Venture on the Countryside for 20 Days to explore the best spots for Birdwatching tours, Gorilla trekking as well encountering hundreds of savannah grazers in the Open. 20 Days Classic Birding in Uganda & Gorilla Trekking Safari gives a memorable Experience with lots to give you a glimpse as you step in the Jungle to have an experience with the complete mothers nature store.
This is an once-in-a-lifetime bird Watching and game viewing experience. This Safari takes you to all Uganda’s prime birding spots including Africa’s number one bird watching spot Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You have the opportunity to see specialties from the Albertine Rift Mountains and from the five biome species of Central and Eastern Africa to which Uganda is amidst. These biomes comprise the Sudan–Guinea Savanna with 22 Ugandan species restricted to it, the Guinea–Congo Forests biome with 144 species, the Lake Victoria Basin biome with 12 species, the Afro-tropical Highlands biome with 88 species, and the Somali–Masai biome with 32 species. All the selected sites are very rich in other wildlife and flora and expect to meet a big number of mammals for example; Lions, Buffaloes, Elephants, Leopards, Hippopotamus, Warthogs, giraffes, zebras, impalas, hippos, hyenas, and primates like chimpanzees alongside other 13 species and also endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park with half of the world’s mountain gorilla population
Day 1: Arrival.
Arrival and transfer to the hotel in Kampala or Entebbe
Day 2: Mabamba Wetland and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park.
After an early breakfast, we drive to Mabamba Swamp expecting to see birds like White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow-backed Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Blue-headed Coucal, and other swamp specialties including the rare Shoebill.
Day 3: Birding safari in Lake Mburo National Park.
After an early breakfast, we go on a birding and game drive following numerous tracks in Lake Mburo National Park. You have chances of viewing mammals such as Zebra, Topi, Elephant, Eland, Impala, Buffalo, Water Buck, among others and bird species like the African Finfoot, 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 Black-billed Barbet, Greenwood Hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, Blue-napped Mousebird, Blue-breasted and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill, the Nubian, Bu’-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, Black Crake, Common Squacco, Striated, Goliath, Purple, Black-headed, Grey, and Black-headed Herons, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, the African Fish Eagle, (African Finfoot, Papyrus Yellow Warbler & Red-faced Barbet) among others
Day 4: Birding safari to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This vast reserve arguably offers the most productive montane forest birding safari the African Finfoot, 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 Black-billed Barbet, Greenwood Hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, Blue-napped Mousebird, Blue-breasted and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill, the Nubian, Bu’-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, Black Crake, Common Squacco, Striated, Goliath, Purple, Black-headed, Grey, and Black-headed Herons, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, the African Fish Eagle, (African Finfoot, Papyrus Yellow Warbler & Red-faced Barbet) among othersexperience in Africa and supports 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemic
Day 5: Birding safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest.
Early morning after breakfast we go birding in Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Here, 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, SlatyFlyacatcher, 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, to mention but a few.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi impentrable national park.
Early morning after breakfast we drive to the Visitors’ Information Center with our packed lunch and walking sticks to meet the ranger guides who will brief about the gorilla trekking experience. The highlight of a visit to Bwindi is a magical hour in the company of a family of Mountain Gorillas. Tracking the Gorillas can last for a few hours to the whole day depending on how far the group has moved since it was last observed nesting up the previous evening. Contact time with the gorillas is restricted to 1hour and participants must be aged 15years of age
Day 7: Birding safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Specialty species in the park include: Harlequin, Blue, Small (Common) Button Quails, African Crake, White-winged Warbler, Martial Eagle, African Skimmer, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Papyrus Gonolek, Amur Falcon, Ovampo Sparrow-hawk, Lowland Akalat, Greater and Lesser Flamingo, rare Shoebill, Black Bee-eater, Caruthers’s Cisticola, Terek Sandpiper, Secretary Bird, and Temminck’s Courser.
Day 8: Birding at Kazinga Channel on a Boat.
The birds you are likely to encounter include: African Skimmer, Striated Heron, African Spoonbill, Water Thick-knee, Three-banded Plover, Marsh, Green, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Gray-headed Gull, Plain Martin Lesser Swamp-Warbler and Yellow-billed Oxpecker.
Day 9: Imaramagambo Forest Birding and Transfer to Kibale Forest.
A few specialties at this forest include; the Yellow-bellied and Jameson’s Wattle-eyes, Black Bee-eater, White-tailed and Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, Brown and Grey-chested Illadopsis, Shinning Blue Kingfisher, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Narina Trogon, Least Honeyguide, Grey Greenbul, Brown-chested Alethe, and the African Finfoot.
Day 10: Bird watching safari Kibale Forest National Park and Bigodi Wetland.
Birding Bigodi wetland is also productive with riverine forest specialties. Species include: Black headed, Grosbeak, Black-necked, Vieillot’s, and Black billed Weavers, Speckled Mouse-bird, Mosque Swallow, Blue Flycatcher, Black and White Mannikin, Red-eyed Dove, White-chinned Prinia, Little Grey and Joyful Greenbuls, Grey-winged Robin-chat, Lead-colored Flycatcher, Open-billed Stork, Olive-bellied Sunbird, White-throated Apalis.
Day 11: Birding Kibale Forest National Park.
Here, we have chances of seeing the; Black-billed Turacco, Honeyguide Greenbul, Purple-headed Starling, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Green-throated Sunbird, Little Green Sunbird, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Mountain Wagtail, Narrow-tailed Starling, Superb Sunbird, Black and White Casqued Hornbill, African Grey Parrot, Black Weaver, Speckled Tinkerbird, Long-crested Eagle,Here we will see the darling Green-breasted Pitta and more forest species like the Brown Illadopsis, Brown-capped Weaver, Brown-chested Alethe, Black-headed Oriole, African Emerald Cuckoo, African Green-pigeon, Black-crowned Tchagra, African Wood Owl, African/Rwenzori/Abyssinian Hill-Babbler, Alpine Swift, Ashy Flycatcher, Barn Swallow, Black Bee-eater, Black Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo-shrike, (Green-breasted Pitta), Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Black-and-white Mannikin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Black-billed Turacco, Black-billed Weaver, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, African Dusky Flycatcher, Black-headed Weaver, Black-necked Weaver, African Citril (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 and many more. Later in the evening we will have Bigodi Swamp walk where we will look up for more other species of Birds and monkeys such as the Black & White Colobus, Black-Faced Vervet Monkey, Red tailed monkey, Grey-Cheeked Mangabey, L’Hoest Monkey, and blue monkeys.
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Day 12: Uganda Bird watching safari to Budongo forest.
We take a long drive to Budongo, arriving late afternoon. If time allows, we may bird along the way at Busingiro section of Budongo Forest.
Day 13: Bird watching safari The Royal Mile.
Specialty birds in Budongo include; White-thighed and Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills, Yellow-spotted and Yellow billed Barbets, Western Black-headed Oriole, along with Red-tailed and Blue Monkeys. Overhead, Sabine’s and sometimes Cassin’s Spinetails soar over the clearings. As we walk quietly along the trail, Red-tailed Ant-Thrushes skulk in the shadows, as do Red-tailed Bristlebill, Scaly-breasted, Pale-breasted and Brown Illadopsis.
Day 14: – Busingiro Section Birdwatching safari.
On this day, we bird in the Busingiro section of Budongo Forest. Specialties here include; Red-headed Malimbe, Sooty Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Tit Hylia, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Buff-throated Apalis, Black-throated Apalis, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Green Sunbird, Superb Sunbird, Tambourine Dove, Golden-breasted Bunting.
Day 15: Birding Safari – Murchison Falls National Park.
Special birds include; Cliff Chat, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Grey headed Bush Shrike, Singing Cisticola, African Finfoot, Namaqua Dove, Green-winged Pytilia, Red-backed Shrike, Crested Francolin, Black-headed Bush Shrike, Northern and Black-winged Red Bishops, Black Bellied Firefinch, Black-faced Waxbill and March Tchagra.
Days 16-17:
Uganda Birding safari at the northern bank of River Nile,Launch trip to the bottom of Falls, and birding to the top Falls. We start birding after an early breakfast. Depending on the information available from our site guides, we may choose to take a boat along the Victoria Nile or game drive to the delta.
Special birds to look for include; Shoebill, Secretary Bird, Abyssinian Roller and Ground Hornbill, Pied Kingfishers, Red-throated Bee-eaters, Goliath Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Senegal Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing, Long-toed Lapwing, Little Bittern, Osprey, Red-necked Falcon, Blue-breasted Bee-eater etc.
Day 18: Kanio Pabide section Bird watching safari in Budongo Forest
Special birds at Budongo include; Rufous-sided Broadbill, the very rare Puvell’s Illadopsis, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Yellow and Grey Long bills, Whistling Cisticola, Black Bishop, Red-headed and Red-billed Quelleas, Magpie Mannikin, Blue-throated Roller, The forest is also home to Chimpanzees.
Day 19: Birding safari to Entebbe
Drive back to Kampala and bird along the way.
