Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the best experiences birders never miss while in Uganda. The park is located in the south west corner of Uganda which sites on an area of 33.7 square km. It is a home to quite a number of primates especially the mountain gorillas and the golden monkeys which makes it one of the best places where you can do a golden monkey trek in Uganda where the largest part of this park is covered by the forest this leads to offers you a great opportunity for bird watching, this made Mount Mgahinga the best place for bird watching destination during your visit. The area mostly consists of partly forested slopes and the extinct volcanoes.
BOOK NOWFor someone approaching the park, the Virunga Mountains dominate the landscape and are quite a sight. The Virungas are home to quite a variety of wildlife, and the most special of which are the mountain gorillas. Mgahinga Gorilla National park was gazetted in 1991 and is blessed with a unique bird fauna of 115 bird species which makes for interesting bird watching. Some of these species are endemic to the Albertine Rift Mountains and bird watching can be done all year round in the park, however the best time is April to Mid-May, decent birding experience at any time of the year and October to November.
In addition Mgahinga Gorilla National Park receives migratory birds in the park between November to April this spark excitement with you which is mile stone you will not be harry to forget during your bird watching in Uganda after adding to the variety of birds species to be seen.
Bird Species to watch out for while birding in Mgahinga
When you visit for birding in Mgahinga be sure that you won’t miss such notable bird species include Rwenzori Turaco, Crowned Hornbill, Black Kite and Crowned Crane, Handsome Francolin, Dusky Turtle Dove, Alpine Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Montane Double-collared Sunbird. Farmland along the Northern edge of the Park is guarded by a dry stone wall that keeps Buffalo in the Park and out of crops. The trail along the wall is ideal for birding.
The vegetation in the park is mostly afro montane vegetation supported by cool climate such vegetation types include bamboo which takes up about 60% of the entire vegetation cover, then there is lobelia, and haegenis, taking a great time in bird watching, Mgahinga provides unique astonishing opportunities for birding and gorilla tracking expeditions where some of the animals found in the park that you could possibly get to see on a Uganda safari include bushbucks, buffalo, elephant, golden monkeys, etc.
Within Mgahinga Gorilla national park, one of the world most critical bird life corridor find over 115 different bird species and those who love birding will be glad to know that you can be able to see over a hundred of these species in a single day’s birding lovers. Birding is conducted alongside, where you will meet a resourceful trained guide in birding; they will take you through the forest, which requires a bit of hiking since the area is hilly. Due to its seclusion and cold weather, the park also host some of the world rare species that found in home of a forest this is the perfect opportunity to bird adventure who always dare to bring the dream to life with beautiful bird species in Mgahinga Gorilla National park.
With the help of your guide, Gorge Trail goes through the area in between Gahinga and Sabinyo which provides really amazing scenery and scenic view of amazing birds like the Dusky turtle Dove, there is the Cape Robin-chat, the olive Thrush, the Kivu-ground Thrush, the Brown-crowned Tchagra and the Bronze Sunbird as well as Regal Sunbird. Other birds include the Blue-headed Sunbird; there are also the Rwenzori Batis, a huge number of Black-headed Waxbill as well as the Streaky Seedeater, among others.
Indeed, this is the best birding areas within, this forest is a place around the bamboo belt which lies at a height of about 2,500 metres high above sea level and areas occupied by the tall montane forest which sites at about 2,660m above sea level where the mostly viewed birds here include the Rwenzori Turaco which are constant appearance and disappearance, which are in areas lying above 2,700m which lies along the border of Uganda and Congo especially around the ground level, you will find birds like the Chubb’s Cisticola, the Red-faced Woodland Warbler, there are Banded Prinias, the Doherty’s Bush-shrike which are very vocal although not easily seen in this tangled vegetation cover along the edge of the forest.
This makes Mgahinga gorilla National park atop tour and safari destination in the world especially for those who dare to bring the dream to life as you spark excitement inside you as your interested in having four in one, to meet Gorillas, Golden monkey, bird adventures as well mount Mgahinga itself, therefore visiting Mgahinga Gorilla National park offers you an exciting moment to explore
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