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30 Day Uganda Birding Safari

“30 Day Uganda Birding Safari”

($5258 pp/8pax)

Day 1. Arrival at Entebbe, transfer/ Kampala City tour.

Upon arrival you will be picked from Entebbe airport by our representative, your driver/guide, who will brief you through the safari program and then transfer to your place of accommodation in Kampala.  According to how much time we have that day, we can check in to our Hotel, go birding in the Botanical Gardens and later come back to Boma Guest House for dinner and overnight.

Day 2. Kampala – Mabira Forest.

The day begins early with an early breakfast and with our packed lunch, we transfer to Mabira Forest for a full day bird watching activity in the Forest. We later check in to the service of Mabira Forest Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3. Full day bird watching in Mabira.

After an early breakfast at around 06:30am, we enter the Forest with our packed lunch for a full day bird watching activity, in search for some of the specialties this forest has to offer like; the Scaly Francolin, Spot-flanked Barbet, Narina Trogon, Yellow Billed Barbet, Forest Robin and Red Headed Bluebill among others.  Later in the evening we drive to Kampala and check in to the service of Forest Cottages for dinner and overnight.

Day 4. Mabira – Mabamba Swamp.

After breakfast, with our packed lunch, we transfer to Mabamba Swamp in search for the Shoebill. This Swamp is located about 50 kms west of Kampala, on the showers of Lake Victoria near Entebbe and it   offers the best chances of seeing this rare bird. The swamp also protects other good bird species that includes Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, White-backed Duck, Blue Swallow, Weyns’s and Orange Weaver, Blue-breasted Bee-eater and Purple Swamphen among others.  We later transfer to Lake Mburo and check in to the service of Rwakobo Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5.Birding in Lake Mburo National Park.

The day begins early with early morning breakfast and then start our birding/ game drive around the Park in search for the it’s key species that include the African Finfoot, Brown Chested Plover, White Winged Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Spot-flanked, Red Faced and Crested Barbet, Carruthers’ and Tabora Cisticola, Papyrus Gonolek, Northern Brown Throated Weaver, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove and Coqui Francolin among other birds. We go back to the Lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 6. Birding Lake Mburo NP. – Mgahinga  National Park.

After breakfast we transfer to Mgahinga national park passing through the rolling hills of  Mbarara, with a lunch stop over at Kabale, arriving in the evening and check in to the service of Travelers’ Hotel Kisoro for dinner and overnight.

Day 7. Birding in Mgahinga National Park.

After breakfast we drive to the Park with our packed lunch and start our bird watching activity  towards the Gorge in search for the key species that includes; Handsome Francolin, Dusky Turtle Dove, Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu Ground Thrush, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Malachite Sunbird, Rwenzori Nightjar, Rwenzori Double Collared Sunbird, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Dusky and Shelley’s Crimsonwing among others. We go back to the Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 8.  Birding Mgahinga National Park – Ecuya Forest.

After breakfast with our luggage’s and packed lunch, we transfer  to Ecuya Forest for a full day bird watching activity, in search for the key species that include the Mountain Hill Babbler, Doherty’s, Many-coloured, Lagden’s and Ludher’s Bush-Shrike, Northern Double Collared Sunbird and Black Faced Rufous Warbler among others. We later drive on to Ruhija, Bwindi with a stopover at Lake Bunyonyi and later check in to the service of Trekkers’ Tervan Cottages Ruhija for dinner and overnight.

Day 9. Birding Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The day begins early with early morning breakfast and with our packed lunch and go to the Park offices and pay for the Park entrance and birding activity fees and then start our day’s birding towards Mubwindi Swamp in the Impenetrable Forest and the number one birding spot in Africa. The terrain in this area is hilly, steep at some points and sometimes muddy according to the weather conditions of the time of visit, so we need to be ready for these conditions.

In this area the key species we expect to are; the African Green Broadbill,  Strange Weaver, Yellow- Eyed Black Flycatcher, Purple Breasted Sunbird, Regal Sunbird,  Olive Pigeon, Rwenzori Batis,  Rwenzori Nightjar and Grauer’s Warbler among others. We come back to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 10. Birding Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

After an early morning breakfast, with our packed lunch, we go for another bird watching activity in Ruhija, this time doing the School trail and the main road in search for what we might have missed the previous day, in the under growth, mid-straters  and canopy  loving birds.  We come back to the latter in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 11. Birding Ruhija – Buhoma road and the Neck.

After an early morning breakfast, with our luggages and packed lunch, we start our birding through the Neck of the Forest as we transfer to Buhoma. This is a good area for birding and among the good birds we expect to see here are the Stripe Breasted and Dusky Tit, Bronze Napped Pigeon, Black Bee-eater, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Brown Caped, Black-billed and Strange Weaver, Willcock’s and Dwarf Honeyguide and Lagden’s Bush Shrike among others. We later check in to the service of Buhoma Community Camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 12. Birding along the water fall trail Buhoma.

After an early morning breakfast, with our packed lunch, we go to the Park offices, pay for  the Park entrance and the bird watching activity and then start birding towards the water falls in the Impenetrable Forest and  among the specialties we expect see here are; the Short Tailed Warbler, Red Throated Alethe,  Red Faced Woodland Warbler, Dusky and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Elliot’s Woodpecker, Mountain Illadopses, Kivu Ground Thrush, White Bellied Robin Chat, Many-Coloured Bush Shrike,  Forest Ground Thrush,  Red Fronted Antpecker, White Collared Olive Back and Black Faced Rufous Warbler among others. We later come back in the evening to the camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 13. Birding  around the camp area and Munyaga trail.

After breakfast, we go to the park and start our birding around the camp area, near the Park offices and the Munyaga trail, mostly looking for the birds that dwell along the forest edge.  Dinner and overnight at Buhoma Community Camp.

Day 14. Birding Buhoma – Ishasha plains.

After breakfast, we transfer to the Ishasha plains, Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving  at lunch time and check in to the service of Enjojo Lodge Ishasha. We have lunch, relax around, and later in the afternoon go for bird watching  in the southern tracks in search birdlife that includes the Bateluer, Black Rumped Buttonquail, White Backed, Ruppel’s Griffon and Lappet Faced Vultures, Brown Chested Plover, Diederick’s Cuckoo, Wattled and  Violet Backed Starlings  and other wildlife.  We come back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 15. Birding in Ishasha plains – transfer to Mweya.

After breakfast, we go for another birding drive in the Ishasha plains  in search for more birdlife that includes the Martial Eagle, White-back, Lappet-faced, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Western-banded and Brown Snake-Eagle among others . We come back to the camp for lunch and later transfer to the northern sector of the park, arriving in the evening and check in to the service of Park View Safari Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 16. Birding in Kasenyi Plains & boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.

We have our breakfast in the morning and packed lunch before starting our day’s game drive/birding activity towards the Kasenyi and Mweya areas. We will also go for the boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. Queen Elizabeth national park is said to have the highest concentration of bird life as compared to any nature reserve in the World, although most of the birds here can be seen elsewhere.

Some of the species we expect to encounter here may include; the Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged, Greater Swamp, Lesser Swamp, African Reed, Eurasian Reed and Sedge Warblers, Temminck’s Courser, Common Button-quail, Black-crowned Tchagra, Plain-backed and Grassland Pipit, Winding, Wing-snapping, Stout, Croaking and Zitting Cisticola, African Crake, Vereaux’s Eagle-Owl, African Skimmer, Collared Pratincole, Grey-headed and Common Black-headed Gull, African Moustached and Broad-tailed Warblers among others.  We go back to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 17. Birding QENP. – Semliki National Park.

After an early breakfast, we start birding towards Semliki national park, arriving in the afternoon and check in to the service of semliki safari lodge. The guide will have packed lunch arranged before leaving your accommodation to be enjoyed as a picnic lunch while exploring the real Africa’s  natural gifts. We relax a bit at the lodge and later in the afternoon, go birding along the main road and towards the hot springs which is a good nature walk at Sempaya, Semliki National Park.  We later come back in the evening for dinner and overnight at Semliki safari lodge.

Day 18. Birding in the main trail. Semliki NP.

After an early morning breakfast, with our packed lunch, we start our whole day birding along the Kirumya trail of Semliki national park. This is ranked as number 2 in Uganda’s birding hot spots and the forest is home to some of the Congo biome species. So here we expect to encounter specialties like the African Piculet, Lyre-tailed, Spotted and Zenker’s Honeyguide, Yellow-throated Cuckoo and Yellow-throated Nicator.

Other species to expect include Long-tailed Hawk, Capuchin Babbler, Icterine Greenbul, Forest Scrub Robin, Nkurengu Rail, Shining-blue and White-bellied Kingfisher. Also expect the Oberlander’s Ground Thrush, Red-billed Helmet-shrike, Swamp-palm Bulbul, Orange-tufted Sunbird, White-crested, Red-billed Dwarf, Black Dwarf, Black-casqued Wattled, White-thighed and Piping Hornbills among others. We come back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 19. Semliki – Kibale National Park.

After breakfast, with our packed lunch, we start birding as we transfer to Kibale national park and some of the species that we expect to encounter today include the Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Pale-fronted, and Chestnut-breasted Nigrofinch, Woodhouse’s Antpecker, Northern Bearded Scrub-Robin, Diederik and Claas’s Cuckoo, Lead-coloured, Cassins and Dusky Blue Flycatcher, Mountain Wagtail, Booted Eagle, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Cabanis’s, Toro Olive, Litlle Grey and Xavier’s Greenbul among others. We later check in to the service of Kibale Forest Camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 20. Birding in Kibale National Park.

After an early morning breakfast, you will enter the forest and start our birding activity. This forest protects more than 335 bird species recorded in the forest. Some of the specialties we expect to encounter here include the Green-breasted Pitta, Afep Pigeon, Buff-spotted and Cardinal Woodpecker. Plus the White-tailed Ant-thrush, Green-backed Twinspot, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Grey-winged and Red-caped Robin Chat.

Also present here are the African Crowned Eagle, African Broadbill, Lesser, Wilcock’s and Thick-billed Honeyguide,  Chestnut-winged, Gross- Splendid and Purple-headed Starling, Dark-backed Weaver, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-headed Bluebill, Red-chested Owlet and Scaly Illadopsis among others. We come back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 21. Transfer to Masindi.(Budongo forest).

After breakfast, we transfer to Masindi passing through   traditional homesteads and beautiful tea plantations in the rolling hills of Tooro kingdom. We shall do en-route birding through a duty road to Masindi, with a lunch stop at Kagadi and later proceed on, arriving in the evening and check in to the service of Masindi Hotel  for dinner and overnight.

Day 22. Birding in the Royal Mile and Busingiro area.

You will have an early morning breakfast, carry your packed lunch and drive towards one of “Uganda’s bird watching hot spots” The Royal Mile. This is historically known to be a leisure spot for the traditional King of Bunyoro and that’s where the name Royal Mile came from. Here the forest has been cut back a few meters along the sides of the main trail which makes it a particularly good viewing area in this excellent forest.

Here we expect to encounter specialties like the Yellow and Grey Longbills, Green Crombec, Chestnut-caped and Forest Flycatcher, African Shrike Flycatcher, Spotted Greenbul, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Blue-breasted, African Dwarf, Chocolate-backed and Pygmy Kingfisher, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-spotted, Fairy-breasted and Yellow-billed Barbets, and Jameson’s Wattle-eye among others. We go back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 23. Bird Kaniyo Pabidi and along Paraa road (MFNP).

After an early morning breakfast, we check out of the hotel start our birding towards Kaniyo-Pabidi sector of Budongo forest. Some of the specialities that we expect here include the Scaly-breasted, Brown and  Puvel”s Illadopsis, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Fire-Crested and Brown-cheted Aleth, Green Hylia, Black-throated and Buff-throated Apalis, Sooty Flycatcher, Collared, Superb and Green Sunbird, Sabine’s and Casin’s Spinetail, Chestnut Wattle-eye and Cameroon Sombre Greenbul among others. We later drive on to Paraa and check in to service of Red Chilli Rest Camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 24. Birding in the northern sector of Murchison Falls NP – Boat cruise.

Birding safaris to Murchison Falls national park - Terrain SafarisAfter an early morning breakfast, we drive down to the ferry and cross the Nile to the Northern sector of the park where we shall do our game drive in search for wildlife that includes elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, giraffes, oribis, hartebeests, Kobs, warthogs, lions, jackals, leopards according to the luck of the day and a variety of savannah and woodland birds can be seen. The drive normally takes 3 – 4 hours according to how much you see and the interest you have in them. We drive back to the camp, relax for a while, have lunch and then at 2:00pm we go for the boat cruise on close quarters as the animals draw down the river bank to cool off. Here you get a chance of seeing many schools of hippos, crocodile, buffaloes, elephants and a variety of water birds. We come back after about 3 hours to the Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 25. Transfer to Kitgum, birding en-route.

After breakfast, with our packed lunch, we start birding as we transfer to Kitgum, through Karuma and Gulu. Some of the specialties that we expect to encounter along this route are the Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Yellow-bellied Eramomela, Wood Warbler, Familiar Chat, Nightingale, Pied Wheatear, Northern Brownbul and African Golden Oriole among others. We arrive Kitgum in the evening and check in to the service of Hotel Pearl Afrique for dinner and overnight.

Day 26. Transfer to Kidepo National Park, birding en-route.

After breakfast, we start our journey to Apoka  driving on a fair grade unpaved  road. This normally takes about 3 hours, entering the Park with a mini game drive and later check in to the service of  Apoka Hostel.  Here the facilities are  very basic, we sometimes even carry our food  materials. I will call and check the availability.  Dinner and overnight  at Apoka Hostel.

Day 27. Birding in the Naruse valley, Kidepo NP.

After breakfast, we will start birding towards Narusi valley searching for specialities that include the Rose-ringed Parakeet, Rufous Chatterer, White-bellied Tit, Mouse-coloured Tit, Amethyst and Shining Sunbird, Slate-coloured Boubou, Northern White-crowned Shrike, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Fan-tailed Raven, Eurasian Golden Oriele, Red-winged, Magpie, Sharpe’s,  and Superb Starling, Chestnut Sparrow, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Grey-caped Social-Weaver, Orange-winged and Green-winged Pytilia, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Eastern Paradise Whydah, White-bellied Canary, Spotted Crake, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Red-necked and Clapperton’s Francolin among others. We come back to the Camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 28. Birding in the Kidepo valley.

After breakfast  we start our game drive towards the Kidepo Valley in search  for wildlife that includes the Zebras, Lesser kudu, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Elephant,  water buck, warthogs, Ostriches, Abyssinian Roller, Black-breasted and d’Arnaud’s Barbet, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Lammergeier, Eastern Chanting-Goshawk, Verreaux’s Eagle, Greater and Fox Kestrel, Eleonora’s and Pygmy Falcon, Stone Partridge, Secretary birds,  Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs among others. We come back to the Hostel for lunch, relax  around and later in the evening go for another game drive  in the Naruse Valley where there are more chances of  encountering  the Lions and Leopards. We later come back to the Hostel  for dinner and overnight.

Day 29. Transfer to Gulu, birding en-route.

After breakfast, with all our laggages , we do  a mini game drive as we get out of the Park  to transfer to Gulu. Arriving in the afternoon and check in to the service of Boma Hotel  for dinner  and overnight.

Day 30. Transfer to Entebbe Airport, Birding en-route.

After breakfast, we transfer to Kampala birding en-route, with a lunch stop at Kabalega Diners. Arriving in the afternoon and you will be dropped at the Airport depending on the time of your flight or at your place of accommodation.

Highlights of this 20 Day Scheduled Uganda Birding Tour:

Top Birds To Expect:
Shoebill, Black-billed, Strange, Orange & Weyn’s Weaver, Lesser Jacana, White-crested, Black-billed & Rwenzori Turaco & Puvel’s Illadopsis. Plus the Carruther’s, Tabora & Foxy Cisticola, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Swallow-tailed & Red-throated Bee-Eater. And also Sabine’s & Mottled Spinetail, Brown Twinspot, Yellow-footed, Blue-crested, Chestnut-capped and Yellow-eyed Black. As well as the Forest & Sooty Flycatchers, Ituri Batis, African Crowned Eagle, Forest Robin, Spotted & Joyful Greenbul. And the African Dwarf & Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Vereaux’s Eagle-Owl and Collard Pratincole.

We also expect the Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow-billed, Hairy-breasted & Yellow-spotted Barbet and Pink-footed Puffback. Plus the Bar-tailed & Narina Trogon, Yellow-crested, Brown-eared & Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Mountain-masked, Chestnut-throated & Rwenzori Apalis. Also the African & Grauer’s Broadbill, Rwenzori Double-collared, Northern Double-collared, Purple-breasted & Regal Sunbird. As well as the Narrow-tailed, Chestnut-winged, Stuhlmann’s, Waller’s & Sharp’s Starling, Black-faced Rufous, Grauer’s Rush and Neumann’s Warbler. The Ayre’s Hawk-Eagles, Equatorial Akalat, Lagden’s, Dohert’s & Bocage’s Bush-shrike are also among the possibilities.

Safari Summary:

Tour Duration: 30 Days & 29 Nights

Departure / Return Location: Entebbe, Uganda

Destinations on Tour:

Entebbe
Mabamba Wetland Sanctuary
Budongo Forest
Murchison Falls National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP.
Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Mburo National Park
Entebbe

Quotation: $5258 per person on this tour.

Terrain Safaris Itinerary:

Tour includes

  • All ground transportation
  • Expert, English-speaking local driver/bird guide
  • All accommodations while on tour
  • Meals as specified in the itinerary
  • Park Entrance fees
Tour excludes

  • International flight
  • Visa and personal insurance.
  • COVID19 test costs
  • Gorilla/Chimpanzee trekking can be done at an extra cost.
  • Drinks , tips and gratuities
  • Personal expenses (laundry, souvenirs, etc.).
  • Any item or activity not mentioned in the tour package.

 Some of our safari partners/ Tour Operators:

Jewel Of Africa Safaris and Wild Nature Photo Adventure are some of the partners we work with.

Book your Birding Tour Today:                                                                                                        Here are some of our tours; Uganda Birding Tours, Uganda Gorilla Trekking Trips, Uganda Wildlife Safaris & Uganda Cultural Excursions.

Thank you for supporting Terrain Safaris and always remember to follow the COVID19 safety measures and guidelines from the Ministry of Healthy.

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