Birding Tour Uganda 14 Days
TOUR CODE: LTTV BIRD 14
A Potential for birding Safaris was identified as long ago as 100 years by Sir Frederick Kackson, former governor of Uganda protectorate. In Uganda there are more than 1000 species of birds (half of Africa's bird species!), some of which are only present in Uganda, like the famous shoe bill. Uganda is really a paradise for birding with people coming from every part of the world.
* Itinerary
Day 1: Kampala - Mabamba - Kampala
Airport pickup and set off to Mabamba Wetland, Expect to see bird species such as shoebill, lesser jacana, blue swallow, black-shouldered nightjar, afep pigeon, blue breasted bee-eater, papyrus gonolek, white winged warbler
Return for dinner and Overnight in Kampala hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
After early breakfast transfer to Lake Mburo from Kampala, stopping on the way to visit the royal drum makers and to stand on the Equator. We will arrive in the Park in the afternoon. Look out for Bird species such red, black and yellow papyrus gonalek
other species: gigantic eland antelope, zebra, topi, impala, hippos, crocodiles
Dinner and overnight at:
Mihingo lodge (high-end)
Mantana tented camp (mid-range)
Rwonyo rest camp bandas (budget)
Day 3: Lake Mburo National Park
Early morning game drive while bird watching. Take a boat trip in the afternoon. Some of the Bird species to look for: brown chested plover, red faced barbet, southern ground hornbill, papyrus yellow warbler, yellow billed oxpecker, African fin foot, black collared barbet
overnight at the Park
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Ruhija Sector)
After breakfast we shall head for Bwindi, through Kabale continue through the lush hills, birding en route, to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Ruhiija sector) Some of the Bird species to look out for: African green broadbill, Grauer's rush warbler, short tailed warbler, Rwenzori turacco, purple breasted sunbird, regal sunbird, Kivu ground thrush, montane masked apalis, red faced woodland warbler, olive green camaroptera, handsome francolin, blue headed sunbird, Rwenzori nightjar, Lagden's bush shrike, Waller's starling, oriole finch, streaky seed eater, Chubb's cisticola, barred long tailed cuckoo and the brown capped weaver
Dinner and overnight at:
Gorilla Resort (high end) or equivalent
Mantana tented camp (mid-range) or equivalent
Buhoma community rest camp (Budget) or equivalent
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast spend whole day bird watching in Bwindi Forest, heading to Mubwindi Swamp for a packed lunch. In the afternoon we will leave for Buhoma, birding en route.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking
Morning gorilla tracking or bird watching. In the afternoon relax at the camp or, alternatively, take a forest nature walk that will lead you to the Munyaga Waterfall and a chance to see primates such as the grey cheeked Mangabey blue monkeys and other bird species.
Dinner and overnight at the Park
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast transfer to Queen Elizabeth Park via Ishasha camp. The Park is, home to 604 different bird species, sheltered within lowland forest, moist thickets, open woodland and grassland, savannah, permanent and seasonal swamps, lakes and rivers.
Bird species: African skimmer, black rumped button quail, Verreaux's eagle owl, red footed falcon, lesser flamingos, grey capped warbler, White's and Abdim's storks (in season), amur falcon, ovampo sparrow hawk, woolly-necked and saddle-billed storks and numerous classes of raptors, vultures and plovers
Dinner and overnight in:
Mweya safari lodge (high-end) or equivalent
Jacana lodge (mid-range) or equivalent
Mweya hostel (budget) or equivalent
Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast spend whole day bird watching on a game drive both in the morning and in the afternoon.
Queen Elizabeth boasts one of the highest bio diversity ratings of any game park or reserve in the world, boasting almost 100 mammal species including lions, hippos, buffaloes, leopard, spotted hyena, elephant and giant forest hog. Primates include chimps, black and white colobus monkeys, blue and black faced red colobus, red tailed monkeys and olive baboons. Reptiles include the huge rock python, puff adders, spitting cobras, gabon rippers, green mambas and turtles.
Overnight at the Park
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today’s boat trip along the channel will give you a close-up view of the variety of wildlife and water birds. Afterwards, visit the Bird Observatory set up to study both migratory and resident birds. Since its inception in 1997 more new species have been identified, including Uganda's first record of the Bar-tailed Godwit.
Bird species: the great white and pink-backed pelicans, great and long-tailed cormorants, open-billed stork, African jacana, malachite and pied kingfishers
Overnight at the Park
Day 10: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park bird watching enroute arriving in the evening
The park hosts 335 species of birds, as well as the greatest variety and concentration of primates in East Africa.
Bird species include the red-winged francolin, red-chested flufftail, white-naped pigeon, green-breasted pitta, joyful greenbul, grey-winged robin, Abyssinian ground thrush and many others.
Dinner and overnight at:
Ndali lodge (high-end) or equivalent
Mountains of the moon (mid-range) or equivalent
Rwenzori Traveler’s Inn (budget) or equivalent
Day 11: Kibale National Park
After breakfast Follow a forest trail that radiates out from the visitor center of the Park, or visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a superb community development fringing the Park, in order to see the fruiting trees, which attract Narina Trogon, Pied Hornbill, Yellow Spotted, Hairy Breasted and Yellow-billed Barbets
Bird species: grey-throated flycatcher, white bellied crested flycatcher, masked & black-capped apalis, Uganda woodland warbler, chestnut-winged starling, orange-tufted and tiny sunbirds
Dinner and overnight at:
Ndali lodge (high-end) or equivalent
Mountains of the moon (mid-range) or equivalent
Rwenzori Traveler’s Inn (budget) or equivalent
Day 12: Transfer to Semliki Valley
The Semliki reserve is home to 35 percent of Uganda’s bird species, some of which cannot be found elsewhere in East Africa, such as horn bills and the lyre tailed honey guide. New species are still being discovered.
After breakfast Leave Kibale heading north to Semliki Valley Wildlife Reserve, eating a picnic lunch along the way. In the afternoon, take a boat trip on Lake Albert in search of the Shoebill Stork. Bird species: African pygmy goose, red-necked falcon, Abyssinian ground hornbill, blue-breasted bee-eater, black-billed barbet, piapiac, leaflove and black-chinned quail-finch.
Overnight at Semliki Safari lodge or Sempaya campsite
Day 13: Semliki Valley
Another day bird watching .Look for bird species such as White-spotted Fluff tail, Red-tailed Bristle bill, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush and Blue-breasted Kingfisher White-crested Turaco, Eastern Grey Plantain Eater, Mouse birds, Kingfishers and Bee-Eaters
Day 14: Semliki Valley - Entebbe
Take an early morning game drive and then depart for Kampala, eating lunch en route. Arrive in Entebbe in the evening in time for your flight