12 Days Of Birding In Uganda
Tour Highlights
Departs: Entebbe International Airport Tour Length: 16 Days Focus: Birding |Primates Watch Key Species: Orange Weaver, Shelley’s Crimson-wing, African Green Broadbill, Handsome Francolin, Kivu Ground Thrush, Albertine Rift Endemics, Green-breasted Pitta, African Piculet, White-throated Blue Swallow, Puvel’s Illadopsis, Nahan’s Francolin Expected # of birds: 350 Species Birding Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Group Limit: Maximum 8 Bird Photography: Can be trick in the forest but fair in open forest trails
Possible Extension: Mountain Gorilla and Chimp Tracking
Day 1: Arrival for Forest Birding Safari Uganda
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, transfer to the Hotel. Depending on the time of arrival, we bird Entebbe botanical Gardens or Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.
Overnight at Rain Forest Lodge Mabira (FB)
Accommodation Rain Forest Lodge Mabira
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 2: Uganda Birding Tour of Mabira Forest (Nahan’s Francolin)
This is the biggest forest reserve closest to the city center. It boosts of a 315 bird species record with 74 of the 144 species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome that occur in Uganda
Search for Nahan’s Francolin which is an IUCN Red list’ endangered species, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, White-spotted Flufftail, Afep Pigeon, Grey Parrot, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Sabine’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-throated Roller, African Dwarf Kingfisher, White-bellied Kingfisher, Forest Woodhoopoe, African Pied Hornbill, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Green-breasted Pitta, African Shrike-flycatcher, Jameson’sand Chestnut Wattle-eyes, Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-capped Robin-Chat, the Speckle-breasted, Yellow-crested, Brown-eared, and the Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Red-tailed Bristlebil among others.
Dinner and Overnight at Rain Forest Lodge Mabira (FB)
Accommodation Rainforest Mabira
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 3: Birding Uganda Budongo Forest
Today, we bird to Budongo Forest which has a prolific birdlife with two species of birds not found elsewhere in East Africa: 10 of the 22 species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome and 93 of the 144 species Guinea–Congo Forests biome that occur in Uganda.
We carry packed lunch along.
Overnight at Masindi Hotel | New Court View Hotel (FB)
Accommodation New Court View Hotel
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 4: Birding Trip in Budongo Forest Uganda (Puvel’s Illadopsis)
Slender-billed Starling
We bird the marvelous Royal mile and several other trails for magnificent species, the whole day. We look for the Puvel’s Illadopsis and Nahan’s Francolin other special birds include; the Yellow-billed Barbet, Grey-throated Barbet, Honeyguide Greenbul, Chocolate–backed Kingfisher,White-headed Saw-wing, White Wagtail, Black-eared Ground-Thrush, Little Crake, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, African Paradise Flycatcher, Chin-spot Batis, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Lemon-bellied Crombec, African Moustached Warbler, Green-backed Eremomela, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, African Citril, African Golden-breasted Bunting, Black-crowned Waxbill, Bronze Mannikin, Black-billed Bluebill, Black-winged Red Bishop, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Fan-tailedWidowbird, Spectacled Weaver, Black-necked Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Compact Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Red-headed Weaver, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Purple Starling, Purple-headed Starling, Splendid Starling, Northern Puffback, Black-headed Gonolek, Tropical Boubou, Isabelline Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Western Violet-backed Sunbird and many more.
Overnight at Masindi Hotel | New Court View Hotel (FB)
Accommodation New Court View
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 5: Uganda Birding Safari From Busingiro-Kibale Forest National Park
For the early hours of the day, we bird Busingiro and later transfer to Kibale Forest National Park which is the most accessible of Uganda’s major rainforests.
Overnight at Kibale Primate Lodge | Kibale Forest Camp (FB)
Accommodation Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 6 & 7: Green-breatsed Pitta Search and Optional Chimpanzee Tracking
In Kibale we will bird areas of the forest, Bigodi wetland Sanctuary and Sebitoli for Unique forest species, papyrus endemics and some shore birds
So far, over 339 species of birds have been recorded, but more species are likely to be added. The park has the Green-breasted Pitta as the most sought-after species along with others;Chubb’s Cisticola, Black-capped Waxbill,Africa Shrike-flycatcher, African Black-headed Oriole,African Emerald Cuckoo, African Green-pigeon, Black-crowned Tchagra, African WoodOwl,African/Rwenzori/Abyssinian Hill-Babbler, Alpine Swift, Ashy Flycatcher, Barn Swallow, Black Bee-eater, Black Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Black-and-white Mannikin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Black-billed Turaco, Black-billed Weaver, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, African Dusky Flycatcher, Black-headed Weaver, Black-necked Weaver, African/Western Citril,Black-throated Apalis, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird,Blue-throated Roller, African Blue Flycatcher, Bocage’ Bush-shrike,Bronze Mannikin, Zebra Waxbill,Bronze Sunbird, Brown Illadopsis, Brown-capped Weaver,Brown-chested Alethe,Brown-eared Woodpecker,Brown-headed Tchagra,African-pied Wagtail, CameroonSombre Greenbul,Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Yellow-billed Barbet,Afep Pigeon, endless list.
Mackinnon’s Fiscal
Overnight at Kibale Primate Lodge | Kibale Forest Camp (FB)
Accommodation Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 8: Birdwatching Semliki National Park in Uganda
Semliki harbours a large number of predominantly Central African species which can not be found anywhere else in East Africa and these include some of the continent’s most spectacular and sought-after birds such as; Long-tailed Hawk, Congo Serpent Eagle, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Black-wattled Hornbill, the Nkulengu Rail, just to mention but a few. There is a single, unconfirmed report of the globally threatened Lesser Kestrel.
Overnight at Semliki Safari Lodge | Vanilla Hotel (FB)
Accommodation Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 9 & 10: Birding tour Semliki forest and the Kirumiya trail (Blue Swallow)
Being one of the richest areas for both flora and fauna in Africa most especially birds, we bird the place for two days. We aim at a record of 400 species which will include the African Piculate, Blue Swallow, White-throated Blue Swallow, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Spotted Greenbul, White-starred Robin, Lowland Akalat, Red-throated Alethe, Fire-crested Alethe, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Red-eyed Puffback, White-tailed Robin-Chat, Northern Bearded Scrub-Robin, Capped Wheatear, Common Stonechat, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, Oberlaender’s Ground-Thrush, Grey Ground-Thrush, Little Grey Greenbul, Toro Olive Greenbul, Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-throated Nicator, Western Nicator, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Black Saw-wing, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Long-tailed Hawk, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Grant’s Bluebill, Afep Pigeon, Blue-headed Coucal, Bates’s Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, Cassin’ Spinetail, Sabine’s Spinetail, White-bellied Kingfisher, Shinning-blue Kingfisher, Gabon Woodpecker, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-billed Barbet, White-headed Barbet, just to mention but a few.
Overnight at Semliki Safari Lodge | Vanilla Hotel (FB)
Accommodation Semlik Safari Lodge
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 11: Uganda Birding Safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This is the best place for forest birding in Uganda and yet Africa’ number one birding spot, the park has 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics including the globally threatened species such as the African Green Broadbill and Shelley’s Crimsonwing, plus others such as Oberlander’s/Forest Ground Thrush, Sassi’s Olive Greenbul, Dusky Crimson-wing, Strange Weaver, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Purple -breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Short -tailed/Neumann’s Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Collared Apalis, Montane Masked Apalis, Kivu Ground Thrush, Red-throated Alethe, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Nightjar, Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin.
Overnight at Gorilla Resort | Buhoma Community Rest Camp (FB)
Accommodation Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 12: Albertine Rift Endemics Tour and Optional Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
There are less than 800 mountain gorillas in the whole world. Uganda is home to more than a half of these beautiful, majestic gentle giants and yet endangered apes. Therefore, Gorilla tracking in Uganda is a must experience not to be missed. Bwindi impenetrable forest habituates families of mountain gorillas along with other species of primates for example, Chimpanzees, Colubus monkeys, Olive baboons, name it.
At Buhoma, we look out for species like, the Black Bee-Eater, Dusky Tit, Brown-caped Weaver, the Yellow-billed and yellow-spotted Barbets, the African and Black-and-white Shrike Flycatchers, Common Stonechat, Brown-throated and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, Apalises, Equatorial Akalat, Slaty Flyacatcher, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Black-throated Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Grey Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, the Olive-green and Grey-backed Camaropteras, White-chinned Prinnia, Green Hylia, Short-tailed Warbler, White-tailed Antithrush, Cape Wagtail, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, White-browed Crombec, the list is long.
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Overnight at Gorilla Resort | Buhoma Community Rest Camp (FB)
Accommodation Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 13: Birding Tour to Ruhija (African Green Broadbill)
Today we bird Ruhija in search for the darling African Green Broadbill, Handsome Francolin, Strange Weaver, Shelley’s and Dusky Crimson-wings, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, White-browed Crombec, White-aped Raven, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Sharp’s Starling, Mountain masked and Rwenzori Apalises and many more.
Overnight at Ruhija Gorilla Lodge | Trekkers Tavern (FB)
Accommodation Trekkers Tavern
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 14: Birding Mubwindi
Whole day birding Mubwindi Swamp we look out for the Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, White tailed blue flycatcher, Brown capped warbler, Black Billed weaver, Black Necked weaver, Red Headed Malimbe, Grey headed Sparrow, Waller’s Starling, Stuhlmann’s starling, Montane Oriole, Many Coloured Bush Shrike, Bocage’s Bush Shrike, Brown Crowned Tchagra, Pink Footed Puffback, Ludher’s Bush Shrike, Doherty`s Bush-shrike, Mountain Illadopsis, Rwenzori Nightjar.
Overnight at Ruhija Gorilla Lodge | Trekkers Tavern (FB)
Accommodation Trekkers Tavern
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 15: Birding to Kampala/Entebbe
Accommodation Lake Victoria Victoria
Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 16: Departure – End of Uganda Forest Bird Watching Tour