21 Days: Birding in Uganda

Day 1:
Early in the morning, have breakfast to go birding in Mabira forest. The largest remaining stand of indigenous forest in central Uganda situated so close to the largest cities. Mabira ranks as one of the most important ornithological sites in Uganda with more than 300 species recorded. You will bird the whole day and you should expect birds like African pitta, Nahan’s Francolin, Weyn’s weaver, purple-throated cuckoo-shrike and many more. After birding you will then transfer back to Kampala for dinner and overnight at Sheraton Hotel/ Serena Hotel / Hotel Africana.

Day 2:
Have breakfast to transfer to Budongo forest. You will reach in the afternoon and then go birding in Busingiro area. Expect birds like the Grey throated and chestnut-capped Flycatchers, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle and blue throated Roller, Green breasted Pitta and many more. Dinner and overnight at Busingiro Tourist Site /Nyabyeya Forestry College.
Day 3:
Have breakfast to go for a whole day birding at the Royal Mile area. You should carry packed lunch with you to have a picnic lunch in the forest. In this area you should expect birds like Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted and African Dwarf Kingfishers which are remarkably common. Others include; Western Black-headed Oriole and Purple-headed Starling, Yellow spotted barbets, Black and white casqued hornbills, Brown crowned Eremomela, the Elusive Lemon-bellied Crombec, Grey headed and Green Sunbirds and many more. Dinner and overnight at Busingiro Tourist Site /Nyabyeya Forestry College.

Day 4:
Have breakfast to transfer to Kibale National Park. You will reach in the afternoon to go for late afternoon birding at the Magombe Swamp. Expect birds like Papyrus Gonolek, White winged warbler, White spotted Flufftail Blue Headed Coucal and many more. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge / Mantana Tented camp.

Day 5:
Go for a full day walk through the forest in search for birds. In the afternoon go for birding in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary Expect birds like Abyssinian Ground Thrush African pitas, Masked Apalis, White headed wood hoopoe and many more. . Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge / Mantana Tented camp.

Day 6;
Have breakfast to transfer to Semliki National Park. You will have lunch enroute to reach in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Semliki Safari Lodge.

Day 7& 8:
Have breakfast to go search for birds the whole day birding. You will also go for night game drive to search for birds and other animals. This provides you with nocturnal birds like African Scops Owl, Pearl spotted Owlet, Pennant winged nightjars and many more. Daylight birds you should expect include Blue napped mouse birds, Grey headed and stripped kingfishers, crowned hornbill and many more. Dinner and overnight at Semliki Safari Lodge.

Day 9:
Have breakfast and then drive off to Queen Elizabeth national park. More than 610 species have now been recorded in Queen Elizabeth NP possibly the highest total in any national park in Africa if not the world and a truly remarkable figure for a reserve that is relatively small by continent standards. The park has a variety of woodland birds, forest birds and water birds species-resident and migrant species. Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Dinner and Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.

Day 10:
Go for an early morning drive in the Kasenyi sector in search for Game and birds. Expect birds like Brown snake eagle, Bateleur, African Harrier -haw, Martial Eagle and Grey Kestrel, Crowned and African wattled Plovers, Harlequin Quail, Common Buttonquail and many more. In the afternoon you will go for boat cruise on the Kazinga channel to check out the water birds. Expect birds like Great White and Pink-backed pelicans, Common Squacco Heron, African Open-billed Stork, African Fish Eagle, Malachite and pied Kingfisher and many more. Dinner and Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.

Day 11:
Have breakfast to transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable forest to bird enroute in the Ruhija bamboo zone. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla forest camp / Buhoma community homestead.

Day 12:
Go for a full day birding along the long and short trail to Mubwindi swamp. This will reward you with birds like Purple breasted sunbird, narrow tailed starling, Crimsonwings, warblers, Illadopses and many more. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla forest camp / Buhoma community homestead.

Day 13:
Bird along the waterfall trail for the whole day. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla forest camp / Buhoma community homestead.

Day 14:
Go for a full day birding in Ruhija area and the neck. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla forest camp / Buhoma community homestead.

Day 15:
Have breakfast to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. The word Bunyonyi translates as place for little birds although large birds also exist. Bird like Egrets, herons and grey crowned crane should be expected. Dinner and overnight at Bushara Island Camp / Bunyonyi overland Resort.

 

Day 16
Whole day birding in Lake Bunyonyi and in the forest of Bushara Island. Dinner and overnight at Bushara Island.

Day 17
Have breakfast to go for a boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi to the punishment island while birding, proceed to Nature Island for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon go birding and for a cultural tour on the Island. Expect birds like Cattle Egrets, African fish Eagle, Kingfisher and so many spend an overnight at bushara Island camp.

Day 18
Early in the morning have breakfast to transfer to Lake Mburo NP. You will bird along the way to reach the park in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at luxurious Mantana tented Camp/Budget Rwonyo Camp (FB).

Day 19 & 20:
Have breakfast very early in the morning to go for more birding in the park along the Kigambira loop, which traverses a variety of productive habitats. Expect birds like African Marsh Harriers, Banded Snake Eagles, Shikra Goshawks, Augur Buzzard, African fish, Twany, Steppe, and African Hawk Eagles and many more. Retire for the boat ride on Lake Mburo in the afternoon to check out some of the water bird species such as Papyrus Gonolek, Malachite Kingfishers etc and then transfer to Mgahinga National Park. Dinner and overnight at luxurious Mantana tented Camp/Budget Rwonyo Camp (FB).

Day 21:
Have breakfast to transfer to Kampala. Dinner and overnight at Sheraton Hotel / Serena Hotel/ Hotel Africana.