14 DAYS BIRD WATCHING TOUR IN UGANDA
DAY 1:
Arrival
Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be picked by Wild Uganda Safaris driver guide and go to your booked accommodation in Entebbe.
DAY 2 :
Whole day birding Around Entebbe
Our first day is dedicated for easy birding around Entebbe and among the places to visit include the Entebbe Botanical Gardens and the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre .. Special birds here includes; African hobby, Ross’s Turaco, Brown and Grey Parrot, Klaas’s, Diederik, and Red-Chested Cuckoo, The Shoebill , Fork Tailed Drongo, Brown Crowned Tchagra, white Chinned Prinia Black-headed Gonolek, to mention but a few.You will retire to your accommodation in the evening for Dinner.
DAY 3:
Mabamba Swamp Birding
Have an early morning breakfast and transfer to Mabamba Swamp 50 kms west of Kampala. Bird enroute to the swamps lookout for papyrus specialties such as the Papyrus Gonolek, White winged warbler, Nothern brown Throated, Weyns, golden backed, orange weaver to mention but a few. Move to Mabamba swamps most of the birding here is done canoeing as we look out for the rare Shoebill Stork, African Water rail, Allen’s and Purple Gallinule, Squacco, Goliath, Purple, Grey Herons, a variety of Egrets, ducks Dinner and overnight stay in Kampala.
DAY 4:
Kampala to Lake Mburo Park
This park has got a mosaic habitat of rock outcrops, dry hillside, open and wooded savanna, forests, galleries, swamps. A variety of habitats have contributed to the avifauna diversity and 313 bird species have been recorded in the park including; Red faced barbet, Long tailed cisticola, Papyrus yellow warbler, African fin foot, Northern Brubru, Rofous bellied heron, Black collared barbet, Brown chested plover, White winged tit, Northern brown throated weaver, White winged warbler.Dinner and over night at Lake Mburo Eagles nest .
DAY 5 & 6:
Bwindi Birding
Bwindi is the Bird watchers haven and it holds 348 species of birds among which 90% of the Albertine rift Endemic are here i.e the Short-tailed, Rusty-faced woodland and Grauer’s Rush Warblers, Bar-tailed Trogon, Wilcock’s Honey-guide, Yellow-eyed black Fly-catcher, Kivu Ground Thrush, Dusky Crimsonwing, White-tailed Blue Monarch among others, difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa. An experienced bird watcher can identify up to 100 species in a day. Have Dinner and overnight stay at Wagtail Eco Safari Camp.
DAY 7:
Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, we will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park with several birding hotspots and arrive in time for lunch at the Bush Lodge . Later we will embark on our birding expedition around the park and return for dinner and overnight at our respective Lodge.
DAY 8:
Whole day birding in Queen
We take an early morning game drive towards the famous Kasenyi Track, winding through grassland dotted with trees and nearby crater lakes. While on the game drive, we shall see Lions and other mammals including Buffalo, Ugandan Kob an antelope that resembles impalas, Oribi, Waterbuck, Bushbuck and African Elephants
Along the road we may find Grey-headed Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Black-headed Gonolek, Grey-capped Warbler, Slender-billed, yellow backed, Black Headed, Lesser Masked and Golden Backed Weavers, Yellow Fronted and Brimstone Canary, Scaly Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, several plovers, Harlequin Quail and Common Button-quail. Larks are numerous and include, Red Capped, Rufous-napped, Flappet and the local White-tailed. Raptors include Martial Eagle, Banded Snake Eagles and Bateleur. In the afternoon we embark on a boat trip down the Kazinga Channel. This incredible area for waterbirds will afford stunning views of African Skimmer, Pink-backed Pelican, Saddle-billed, African Open Billed and Yellow Billed Stork, Hamerkop, African Spoonbill, Water Thick-knee, and over-summering Palearctic migrants. After the whole day being exhausted, go to your accommodation .
DAY 9:
Queen To Kibale National Park
After breakfast this morning, we will drive to Kibale National Park while birding on the way. This is a few hours drive and therefore birding along the way or afternoon birding in the forest is rewarding. Check in at the Nature lodges forest camp
DAY 10:
BIrding in Kibale
Today we will spend our full day at the Kibale NP with birding and Chimp tracking. After breakfast, we enter the forest and do birding. The forest is home to the Scaly Francolin, Marsh Tchagra, Black-bellied Seedcracker, Green-backed Twinspot, Bicoloured Mannikin, White-naped, Green and Afep Pigeon, Narina’s Trogon, Joyful Greenbul, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black Bee-eater, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Roufous Flycatcher Thrush and Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Brown and Scaly Breasted Illadopsis, on a lucky day the Green Breasted Pitta will be present. After lunch we assemble at the chimp tracking briefing ground, where we will learn all the required procedures. It is not strenuous, but can sometimes take longer depending on our luck. Kibale Conservation Area has 13 species of primates which are both nocturnal and diurnal beating the world record as the highest concentration compared to any forest. These include Chimpanzee, Red Colobus Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Red-tailed Monkey, Chimps, Blue onkey, Olive Baboon, I’hoests Monkey, Black and White Collobus Monkey, Vevet Monkeys and Galagos, Pottos.Dinner and overnight at Nature lodges forest camp
DAY 11:
Kibale to Murchson Falls National Park
After breakfast, drive to Murchison Falls National Park while birding on the way and have lunch at Hoima Kolping hotel. This is a long drive with a few birding stops..Overnight stay at Sambiya Safari Lodge.
DAY 12:
Birding Murchson falls National Park
Today, we will spend the whole day birding at Murchison Falls National Park. After breakfast we cross the river for a birding drive on the northern section of the mighty River Nile.At Sambiya there are very good chances of seeing the Nightjars among others the pennant winged, plain and Swamp not leaving out Owls and early cats like the Leopard, Lion Civets etc.
Lunch will be picnic after which we proceed for a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. Key species of Murchison Falls include, Bat Hawk, Red-necked Falcon, African Black Scimitarbill, Spotted Morning thrush, Silverbird, Bronze-tailed, Lesser Blue Eared, Splendid and Ruppel’s Long Tailed Starling, Beautiful Sunbird, Northern Red Bishop, Rock, White-rumped Seedeater, Black-billed Barbet, Grey-headed Olive back, White-crested Turaco, Egyptian Plover, Bruce’s Pigeon, Pel’s Fish-owl, Carmine, Swallow Tailed, Little, Blue Cheeked and Red Throated Bee-eater, Brown-backed Woodpecker,White-fronted Black Chat, Cabanis’s and Brown-rumped Bunting, Black-rumped and Fawn Breasted Waxbill and Bar-breasted, Firefinch, Abyssinian, Broad Billed and Rufous-Crowned Roller, on the water the Four-banded Sandgrouse and Rock Pranticole are often sighted among others. Dinner at Sambiya Safari lodge.
DAY 13:
Murchson falls to Kampala
After early morning breakfast we transfer to Kampala birding enroute in search for savannah birds like the White Headed Barbet, Cardinal and Nubian Wood Pecker, White Crested Turaco, African Green Pigeon, Yellow Bellied Hyliota, African Moustached Wabler, White Shouldered Tit, African Paradise Flycatcher, Greater Blue Eared Starling among others. Over night stay at Entebbe.
DAY 14:
Departure.
Depending on your flight schedule, after breakfast, organise yourself for your departure flight back home or Drop off in Kampala
Book today for a special birding adventure..................
