19 Days Uganda Birding Tours

Safari Highlights:
The places you will explore on this Uganda birding safari: Mabamba Swamp, Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo forest, Royal Mile And Busingiro, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National park, Bwindi Gorilla National Park, Lake Mburo National Park.

Day 1: Drive To Kampala
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport. You will be met by our guide who will transfer your booked accommodation in Kampala or Entebbe. Arriving in Uganda may facilitate you’re your tour Kampala city attractions like the Kasubi Royal Tombs, the Uganda Museum, The Bahai Temple, the Martyrs’ Shrine in Namugongo and many others. Dinner and overnight at your chosen hotel.

Day 2: Mabamba Swamp Tour.
Mabamba lies 50 km west of Kampala, it’s a new discovered habitat for the eagerly sought after bird, the Shoebill and birding here is done on canoes in bog channels. Bird species here include the Blue-headed Coucal, yellow Backed Weaver, African Water Rail, Northern Brown Throated Weaver, Papyrus Gonolek, White-faced Whistling Duck, African Purple Swamp Hen, Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, Squacco Heron, Blue Breasted Bee-eater, Winding Cisticola, Goliath Heron and many others. Dinner and overnight in Kampala.

Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park Birding And Wildlife Tour .
In the morning after breakfast, you start your trip to Murchison Falls National park, Uganda’s largest National park that protect a large piece of natural African Savannah and intersected by the powerful River Nile. You will arrive at the park in the afternoon and drive to the top of the falls where the park’s name was derived. At the falls, the world’s longest river explodes aggressively via a narrow crevice in the Rift Valley escarpment to push into a frothing pool 43 metres below. You will then be transferred to the landing location for a boat cruise to cross to the lodge. Your Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari lodge.

Day 4: Wildlife Tour, Nile Boat Ride And Birding Safaris
When you finish your breakfast, you take a boat along the Victoria Nile to the Delta at the Lake Albert. This is a habitat for the Hippos and many gigantic Nile Crocodiles as well as special birds like the famous Shoebill, Pied Kingfishers, Abyssinian Roller, the Ground Hornbill, Secretary Bird, Red Throated Bee-eaters lining the water banks; Goliath Heron, Sacred Ibis, Saddle-billed Stork, Senegal and Water Thick-Knee, Little Bittern, Osprey, Red-necked Falcon, Vinaceous Dove and Fulvous Whistling- Duck. Enjoy lunch at the lodge and go birding in the afternoon at the top of the falls where you will see the Grey Woodpecker, Darter and Giant Kingfisher, Western Violet Sunbird, Brown Twinspot, Red-Winged Pytilia, Bruce’s Pigeon, Red Shouldered Cuckoo-Shrike and others. Overnight and Dinner at Paraa Safari Lodge.

Day 5: Game Drive Safari
Take pleasure in the whole day game drive with packed lunch to the northern bank of the Victoria Nile. You will see birds like Rock Pranticole, Denham’s Bustard, Red Winged grey Warbler, Carmine Bee-eater, Pat Hawk, Pels Fishing Owl, Vinaceous Dove, White Rumped Canary and others. Again Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge

Day 6: Budongo forest Birding Tours
you will start very early in Budongo forest through the escarpment looking for Fox’s Cisticola,Northern Combrec, Grey Headed Bush Shrike, Madagascar Heron, Lesser Masked Weaver and Shikra. You will spend the whole day in Budongo which is one of the largest and most beautiful forest in Uganda. The forest is also accommodates birds like Yellow and Grey Long Bills, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Ituris Batis, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Red Tailed Ant-thrush to mention but a few. Overnight and Dinner at Forestry College.

Day 7: Royal Mile And Busingiro Bird Watching Tour
Have breakfast then spend the whole day birding in the Royal Mile and Busingiro Ecotourism Site. Be expecting bird species like Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, African Dwarf and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow and Grey Long Bills, Yellow-browned Camaroptera and Cabanis Bunting, Narina Trogon, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Red-headed bluebill and Crested Malimbe. Dinner and overnight at Forestry College

Day 8 Kibale Forest National Park Primates And Birding Tour.
Leave early enough for Kibale Forest National Park. The forest is known to be a dwelling place for over 13 primate species. The forest is also a home to an abundance of birds like Masked Apalis, Joyful Greenbul, Black billed Turaco, White-naped Pigeon, African Pitta, White Collard Olive Back, Grey-winged Robin, Nahan’s Francolin, Tiny Sunbird to mention, Buff-spotted Woodpecker and many more. You will reach Kibale the evening and have dinner and overnight at Kanyankyu centre, Primate Lodge and Ndali Lodge.

Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National park Tour
After breakfast at Kibale, advance to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s second largest park, harbouring over 600 bird species. You will arrive at the park in the afternoon to go for an evening birding which is usually fruitful. Bird species like Pelicans, Skimmers, Kingfishers, Thick-knees, Storks, Martins, Swallows, Weavers, Canaries, Kites, and several grassland species are a must-see at the park. Dinner and overnight at Mweya safari Lodge, Jacana Lodge, Budget Institute of Ecology.

Day 10: Game Drive And Birding Tours
Satisfied with breakfast start a game drive and birding in the morning whereas in the afternoon, after a delicious lunch, you go for a launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel for water birds. The Kazinga Channel which connects Lakes Edward and George is known to be one of the best bird hubs in the park. Your sight can’t miss birds like Plain Martin, African Skimmer, Lesser Swamp-warbler, Water thick-knee, Grey headed Gull, Yellow Billed Oxpecker, African Spoonbill and others.

Day 11: Drive To Bwindi Gorilla National Park
After breakfast and drive to the home of Gorillas Bwindi National Park. Even though the park is popular for its gorillas, its at the same time a home to over 300 bird species. The drive will take you through the Ishasha Sector to get to Bwindi in the late afternoon. Unique birds like Red Throated Alethe, Banded Prinia, Yellow Eyed Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, White-naped Raven, Magpie Mannikin, Shelly’s Crimsonwing, Oriole Finch, Ayre’s Hawk-eagle, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Robin-chat, Neumann’s Warbler, Equator Akalat, Handsome Francolin, Mackinnon’s Fiscal , Narrow tailed Starling, Rwenzori batis, Pink-footed Puffback, African Golden Oriole, Brown capped Weaver, Grauer’s Warbler are seen at the park. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma community Bandas, Gorilla resort, Gorilla Forest Camp, Volcanoes Exclusive Camp, Buhoma Homestead.

DAY 12: Gorilla Tracking Tour
Through with breakfast, transfer to the Park head offices for briefing before going to the forest for gorilla tracking exercise. The briefing by the guide is usually at 9:00 am after which you will set off to discover these enormous gorillas. The duration for tracking these modest apes in unpredictable however it ranges between 2-9 hours depending on their movements. The activity requires you to go through steep rocks hiking up and down making it wearisome. The excitement of encountering these giant primates is worth it given the tedious process of finding them. Dinner and overnight at your booked lodge.

Day 13, 14, 15 & 16: Do Birding Tours
On the 13th day, you will do birding in the Buhoma sector the whole day and then in Ruhija on the 14th day. On the 15th day, you will head to Mubwindi and then back to Ruhija on the 16th day. The 4 km path to Mubwindi Swamp is the most excellent place for some of the most complex to find of all the Rift-endemics. The Mubwindi Swamp has species like the Rwenzori Apalis, Dwarf Honey guide, Fraser’s eagle-Owl, Stuhlmann’s Starling, White headed Wood Hoopoe, Montane Nightjars, and others. Dinner and overnight at any booked accommodations above.

Day 17: Drive To Lake Mburo National Park
Early in the morning, enjoy your breakfast and set off to Lake Mburo National park , a park with a diversity, interest and colour. The park contains a widespread swamp and harbors numerous species of mammals and flora. You will arrive in the afternoon to go for a canoe ride on the lake searching for birds like, Papyrus Gonolek, Black-collared Barbets, Ground Hornbill, White-winged Warbler, Brown-chested Plover and others. Dinner and overnight at Rwonyo Camp, Mihingo Lodge and Mantana tented Camp.

Day 18: Game Drive, Birding Tour And Return
Have breakfast to go for a game drive and birding for half a day. After the game drive for lunch and then in the afternoon you drive to Kampala. Dinner and overnight at any hotel of your choice.

Day 19: Departure from Uganda.