21 Days Uganda Bird Watching Safari
This 21 days Uganda birding expedition allows you to explore the most sought-after bird species of Uganda and spot the best of 1073 total bird species found in Uganda.
Day 1 ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT THEN TRANSFER TO THE HOTEL
Arrival at the airport where you will be picked by your safari guide and later transported to your hotel for an overnight and if you arrive early, we can start ticking off our wish list with species like Eastern Plantain Eater, Black Headed Gonolek, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Red Chested Sunbird and many more.
Day 2: BIRDING MABIRA FOREST THEN TRANSFER TO MOUNT. ELGON
We leave our hotel in the morning for Mabira Forest in favor of ticking off our wish list for birds like Black Kite, White-headed Wood hoopoe, White-spotted Flufftail and many more.
Day 3: WHOLE DAY BIRDING THE MOUNT. ELGON RANGES
This morning we leave for Kapkwai part of mount Elgon to look for our target species like the Jacksons Francolin, Moorland Francolin, Montane Nightjar, Lammergeier, Taccaze Sunbird, Pearl Spotted Owlet Mottled Swifts, Black throated Apalis, White bellied Tit, Golden Winged Sunbird, Ayre’s Hawk Eagle, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Red-Winged Starling, Sharpes Starling, Red-fronted Parrot, Hartlaub’s Turaco and in the evening, we can try looking for the rare Nubian Nightjar.
Day 4: BIRDING TOWARDS MOROTO
Today we take on the long drive to Moroto birding along the way via the country’s biggest game reserve (Pian-upe game reserve) along the way we boost chances of seeing the country’s endemic specie the Fox’s weaver amongst other birds like the Karamoja Apalis, Giant Kingfisher, Shelly’s Sparrow, Superb Starling, Secretary Bird, Common Ostrich, Hartlaub’s Bustard and the unique Jackson’s Hornbill, the white-headed buffalo- weaver then transfer and have an overnight.
Day 5: BIRDING MATHENIKO GAME RESERVE
Today morning we drive to Matheniko game reserve where we shall unleash a lot of savannah species like Steel Blue Wydah, Purple Grenadier, Archers Francolin Stone Partridge, Black-headed Plover, White-bellied Go-away Bird, Jackson’s Hornbill, Hemp Rich’s Hornbill, handsome Silver bird, Grey-headed and Pygmy Batis, Bristle-crowned and Superb Starlings, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Purple Grenadier and Straw-tailed Whydah, African Grey-Fly-catcher,PurpleRoller,White-billed Buffalo-Weaver,
Day 6: BIRDING MOUNT MOROTO AND FOX’S WEAVER SEARCH
Today we drive to Mount Moroto looking for more savannah species White-crested Helmet-shrike, Orange River Francolin, The infamous Boran Cisticola Peregrine Falcon, Mocking Cliff-chat, Little Rock Thrush, Common Rock Thrush, African Hill-babbler then later drive to Katakwi to real search for the true country’s endemic the Fox’s Weaver, Parasitic Weaver, Heuglins Masked Weaver, Grey capped Social Weaver, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Rose Ringed Paraket, Senegal Coucal, African Scops-Owl, Pennant-Winged Nightjar, Plain Nightjar, Blue-napped Mouse bird, Abyssinian Roller, Rufous Chatterer.
Day 7: DRIVE TO MURCHSION FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Today we transfer to Uganda’s Largest protected area, Murchison Falls National Park where you will have an introduction to lots of savannah species like Bruce’s Pigeon, Giant Kingfisher, Osprey, Long-toed Plover, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Vinaceous Dove, Black-headed Lapwing, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Rock Pratincole, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Black-billed Barbet, Long-tailed Night jar bird, Weaver Birds, Yellow-billed Stork, Martial Eagle, Silver bird, Gray crowned Crane, Sand pipers, Pied Kingfishers, Standard-winged Nightjar, Malachite Kingfishers, Blue headed, Coucal, Denham’s Bustard, Swamp fly catcher, Goliath Heron, African Jacana, Secretary Bird, White crested Turaco, Red-throated Bee eater, Saddle-billed stork, Senegal Thick-Knee, Red winged Grey Warbler
Day 8: BIRDING AND BOAT CRUISE ON THE NILE
Early Morning game drive for more savannah species like the Speckle Fronted Weaver, Swallow Tailed Bee-eater, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Red-Necked Falcon, Southern and northern and southern Carmine Bee-eater then later do an afternoon boat cruise that will unveil you to more water birds like the red throated bee-eaters nesting by the cliff sides, African skimmer, Shoebill, African Darter after the cruise we shall do an evening extended birding for more species like the Brown backed Scrub – Robbin, Red faced Crombec, Harlequin Quail.
Day 9: TRANSFER TO MASINDI BIRDING ALONG THE WAY
Today Morning we bird leaving the park to Masindi in search of more savannah species like the Red collared widow bird, Red Faced Cisticola, Yellow Mantled Widow bird, Diederik Cuckoo, White Browed Coucal, Black Headed Heron, African Palm Swift, White Headed Barbet, Grey headed Kingfisher, Stripped Kingfisher in the evening we can go and bird watch in Kasokwa Forest then transfer back to Masindi for an overnight stay.
Day 10: WHOLE DAY BIRDING ROYAL MILE AND THE FAMOUS MASINDI-KAFU STRETCH
Today we bird heading to Royal Mile in Budongo Forest in search of more targets like the Cabanis Bunting, Brown Twin spot, White-browed Scrub-robin, then later we shall enter the forest to search for the rare forest species like Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Black-capped Apalis, Ituri Batis, Chestnut-caped Flycatcher, Grey-headed Sunbird, Western-black Headed Oriole, African Crowned Eagle, Nahan’s Francolin, White-spotted Flufftail, Sabine’s Spine tail, Cassin’s Spine tail, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Dwarf Kingfisher, Blue-throated Roller, Piping Hornbill, White-thighed Hornbill, Spotted Greenbul, Fire-crested Alethe, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Rufous-crowned Elemomela, Yellow-browed Camaroptera in the evening we shall drive back and bird watch the Masindi-Kafu stretch
Day 11: LONG DAY TRANSFER TO SEMULIKI NATIONAL PARK
Whole day Transfer to Semuliki National Park birding as we stop along the way where we hope to see many birds like the Northern Grey Headed Sparrow, Violet backed Starling, Ross’s Turaco, Brime stone Canary, Black kite, Village Indigo Bird, and later check in with an optional evening Forest birding around Semuliki.
Day 12: BIRDING THE FAMOUS KIRUMIYA TRAIL
Today, we wake up so early to meet the Semuliki specials like the Nkulengu Rail then we spend the whole day at Kirumiya trail looking for more species like 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 Puff back, 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 Sparrow hawk, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Grant’s Bluebill, Afep Pigeon, Blue-headed Coucal, Bates’s Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, Cassin’ Spinetail, Sabine’s Spinetail, White-bellied Kingfisher, Shining-blue Kingfisher, then later
Day 13: BIRDING THE MONKEY TRAIL, THEN LATER TRANSFER TO KIBALE FOREST
Today we go back to the same Forest but birding a different trail called Monkey Trail which will introduce you to more spectacular birds like yellow-throated Cuckoo, Piping Hornbill, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Black Dwarf Hornbill, White-crested Hornbill, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, African Piculet, White-throated Blue Swallow, Yellow-throated Nicator, Leaf-love, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Crested Malimbe, Red-bellied Malimbe, Blue-billed malimbe, Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, Orange-cheeked Waxbill. Then from there we shall drive to kibale Forest National Park
Day 14: GREEN BREASTED PITTA SEARCH AND THE BIGODI SWAMP WALK
Early morning Birding in search of the most sought after bird,the, Green-breasted Pitta, African Pitta, Pigeon, White-napped Pigeon, Crowned Eagle, Red-chested Owlet, Black Bee-eater, Western Nicator, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Little Greenbul, Brown-chested Alethe, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, African Grey Parrot, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis ,Brown Illadopsis, Black-capped Apalis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Collared Apalis, Dusky Crimsonwing, Blue-throated brown Sunbird, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow Spotted Nicator, Little Greenbul, Black-eared Ground Thrush and the Abyssinian Ground-thrush then later do an afternoon Bigodi Swamp Walk for more species like the Papyrus Gonolek, White winged Warbler, greater reed warbler, Great Blue Turaco, Brown Throated Wattle-eye, double Toothed Barbet then head back to the hotel
Day 15 LONG DRIVE TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST (BUHOMA SECTOR)
Today we drive a long journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest but so rewarding making several stops along the way in Maramabagambo Forest looking at species like Yellowbill, African Crake, Orange Breasted Bushrike, Saddle Billed Stork in the evening when we get to Bwindi we can check out some spots for the Red-Chested Flufftail, Red Headed Blue bill, Black Throated Seedeater, African Citril among other birds, we shall also try our luck on searching for the Hilderbrandt’s Francolin around the ishasha stretch
Day 16: WHOLE DAY BIRDING THE BUHOMA TRAIL
Whole day Birding Buhoma Trail which introduces us to rare Albertine endemics and other birds like the Narrow-tailed Starlings, Wallers Starling, Northern Double Collared Sunbird, Chapin’s Flycatcher, 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 Flycatcher, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Black-throated Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Grey Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, the Olive-green and Grey-backed Camaroptera, White-chinned Prinia, Green Hylia, Short-tailed Warbler, White-tailed Anti-thrush, Cape Wagtail, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, White-browed Crombec
Day. 17: BIRDING THE NECK TO RUHIJA
Today we leave in the morning to go bird watching in the Neck, the neck is a stretch that connects Buhoma Sector to Ruhija Sector, the unique stretch has a lot to offer like the African Black Duck, Honey Guide Greenbul, Bar tailed Trogon, Crested Mantled Flycatcher, Many Collared Bushrike, Lagden’s Bush-shrike, Grey Headed Bushrike, Blue Headed Crested Fly catcher among many then later we shall drive to Ruhija and in the evening we can surely bird watch at the forest edge.
Day 18: BIRDING RUHIJA THEN LATER TRANSFER TO MGAHINGA NATIONAL PARK VIA ECHUYA FOREST
Morning Birding in Ruhija at the community trail for special Albertine endemics like the Blue Headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Strange weaver, Chubb’s Cisticola, Grey Throated Barbet, 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, Luther’s Bush-shrike, Doherty`s Bush-shrike, Mountain Illadopsis, Rwenzori Nightjar after we shall later transfer to Mgahinga National Park but making a stopover at more birds in Echuya Forest for species like the Kandt’s Waxbill, Blackcap, Kivu Thrush, African Hill Babbler, Dusky Twin spot among other birds.
Day 19: WHOLE DAY BIRDING IN THE MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK
Today we boost our whole day of more luck unleashing more great birds at Mgahinga National Park for species like Rwenzori Turaco, Shelley’s Crimson swing, Western Green Tinkerbird, Crowned Hornbill, Black Kite and Crowned Crane, Handsome Francolin, Dusky Turtle Dove, Alpine Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Montane Double-collared Sunbird Banded Prinia and Doherty’s Bush Shrike are vocal yet inconspicuous inhabitants of tangles at the forest edge whilst Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher and Mackinnons’s Fiscal. later we shall drive off to head back to our hotel in the evening.
Day 20: TRANSFER TO LAKE MBURO AND EVENING BOAT CRUISE
Early transfer to lake Mburo National Park birding along the way to search for the Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Papyrus Canary, Sedge warbler, in the evening we shall do a boat cruise searching for the Crested, Coqui, and the Red-winged Francolins, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Barefaced Go-away bird, Harlequin and Blue Quails, Common Button Quail, White-headed and Red-faced Barbet, Greenwood Hoopoe, Common Scimitar bill, Blue-napped Mousebird, Blue-breasted and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill, the Nubian, Buff-spotted, Brown-eared, and the Grey Woodpeckers, Trilling, Stout, and Wing-snapping Cisticolas, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, African-wattled Plover, Rufous napped and Flappet larks, Rufous-chested Swallow ,Yellow-throated Longclaw, Black-winged Bishop, Chubb’s, Carruther’s and a number of other Cisticolas, the Lesser and Great Swamp Warblers, among others.
Day 21: TRANSFER BACK TO ENTEBBE FOR YOUR FLIGHT BACK HOME
Today we climax the day with birding around the park as we drive towards Entebbe for our safe flight back home, we shall make several stops trying out the last bye species that are worth like the Greater honey guide, Black Faced waxbills, Hottenstein, Pied Hornbill, Short Toed Snake Eagle, Grey Kestrel, African Hooded Vulture among the many bringing our long trip to an end.
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Our Partners
Uganda Tourism Board
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Uganda Wildlife Authority
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The Buhoma Gorilla Camp
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The Bwindi Kids Charity
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