Day 1, Arrival:
Arrival in the afternoon and transfer to the guest house in Entebbe.
Lodging: Lake Victoria View Guest House.
Day 2, Mabamba Swamp to Lake Mburo:
Early breakfast and head to Mabamba swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria west of Entebbe International Airport. This is one of the few remaining wetlands in the country protected by the local Communities, an extensive papyrus swamp with channels and lagoons, classified as an IBA (Important Bird Area) and home to several pairs of Shoebills, Uganda’s most famous avian resident. This charismatic species is the only representative in its family and one of the most sought after Birds in Africa. Today we will make a special effort to find it by paddling through the channels by boat. There will be of course a good selection of classic African water birds; Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Pink-backed Pelican, , Goliath, Purple, Squacco , and Black-headed Herons , African Fish Eagle and African Marsh Harrier, African and Lesser Jacana, Long toed Lapwing, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Swamp Flycatcher, African Rail, Allen’s Gallinule, Papyrus Gonolek , Papyrus Canary, Grey Crowned Crane, Northern Brown-throated , Orange, Golden-backed, Black-headed and Village Weavers , Red-chested Sunbird, Cape Wagtail, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Winding Cisticola , African Grey Parrots can be seen flying overhead.
At the edge of Mabamba swamp in farmlands, you are likely to find Great Blue and Ross`s Turacos, Western Banded snake Eagle, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, African Pied Hornbill ,Superb Sunbird, Weyn’s Weaver, Purple and Splendid Glossy Starlings,
Later proceed to Lake Mburo National park, stay at Rwakobo Rock.
Day 3, Lake Mburo National Park:
The day starts with breakfast and a birding walk near the lodge.
Lake Mburo National Park is the best and the only place in Uganda to see some typically southern savannah Species of particular interest we look for are Red-faced Barbet, Tabora Cisticola , African Finfoot, and White-backed Night Heron.
Most of the park is dominated by tall grass savannah dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees, Common birds in this habitat include Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Meyer’s Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Blue naped Mousebird, Lilac-breasted Roller, Green Wood Hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, African Grey Hornbill, Spot-flanked, White-headed and Double-toothed Barbet, Nubian and Cardinal Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Chinspot Batis, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Marico Sunbird, Black-headed Gonolek, Brown-backed and White-browed Scrub Robin, Flappet Lark, Coqui Francolin and Yellow-throated Longclaw. Migratory Brown-chested Lapwing can be seen from the second week of July to December. At night if the weather is good we look out for nocturnal species such as Black-shouldered, Swamp and Pennant-winged Nightjar, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl and African Scops Owl. This park also give us a variety of game viewing such as Buffalo, Impala, Warthog, Zebra, Hippopotamus, Waterbuck, Dwarf and Banded Mongoose, Side-striped Jackal, Bushbuck and Topi.
Lodging: Rwakobo Rock
Day 4 & 5, Mgahinga National Park:
We leave Lake Mburo and travel to Mgahinga – the park forms a greater transfronteir park together with Volcanoes NP in Rwanda and Parc de Virungas in the DRC. Mt. Gahinga, a dormant volcano, sits in this park, at 3474m. The park is host to 24 of the Albertine Rift endemic bird species. Some species which may be found include Dusky Turtle Dove, Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu Ground Thrush, White-eyed Slaty and White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Yellow-crowned Canary, Streaky and Thick Billed Seedeater, and with a lot of luck, Shelley’s Crimson-wing. We shall spend a full day exploring the habitat of this park.
Lodging: Traveller’s Rest Hotel
Day 6 & 7, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Ruhija:
We now travel north into the magical Bwindi, thick forest along steep contours of the western mountains of Uganda. Here we will do the steep but rewarding walk down to Mubwindi Swamp. The walk down is rewarding with birds such as Ruwenzori Apalis, Stripe-bellied Tit, Lagden’s Bushshrike, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Montane Oriole, Strange Weaver, Banded Prinia, amongst others. Near the bottom we will look for the attractive Grauer’s Broadbill, before searching the swamp for Grauer’s Swamp Warbler.
Lodging: TBA
Day 8 – 10, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Buhoma:
We travel from Ruhija to Buhoma via the neck. Apart from the fabulous Mountain Gorillas which you will track on day 9, birding here is fabulous, we will bird the Buhoma trail, where we shall look out for species such as Neumann’s Warbler, African Broadbill, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Red-capped, Grey-winged and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Red-throated Alethe (inset), Oriole Finch, Ansorge’s Greenbul, Equatorial Akalat, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Great Blue and Black-billed Turaco, Pink-footed Puffback, Many-colored, Bocage’s and Luhder’s Bushshrike, Scaly-breasted, Pale-breasted and Mountain Illadopsis, Thick-billed Seedeater, MacKinnon’s Fiscal, Elliot’s, Fine-banded , Buff-spotted and Cardinal Woodpecker, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Baglafecht Weaver, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Ayres’s Hawk Eagle, African Goshawk, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, White-chinned Prinia, Grey-headed Nigrita, Red-headed Bluebill, Olive-green Camaroptera, Bronze, Scarlet-chested and Green-headed Sunbird, Cassin’s Honeybird, Honeyguide Greenbul, to mention but a few.
Lodging: Ride 4 Women Lodge
Day 11, Queen Elizabeth National Park:
We continue on to this famous national park, where the birding continues to impress, with varied species as we enter the savanna – Brown-chested Lapwing is a special here and we hope to bump into them. Combined with the Kazinga channel, a wide variety including waterbirds can be seen up close and personal. African Fish Eagle, Spur-winged Lapwing, thick-knees, herons, pelicans, bee-eaters and kingfishers abound. Mammals are impressive too, with chances of the tree climbing lions, Defassa Waterbuck, Serval, Buffalo, Uganda Kob, Bushbuck, Giant Forest Hog and many more.
Lodging: TBA
Day 12-13, Kibale National Park:
We travel to Kibale National Park, which is the best place in Africa to find Green-breasted Pitta. Other possible species include White-spotted Flufftail, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, African Blue Flycatcher, Afep, White-naped and Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Joyful Greenbul, Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Purple-headed and Chestnut-winged Starling, Red-chested Owlet, Shining-blue and Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Brown and Scaly-breasted Illadopsis , Western Black-headed Oriole, Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher, Crested Guineafowl, White-throated Greenbul, Yellow-spotted, Yellow-billed (inset) and Hairy-breasted Barbet, Grey-headed Oliveback, Black-bellied Seedcracker, Fawn-breasted and Black-crowned Waxbill, Green Twinspot and Black-and-white Mannikin, African Pied Hornbill, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Black-capped and Masked Apalis, Petit’s Cuckoo shrike, Superb, Green-throated, Tiny, Orange-tufted and Green-headed Sunbird, Dark-backed, Black-necked and Yellow-mantled Weaver, Dusky and Olive Longed-tailed Cuckoo, Black Bee-eater, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Scarce Swift, Thick-billed and Willcock’s Honeyguide, African Grey Parrot, Red-chested Flufftail, Uganda Woodland Warbler, African Goshawk and the majestic Crowned Eagle. We track impressive troops of Chimpanzee, and other wildlife includes Olive Baboon, Guezera, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, L’host, Blue, Vervet and Red-tailed Monkey, Elephant, Bushpig and Buffalo along the trail.
We will spend the following two days birding this fantastic forest.
Lodging: TBA
Day 14, Birding to Budongo:
We wake up this morning, have breakfast and set off for the Budongo area. This will be a whole day travelling with a good chance of birding on the way, Stop over will be done at strategic points to provide birding opportunities, stretching our legs and enjoying our picnic lunch, arriving in Masindi in the evening.
Lodging: Masindi Hotel
Day 15,
Birding in the Royal Mile (on to Murchison Falls)
We shall have an early morning breakfast, carry a picnic lunch and drive to the one of Uganda’s bird watching hotspots, The Royal Mile historically known as leisure spot for the King of Bunyoro to have his daily walk hence the Royal Mile. This forest comprises huge Mahogany trees and the forest has been cut back a few meters along the sides of the mail trail providing an excellent viewing area.
Key species include African Dwarf, Chocolate-backed, African Pygmy, Blue-breasted, and Shining Blue Kingfishers, Yellow and Grey Longbill, Olive-bellied Crombec, Brown-eared and Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Fraser’s Forest Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Elemomela, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Spotted, Plain, Slender-billed, Toro Olive, White-throated and Little Grey Greenbul, Pale-breasted, Brown and Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetail, Nahan’s Partridge, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Western Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-mantled Weaver, Yellow-spotted and Yellow-billed Barbet, Forest Robin, Red-tailed and White-tailed Ant Thrush, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle and African Crowned Eagle can be seen soaring over the canopy, Jameson’s and Chestnut Wattle-eye (inset), Ituri Batis, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Grey Parrot , Fire-crested Alethe, Black-and-White Thighed Hornbill, Olive-bellied, Green-throated, Superb, Green-headed and Grey-headed Sunbirds, Tambourine Dove, Red-headed and Crested Malimbe, African Emerald, Red-chested and Black Cuckoo, Buff-throated Apalis, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated and Speckled Tinkerbird. Later after lunch proceed to Murchison Falls National Park, and stay at Twiga Safari Lodge.
Lodging: Twiga Safari Lodge
Day 16, Birding in Murchison Falls:
We shall spend the next two days exploring this magical reserve – an abundance of savannah species as well as big game make for a memorable stay. We will also take a boat cruise up the river to the falls, where Rock Pratincoles are usually common and close to the boat.
This is Uganda`s biggest National Park and famous for its big game, spectacular scenery and the falls for which the park was named. The birding experience here is greatly enhanced by the abundant wildlife and scenic landscape of wetlands; dry savannah and open habitats. The key species here will be Blue-naped and Speckled Mousebird, Spotted Palm Thrush, Silverbird, Buff-bellied Warbler, Western Black-headed Batis, Black-headed Gonolek, Chestnut-crowned and White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Green-winged Pytilia ,Denham’s and Black-bellied Bustard, Heuglin’s Francolin, Northern Carmine (inset), Red-throated, White-throated, Swallow-tailed and Little Bee-eaters, Black-bellied and Bar-breasted Firefinch, Bruce’s and African Green Pigeon, Red-necked Falcon and Grey Kestrel, Senegal and Spotted Thick-knee, Black-billed and Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Double-toothed, Spot-flanked and Black-billed Barbet, White-crested Turaco, Vitelline Masked, Speckle-fronted, Slender-billed and Compact Weaver, Red-winged Grey and Red-winged Warbler, Broad-billed and Abyssinian Roller, Piapiac, Yellow-mantled Widowbird and Northern Red Bishop, Whistling, Short-winged, Singing, Zitting, Rattling, Croaking and Foxy Cisticola , Sooty and White-fronted Black Chat, White-crested Helmetshrike, Yellow-billed Shrike, Dark and Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Grey-headed, Woodland and Striped Kingfisher, Brown Babbler, Abyssinian Ground and African Grey Hornbills, Northern Black Flycatcher, Beautiful Sunbird, Vinaceous Dove, Western Osprey, Woodchat Shrike and Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow. Murchison Falls NP offers rewarding game viewing, the game includes Elephant, Warthog, Giraffe, Buffalo, Bushbuck, Oribi, Bohor Reedbuck, Uganda Kob, Waterbuck and Kongoni. The abundance of herbivores support a healthy Lion population. Small numbers of Patas monkeys inhabit the dry woodland north of the Nile.
Lodging: Twiga Safari Lodge
Day 17,
Return to Entebbe
Today we drive back to Entebbe and overnight for the morning flight home.
Cost of trip from TBA (single supplement TBA)
Includes
- Accomodation & meals
- Transport
- Mineral water
- Local guide and Bustards Birding Tours leader
- Excursions as described above
Excludes:
- Items of a personal nature
- International flights
- Medical tests that may be required
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities