This 20 Day Uganda Bird Watching Safari is indeed memorable. Explore the best of Uganda birding destinations and see lots of bird species in Uganda while on this Uganda bird watching tour. Inquire NowContact us now for the best services on your birding safari in Uganda.
Day 1
Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be received by our tour guide/driver who will brief you about the 20 Day Uganda Bird Watching Safari and then transfer to a hotel in Entebbe for dinner and over night stay.
Day 2
Your 20 Day Uganda Bird Watching Safari begins with a visit to 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.
Birds to look out for here include the yellow-throated leaf love, the great blue Turaco, Ross’ 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 / Fairway Hotel.
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 Africana /Fairway Hotel.
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. Uganda Safari 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’hoest’s 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 Semliki 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.
Semliki forest is close to the Mount Rwenzori ranges and the river Semliki 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 Semliki 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 Jacana Safari Lodge/ 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 Lodge (Homestead); Silver back Lodge or Buhoma 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 Lodge (Homestead); Silver back Lodge or Buhoma 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 or Arcadia Cottages.
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 Mihingo Lodge; Mantana luxury tented Camp or Arcadia Cottages.
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 Mihingo Lodge; Mantana luxury tented Camp or Arcadia Cottages.
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.
End of the 20 Day Uganda Bird Watching Safari. Inquire Now