The 11 Day Birding Uganda Albertine Rift Endemics Safari is a specie-targeted birding experience where we explore Uganda’s prime birding hotspots that lie within the Albertine Rift Endemic Area (ARE) also Africa’s most biologically diverse region. Uganda provides the safest access to this bird-rich region where up to 27 Albertine Rift Endemic are recorded across a variety of habitats including montane forests, afro-tropical rainforests, woodlands, savannas, high-altitude wetlands and lakes. The Albertine rift also protects a wide range flora and fauna including the endangered Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzee, and the Golden Monkey that offer personal and life-time trekking experience.
Species Highlights
The 11 Birding Uganda Albertine Rift Endemics Safari begins by birding out the Mabamba wetland an Important Bird Area on the northern shores of L. Victoria for the elusive Shoebill and several of L. Victoria biome species. The tour continues birding the savanna woodlands of Uganda’s smallest savanna park of Lake Mburo NP where targets include several of southern woodland specialists on northern range limit here including Tabora Cisticola, Red-faced, Crested and Black Collared Barbets. The boat cruise on quite waters of Lake Mburo, give us high chances to encounter the elusive Finfoot while the papyrus host the shy Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Blue-headed Coucal and more.
Birding on the slopes Mgahinga NP, our Albertine endemics highlights will include the colorfully painted Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, Dusky Crimson-wing, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Archer’s Robin, Albertine Sooty Boubou and Regal Sunbird. Other good high-altitude specialists include Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Lagden’s Bush-shrike, Western Green Tinkerbird, Cape Robin and more. On our way to Bwindi we will take ample time birding the Echuya Forest for Sharpe’s Starling, Eliot’s Woodpecker, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver and Grauer’s Swamp Warbler.
At the Uganda’s prime birding hotspot of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, we will explore various altitudes for the local 23-Albertine Endemics known from this ancient highland forest. Top on the list is; Grauer’s Broadbill, Black-faced and Rwenzori Apalis, Yellow-eyed Black and Chapin’s Flycatcher, Handsome Francolin, Stripe-breasted Tit, White-bellied Robin Chat, Blue-headed and Purple-breasted Sunbird, Kivu Ground Thrush, Red-throated Alethe, Neumann’s Warbler and more quality afro-tropical highland specialists.
Included in this 11 Day Birding Uganda Albertine Rift Endemics Safari
- A customized 4WD Tour vehicle with a Bird Guide/driver
- Plenty of bottled drinking water in the car
- All park entrance fees and birding fees
- Accommodations as mentioned
- Meals as mentioned
Excluded in this 11 Day Birding Uganda Albertine Rift Endemics Safari
- Optional Activities Indicated (Gorilla and Golden monkey permits)
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal care
- Other drinks other than indicated
- Other meals other than indicated
- Visas and Frights to and from Uganda
- Travel insurance
Important Bird Areas (IBA) Covered on this Safari
- Mabamba Wetland
- Lake Mburo NP
- Mgahinga National Park
- Echuya Forest
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
11 Day Birding Uganda Albertine Rift Endemics Safari Detailed Itinerary
Meet and Greet
Upon your arrival at Entebbe airport, our company representative will receive and transfer you to the booked accommodation. Depending on your arrival time, you will meet your bird guide and have a briefing on your safari. Accommodation: Booma Hotel, FB
Day One: Shoebill Quest at Mabamba and transfer to L. Mburo National Park
We kick off our birding quest this morning after your breakfast, with your bird Guide driving westwards from Entebbe to Mabamba Wetland on the northern shores of L. Victoria. This community ran marsh is an internationally recognized Important Bird Area and a Ramsar site for the diverse biodiversity it protects. Notably these wetlands are the breeding grounds and provide the best chances to see the iconic Shoebill up close where it’s found stalking these less-oxygenated waters for mud and catfish that are abundant here.
We will be led by an experienced community guide to a 2-3hour activity done from motorized local canoe to explore a maze of water channels of this vast swamp. Often encountered are individual Shoebill and sometimes in pairs with threesome being exceptional and luckily the local canoes are able to get very close. The marsh also hosts other L. Victoria biome species including Lesser Jacana, Northern Brown-throated Weavers, Papyrus gonolek, White-winged Warbler, Caruthers and Winding Cisticola, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-throated Bee-eaters, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers among others. The skies are patrolled by African Harrier Hawk, African Fish Eagle, in-season Osprey and Eurasian Marsh Harrier. Seasonal Palearctic Congregations of Black-winged Black Terns, Slender-billed Gulls, Yellow wagtails, Great snipe, and several sandpipers.
After the swamp birding, we will drive on to have lunch and hot coffee at Equator crossing also photo sessions, there after we will continue on to L. Mburo NP reaching late afternoon. We will pick out our very first woodland and savanna species as we bird towards our accommodation that evening. Several birds of interest include, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Tabora Cisticola, Crested, Red-faced, and Black Corralled barbets which are on their northern range limit. Others include African-wattled Lapwing, Great-blue eared and Rupell’s Starling, Spot-flanked Barbet, Streaked and Woodland Kingfisher, Red-faced Crombec, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Common Scimitarbill and Green Woodhoopoe, Bare-faced Go-away bird and Africa Grey Hornbill among a great of list.
Incredible wildlife such as Plain Zebra, Impala Common Eland, Topi, Nubian (Rothschild’s) Giraffe and Cape Buffalo occur here. Accommodation. Rwakobo Rock, FB Mid-range. Drive Time: 5hrs
Day Two: Morning Boat Cruise On L.Mburo and Transfer to Mgahinga NP.
After an early breakfast, we will head out for a cruise on L. Mburo specifically for the elusive and shy African Finfoot which is often found feeding in calm water edges. Other specialists include Straited, Purple and Rufous-bellied Heron, Wood Sandpiper, Lesser-masked, Holub’s Golden, Speckled and Little Weavers, Slender-billed Weaver and Pied Kingfishers. Water Thicknee, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Shikra and Lizard Buzzard, majestic African Fish Eagle, Palm-nut and White-headed Vultures are seen too. The woodlands also host Bateleur, Black-chested and Brown Snake Eagles, Long-crested and Tawny Eagles.
While on transfer to Mgahinga NP, we will have health and picnic lunch but also to bird several birdy spots on our route looking out for White-naped Raven, Agur Buzzard, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Common Stone Chat, African Golden-breasted Bunting, Mountain Buzzard and Africa Hawk-Eagle. At our accommodation facility, the lake side vegetation attracts Common Waxbill, White-collared Oliveback, Sedge Warbler, Black-headed and Golden-backed Weavers, Bronze and Red-chested Sunbirds. Accommodation: L. Murehe Safari Lodge, Mid-range, FB. Drive time: 6-hours
Day Three-Four: Birding Mgahinga National Park
Here at Mgahinga NP, we work through several vegetational zones from secondary growth to the primary forest and a little bamboo range, where we will look out for several endemics including; Regal Sunbird, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Rwenzori Batis, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, and more. Other good species include; African Hill Babbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Mountain Boubou, Kandt’s Waxbill, Ladgen’s Bush-shrike, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Mountain Buzzard, Ayres Hawk Eagle, Cape Robin and more. While here you will have an option to trek along the Golden Monkey or mountain gorilla that occur on these slopes. Accommodation: L. Murehe Safari Lodge, FB
Day Five-Day Seven: Birding through Echuya forest on Transfer to Ruhija
Today on our transfer to Bwindi, we will take ample time birding through Echuya Forest adding on our endemic list and ticking off other quality high-altitude specialists along. Highlights include Strange Weaver, Dusky Twinspot, Sharpe’s Starling, Cinnamon-bracken Warbler, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Montane Oriole, Red-headed Bluebill, Black-headed Waxbill, White-Collared Olive back, White Starred Robin, Red-headed Malimbe and Black-billed Weaver.
Birding at Ruhija sector, our Albertine Endemics targets will be the Grauer’s Broadbill, Grauer’s Warbler, Dusky Crimson-wing, Handsome Francolin, Stripe-breasted Tit, Black-faced Apalis, Rwenzori Apalis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler and Purple-breasted Sunbird. Down at the swamp we hope to lure out Grauer’s Swamp Warbler and Little Rush Warbler, Papyrus Canary, White-winged Warbler and many more. In the bamboo zone we look out for White-headed Wood-Hoopoe, Black Saw-wing, Western Green Tinkerbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Many-coloured Bush-shrike, Albertine Sooty Boubou. Further along other forest trails, we will scan out for Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Brown-capped Weaver, Black-billed Turaco, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Mountain Illadopsis, African Crowned Eagle, Grey-winged Robin, Grey Cuckoo-Shrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, Yellow-streaked and Yellow-whiskered Greenbuls, Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike and more forest edge birds. Accommodation: Broadbill Camp, FB. Drive time: 4 hrs
Day Eight-Ten: Birding the Neck and Buhoma Bwindi Forest
Birding on to Buhoma, we will take a half a day birding the Neck, a narrow section of a river-line forest crossed by the main road that offers a rewarding birding experience. The riverine section host Black bee-eater, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Barred Long-tailed and Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoos along with Olive Woodpecker, Joyful and Cabani’s Greenbuls. The nearby pond is frequented by African Black Duck and the elusive African Finfoot. Mountain Wagtail and Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher stalk the river edges as the Banded Prinia, White-chinned Prinia, and Black-faced Rufous Warbler skulk in the luxuriant vegetation. More highlights include Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Dusky Tit, White-bellied and White-tailed Crested-Flycatchers.
Birding at Buhoma highlights will include; Neumann’s Warbler, Red-throated Alethe, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Broadbill, Kakamega and Arsongie’s Greenbuls, Blue-shouldered Robin, Pink-footed Puffback, White-bellied Robin, Equatorial Akalat, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, African Pied Horn bill, Dusky-Blue and Chapin’s Flycatcher, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Woodhouse Ant-pecker, White-tailed and Kivu Ground Thrush. More residents include, Little Sparrow-hawk, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Bar-tailed Trogon, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, African Wood Owl, Great Blue Turacos, Afep Pigeon, African Green Pigeon, Green-headed and Bronze Sunbird, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Streaky Seedeater, Baglafetch Weaver, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle and more. Accommodation: Bwindi Community Rest Camp, FB, Drive time: 3hours
Day Eleven: Birding onto Entebbe
Early set off but we will go scanning several spots for some sightings, Lunch will be on the road. Reaching Entebbe evening. Accommodation: Booma Hotel