Description
17 DAY UGANDA BIRDING TOUR WITH, WILDLIFE, NATURE AND MOUNTAIN GORILLAS
Day one: Uganda Tours around Kampala
Airport transfer to check in at the hotel. Met by your Uganda birding guide for a briefing in the evening in preparation for the following day’s safari. Around the gardens of the hotel, you may spot, Black and White Cascqued hornbill, African grey parrots, Palmnut Vulture and Black Kite. Overnight at the Lake Victoria Serena Lodge.
TRANSIT TIME 45 MINUTES
Day Two:
Morning breakfast then transfer towards Murchison Falls National Park. Along the way, you will look out for Long crested Eagle on the power lines, Grey headed Bush Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Northern winged Red Bishop, Broad billed rollers, Black-faced Waxbill. We drive through the Budongo forest then our birding takes us through the Murchison Falls National park top of the falls where the evening will be spent looking out at the top of the falls to see the Bat Hawk, rock pratincoles, towards dusk, you may spot the Verreaux’s Owl and the Pel’s Fishing Owl. Later on in the evening, chances of spotting the pennant winged night jars, transfer to your overnight accommodation at the Sambiya River Lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day Three: birding in Murchison Falls Uganda
Morning breakfast thereafter begin the early for the morning forest birding in the Pabidi Forest. A guided walk along the forest margins introduces; crested guinea fowl, Black collared Lovebird, Jameson’s Wattle eye, Brown Twin spot and other rare species include; Puvell’s Illadopsis, Slender-billed Greenbul, Forest Robin, African Emerald Cuckoo, Blue-throated Roller, Chocolate Backed Kingfisher, Chestnut Wattle-eye and many others. In the afternoon, transfer to the Paraa area then take the afternoon boat cruise on the River Nile where we will see some of the aquatic bird species which will include; White Crested Turacco, Saddle-billed Stork, white Faced Whistling-Duck, Little Bittern, Shoebill Stork, Black Crake, Abdim’s stork, Squacco Heron, African Finfoot, red throated bee eaters, Pied Kingfishers, African Fish Eagle. Meals and overnight at the Paraa Safari Lodge.
TRANSIT TIME 7HOURS
Day four: Uganda Wildlife Safari
Breakfast, then take the morning Nile Cruise to the Delta area where you would be looking out for Goliath Heron, Shoe billed stork, Grey Headed Kingfisher, Great white egret, African Darter, Spoon bills, Black crake, and the Lilly trotter. You will then have a morning birdwatching trip with your guide as you start from the riverine bushes to see African Pygmy Kingfisher, Lesser Stripped Swallow, Sooty Chat, Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, Brown Babbler, Lesser Honeyguide and Green Wood Hoopoe. The drive into the open Savannah towards the delta yields;chestnut crowned sparrow, Abyssinian ground Hornbill,Silver bird,egyptian geese, palmnut vulture, Lappet faced vulture, Tawny Eagle, crested francolin and laughing dove. Later, return for dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge.
Day five: Kibale Uganda Safari
Depart early in the morning crossing by ferry through the Lake Albert area where you will be transiting to Kibale. There would be stops along the way for bird identification before driving through Hoima for your picnic lunch. On arrival in the evening at Kibale, you will have a walk along the forest margins where you may spot scaly francolin, black bellied seed cracker, marsh Tchagra, narina Trogons and many more of the Kibale Forest National Park species. Meals and overnight at the Ndali Lodge.
TRANSIT TIME 7 HOURS
Day six: Kibale National Park Birding tour Uganda
Breakfast at the lodge then Fullday in Kibale and Bigodi swamp which will probably yield spotting of Abyssinian ground Thrush, Papyrus Gonolek, Snowy Robin chat, Grey – capped Robin chat, White spotted Fluff tail, African Goshhawk Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Crowned Eagle, Nahan’s Francolin, Red eyed Dove, Tambourine Dove, Great blue Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Diedrick’s Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Giant Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Black Bee-eater, Blue-throated Roller and many other endemics. Meals and overnight at Ndali Lodge.
TRANSIT TIME 3 HOURS
Day seven:
Morning breakfast then transfer to Kibale for a morning chimpanzee trekking experience in the forest. Thereafter, viewing the chimpanzees in the wild, transfer to Semuliki Game Reserve and overnight at Ntoroko Tented Camp.
Day eight:
Morning birdwatching in Semuliki national park in search of White-throated Blue-Swallow, Hartlaub’s Duck, Nkulengu Rail, Grey Ground-Thrush African Piculet, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Xavier’s Greenbul, Spotted Honeyguide, Rufous, breasted Negrofinch, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, White-crested Hornbill, Toro Olive, Crested Malimbe,Chestnut, African kingfisher, Palm Bulbul,Leaflove, Red-fronted Antpecker, sided Broadbill White-bellied Kingfisher and other species. Meals and overnight at Ntoroko Tented Camp.
Day NINE:
Morning breakfast at the Camp then transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park arriving for a bird watching tour to the northern part of the park. Expect to see; Black-chested Snake-eagle, Northern Black Flycatcher, Button quail,Senegal Plover, Baltic Gull,White-backed Vultures, Southern Red Bishops, Rufous-naped Lark, White-winged Widow birds, Little Bee-eater, Wire-tailed Swallow, Martial Eagle, Fan-tailed Widow bird on the African Savannah. Other wildlife in the area includes: Elephants and Lions. Meals and overnight at Katara Lodge.
TRANSIT TIME 2 HOURS
Day TEN: Queen Elizabeth Kazinga channel bird checklist Uganda
Wake up call and have breakfast at the camp then start a morning bird watching tour of the Queen Elizabeth park. You will be looking out for African Harrier-hawk, Black Bishop, Grey-backed Fiscal, Red billed Quelea, White-headed Barbet, Rush Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, White-throated Bee-eaters, Martial Egale, Red-throated Wryneck, Bateluer and many more. In the afternoon, you will take another boat trip, this time, on the Kazinga channel. You may see Grey-headed Gulls, African Skimmer, Wire-tailed Swallows, Black Crake, yellow-billed Stork, Cattle Egret, Great White Pelican, Hamerkop, Sacred Ibis, Egyptian Goose, Palm-nut Vulture, White-winged Terns, Long-tailed Cormorant, Yellow-billed Ox pecker, Saddle billed stork, Goliath Heron, African Fish-eagle as well as Pied Kingfisher. Later, proceed to your overnight accommodations at Katara Lodge for dinner
Day ELEVEN:
The Uganda birding trip begins with an early morning to Bwindi Impenetrable forest birding along the way through the Ishasha plains. You may see the tree climbing lions on trees along the main road. Later, proceed to Buhoma for an afternoon birding at the margins of the forest. Special birds in the area include: Baglafecht Weaver, Vieillot’s Black Weaver, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Dusky Twinspot, Yellow-fronted Canary, Spectacled Weaver, Bronze Sunbird, Arrow-marked Babbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, African Paradise-flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Red-throated Alethe, Common Bulbul, Cape Wagtail, African Broadbill, Black Bee-eater, Double-toothed Barbet, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat and the White-eyed Slaty-flycatcher. Meals and then overnight at the Gorilla Resort Camp.
TRANSIT TIME 6-7 HOURS
Day TWELVE:
Morning gorilla trekking at Bwindi’s Buhoma area where the Mountain gorillas will be tracked then seen for an hour. If time allows, the evening will be spent birding towards the Neck. Look for Chubb’s Cisticola, White-chinned Prinia, White-winged Black Tit, Ashy Flycatcher, Mountain Wagtail,Black Saw-wing, African Pygmy-kingfisher and Blue-spotted Wood-dove. Later on, return in the evening for record taking, before dinner and overnight at the Gorilla Resort.
TREKKING TIME, SUBJECT TO GORILLA MOVEMENTS
Day THIRTEEN:
Very early morning departure for Ruhija, after breakfast. Special birds in this area include: Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, African Olive-pigeon, Jackson’s Pipit, Ruwenzori Apalis, Bar-tailed Trogon, White eyed Slaty flycatcher, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Grauer’s Broadbill, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Chubb’s Cisticola in addition to other species. Meals and overnight at the Trekkers Tervan Ruhija.
Day FOURTEEN:
Morning visit the Mubwindi swamp in order to find among other species, Archer’s Robin Chat, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Hill Babbler, Carruthers’ Cisticola, Green Broadbill, Grauer’s Rush Warbler,Regal Sunbird, Eastern Mountain-Greenbul, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Ludher’s Bushshrike, Montane Nightjar. Have lunch at base, before departing for Mbarara. Dinner and overnight at the Lake View Resort Hotel Mbarara.
TRANSIT TIME 6 HOURS
Day FIFTEEN:
Morning breakfast then birding watching into Lake Mburo National park to see scmitarbill, bare faced go away bird, Fork-tailed Drongo, Grey-backed Fiscal, African Yellow White-eye, White-shouldered Black Tit, Chin-spot Batis, Green-capped Eremomela, Common Stonechat, Spot-flanked Barbet, Yellow-throated Longclaw, White-throated Bee-eater, African Pygmy-kingfisher, African Grey Hornbill, Lilac-breasted Roller, Swamp Flycatcher, Ross’s Turaco, African Jacana, Red-necked Francolin, Long-crested Eagle, Spur-winged Goose, and Western Banded Snake-eagle, transfer to Lake Mihingo Lodge for Meals and overnight.
Day SIXTEEN:
Morning breakfast thereafter have an early departure to the mabamba swamp for a Uganda birding boat trip on boat. We will then take a canoe into the several water ways to see Wahlberg’s Eagle, African Jacana, Purple Heron, Mosque Swallow, Purple Glossy Starling, Veillot’s Black Weaver, Cattle Egret, Hooded Vulture, Ross’s Turaco, Swamp Flycatcher, Shoebill, Long-tailed Cormorant, African Thrush, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Yellow-billed Duck, Winding Cisticola, Long-toed Lapwings, Northern Brown-throated Weavers, Malachite Kingfishers, Angola Swallow, Great Blue Turaco, Lesser Jacana, Spur-winged Goose, Palmnut Vulture, White-winged Tern, European Bee-eater, swamp warbler and purple swamphen. After a picnic lunch or lunch along the way, transfer to Kampala for overnight at the Lake Victoria Serena.
Day SIXTEEN:
Morning breakfast and later, transfer to the airport on a 40 minutes drive.
Price for the Uganda birding tour includes:
- Professional Ugandan bird guide
- Accommodations and meals as per itinerary
- Park entrances
- resident site bird guides
- Bird watching cruises on the Nile.
- Kazinga channel boat ride
- Mabamba canoeing boat ride for the shoe billed stork
- custom built Uganda birding vehicle
PRICE PER PERSON SHARING:
DEPENDENT ON THE ACCOMMODATION LEVEL, AS WELL AS THE EXPERIENCE OF THE UGANDA BIRDING TOUR GUIDE.
