30 Days Birding in Uganda: The Perfect Hardcore Itinerary

Arrival for our exciting Birding safari

On early arrival will be introduced to birding in Uganda at the Entebbe Botanical gardens and expect to see the almost Lake Victoria endemic Orange Weaver, Village, Golden Backed, Northern-brown Throated, Slender-billed, Grosbeak, Black-necked and Black-headed Weaver, a variety of sunbirds including but not limited to the Superb, Green-throated, Mariqua, Red-chested, Collared, Scarlet-chested, Bronze, Olive and Olive-bellied Sunbird, Pink-backed Pelican, Vieillot’s Black, African Jacana, Yellow-billed and African Open-billed Stork, Red-chested Klaas’s and Diederik Cuckoo the sought after Giant Kingfisher, African Pygmy, Pied, Woodland and Malachite all reside here, the seasonal Eurasian, the seasonal and migrating White-throated and Blue-checked Bee-eater, Yellow-billed Duck, Wood, Common and Green Sandpiper, Black Crake, Black-and-white Casqued, African Pied and Crowned Hornbill, Africa and Red-billed Firefinch,. etc

Birding on Boat and transfer to Kisoro Via Echuya

Morning birding on foot along the park trails with an armed ranger then back to our lodge for breakfast, after this we proceed for a game and birding drive which gives us higher chances of viewing mammals like the Zebras, Impalas, Elands, Topis, Buffaloes, Rothschild’s Giraffe among others, as we bird we focus our attention on the search for the Crested, Black Collared and Red Faced Barbet, Coqui Francolin, Brown Chested Plover, Tabora Cisticola, Red Headed Weaver, Lesser-blue Eared Starling, Buff-bellied Warbler, Black Shouldered Cuckoo Shrike, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike, Green Capped Eremomela, Bare faced Go-away-bird, Red Billed Wood Hope and more acacia associated birds, we later drive out and head to Kisoro having stopovers in search for the Carruther’s Cisticola, African Stonechat, Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Canary, Greater and Lesser Swamp Warbler, Highland Rush Warbler and the localized littler known resident of dense papyrus beds – the Papyrus Yellow Warbler among the papyrus rarities, we shall carry on and spend a few hours in the Echuya Forest Reserve which will give us a small introduction to a few Albertine Rift Endemics and high altitude dwellers like the Dusky Crimsonwing, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Rwenzori Apalis and Batis, Strange Weaver, Black Faced Apalis, the Rockefeller’s like looking Regal

Transfer to Ruhija birding via Echuya Forest.

After early morning breakfast, bird as we proceed to Ruhija through Echuya forest for Archer’s Robin-Chat, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Black-faced Apalis, White-napped Raven, Black-crowned Waxbill, birding around the forest margins is always very productive. This part of Bwindi is generally at a higher altitude. Forest birding at Bwindi ranks the best in Uganda and perhaps the whole of Africa. It is home to over 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemics and the No. 1 Birding site in Africa as per the African Birding Club. Here we mostly look out for bird species like Black-billed Turaco, Fine-banded Woodpecker, African Green-Broadbill, Western Green Tinkerbird, Mountain Greenbul, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Grauer’s Rush, Red-faced Woodland, Grauer’s and Mountain Yellow Warbler, Buff Throated, Chestnut-throated, Black-faced and Rwenzori Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, Mountain Black Boubou, Regal Sunbird, Purple-breasted and Blue-headed Sunbird, , Red-throated Alethe, African Shrike, Ashy, Dusky-blue, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, White-bellied Crested-flycatcher, Dusky Tit, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Grey-headed Sunbird, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, White-napped Raven, Montane Oriole, Sharpe’s, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Waller’s and Narrow-tailed Starling, Brown-capped, Strange, Baglafecht, Black-necked and Black-billed Weaver, Bar-tailed Trogon, East African Swee, Yellow-crowned Canary, Thick-billed and Streaky Seedeater, Oriole Finch, Mountain Buzzard.

Gorilla tracking

We will start with a very morning breakfast then leave the lodge early to reach the park’s Registration Center, where the trek will start after introductions and a briefing from the head guide on what to expect and how to act once you find the gorillas.

Birding Buhoma

After an early breakfast, we start birding at this lower side of Bwindi in search for the Bar-tailed Trogon, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Black Bee-Eater, this is the best site for the African Broadbill, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Fine Banded, Elliot’s and Buff Spotted Woodpecker, Equatorial Akalat, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue Headed, Blue Throated, Little Green and Blue Throated Brown Sunbird, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, the very special Short-tailed Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Many-coloured, Bocage’s and Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Waller’s, Stuhlmann’s and Narrow Tailed Starlings, Black-billed, Brown-capped and Black Necked weaver, Oberlaender’s Ground-Thrush, the unusual Woodhouse’s Antpecker among other birds.

Whole day Birding in the park

You start early for a game drive and birding the vast grassland area the whole morning. Later in the afternoon you have an exciting boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This is a natural water channel connecting Lakes George and Edward, with excellent photographic opportunities for waterside birds and abundant Hippopotamus. Birding on the boat avails us opportunities of seeing the African Skimmer, African Spoonbill, Striated Heron, Water Thick-knee, Marsh, Green, Three-banded Plover, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Lesser Black Backed and Gray-headed Gull, White-winged Black and Whiskered Tern, Plain Martin, Wire-tailed Swallow, Lesser Swamp-Warbler, Terek Sandpiper most of which are winter visitors.

Whole day birding Semliki Valley National Park

The main trail is the Kirumia with its interlinking tracks which provide special Guinea-Congo biome endemic species like the striking rather large but very shy Hartlaub’s duck, the white vented Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Congo Serpent Eagle, Yellow-throated Green Cuckoo, the extra ordinary large Long-tailed Hawk, Nkurengu Rail, Black-billed Dwarf, the very sensitive and shy White-crested, Red-Billed Dwarf, Piping and Black-wattled Casqued Hornbills, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, Red-Chested Owlet, Bates’ Nightjar, Chocolate-backed, White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Spotted, Lyre-tailed and Zenker’s Honey guides, African Piculet, Gabon Woodpecker, Rufous-sided Broadbill, White-throated blue Swallow if you get close the oxbow lakes, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Swamp, Xavier’s, Simple and Eastern Bearded Greenbul, Yellow-throated Nicator, Capuchin Babbler, Northern bearded Scrub Robin, Forest and Grey ground Thrush, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Rufous-crowned Eremomela. Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Red-billed Helmet-Shrike, Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike, Black-winged Oriole, Chestnut-winged Starling, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Blue-billed, Crested and Red-bellied Malimbes, Pale-Fronted and Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, Grant’s blue bill, Black-bellied Seedcracker and many more.

Whole birding and Chimp tracking Kibale Forest N. Park.

Birding in Kibale Forest National Park is a delightful experience. We shall look for species such as Red-winged Francolin, White-spotted Flufftail, White-napped Pigeon, the Green-breasted Pitta, Joyful Greenbul, Red-capped, Blue-shouldered and Grey-winged Robin-chat, White tailed Ant-Thrush, Grey-throated Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Masked Apalis, Splendid Glossy, Purple headed glossy, Chestnut-winged and Stuhlmann’s Starling, Tiny, Superb, Bronze, Little Green, Green headed, Olive Bellied, Green, Green throated and Eastern Olive sunbird, White-collared Oliveback and many more. Lunch at the hotel later bird around the hotel in the evening or the Bigodi wetland which offers chances of the Village Weavers and Vieillot’s Black Weavers, most of which are always in the act of nest building. Expect White-headed Saw-wing, Black-headed Weaver, Red-faced Cisticola, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Black-and-white Mannikin, White-chinned Prinia, Little and Joyful Greenbul, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Yellow-spotted

Bird to Budongo Forest – Royal Mile and Busingiro.

We begin birding at dawn. Key bird species for the two sections include: Blue Breasted, African Dwarf and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Brown-eared and Yellow Crested Woodpecker, Dusky long-tailed Cuckoo, Crowned Eagle, Forest and Chestnut Capped Flycatcher, Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Narina Trogon, , Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Chestnut-crowned Eremomera, White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow and Grey Longbills, Olive-bellied Crombec, Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher, Little Green Sunbird, Green Sunbird, White-Breasted Negrofinch, Western Black-headed Oriole, Dusky Long-tailed and African Emerald Cuckoo, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, Yellow and Grey Longbill, Forest Robin, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Tit Hylia, Lemon Bellied Crombec, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Yellow-mantled Weaver, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Green Crombec, Crested Malimbe and Red-headed Bluebill, Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Xavier’s, Ictrine, Slender-billed, White-throated, Spotted, Plain, Spotted and Toro Olive Greenbul.

Birding in Murchison Falls National Park

Today our birding starts after an early breakfast. We may bird on a boat along the Victoria Nile to the delta or do a birding drive to the delta. Later in the afternoon, you take a launch trip to the bottom of the falls. Recorded birds in this park 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 and Water Thick-knees, Black-headed and Long-toed Lapwing, Little Bittern, Osprey, Red-necked Falcon, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Vinaceous Dove and Grosbeak Weaver. Buff-bellied Warbler, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Spotted Morning-Thrush, Marabou Stork, Red-throated Bee-eater, Silver Bird, Beautiful Sunbird, Black-headed Gonolek, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Golden-backed Weaver and White-rumped Seedeater, Rock Pratincole, African Darter and Giant Kingfisher.

Kidepo NP Birding And Wildlife Adventure

After a very early morning breakfast we spend a full day discovering one of the most beautiful and certainly most remote national parks which is least visited in Uganda, we can drive to Kanangorok hot spring and a combined exploration of the Narus River Valley. Kidepo Valley National Park is home to 86 mammal species being the third highest area as far as wildlife diversity is concerned in Uganda. It shields larger herbivores and small ones inclusive than any other protected area in Uganda with 28 species found nowhere else in Uganda. The bird checklist comprises of 463 confirmed and 26 unconfirmed bird species all at your exposure to be looked out for. After lunch we can opt for another game drive or a visit Kalenga and Kadepo for a cultural performance given by the native Karamojongs who are well known for their unique nomadic lifestyle and rich traditions of storytelling and dancing not only fixed to them but almost all tribes in Uganda, each has something unique that you can share and learn just utilize your time in Uganda with our enthusiastic interpreters.

Birding to Pian Upe

Birding Mt Elgon National Park

Whole day birding, search for Hunter’s Cisticola and Jackson Francolin, Moorland Francolin, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Alpine Chat, White-starred Robin, Cape Robin-Chat, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Little Rock-Thrush, Northern Anteater Chat, Nightingale, Spotted Morning-Thrush, Mountain Yellow Warbler, African Reed Warbler, Little Rush Warbler, Upcher’s Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Common Chiffchaff, the Uganda and Brown Woodland Warblers, Green Hylia, White-browed Crombec, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Stout, Thrilling, and Rattling Cisticolas, chances of seeing the Banded Prinia, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Grey-headed Sunbird, Ludher’s Bush-shrike, Cape Rook, Fan-tailed and White-napped Raven, Chestnut Sparrow, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, and many more.