MEMORABLE 20 DAY BIRDWATCHING SAFARI UGANDA
| Day 1 |
| Arrival and transfer to hotel for dinner and over night. |
| Day 2 |
| Bird the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (U.W.E.C),
Botanical gardens and other areas in Entebbe. UWEC originally
started as an animal orphanage in the 1920s but gradually
grew to become a show place of various flora and fauna.
Birding here includes seeing a variety of birds such as
pelicans, ostrich, parrots, crowned cranes, weaver birds
such as northern masked weaver, the orange weaver, black
necked baglafect, the northern masked weaver and the shoe
bill storks. Lunch break and then proceed to the botanical
gardens where you will most likely be able to enjoy more
prolific bird life. A Whyte the first curator of Uganda’s
Museum started these gardens with the intention of using
them as research grounds for the introduction of various
fruits and ornamental plants. Birds to look out for here
include the yellow-throated leaf love, the great blue
Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, the black and white casqued
hornbill, the pied hornbill. Yellow backed weaver, orange
weaver, brown-throated weaver, and great reed warbler,
sedge warbler and the fish eagle. Dinner and over night
at the Forest Cottages / Hotel Africana / Red Chilli. |
| Day 3 |
| After an early breakfast, drive to Mabira Forest. Your
driver is punctuated with shops to see the marabou stork,
black kite and the hooded vulture. Mabira forest reserve
is the largest block of moist semi-deciduous forest remaining
in central Uganda and contains almost 300 different bird
species. Among those to look out for one the Nahans Francolin,
the blue headed Crested Fly Catcher, leaf love, Grey spotted
wood pecker, Black shouldered Night Jar, Violet beaked
starting, Capuchin Babbler, Yellow rumped Tinker bird
and the Grey long bill. Lunch break and continue birding
in the evening. Lookout also for other primates like monkeys.
Return for dinner and overnight at Forest Cottages / Hotel
Express /Red Chilli. |
| Day 4 |
| After an early breakfast, transfer to Budongo Forest.
This is one of the most extensive forests in East Africa
and is famous for it’s various bird species and
chimpanzees. Lunch enroute. Species to look out for include
the yellow-footed flycatcher, black shouldered nightjar,
and African wood orol; the white crested Turaco, piping
horn bill. Dinner and overnight at Nyabyeya Guest House. |
| Day 5 |
| Early breakfast, continue birding in Busingiro section
in search for birds such as the spotted greenbul, lemon-bellied
crombec, the banded snake eagle, black bishop, Ituri Batis,
the green-breasted pitta, chocolate backed kingfisher,
cassins hawk eagle, black eared ground thrush, Grey headed
oliveback and the shinning blue kingfishers. Other fauna
to look out for include the chimpanzees, baboons, potto,
black fronted drinker, blue drinker, blue monkey, black
and white colobus, the giant forest squirrel. Dinner and
overnight. |
| Day 6 |
| After an early breakfast drive to the “top of
the falls” in Murchison Falls National Park. This
is the place where the mighty 50-meter wide River Nile
forces its way through a six meter cleft in the rocks
to drop 45 meters in a cascading thunder of water forming
an inevitable mist and beautiful rainbow. Look out for
the Rock Pratincole that is common at the top of the falls.
Lunch break. Embark on the afternoon launch cruise from
Paraa to the bottom of the falls. You are likely to encounter
the rare shoebill stork in the papyrus living the liner
banks. Also watch out for the saddle bill stork, the hornbill,
red throated bee –eater, the African skimmer, fulvous
whistling ducks, wattled plover, Egyptian goose, Goliath
heron, lesser Jacana and other Cormorants. Other animals
to look out for are the crocodiles, Hippos and monitor
lizards at the banks of the river. Dinner and overnight.
|
| Day 7 |
| After an early break fast, transfer to Kibale Forest
National Park. This park occupies undulating terrain on
the main Uganda plateau slightly tilted to the south and
is drained by the Dura and Mpanga rivers that flow in
a southerly direction into lake George. In Uganda, this
park is home to the largest number of our closest living
relatives, the endangered Chimpanzee as well as the rare
I’hoesti and colobus monkeys. Over 325 bird species
have been recorded in this park among which are the African
broadbill, the white winged warbler and the Blue Headed
coucal. Dinner and over night. |
| Day 8 |
| Early morning breakfast, then embark on birding in the
forest. You are likely to encounter bird species such
as the leaf love, willcocks honey guide, the joyful green
bul, the superb black bellied seed cracker, and the Bi
coloured Mannikin, the yellow rumped tinker bird and yellow
spotted nicator. You may also be able to see different
butterfly species, olive baboons, mangabey, the bush pig
and the giant forest hog. Dinner and over night. |
| Day 9 |
| Early breakfast then drive to Semuliki National Park.
This is the only park in Uganda primarily made up of tropical
lowland forest and is characterized by more diverse vegetation
than found in other tropical forests. The forest is cut
off from the rest of East Africa by the natural barrier
of the Rwenzori massif. Semuliki forest is close to the
Mount Rwenzori ranges and the river Semuliki meanders
(forming oxbow lakes in some places) along the western
boarder down to Lake Albert is surrounded by swamp where
various bird species can be seen. Lunch break. Proceed
with an evening game drive where you will most likely
encounter various bird species such as the Dwarf Hornbill,
Capuchin Babbler, Spot breasted Ibis, Blue Headed Crested
fly catcher, Northern Bearded Scrub robin and the white
thighed hornbill. |
| Day 10 |
| Early breakfast then embark on whole day birding in
the forest. Birds to look out for include the Hartlaubs
marsh widow bird, pied hornbill, wattled black hornbill,
white-naped pigeon, banded harrier eagle, Papyrus gonolek,
Orange weaver. Other wild life to look out for include
the African Giant Swallow tail Butterfly, Buffaloes and
primates such as baboons, black & white colobus monkeys.
Dinner and over night Semuliki Safari Lodge. |
| Day 11 |
| After breakfast drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Over 600 bird species recorded so far make this park a
superb birders Paradise. This is one of the richest and
best managed parks in Africa and it supports an astounding
density of flora and fauna. Lunch break. Drive to the
dock on the channel for an afternoon launch cruise on
the Kazinga Channel, which joins lakes Edward, and George.
This waterway is a birders Paradise and those who experience
it, consider it the highlight of their entire African
Safari. Birds to look out for include the Great Snipe,
Papyrus Gonolek, fish Eagles, Pallid Harrier, Gull Billed
Tern, Lesser Kestrel and the rare shoebill stork. Other
animals expected to be seen on the shores of the lake
include the comical warthog, schools of hippos, Monitor
lizards and crocodiles. Dinner and over night Mweya Safari
Lodge/ Ecology Hostel Institute. |
| Day 12 |
| After an early breakfast, drive to Maramagambo forest
for a foot safari in the forest in search of birds. Birds
to lookout for include the brown eared Wood pecker, fawn
breasted Waxbill, Sulphur breasted bush shrike, dark capped
yellow warbler, bat hawks, the red headed blue bill, the
African Finfoot and the Eurasian golden oriole. On a good
day the white colobus monkeys may be spotted. Picnic lunch
and drive back to Mweya with a stop to see baboons. Dinner
and over night at Mweya Safari Lodge/ Ecology Hostel Institute. |
| Day 13 |
| Rise early before the sun and go for an early morning
game drive to catch up with the early risers. The drive
takes you through the Kasenyi track and Kikorongo crater
area. Birds to look out for include the Great White Pelican,
the lesser flamingo, the African skimmer, Pallid Harrier,
Black winged Pratincole, the Martial Eagle, Rupell’s
Griffon vulture and weavers. Transfer to Bwindi with lunch
enroute. Bwindi Impenetrable national Park is home of
the rare mountain Gorillas, the blue and red tailed monkeys
and various bird species. Dinner and over night at Buhoma
Homestead/ Community Bandas. |
| Day 14 |
| After breakfast set off early with your guide to track
the gorillas. The thrill of your encounter will erase
the difficulties of the potentially strenuous trek. Spend
time in awe watching the Gorillas go about their activities.
Each encounter is different and has its own rewards, but
you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding,
grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing
from vines in delightfully playful display. This day is
solely for trekking the Gorillas. Dinner & overnight
at Buhoma Homestead / Community Bandas. |
| Day 15 |
| After breakfast take a guided forest walk in the Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest in search of birds such as the Great
Blue Turaco, Mackinons Grey Shrike, Black Roughing, Lunch
break then transfer to Mubwindi Swamp. Look out for the
African slender billed starlings, White bellied robin
chat, yellow eyed black fly catcher, Dinner & over
night. |
| Day 16 |
| Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. This lake features a number
of Islands and is surrounded by heavily cultivated hillsides.
Lunch at Bunyonyi Over land Camp. Afternoon boat trip
on Lake Bunyonyi in search of birds. Dinner and over night
Bunyonyi over land camp. |
| Day 17 |
| After breakfast, drive to Lake Mburo National Park.
The drive takes you through the highlands of Kigezi with
their beautifully terraced hills. Lunch stop in Mbarara.
Proceed to L. Mburo National Park and embark on a late
afternoon game drive along the zebra track. Birds to look
out for include the Verreaux’s Eagle owl, Red-faced
Barbet, African wattled plover, black bellied bustard,
Blue eared glossy starling and the Temmricks courser.
Also look out for the burchell’s zebra and the comical
warthogs. Dinner and over night at Mantana luxury tented
Camp/ Rwonyo Rest Camp. |
| Day 18 |
| After an early breakfast embark on a foot safari (Nature
Walk). While on the walk look out for the Bare faced Go
away Bird, Lead coloured flycatcher, African Drongo, and
the Yellow billed ox pecker. Lunch break. Embark on an
afternoon boat ride on Lake Mburo. This boat ride may
yield sightings of the African Finfoot before it disappears
into floating papyrus on the lake. Other bird species
to look out for include; the red headed love bird, handsome
Francolin, rare shoe bill stork, Little Egret, water thick
knee, papyrus gonolek, greater and lesser swamp warbler,
the white winged warbler, green capped Eremomela, carmine
bee eaters, Malachite and Pied Pink backed Pelican. Dinner
and over night at Mantana luxury tented camp/ Rwonyo Rest
Camp. |
| Day 19 |
| After an early breakfast, return to Kampala. As you
drive through the grasslands of Ankole, take time and
look out for the famous long horned Ankole cattle. The
drive is punctuated with stops at the Equator line for
a life photo and Mpambire drum makers or at any crafts
display centre along the road for souvenirs. |
| Day 20 |
| Transfer to Airport for home bound flight. |
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