience the park’s wildlife and birds from a fresh perspective.

Visitors will get the chance to witness nocturnal creatures including bush babies, hyenas, and leopards on a night game drive. The best time to watch these creatures is at night because that’s when they’re most active. The park’s numerous bird species, along with other creatures like bush pigs, warthogs, and bushbucks, which are active at night, will also be visible to visitors.