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Embark on a 13-Day Birding Adventure in Kidepo Valley National Park. This tour immerses you in one of Uganda's most pristine and remote national parks, renowned for its stunning landscapes and diverse birdlife. Located in the northeastern region of Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park is a haven for bird watchers, boasting over 475 bird species, including several endemics and rare sightings. Explore the rugged savannahs, lush valleys, and unique ecosystems that make this park a must-visit destination for any birding enthusiast.
Plan your ultimate birding experience in Uganda with this comprehensive 13-day tour in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Trip Outline
Day 1: Arrival, birding mabamba wetland and transfer to Mabira forest
Day 2: Birding Mabira forest
Day 3: Birding to Soroti
Day 4: Birding Pakwi
Day 5: Transfer to Mt.Elgon national Park
Day 6: Birding Mt. Elgon National Park
Day 7: Birding to Pian-upe game reserve
Day 8: Birding Pian-Upe game reserve
Day 9: Birding to Kidepo valley national park
Day 10, 11 &12: Birding and game drives in Kidepo Valley National park
Day 13: Birding to Entebbe
This 14 days birding Kidepo Valley National Park tour will get you birding the northern eastern part of Uganda. You will get to spot a variety of bird species.
Itineraries
Day 1
Arrival and bird Mabamba wetland
With an early morning arrival, picked up by our knowledgeable birding guide, you will immediately go bird Mabamba wetland. This will be done using a canoe.
Driving there, we might get African Green Pigeon, Great Blue and Ross’s Turaco; they like patching high on the snags by the roadside.
While looking for the Shoebill, we should expect a collection of typical African water and nearby habitat birds like Malachite Kingfisher, Long-toed Lapwing, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, African Jacana and Yellow-billed Duck. Here are also high chances for African White-backed Duck, Lesser Jacana, Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal, African Marsh Harrier, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Common Waxbill, Grey-capped Warbler, Madagascar and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater depending on the season and several others.
After searching for the Shoebill, we will drive to the east for our next day’s birding at Mabira Forest.
Day 2
Birding Mabira forest
Today, we will spend our precious time birding Mabira forest for a good collection of Guinea-congo forest species.
In the morning and the afternoon sessions, we will focus on finding the yellow-eyed and Red-tailed Bristlebill, Forest Robin, Brown-chested and Fire-crested Alethe, Scaly-breasted and Brown Illadopsis, Nahan’s Francolin among other ground-dwelling skulkers. We will work hard in search of White-spotted flufftail which tends to love hanging around streams, Blue-shouldered and Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat, Yellow and Grey Longbills, Shinning Blue and Blue-breasted KingfisherS, Forest Woodhoopoe, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike, Lowland Sooty Boubou, Great Blue and Purple-crested Turaco along with several other good birds. These and several others, show well in the mid-strata and canopies but the skies are also great for Sabine’s and Cassin Spinetail and a few species of raptors.
Day 3
Birding to Soroti
After early morning breakfast, we go birding to soroti through the Maddy areas and rice schemes. The Rice schemes are rich waterfowl, sometimes, uncommon birds like the Black Egret and Rufous-bellied Herons show up very nicely. Soroti is a town but a vantage location for setting off to the Fox’s Weaver and Karamoja Apalis locations.
Day 4
Birding Pakwi
We escape Soroti town in the morning and head to Pakwi. This remote part of Kumi district is characterised by thorny whistling acacia and dry scrubs which are great for an impressive number of dry country birds. The whistling acacia holes attract a species of acacia ants which are a prime diet for the Fox’s Weaver and the hard to find Karamoja Apalis.
While looking for the two targets, the area can be great for a variety of seed-eating birds and birds of prey. Birds like the migratory Lesser Kestrel, Brown and Black-breasted Snake-eagle, Bateleur and Wahlberg’s Eagles, Black-headed Gonolek, Wattled Starling, Red-headed, Red-billed and Cardinal Quelea, Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow, Red-throated Pipit, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Allen’s Gallinule, African Pygmy Goose, Stout and Red-faced Cisticola and many more can be found without a hustle.
Day 5
Transfer to Mt.Elgon
Have an early breakfast and drive towards Sipi village for birding Mountain Elgon National Park. This beautiful forested mountain park harbours 43 of the 144 species of the Guinea-Congo Forests biome and 56 of the 88 species of Afro-tropical Highland biome that occur in Uganda. When we arrive, we spend the afternoon birding the environs all the way to the fascinating Sipi Falls.
Day 6
Birding Mt. Elgon
We will have breakfast and then head into the park’s montane forests. The elevation here is quite high; therefore, cold weather should be expected; for similar reasons, it is a better quality of birds here! The species here are high elevation loving. We shall cover some of the well-established trails in search for Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Black-collared Apalis, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Jackson Francolin, , Moustached Tinkerbird, White-starred Robin, Cape Robin-Chat, Little Rock-Thrush, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, African Hill Babbler, White-browed Crombec, a few dark-coloured Starlings, Amythist Sunbird, and Hartlaub’s Turaco among others.
Day 7
Transfer to Pian-Upe game reserve
Pian- Up game reserve as a virgin grassland and wooded habitats have created an incredibly welcoming habitat for dry country birds and very cool mammals that are highly sought after by travellers. On this note, this is the only park in the country where the handsome Roan antelopes can be seen. We will search its Red acacia, Desert date, Bushwillows, Harrisonia abyssinica, and Red spike thorns as well as shrubs, such as butterfly pea and woolly caper bush for several Cisticola family birds. We will observe its sky for some magnificent birds of prey like the spectacular Secretary Bird, Fawny Lark, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Jackson’s Hornbill, and east African endemics like the Karamoja Apalis.
Day 8
Birding Pian-Upe game reserve
This entire day will be spent birding this game reserve and it's surroundings.
Day 9
Birding to Kidepo valley national park
Starting in the morning after breakfast, you will bird to Kidepo valley national park via MorotoT and Matheniko game reserve. This stretch is about driving through villages and communities. It is all dry country and usually the best time to find Blue-capped, Steel-blue Whydah and Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah. We will look out for them and also scan through thickets for Rufous Chatterer and d’Arnaud’s Barbet along with several other birds that have this for a home. Have stopovers for lunch and more. Arrive in the evening, check in for dinner and night stay
Day 10, 11, 12
Birding Kidepo valley national park
Three full days will be spent exploring Kidepo; activities will include bird watching, day and night game drives, cultural visit to the Karamajong communities for some cultural performances, game, and bird walks within the park.
offer the best as far as ornithological trips are concerned. Kidepo has a record of up to 480 species in total.
The Narus Valley and the Ostrich areas are fantastic spots for an exceptional birding experience. The Common Ostrich, Secretary Bird, Scissor-tailed Kite, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon, Fox Kestrel, Stone Partridge, Clapperton’s, Heuglin’s, Yellow-necked Francolins, Kori, White-bellied and Hartlaub’s Bustards love it here. The uncommon Violet-tipped Courser, Black-headed Lapwing, Four-banded Sand Grouse, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, White-crested Turaco, White-bellied Go-away bird, White-faced Scoops-Owl, Long-tailed and Standard-winged Nightjars, Little Green Bee-eater, Abyssinian and Rufous-crowned Rollers, the Abyssinian Ground, Eastern Yellow and Jackson’s Hornbills are also among the many birds we will look for. Still while scanning the scrubs and walking through dry country thorny acacia; Red-fronted and Black-breasted Barbets, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Singing Bush lark, Red-winged Lark, Ethiopian Swallow, Pied, Isabelline and Heuglin’s Wheaters, Grayish Flycatcher, Foxy and Red pate Cisticolas, Karamoja Apalis, White-bellied Tit, Mouse-coloured Pendu Tit, Northern and Yellow-billed Shrikes, Slate-coloured Boubou, Fan-tailed Raven, Superb Starling, Red-billed Oxpecker, Eastern Violet-backed, Pygmy and Beautiful Sunbirds, Rufous and Chestnut Sparrow, Yellow-spotted Petronia, White-headed and White-billed Buffalo-Weavers, White-browed and Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weavers, Grey-capped Social and Speckle-fronted Weavers, Pytilias like Green-winged, Orange-winged and Red-winged, Black-bellied and Black-faced Waxbills, and the Brown-rumped Bunting, are just a few of the 480 bird species the Park boosts.
Kidepo’s mammal list of over 80 species includes 28 species not found in any other Ugandan National park. Amongst these are such charismatic African animals as Bat-eared Fox, Caracal, Cheetah, and Klipspringer.
Day 13
Birding to Entebbe
This journey takes around 10 hours of driving. Early in the morning, you will start on the journey back to the airport for your flight. You will do some birding along the way. Have stopovers for lunch and stretching.
End of trip.
Transportation
Meals and accommodation
Knowledgeable English speaking birding guide
Park entry fees
visa and air ticket fees
Personal expenses
Insurance
Laundry
Phone bills
