11 Days Uganda Bird Watching Adventure

Day 1: Arrival
Our driver guide will meet you on arrival at Entebbe International Airport. Dinner and overnight at your choice hotel in either Entebbe or Kampala.

Day 2:Birding in UWEC and Botanical Gardens
Today morning after breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala and transfer you to Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) for birding.  With over 170 species of birds, UWEC has rescued these birds from poachers, kidnappers and has even taken up a few orphaned birds. These include 7 species of weavers: the rare Northern Masked and Orange Weavers, Kingfishers, Sunbirds, parrots, African fish eagle, ostrich, crested crane and many others. After lunch go experience superb Ugandan bird species in Entebbe Botanical Gardens. Over 150 bird species are resident here in the remnant patch of rain forest, trees, gardens and the nearby shores of Lake Victoria. The rocky headland makes an ideal observation point for pair of Verreaux’s eagle owls, orange tufted and red chested Sunbirds; orange weaver,  with slender-billed, Northern Brown –throated, yellow backed, Jackson’s Golden backed, Black-headed and Vieillot’s black weavers.  The lake shores are habitat to long-tailed Cormorant, Common Squacco and black-headed herons; hamerkop, African Open-billed Stork, yellow billed duck, Grey headed gull, various terns, giant and pied Kingfishers, swamp Flycatcher, Pratincoles. Black headed Gonolek and Red- chested Sunbird occur in the dense scrub covering the headland. Great Blue and Ross’s turacos, Klaas’s and Diederik Cuckoos, Woodland Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, Black and white casqued horn bill and splendid starling are resident in the small rain forest. In the gardens you should find two highly vocal and conspicuous species; the African Fish eagle and eastern Grey Plantain-eater, the latter constantly uttering their strange, chimp-like calls. Watch out for Hadada Ibis , palm nut and Hooded Vultures, Shikra, Lizard buzzard , Long-crested eagle , Grey kestrel, Black Crake, Blue-cheeked Bee eater, Angola swallow, winding and red faced cisticolas, Grey capped warbler, common wattle-eye and Green throated and scarlet-chested Sunbirds. Dinner and overnight at Serena hotel/Metropole Hotel/ Excellent Hotel.

Day 3: Transfer to Mabamba Swamp
Early morning after breakfast, transfer to Mabamba Swamp. This wetland is one of the most spectacular bird watching sites in Uganda. Take a canoe ride for better bird viewing. Spot the rare shoebill and other birds like the Papyrus Gonolek, White Shouldered Tit, Red Cap, Western Banded Snake Eagle, White Winged Warbler, White Spotted Fluff tail and Weyns’ Weaver. Other resident bird species include: the Allen’s and Purple Gallinule, Grey herons, Jacanas, Ruffaus’ Bellied Heron, Squacco, Purple and Goliath Heron, the globally threatened Pallid Harrier. Migrant waders from Europe include the Blue Swallow egrets; ducks etc. have lunch on site ending your birding adventure in the evening. Transfer back to Kampala reaching in time for dinner and Overnight stay at Serena hotel/Metropole Hotel/ Excellent Hotel

Day 4: Birding in Lake Mburo National Park
Have an early start after breakfast along the Kampala-Mbarara highway. Have an enroute stop over at the Kayabwe equator and then proceed to Lake Mburo with en route birding.  Expected sightings include: the Common Scimitar bill, Emerald Spotted Wood Dove, Bare faced Go-Away Bird, Crested Francolin, Green Wood Hoopoe, Lilac breasted Roller, Spot-Flanked Barbet Northern Black Tit, Common Scimitar bill, Trilling Cisticola, Greater Blue Eared Starling, African Grey Hornbill, and Brown Parrot. Enjoy lunch at Rwonyo restaurant. Shortly after have an afternoon Zebra Track where you may sight Coqui Francolin, Black Bellied Bustard, Temmricks Courser, African Wattled Plover, Rufous napped Rufous, Chested Swallow and Flappet Lark. Look out also for evasive Leopard and other nocturnal species. Back for dinner and Overnight at Rwonyo Camp site/Mantana tented camp/Mihingo lodge.

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park
After an early morning breakfast, transfer to Bwindi National Park after settling into your hotel or lodge, go birding in the Ruhija area. Possible sightings may be the Handsome Francolin White-starred Robin, Mountain Illadopsis, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Augur Buzzard, Ayres’s and Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Mountain Buzzard,  Red-throated Alethe, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked, Collard, Chestnut Throated and Black – Throated Apalis, Dusky and Shelley’s Crimson wing, Dusky Tit, Stripe Breasted Tit, Red Faced Woodland Warbler,  and many other birds. Dinner and overnight at Trekker’s Tervan or Gorilla Friends.

Day 6: Full day birding to Mubwindi
Today you will go birding in Mubwindi swamp all day after breakfast. Possible sightings may be the African Green Broadbill, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Purple-breasted warbler, Red Faced Woodland Warbler, Grey Cuckoo shrike, Mountain Greenbul, Mountain Illadopsis, Chestnut, Grey, Buff-Throated, Collard, Mountain Masked, Black Throated,  Throated,  Blue headed and Regal Sunbirds. Dinner and over night stay at Trekker’s Tervan or Gorilla Friends.

Day 7: Ruhija and Buhoma
Half the day will again be spent in Ruhija birding after which you will transfer to Buhoma area. Possible sightings may be: the Handsome Francolin, Rufous-chested Fluff tail, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Neumann’s Warbler and many other birds overnight at Bwindi view/Buhoma community Bandas/Gorilla resort/Gorilla forest/Lake Kitandara

Day 8: optional Gorilla Tracking /Birding
After breakfast you may opt for a gorilla tracking spree in the forest or go birding in the Buhoma area. Expectations include: the Rufous-chested Fluff tail, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Pink Footed and Northern Puff Back, Red Tailed, Honey Guide, Toro Olive, Cameroon Sombre, Slender Billed, Little Grey, Shelley’s, Cabani’s White Throated and Yellow Whiskered Greenbuls, Elliots, Cardinal, Yellow Crested and Fine Banded woodpeckers, Red Throated Alethe, Red Faced Woodland Warbler, Black faced Woodland Warbler, White Headed Wood Hoopoe, Waller’s, Stulman’s and Narrow Tailed Starlings, Black Bee Eater, Banded and White Chinned Prinia, Blue Throated Brown, Blue Headed, Northern Double Collard, Collard, Green, Olive, olive Bellied, Rwenzori Double Collard and Green Headed Sunbirds, Bar tailed Trogon, Kivu Ground Thrush, African Borad Bill, Red-chested Owlet, Neumann’s Warbler, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher. Return for dinner and overnight stay at Bwindi view/Buhoma community Bandas/Gorilla resort/Gorilla forest/Lake Kitandara

Day 9: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Depart early in the morning after breakfast and drive North West to Queen Elizabeth via the Ishasha sector famed for the rare tree climbing lions. Upon arrival in the Park, go for the launch cruise on the Kazinga channel.  This is a natural 8 meter deep 40 km channel of water that connects Lakes George and Edward, with excellent photographic opportunities for waterside birds and abundant Hippos. Possible encounters include African Skimmer, Striated Heron, African Spoonbill, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Water Thick-knee, Three-banded Plover, Marsh, Green, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Gray-headed Gull, Plain Martin, Lesser Swamp-Warbler and much more. Dinner and overnight stay at Mweya safari lodge/Simba safari camp/Jacana/Mweya hostels/ Hippo hill camp

Day 10:  Game Drives and Birding
After breakfast spend the entire morning on birding game drives in the vast grasslands of the park. Look out for game such as lions, leopards, Uganda Kob, Water and Bush Buck, Warthog, Cape Buffalo, African Elephant among others, the birds include the Broad Tailed, African Moustached and Grey caped Warbler, Hollub’s Golden Weaver, White Winged Window Bird, Common and Button Quill, African Crake, Arrow Marked and Black Lored Babblers. Return for dinner and overnight stay at Mweya safari lodge/Simba safari camp/Jacana/Mweya hostels/ Hippo hill camp

Day 11: Transfer back to Kampala
After breakfast, set off for Kampala with lunch en route reaching Kampala city in the evening. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel/Lodge

END OF THE SAFARI