22 DAYS UGANDA BIRDING SAFARI

BIRDING SAFARI STARTS

Day 1: Arrival – Kampala.
On arrival you will be met by our company representative who will transfer you to the lodge in Kampala for dinner and overnight

Day 2: Mabamba Swamp
After breakfast you will drive to Masaka, get a boat to Mabamba wetland which is a newly discovered home of the rare shoebill. Special birds include white winged warbler, papyrus Gonolek, yellow backed weaver, northern brown throated weaver and others. In the late afternoon you will proceed to Lake Mburo national park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge

Day 3: Lake Mburo National Park
You will have an morning game drive, return to the lodge for breakfast, you will then go for bird watching in Lubanga forest, you may spot birds like Red, Black and Yellow Papyrus Gonolek and in the afternoon you will go for a boat rideor take boat ride on one the lakes looking for species like the Brown Chested Plover, Red Faced Barbet, Dinner and overnight at the lodge/camp

Day 4: birding           
After an early breakfast, embark on a foot safari (Nature Walk). While on the walk look outfor the Red faced Barbet, Bare faced go away bird, Varreaux’s Eagle Owl, Yellow billed ox pecker and lead coloured flycatcher. Lunch break. Proceed with a late afternoon game drive along the Zebra track. The African Wattled Plover, Black bellied bustard, and Temmricks Courser may be sighted. Also look out for other animal species such as Burchell’s Zebra and the Comical Warthogs. Dinner & overnight Mantana Luxury Tented camp/ Rwonyo Rest Camp          

Day 5: Ecuya forest
Transfer to Kisoro birding Ecuya forest enroute in search for a variety of Albertine rift endemics and other forest species overnight Hotel in Kisoro.

Day 6: Mgahinga national park
Morning bird Mgahinga NP, we shall bird Sabinyo and the Gorge in search for Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu ground Thrush, Stripe-breasted Tit, Shelly’s Crimson wing, Rwenzori Batis to mention but a few, overnight Hotel in Kisoro.

Day 7: Ruhizha
Transfer to Ruhizha birding the bamboo enroute for Handsome Francolin White-starred Robin, Red-throated Alethe, Grauer’s Warbler, Dusky Crimson wing evening bird around the road to the school in search for African Wood Owl and Rwenzori Night jar overnight accommodation in Ruhizha.

Day 8: Mubwindi swamp
Morning trek to Mubwindi Swamp where we may have a chance to see the African Green-broadbill, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Caruthers’s Cisticola, Purple-breasted, Blue-headed and Regal Sunbirds. In the late afternoon we bird around the camp for Dusky Twinspot, Luhder’s Bushshrike, Rwenzori Batis to mention but a few.

Day 9: birding
Morning birding around the camp for the Dusky Twinspot, Magpie Manikin, Stripe breasted Tit and a variety of other birds then transfer to Buhoma, bird the “Neck” enroute where we may have a chance to see the Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Black Bee-eaters, Bronze-napped Pigeon, Many-Coloured Bush-shrike, Cassin’s grey flycatcher and a variety of Albertine rift endemics overnight camp or lodge in Buhoma.

Day 10: Bwindi forest
An early morning trek into Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park with packed lunch led by experienced guides will lead us to a family of mountain gorillas. Tracking the gorillas through the dense mountain forest is a magical experience. You can spend one hour with the gorillas and be back to base! Some gorilla families however, are more elusive and tracking can take a full day, especially when it is wet and muddy (this is optional).

Day 11: full day birding
Morning birding Buhoma main trail for the Handsome Francolin, Rufous-chested Fluff tail, Olive-Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Neumann’s Warbler, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, White-tailed Flycatcher, and many others evening farm walk for the Bat Hawk incase we missed it the first day overnight Buhoma.

Day 12: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP via Ishasha sector of the park for a game drive in search for tree Climbing Lions and birding for Broad-tailed Warbler, a variety of raptors overnight in the park.

Day 13: full day game viewing and birding
Morning game drive in search for Elephants, Lions, Hyena, Leopard, Uganda Kobs and a variety of Savanna birds like the Temminck’s Courser, Senegal Lap wing, Black-crowned Lapwing, African Crake, common Button quail, Blue Quail e.t.c there also chances of the secretary bird here, afternoon go for a cruise on Kazinga channel where we may have a chance to see a variety of water birds, African Immigrants, Hippos, Crocodiles, cape Buffalos, Elephants to mention but a few overnight.

Day 14: Kibaale forest
Transfer to Kibaale birding enroute overnight Primate Lodge Bandas.

Day 15: chimpanzee tracking and birding
After an early morning breakfast, we walk to Kibale NP reported to be home to the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in the world. Thirteen (13) different species have been identified here. We go for Chimpanzee tracking, where we may have a chance to see a variety of other primates e.g. the Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Vervet, L’Hoerst and Red tailed Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Red, Black and white Colobus Monkeys, here we have a chance to bird the Forest in search for the green-breasted Pitta, Western bronze-napped Pigeon, Many-coloured Bush shrike, to mention but a few. Afternoon Swamp walk in Bigodi wetland for the Papyrus endemics and a variety of primates overnight in Kibaale or Fort portal.

Day 16: Budongo forest
Transfer to Budongo birding murchison falls  where we have a chance to see Luhder’s, many coloured Bush shrikes, Cassin’s grey flycatcher, African Black duck, White napped and Afep Pigeons, white-headed Cuckoo, Joyful Greenbul and many others overnight Hotel in Masindi.

Day 17: full day birding
Morning transfer to Budongo full day birding the Royal Mile for Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Nahan’s Francolin, Chocolate-backed and Dwarf Kingfisher, Brown-backed Scrub- Robin, e.t.c. overnight Hotel in Masindi.

Day 18: game viewing and birding
Morning bird the main road in search for Ituri Batis, White-spotted Greenbull, Forest Robin, Narina Trogon tomention but a few after transfer to Murchison Falls NP, via the escarpement birding the escarpment in search for Foxy Cisticola, Cliff chats, Western Violet backed Sunbird, chestnut crowned sparrow, Cinnamon Bunting, Red-winged, yellow winged and Green Pytlias, Black Billed Barbet and many others Red chilli rest
camp.

Day 19: launch cruise
Morning cross with a ferry for a game drive to the Delta for the Shoebill stork and other water birds. Animals we are likely to see include: the Lion, Leopards, Giraffes, Oribis, Hartebeests, Elephants, to mention but a few. Bird here include: the Carmine bee Eaters, Abyssinian ground Hornbills and many others. Afternoon boat ride to the bottom of the fall—a magical trip through a beautiful scenery; The whole of the 50 meters wide Nile River is forced into a gap only 7 meters wide – the immense force of the water and the views of the falls are awe inspiring. Here we may have a chance to see variety water birds, schools of Hippos and Crocodiles. Evening drive to the top of the falls, here we may have a chance to see the Pel’s fishing Owl, Rock Prantincoles, Bat Hawk, we may bird till late as we try looking for the night Jars overnight.

Day 20:  Transfer to Jinja
Transfer to Jinja birding Kaniyo Pabidi enroute where we may have a chance to see Puvell’s Illadopsis, Rufous sided broadbill and many other forest bird species overnight accommodation in the Mabira.

Day 21: source of the Nile and Mabira
Bird Mabira forest for Shining blue Kingfisher, Greenbuls, Tit Hylia, Green Hylia, Sunbirds, black-bellied Seed cracker, Forest Wood Hoopoes and a variety of forest birds overnight accommodation in the Mabira.

Day 22: departure
after breakfast you will be transferred to the Airport for your departure flight

BIRDING SAFARI ENDS