Warukiri Track Lake Mburo is one of the best wildlife and bird-spotting game tracks in Lake Mburo National Park. This track extends about 3.7 kilometers with lots of wildlife species spotted along the way. When it comes to top birding spots in this savannah national park, the Warukiri area is one of the unmatched ones.
The Warukiri Track Lake Mburo was named after “Warukiri Hill” towering at 1,274 meters above sea level hence providing amazing views of the surrounding savannah grassland and lots of wildlife species.
What activities are undertaken along the Warukiri Track Lake Mburo?
Game drives
One of the best game-viewing experiences within Lake Mburo National Park is undertaken through the Warukiri track Lake Mburo. Here, visitors have great chances of spotting cape buffaloes, impalas, Defassa waterbucks, Burchell’s zebras, topis, oribis, and warthogs among others.
Bird watching
Ask at least 10 people who have undertaken birding in Lake Mburo National Park the best places for spotting numerous bird species are, and more than 5 will mention the Warukiri area. You will be amazed by how the swampy valleys of Warukiri provide a plethora of species that include Bare-faced go-away birds, Abyssinian ground hornbills, grey-crowned cranes, Ross Turaco, African Gray hornbills, and the African wattled lapwing. Don’t miss the martial eagles, the Double-toothed Barbets, Red-faced Barbets, Piapiac, and many others.
Other Lake Mburo National Park activities can be enjoyed in other places of the protected area include bush walks around the Rwonyo area, boat cruises on Lake Mburo, guided forest walks through Rubanga Forest, Horseback rides, cycling, and cultural experiences.
Besides the renowned Warukiri track, other game tracks in Lake Mburo National Park worth exploring include the Kazuma game track. This passes through savannah grasslands interspersed with woodlands and is common for spotting the Black-bellied Bustards.
There is the Zebra game track that connects to the Ruroko track junction before transversing through a wetland and thick acacia woodland with Euphoria and olive trees. Another game track in this small savannah national park is the Kigambira Loop transversing through the woodlands and sparse thickets hence providing opportunities for sighting bush duikers, Sitatunga, bushbucks, and lots of water bird species.
How to get to Lake Mburo National Park and Warukiri track
The 370-square-kilometer Lake Mburo National Park is in western Uganda, about 230 kilometers from Kampala City by road. It takes only about 4 hours to get to this protected area but if you hope for a faster means, you can opt for the 30-minute flight from Entebbe to Mbarara airstrip, then a one-hour drive to the national park.
Best time to visit Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is open throughout the year to travelers but unforgettable wildlife viewing experiences are achieved during the dry seasons. This is when vegetation is shorter thus providing clearer visibility of animals or when watering points are reduced. Wildlife, therefore, converge around the few watering points because the park gets hotter than usual during those months. Expect the best viewing opportunities during these months.
For other best birding spots in Uganda, don’t miss out Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Semuliki National Park – the birders’ paradise. In Rwanda, you can consider visiting Nyungwe Forest National Park and Akagera National Park.