12 days Uganda Birding Safari

Day by day itinerary for our 12 days Uganda birding safari:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT ENTEBBE AIRPORT IN THE MORNING, TO MABAMBA FOR SHOEBILL STORK

Arrival at Entebbe airport in the morning. Head straight to the IBA wetland Mabamba Swamp for search for the Shoebill Stork. Chance to tick off some other sight localities like Lesser moorhen, lesser Jacana, white backed duck, some aquatic birds and marsh Harriers can be seen here. If time allow we search for the beautiful painted pygmy goose and try the Orange weaver. Then start driving through the villages to connect to the Fort Portal high way through Mpigi. Lunch in Mityana town and stop over at the forest edge near Sebitoli as we try the white naped pigeons before continuing to the lodge.
Overnight Kibale forest lodge.

DAY 2: BIRDING IN KIBALE N.P

Kibale forest is a rainy forest and a home to over 1500 Chimpanzees, plus 9 different species of Monkeys- red colobus, red tailed monkey and bush babies. Our target here is the Green breasted Pitta, green throated sunbird, Afep pigeon, Sooty flycatcher and our little friend the Red chested owlet, cuckoo shrikes. We can try the African black duck as we bird out towards the edge of the forest. Great sight of birds over the canopy.
Optional add on is chimps trekking in Kibale Forest in the afternoon, inform us when booking if you wish for this addition.
Overnight Lake Nkuruba Nature reserve

DAY 3: BIRDING TOWARDS SEMLIKI

We bird through Semuliki Valley to the camp by Semuliki Forest where the night is spent. Possible sightings include, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Leaf-love, Orange cheeked waxbill, the resident African wood Owl, Nkulengu rail and the rare Bates Nightjar can be ticked off around the camp if lucky..
Overnight Bumaga Camp

DAY 4: FULL DAY BIRDING IN SEMULIKI FOREST FOR CONGO FOREST SPECIES

This day of the 12 days Uganda birding safari is spent exploring Semuliki national park, a great highlight as this is probably Uganda’s number 1 spot on IBA with Congo-forest species having this as their furthest reach eastwards. Along the way from Fort Portal we scan for various woodland birds like Horus swift, Yellow bellied hyliota, Black billed barbet and red throated bee-eater. Arrive at Semuliki national park for the and orange cheeked waxbill on the forest edge. We enter the forest for birding in Semuliki, Kirumya trail for at least half a day and visit the hot springs. It’s an experience starting early for the region endemic. The newly spotted resident on Uganda’s list Akun eagle owl, Blue billed Malimbe, Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, maxwell’s black weaver, Congo serpent eagle, red-billed dwarf hornbill, African dwarf kingfisher, the rare capuchin babbler, red-thighed and long-tailed hawk are some mega ticks we are hoping to grip to with the smallest relative of the woodpeckers the African piculet a great attraction for our stay.
Overnight L. Nkuruba nature reserve.

DAY 5: BIRDING TOWARDS QUEEN ELIZABETH NP

Transfer towards Queen Elizabeth NP with birding along the way. We continue through the grasslands as we delay arrival in Queen Elizabeth to try the Black cuckoo, Broad tailed warbler, Beaudouin’s snake-eagle and try the Swamp endemic Papayrus Gonolek. Evening try for the zebra waxbill, crimson rumped waxbill and displaying nightjars as square-tailed and black shoulder.
Overnight in Pumba Safari Cottages

DAY 6: BIRDING WITH GAME-DRIVE IN QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park with over 606 bird species we can take to explore the birds of the savannah along the rift valley in this area plus the fishing villages for water birds! Keen birding and Game viewing exposes us to diverse animals, Big 5 members elephants, buffaloes, possibly big cats- lions & leopard, warthogs- hunchback carnivals like hyenas are spotted along the circuits as we drive along. There is a rich bird life especially our version of storks in the wetland spots as we reach the flamingos in the salt lakes. Possible ticks include for example Kittlitz’s plover, Collared Pratincole, White tailed lark, red Capped lark, the skittish Button Quails, Flamingos and Papayrus Gonolek.
Overnight Pumba Safari Cottages

DAY 7: MORNING BOAT-CRUISE ON KAZINGA CHANNEL & TRANSFER TO ISHASHA

In the morning we get ready for the classic highlights of the Boat cruise on the famous Kazinga channel, a 36kms natural channel linking Lake George and Lake Edward. Here you can see hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles and birds along the banks. With your Binoculars along the peninsula you have a magnificent view of Birds, probably the greatest density of Birds and big mammal on the shore. The African Skimmers could be a key specie on this boat-cruise during our 12 days Uganda birding safari. We then continue on to the southern Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth NP birding along the way as we drive through the park. We head into Ishasha where possible ticks include Lappet faced Vulture, Marshal eagle, larks, Greyish eagle owl and Verreaux eagle owls. We also have a chance to see the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.
Overnight Topi Lodge

DAY 8: GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI

We have now reached a great highlight of this 12 days Uganda birding safari that is not birding related, the mountain gorilla trekking. Have early breakfast before being taken over to the starting point of the Gorilla trekking. You go in a group with a specialised guide to the point where the gorillas are and spend one hour with them. If time allows in the afternoon birding around Buhoma. In Buhoma there is chance for the Short-tailed warbler, a member of the Uganda top ten, Willards sooty boubou, Oriole-Finch, Chapin’s Flycatcher and Bar tailed trogon.
Overnight: Haven Lodge

DAY 9: BIRDING THE NECK OF BWINDI FOREST

Birding through Bwindi Forest from Buhoma to Ruhija via the famous neck of the forest. As we start to ascend up to our possible 2600 M above sea level through the impenetrable forest for the, Black bee eater, the rare Motacila Clara, Brown illadopsis and Black billed weaver. We stop over at the neck for trying out the rare Cassin grey flycatcher, Dusky blue flycatcher, the Shinning blue kingfisher and the Tiny Sunbird.
Overnight: Broadbill Forest Camp

DAY 10: BIRDING ALONG THE SCHOOL TRAIL IN BWINDI THEN TRANSFER TO LAKE MBURO

With our packed lunch head out to bird along the school trail in Ruhija. Birding along will hopefully lead us to grip on to some of the Albertin rift endemics. The hike could get you the best views and great nature over 2500 meters above sea level with the Mist where the Gorillas live in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. As we check out some soaring buzzards, flocks of Stuhlmanns starlings with their aerial display. We then make the drive to the lodge by Lake Mburo NP.
Overnight Rwakobo Rock

DAY 11: MORNING BIRDING IN LAKE MBURO NP & THEN TRANSFER TO ENTEBBE

We try the savannah for our last chance to tick off some more birds like the Stripped Pipit, seasonal Brown Chested Lapwing- zebras, waterbucks, birds buffaloes in there day break jungle life! Get back to the lodge for breakfast and drive to Entebbe. We swing to the kako Swamp when if wet for some aquatic birds, Snipes, black crakes, flocks of cranes, weavers, teals, Rufous Bellied Heron could be a tick and geese with many more in this swamp and gardens around.
Overnight Tilapia Lodge

DAY 12: FLIGHT DAY after our 12 DAYS UGANDA BIRDING SAFARi

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight as we have reached the end of our 12 days Uganda birding safari. If it’s a late flight we could go birding in Entebbe botanical garden for the orange weaver, golden backed weaver and other master builders of the Ploceidae family, Superb Sunbird, Green hylia and bat hawk.

‘IN CONSERVATION WE TRUST- DISCOVER YOUR TRAVEL DREAMS’