16 Days Uganda Birding Safari

TOUR ITINERARY

Day 1, Arrival and Birding in Botanical gardens
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport where you will meet our company representative/ your Tour guide who will transfer you to your hotel of stay in Entebbe/Kampala. early arrivals can be introduced to birding around Entebbe in the Botanical Gardens which offers good views of bird species like Great Blue and Ross’s Turacos, Red Chested, Klaas’s and Diederick Cuckoo, Great Reed, Grey Capped, Ssdge, Greater Swamp and Eurosuian Reed Warblesr, Fain Tailed Widow bird, Striped, Malachite, Giant, Woodland and Pygmy Kingfishers, Black Bishop, Grey Woodpecker, Olive, Olive bellied, Red chested, Superb, Green Throated and Collard Sunbirds, Orange, Yellow Backed, Golden Backed, Slender Billed and Black Headed Weavers, Lizard Buzzard, Grey Kestral, Black Kite, Gaber Goshawk, African Paradise and Red Bellied Paradise and Ashy fly catchers, and many more. Dinner and over night stay Sophie’s or Green Valley Inn Entebbe or Cassia lodge/The Lodge

Day 2, Transfer to Masindi
After breakfast in the morning, you’ll set off for Masindi, passing through undulating grasslands and mosaic woodland where you’ll see species like White-crested Turaco, Bronze-tailed Starling, lesser Blue and Great Blue Eared Starlings, Black, Yellow Mantled and Black Winged Bishops. Dinner and overnight at Masindi Hotel.

Day 3, birding in Budongo- Royal Mile and Busingiro
Depart Masindi Hotel early after breakfast for Budongo Forest, driving along the Royal Mile. There is a good system of trails in the forest, and as we explore them over the next two full days we’ll hope to see vociferous Nahan’s Francolin, excessively noisy White-thighed Hornbill, graceful Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetails, rather secretive Blue-throated Roller, Yellow-browed Camaroptera puffing out its blue cheek patches as it pipes incessantly, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher high in the canopy, Ituri Batis and Black-capped Apalis. Return late in the afternoon for dinner and overnight at Masindi Hotel.

Days 4, Birding to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, depart for Murchison falls National Park through Budongo Forest. Stop for our picnic lunch on the dramatic Butiaba Escarpment overlooking Lake Albert, where you see the stunning view out toward Butiaba. Look out for Foxy Cisticola, White-winged Black Tit and Red-winged Pytilia at the same time. You will arrive in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at Red Chill Camp/ Sambiya River Lodge and Nile Safari Lodge /Paraa Safari Lodge

Day 5, Birding on the northern bank and Launch trip to the bottom of the falls
After an early breakfast, you will go for the game drive to the delta. Special species of birds include Silver Bird, Beautiful Sunbird, Speckle-fronted and Golden-backed Weavers, White Crested Turacco, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver, Pennant-winged Night jars, White-rumped Seed Eater. the Buff-bellied Warbler, Yellow-flanked Barbet and Black Billed Barbet, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Spotted Morning-Thrush looking out for the Shoebill Stork along the Delta is many a time rewarding, Abyssinian and Rufaous Crowned Roller, Abyssinian  Ground Hornbill, Grey Headed and Striped Kingfisher, Red-throated and Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Goliath Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, Fulvous and white Faced Whistling-Duck, Senegal Thick-knee, Water and Spotted Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing, Long-toed Lapwing, Little Bittern, Osprey, Red-necked Falcon, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Vinaceous Dove and many more. In the afternoon, go for the launch cruise to the Bottom of the falls to search for other missed out birding safaris. Dinner and overnight stay at Red Chill Camp/ Sambiya River Lodge and Nile Safari Lodge /Paraa Safari Lodge

Day 6: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Depart Murchison falls and make a short drive to the recently discovered bird population of Puvel’s Illadopsis, a dowdy bird with an impressive voice. Proceed to Hoima with stop over at papyrus swamps on the way where specialties such as White-winged Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek can be found, while the surrounding scrub may harbor, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-bellied Seed cracker and Gray-headed Olive back. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge / Primate Lodge/Chimp Guest House

Day 7, Birding and Chimp tracking
After breakfast, set out for chimpanzee tracking in the forest. The forest is a home to 9 species of primates and there is the opportunity for a Chimpanzee trekking on easy and well-marked trails. After, continue with birding which offers views of species like White-naped Pigeon, African Gray Parrot, Black Bee-eater, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed Starlings, Blue-throated Brown and Superb Sunbirds, White-collared Olive back among others. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge / Primate Lodge/Chimp Guest House

Day 8, Birding to Queen Elizabeth National park
After breakfast, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and after checking in at the lodge. 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. Amongst the birds you are likely to encounter 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 9, Game drives and birding
After breakfast, you will start with the early game drive and birding the vast grassland area the whole morning. look out for game such as lions, on a lucky day leopards are sighted, 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 Quil, African Crake, Arrow Marked and Black Lored Bablers. Return for dinner and overnight stay at Mweya safari lodge/Simba safari camp/Jacana/Mweya hostels/ Hippo hill camp

Day 10, Birding to Bwindi Impenetrable
in the morning after breakfast, depart Mweya with packed lunch for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via the Ishasha sector famously known for its tree climbing lions. Dinner and overnight stay at Bwindi view/Buhoma community bandas/Gorilla resort/Gorilla forest/Lake Kitandara

Days 11, Gorilla trekking
After an early breakfast, you will transfer to the park headquarters for briefing before you embark on Gorilla trekking. The chances of finding a troop are good and spending an hour with these immense but placid creatures is an experience never to be forgotten. The forest of the park’s lowland portion has an avifauna quite different from that of the higher parts, where altitude and the steep tracks make for slow progress. Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Bar-tailed Trogon, African Broadbill and White-bellied Robin are just a few of the species we may find in the forest. Dinner and overnight stay at Bwindi view/Buhoma community bandas/Gorilla resort/Gorilla forest/Lake Kitandara

Day 12 Whole Day Birding
After breakfast, you will go for birding following the trails leading out from the camp. Species we will search for include Barred and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos; Bar-tailed Trogon; Dusky Tit; Kivu Ground-Thrush; White-bellied Robin-Chat; Equatorial Akalat; White-tailed Ant-Thrush; Red-throated Alethe; White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher; White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher; Gray-green Bushshrike; Northern Double-collared Sunbird; Black-billed Weaver and Magpie Mannikin. High exposed perches in the open forest are favored by African Goshawk; the dazzling Black Bee-eater; Blue-throated Roller; Sooty Flycatcher and forest starlings including Waller’s, Stuhlmann’s and Narrow-tailed. One of Bwindi’s star avian attractions is the diminutive, pitta-like Neumann’s Warbler, a vocal yet very secretive bird! Other under-storey birds we hope to see include displaying African Broadbill; Pale-breasted and Mountain Illadopsis, African Hill-Babbler, Red-throated Alethe, Black-faced, Black-throated and Mountain Masked Apalises, Banded Prinia and the handsome Black-faced Rufous-Warbler. The mid-storey and canopy supports Elliot’s and Tullberg’s woodpeckers; Cabanis’, Toro Olive, Shelley’s and Ansorge’s greenbuls; the strange Grauer’s Warbler and White-browed Crombec, Yellow-eyed Black, Ashy, Dusky-blue, Chapin's and Cassin's Grey Flycatchers, Chin-spot and Rwenzori Batis, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, White-bellied Crested-flycatcher, Dusky Tit, Blue-throated Brown, Blue-headed, Northern Double-collared and Grey-headed Sunbirds, Mackinnon's Fiscal, Sooty Boubou, Pink-footed Puffback, Doherty's Bush-shrike. The rare Jameson’s Antpecker may also been seen probing under moss on dead branches or gleaning warbler-like in the canopy along with Strange, Brown-capped and Black-billed Weavers. Overhead, Scarce Swifts forage over the forest. Dinner and overnight stay at Bwindi view/Buhoma community bandas/Gorilla resort/Gorilla forest/Lake Kitandara
Day 13, Transfer to Lake Mburo
After breakfast, you will have a short morning birding tour and after Lake Mburo National Park for the remainder of the day. On the way stop over at the different swamps to search for the bird species such as Senegal and Brown-chested Plovers, Brown Parrot, White winged Black Tit and Yellow-throated Leaflove, to name but a few, while commoner mammals might include Impala, Topi, Oribi and Burchell’s Zebra. Dinner and Overnight at Rwonyo Camp site/Mantana tented camp/Mihingo lodge

Day 14, Game drive, Boat ride and transfer back to Kampala
After breakfast, you will go for an early morning game drive along the Lakeside Track. You may be able to see bird species like White Winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Lesser and Greater Swamp Warbler and also the Shoebill, the Blue headed Coucal, African Darter, African Water Rail, African Fin foot, Spur winged plovers, and many others. Return midmorning for lunch and proceed for a boat ride on the lake in search for species missed, Hippos, Crocodiles are the extras expected. Set off birding to Kampala reaching late in the evening at your Hotel in time for dinner and overnight stay

Day 15, Transfer to Mabira forest
After an early breakfast, transfer to Mabira Forest. The forest is possibly the richest in the country with well-maintained trails that make birding easy. Expect to see African Pied Hornbill and Forest Wood-Hoopoe, while the seasonal pools can attract Blue-breasted, White-bellied, Dwarf and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Yellow-throated and Speckled Tinkerbirds in the canopy and Toro Olive Greenbul and Green-tailed Bristle bill in the secretive interior inhabitants. Return back to Kampala for dinner and overnight stay at your Lodge/ Hotel

Day 16, Departure
Have an early morning breakfast and after transfer to the Airport reaching in time for your flight back home.

END OF BIRDING TOUR