Murchison Falls National Park

🇺🇬 Uganda

🦒 Giraffes Above the Nile Falls

🌍 #1 Global · 5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #1 in Africa #1 in Savanna & Grassland

East Africa, Uganda 1474 spp. recorded

Murchison Falls National Park sits in Uganda, protecting a broad tropical savanna split by the Victoria Nile. The river pushes through a narrow rock gap, creating a powerful waterfall that defines the surrounding terrain of rolling grasslands, woodland patches, and sandy riverbanks.

2.231° N 31.872° E

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

60–70% · Likely

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

50–60% · Likely

Northern Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Kob

Kobus kob

70–80% · Very likely

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus

70–80% · Very likely

Patas Monkey

Erythrocebus patas

70–80% · Very likely

Oribi

Ourebia ourebi

70–80% · Very likely

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

70–80% · Very likely

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

70–80% · Likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

60–70% · Likely

Piapiac

Ptilostomus afer

60–70% · Likely

African Grey Hornbill

Lophoceros nasutus

60–70% · Likely

Gray-headed Kingfisher

Halcyon leucocephala

60–70% · Likely

Olive Baboon

Papio anubis

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Northern Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Kob

Kobus kob

70–80% · Very likely

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Very likely

Hartebeest

Alcelaphus buselaphus

70–80% · Very likely

Patas Monkey

Erythrocebus patas

70–80% · Very likely

Oribi

Ourebia ourebi

70–80% · Very likely

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

70–80% · Very likely

African Buffalo

Syncerus caffer

70–80% · Likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

60–70% · Likely

Olive Baboon

Papio anubis

60–70% · Likely

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

60–70% · Likely

Lion

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely

Mantled Guereza

Colobus guereza

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Piapiac

Ptilostomus afer

60–70% · Likely

African Grey Hornbill

Lophoceros nasutus

60–70% · Likely

Gray-headed Kingfisher

Halcyon leucocephala

60–70% · Likely

Rüppell's Glossy-starling

Lamprotornis purpuroptera

60–70% · Likely

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

60–70% · Likely

African Palm-Swift

Cypsiurus parvus

60–70% · Likely

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Uraeginthus bengalus

60–70% · Likely

Red-throated Bee-eater

Merops bulocki

50–60% · Likely

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

50–60% · Likely

Black-headed Gonolek

Laniarius erythrogaster

50–60% · Likely

Spur-winged Lapwing

Vanellus spinosus

50–60% · Likely

Northern Ground Hornbill

Bucorvus abyssinicus

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Finch’s agama

Agama finchi

50–60% · Likely

Nile Monitor

Varanus niloticus

30–40% · Possible

Speckle-lipped Mabuya

Trachylepis maculilabris

20–30% · Possible

Bell’s Hingeback Tortoise

Kinixys belliana

20–30% · Possible

Graceful Chameleon

Chamaeleo gracilis

10–20% · Possible

African Five-lined Skink

Trachylepis quinquetaeniata

10–20% · Possible

African Softshell Turtle

Trionyx triunguis

10–20% · Possible

Tropical House Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia

Insufficient data

African Rock Python

Python sebae

Insufficient data

Sudan Plated Lizard

Broadleysaurus major

Insufficient data

Puff Adder

Bitis arietans

Insufficient data

Smooth Chameleon

Chamaeleo laevigatus

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Egyptian Toad

Sclerophrys regularis

Insufficient data

Crowned bullfrog

Hoplobatrachus occipitalis

Insufficient data

Senegal Kassina

Kassina senegalensis

Insufficient data

Anchieta's Ridged Frog

Ptychadena anchietae

Insufficient data

West African Rubber Frog

Phrynomantis microps

Insufficient data

Four-striped Tree-folding Frog

Afrixalus quadrivittatus

Insufficient data

Eastern Flat-backed Toad

Sclerophrys pusilla

Insufficient data

Guinea Snout-burrower

Hemisus guineensis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐦

Nile River boat cruises

JanFebMarJulAugNov

Boat cruises along the Nile offer unparalleled views of Murchison Falls and dense crocodile basking sites, with African fish-eagles often seen hunting.

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

50–60% · Likely

African Fish-Eagle

Haliaeetus vocifer

50–60% · Likely

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

60–70% · Likely

🦌

Lion tracking in savannas

JulAug

The dry season (Jul-Aug) concentrates prey around water sources, making lion sightings more predictable, particularly in the northern savannas.

Lion

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

60–70% · Likely

Kob

Kobus kob

70–80% · Very likely

🦌

Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest

AprJulAugSepDec

Budongo Forest, part of the park, hosts habituated chimpanzee troops, offering guided treks with high sighting probabilities during fruiting seasons.

Mantled Guereza

Colobus guereza

40–50% · Likely

grey-mantled grey-cheeked mangabey

Lophocebus albigena

Insufficient data

Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes

20–30% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

40–50

20–30

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

African Fish-Eagle

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

60–70

Northern Giraffe

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

40–50

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

40–50

70–80

70–80

African Bush Elephant

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

40–50

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

Common Hippopotamus

60–70

60–70

70–80

20–30

30–40

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

African Buffalo

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

70–80

African Grey Hornbill

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

30–40

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

Gray-headed Kingfisher

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

40–50

70–80

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

20–30

50–60

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

40–50

50–60

40–50

Animal Events

🐦 Nile River boat cruises

🦌 Lion tracking in savannas

🦌 Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class

🦒 Giraffes Above the Nile Falls

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

1031

🐒 Mammals

247

🦎 Reptiles

155

🐸 Amphibians

41

1474 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

48 Threatened 6 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

72%

📊

Coverage (283 species at ≥5% of 1474 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

19%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (9 mammal, 2 bird, 1 reptile)

47% Global avg

54%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

224

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

31

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

48

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