Uganda DAY3

Lake Mburo National park

Hyena Hill Lodge

The collared sunbird (Hedydipna collaris) is a bird species of the family Nectariniidae. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. The collared sunbird is in fact mainly insectivorous.

Hyena Hill Lodge is situated just outside Lake Mburo National Park. They offer comfortable cottages with a beautiful view. From the restaurant you can have nice meals while watching the wildlife, it also has a bar and a great view of the park. You can visit the park, go for game drives up to boat cruises. Hyena Hill Lodge is a Lodge where you can relax and enjoy the wildlife, see and hear the nature.

หลัง อาหารเช้าเราเดินทางเข้าพาร์ค Mburo ซึ่งก็อยู่ไม่ไกลจากที่พัก ขั้นตอนการลงทะเบียนเข้าอุทยานที่นี่ค่อนข้างเข้มงวดและใช้เวลาพอสมควร หลังจากผ่านเกจ เราก็ต้องวิ่งไปรับ เรนเจอร์ที่จะเป็นไกด์ของพวกเราที่รออยู่อีกเกจหนึ่ง ระหว่างที่ไม่มีเรนเจอร์เราไม่สามรถลงจากรถได้ ทำได้แค่ถ่ายภาพ อยู่บนรถ

Lake Mburo National park

Lake Mburo National Park: Uganda’s Compact Gem

Lake Mburo National Park may be Uganda’s smallest savanna park, but it is rich in biodiversity, scenic beauty, and cultural significance. Conveniently located near the highway linking Kampala to western Uganda, the park offers an accessible yet immersive safari experience.

Despite its size, wetlands cover 20% of the park’s surface, forming part of a 50km-long wetland system connected by swamps and five lakes within the park’s borders. These diverse ecosystems support an incredible variety of wildlife, birds, and aquatic species, making Lake Mburo a must-visit destination for nature lovers and birdwatchers.

The Jacobin cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus), also pied cuckoo or pied crested cuckoo, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds that is found in Africa and Asia. It is partially migratory and in India, it has been considered a harbinger of the monsoonrains due to the timing of its arrival. It has been associated with a bird in Indian mythology and poetry, known as the chātaka (Sanskrit: चातक) represented as a bird with a beak on its head that waits for rains to quench its thirst.

Experience Lake Mburo National Park

The park hosts zebra, hippopotamus, impala, warthog, common eland, African buffalo and over 300 bird species. Predators may include the lion, leopard, hyenas, genets, African civet, jackals and serval, and since 2015 there is a population of Rothschild's giraffe.^[7] The protected area was considered a 'lion conservation unit' by the IUCN in 2005,^[9] despite lions no longer occurring here. Lions were eliminated by the indigenous people in the 1980s, but there were reports in early 2015 of a single lion roaming the areas of Miriti, Kashara, Warukiri and Rwonyo. Because this was considered problematic by the local residents, a solution offered was to translocate the lion to the zoo. At the same time, park management floated the idea of reintroducing lions to the park.^[7] The lion roaming the area eventually attacked and injured three people, causing a large crowd of the enraged community to hound the animal with stones and sticks. The Uganda Wildlife Authoritymade the decision to kill the animal, as the community was angry and the situation had become dangerous.

Lake Mburo is home to over 315 bird species, making it one of Uganda’s best birdwatching locations. The park is renowned for acacia-associated birds, with some of the best viewing areas found around Rwonyo.

The stone-curlews, also known as dikkops or thick-knees, consist of 10 species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world, with two or more species occurring in some areas of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Despite the group being classified as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semiarid habitats.

The yellow-throated longclaw (Macronyx croceus) is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae. Despite sharing no recent common ancestor, the yellow-throated longclaw and its sister species in Macronyx are very similar in both coloration and behavior to the meadowlarks of North America, an example of convergent evolution.

The red-necked spurfowl or red-necked francolin (Pternistis afer), is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae that is a resident species in southern Africa.

The common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) is a mongoose species native to Angola, northern Botswana, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia and East Africa.It is part of the genus Helogale, along with the Ethiopian dwarf mongoose.

Lake Mburo NP--Impala &Zebra track

Whether exploring on foot, by boat, or on a game drive, Lake Mburo National Park offers an up-close and personal safari experience, where visitors can enjoy stunning wildlife encounters without the crowds.

A park ranger acts as a bird guide in Lake Mburo National Park by leading guided walks, where they provide security and share their knowledge of the park's over 315 bird species. Visitors can hire a ranger for activities like guided nature walks and night drives, which are excellent opportunities for birding. The best areas for viewing birds include Rubanga Forest, the shores of Lake Mburo, and the area around Rwonyo.

The African wattled lapwing (Vanellus senegallus), also known as the Senegal wattled plover or simply wattled lapwing, is a large lapwing, a group of largish waders in the family Charadriidae. It is a resident breeder in most of sub-Saharan Africa outside the rainforests, although it has seasonal movements.

The little bee-eater (Merops pusillus) is a bird species in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. They are found in Sub-Saharan Africa.They should not be confused with the little green bee-eater (Merops orientalis). Migration is limited to seasonal movements depending on rainfall patterns.

The greater blue-eared starling or greater blue-eared glossy-starling(Lamprotornis chalybaeus) is a bird that breeds from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south through eastern Africa to northeastern South Africa and Angola. It is a very common species of open woodland bird, and undertakes some seasonal migration.

Rüppell's starling (Lamprotornis purpuroptera), also known as Rueppell's glossy-starling or Rueppell's long-tailed starling, is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in the African countries of Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Three-banded plover A small, dark plover of freshwater and brackish wetlands with one white and two black breast-bands and a broad white forehead. The juvenile has less distinct breast bands.

The rufous-bellied heron (Ardeola rufiventris) is a species of heron in the genusArdeola, the pond herons, of the family Ardeidae. It is found in southern Africa.

This is a small dark species of heron with a dark grey head, back and breast contrasting with a rufous belly, wings and tail. When seen in flight the bright yellow legs and feet contrast with the dark feathers of the underside of the body. Juveniles are paler and browner, darkening as they mature.

It is found in seasonally flooded grasslands, marshes, flood-plains and inland deltas (e.g. the Okavango Delta), shallow water along riverbanks and lake shores, stands of papyrus, reedbeds and paddies.

Papyrus Gonolek

Highlight bird of this place

Yes, the papyrus gonolek is found in the papyrus swamps of Lake Mburo National Park, particularly in areas like the Warukiri and Miriti swamps. It is a rare, medium-sized bird with distinctive black and yellow plumage on its head and back, and bright orange-crimson underparts, and can be spotted on guided birding tours.

The papyrus gonolek (Laniarius mufumbiri) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.It has specialised habitat requirements, being restricted to papyrus swamps. Not yet a threatened species, it has become rare due to habitat loss and pollution.

The papyrus gonolek has specialist habitat requirements, being restricted to swampy areas in river systems and around lake shores. It is vulnerable to such threats as drainage of wetlands, burning and pollution caused by run-off from agricultural land. It is, however, a common species and it has been estimated that there may be two million adult birds. On this basis, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "near threatened".

The waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is in the genus Kobus of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies are grouped under two varieties: the common or ellipsiprymnus waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck. Their coat colour varies from brown to grey. The long, spiral horns, present only on males, curve backward, then forward, and are 55–99 cm (22–39 in) long.

The brown-headed parrot (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus) is a south-eastern Africanparrot.

Rüppell's starling A large, fairly long-tailed dark and glossy starling. Sometimes looks black, but in good light, shows iridescence that is mostly purple, with a green wing and a maroon belly. Found in moist savanna, woodland, gardens, and cultivated areas, often on the ground, typically in small flocks. Especially fond of manicured lawns. Similar to Long-tailed Glossy Starling, but shorter-tailed and more purple overall. The loud and complex vocalizations include a mix of rattles, scratches, and piercing whistles.

Gray crowned crane

With a striking crown of stiff golden feathers, the gray crowned crane's greatest threat comes from humans who view this bird as a status symbol, resulting in widespread poaching and illegal trade.

Crowned cranes—which also include the black crowned species (Balearica povonina) are the most ancient of the cranes, predating their relatives by tens of millions of years. The gray crowned crane is the national bird of Uganda and has two subspecies, the eastern African gray crowned crane and southern African gray crowned crane.