The 21-Days Uganda Classic Birding Safari offers an immersive Uganda birding experience across the country’s diverse habitats where a checklist of 1080 species occur. Top highlights to look out for include; the Shoebill, range-restricted specialists like the Albertine Endemics, forest-proper species and generalists. Go ahead and book as it is, or contact us to farther fine-tune it to include in life-time treks along the mountain gorillas and chimpanzee since you will be birding in the very native habitats of these endangered primates. Browse through the day to day activity on the detailed itinerary section for highlights and local bird specialists across various bird hotspots.
Safari Overview and Birding Hotspots
On this 21-Days Uganda Birding Safari top highlights include the Shoebill, up to 20-species of Albertine Endemics and the elusive forest floor specialist the Green-breasted Pitta known only from Kibale National Park. Birding the lowland forests of Semuliki Forest NP will add us a quality checklist of the rare Congo-Guinea specialists coming here on their western range limit. Other birding hotspots that we will exploit include the Royal Mile at are Budongo, Bwindi Impenetrable and more along our circuit.
The savanna woodland parks of Lake Mburo NP, Queen Elizabeth NP and Murchison Falls NP will bring add onto our checklist a wide range of grassland and woodland bird species including migrants. These savanna parks also offer excellent wildlife game viewing opportunities. We will extend our birding experience on a scheduled birding boat-cruise safaris on channels and rivers, to explore the rich and secluded wetlands for a quality aquatic birdlife. On our final stretch to Kampala, you will take a birding walk up-close with rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to appreciate these incredible mammals but also bird these woodlands.
Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking Options
On this birding tour, it is possible to tailor in optional trekking experience along the mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and chimpanzee at Kibale National Park. The trek experience along these endangered apes is an exclusive activity paid and undertaken independently normally lasting up to 6-hrs.
Accommodations and Meal Plan
The suggested accommodations under this tour are considered for their birding surroundings, stunning locations, family friendly set up and well priced. These mentioned in this itinerary are mid-range with a luxury option with a single/sharing room plans flexible enough to suit your comfort style. And since we usually have early starts and often staying up to late, we opt for facilities close to the birding sites and birding opportunities. The meal plan is a full board (FB) basis and on some days you will carry a parked lunch for those full-day activities but where possible, you will an option for a hot lunch and coffee on the road.
Transport and Bird Guide/Driver
This specialized tour will be led by our local bird specialist guide with a vast knowledge of Uganda’s habitats and birds. As we bird across various hotspots, we will be joined by resident site guides to maximize on birding opportunities in these specific areas. This is another way we support the local community living and protecting the fragile eco-systems we operate in. You will be exploring a 4-WD Landcruiser with pop-up roof for great viewing and suitable for all road conditions.
21 Days Uganda Classic Birding Safari – Day to Day Itinerary
Arrival: Meet and Greet
Upon your arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be met by our representative who will transfer you to the hotel. After check-in, your guide will take you through a short briefing on your upcoming Uganda safari. Depending on your arrival time, feel free to shop around Entebbe town. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Booma Hotel, FB
Day 1. Shoebill Quest at Mabamba
The 21-Days Uganda Birding Safari kicks off with a morning birding session at Mabamba Wetland set along the northern shores of L. Victoria. Our major highlight here will be, the rare and prehistoric Shoebill, that prefer secluded and undisturbed wetlands where it stalks these dark waters for lung fish and other crustaceans. We will be birding on a motorized local canoe, to explore this vast marsh. Our targets of course will be the Shoebill, but also the Papyrus Gonolek, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, White-winged swamp Warbler, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Lesser Jacana all Lake Victoria biome specialists. Other residents include Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, Long-toed Lapwing, Grey-headed Gull, Lesser and Purple Moorhen, Winding Cisticola, White-faced Whistling Duck, Purple Heron, Blue-headed Coucal, and more.
Evening check-in at your lodge on the edges of L. Mburo NP. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Mihingo Lodge, FB
Day 2. Birding Lake Mburo NP
Uganda’s smallest savanna park of Lake Mburo NP covers a variety of habitats from wetlands to savanna woodland and grasslands with over 350 bird species. Highlights here will be the range-restricted species including Long-tailed Cisticola, Red-faced, Crested and Black-collared Barbets, Southern Black Flycatcher, and other good woodland species. Black-bellied Bustard, African Grey Hornbill, Bare-faced Go-away bird, Yellow-winged Pytilia, Green-capped Eremomela, Spot-flanked Barbet, African Black-headed Oriole, Bearded Woodpecker, Bateleur, Ross’s Turaco, Meyer’s Parrot, Crested and Cuqio Francolins, Emerald-spotted wood dove, Grey-headed and Striped Kingfishers, Lilac-breasted Roller, White-browed and Senegal Coucals, Trilling Cisticola and the Brown-chested Lapwing a seasonal intra African migrant.
On boat cruise on Lake Mburo, we target the African Finfoot while the papyrus shores host Black Crake, White-backed Night Heron, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Lesser Swamp Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek. African Fish Eagle, Giant kingfisher and Malachite kingfisher also occur. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Mihingo Lodge, FB
Days 3-7 Birding the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and optional Gorilla
Trekking
Coming into the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you will be birding from park sectors of Ruhija, Buhoma and the Neck, all of which are top birding hotspots with a great network of trails and a diversity of bird specialists. Bwindi’s bird checklist of over 330 species, makes this ancient forest Uganda’s prime birding hotspot. This diversity of birds is due to forest’s geographic location within the Albertine Rift, Africa’s most biodiverse region known for endemic flora and fauna. The forest stretches over altitudes between 1650-2690m asl, with vegetational types ranging from the endemic-rich high-altitude swamps, afro-tropical forests, intermediate zones, lowland and bamboo zones
On top of the bird highlights here are the 20 Albertine Endemics known here including; Neumann’s Warbler, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Doherty Bush-shrike, the Regal Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Red-faced Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black-flycatcher, Purple-breasted Sunbird and more.
Other high-altitude specialists include, Black-Bee-eater, Dusky Twinspot, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Mountain Greenbul, Red-headed Bluebill, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Banded Prinia, Eliot Woodpecker, Kivu Ground Thrush, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Red-throated Alethe, Pink-footed Puff-back, Bar-tailed Trogon, Dusky long-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-mantled Weaver, and more.
The birding will not be restricted onto the main forest block of Bwindi, but we will exploit forest patches, cultivation and forest edge where White-naped Raven, Ruaha Chat, African Stone Chat, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting, Familiar Chat, Augur and Mountain Buzzard occur.
While here at Bwindi Forest, you will have an option to trek along a family of habituated mountain gorillas that range across these ancient forests. Accommodations and Meal Plan: Ruhija Gorilla Lodge and Haven Buhoma, FB
Days 8-9 Birding QENP
On transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, we bird through the rich savanna plains of Ishasha for Lappet-faced, White-headed and Ruppel’s Griffin Vultures, Red-winged Francolin, Compact Weaver, Grassland Pipit, Rufous-naped Lark, Red-collared Widow-bird, Zitting and Stout cisticola and numerous Topi. The famous tree-climbing Lions also are spotted here. On the birding drives through the Kasenyi savanna plains, we continue to collect more more grassland specialists, while the skies are often patrolled by Black-winged Black Kite and seasonal Montagu’s Harrier with Tawny Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Black-chested and Brown Snake Eagles stalking the woodlands.
Birding on the Kazinga Channel boat cruise, we tick seasonal Palearctic visitors (Sept-April) while residents include Great white Pelican, Great Cormorant, African Skimmer, African Darter, Yellow-billed Duck, Spur-winged Goose, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Spur-winged Plover and lots more. The channel banks team with Nile Crocodile, Hippo, Savanna Elephant as they come to cool off in the shallow waters. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Elephant Plains, FB
Days 10-11 Birding Semuliki NP
Following the northern foothills of the Rwenzoris, you will come into the bird-rich lowland forests of Semuliki National Park where major highlights will be the Congo Forest specialists on their eastern range limits. A 435-bird checklist for this small park include 45 species of the Guinea-Congo biome found nowhere else in the country. Working the productive Kirumia trail, we look out for Yellow-throated Nicator, Black Cuckoo, Western Black-headed Oriole, Dusky Crested-flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Helmet Shrike, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Rufous-sided Broadbill and African Piculet. The oxbow pools attract Hartlaub’s Duck, Chocolate-backed and Blue-breasted Kingfishers while Grey-throated Rail and Nahan’s Francolin is hard luck. Hornbills include Dwarf, Eastern Little, Eastern Long-tailed, Black-casqued and White-thighed Hornbills. Lowland Akalat, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Yellow and Grey Longbills, Red-bellied and Crested Malimbe, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Red-eyed Puffback and many more specials. Accommodation and Meal Plan: UWA Bandas, FB
Days 13-14 Birding at Kibale Forest National Park
Birding on our transfer into Kibale Forest, we look out for Black and White Casqued Hornbill, Afep Pigeon, Bocage’s Bushshrike, African Shrike-flycatcher, Dusky Tit, African Green Pigeon, Toro-olive Greenbul that frequent the forest edge. An afternoon will be spent birding Bigodi wetland for Shining Blue Kingfisher, White-breasted Nigrita, African Goshawk, Magpie Mannikin, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher, Willcock’s Honeyguide, Speckled Tinkerbird and Yellow-billed Barbet.
Kibale with a 339 species checklist, the holy grail here is the forest-floor specialist; Green-breasted Pitta (Pitta reichenowi). With an early rise, we will head out for a search in the quite primary forest home range for the Pitta. It’s known habitually to call and display before dawn going silent the rest of the day. Other forest species include, Narina Trogon, Fraser’s Forest-Flycatcher, Green Hylia, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Masked Apalis, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Forest Robin, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Western Nicator, Red-tailed Greenbul, Western Black-headed Oriole, African Pied Hornbill, Crested Guineafowl, Yellow-billed Barbet, African Wood Owl, Ross’s and Great Blue Turaco, Shining Blue Kingfisher, Grey Parrot, Dusky Crested-Flycatcher, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Weyn’s Weaver, White-naped Pigeon and more. The forest is also the home to 13-species of primates.
Optional Activity: Chimpanzee Tracking.
Accommodation and Meal Plan: Primates Lodge, FB
Days 15-16 Birding Royal Mile-Budongo Forest
On transfer to Masindi, we will stop at several forest and swamp patches for local species. Basing at Masindi town, we will head out for a full-day birding along the famous Royal mile of Budongo forest, where we bird out for Yellow-footed Fly-catcher, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Eromemola that inhabit the iron wood canopies on this trail. Other good species include, Tit Hylia, Blue-breasted and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, White-bellied and Dwarf Kingfishers, Ituri Batis, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Olive-green and Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, White-spotted Flufftail while Forest Partridge is hard luck. White-thighed Hornbill, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Red-headed Malimbe, Spotted Greenbul, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo and Blue-throated Broadbill occur. Birding along the forest edge and nearby cultivation we look out for Brown Twinspot, Cabani’s Bunting, Heuglin’s Spurfowl, Whistling and Croaking Cisticolas, Grey-headed Oliveback, Northern-Red Bishop, Moustached Grass Warbler, Yellow-Mantled Widowbird and more. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Masindi Hotel, FB
Days 17 -19 Birding Murchison Falls NP
On transferring to Murchison Falls NP, we bird Busingiro section of Budongo forest for more forest specialists. On the slopy Butiaba escarpment walls, we work through the dry-scrub and acacia woodland ecosystem for Senegal Cuckoo, Black-billed Barbet, Silverbird, Zitting, Rattling and Foxy Cisticolas, Great Blue-eared Starlings, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver, Lesser Masked Weaver, Chestnut Sparrow, Red-winged Pytilia, Dark-chatting Goshawk, Grey Kestle, White-headed Barbet, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting and more.
Birding the game-stocked savanna grasslands of Murchison Falls National Park, we add on to our savanna checklists with Denham’s Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Piapiac, Wire-tailed Swallow, Back-headed Lapwing, Spotted and Senegal Thick-knee, Black-rumped Waxbill, Vinaceous and Black-billed Wood Doves, Martial Eagle, Bateleur, Black-chested, Brown and Beaudouin’s Snake Eagles, African Palm Swift, the splendid Namaqua Dove, Western Black-headed Batis, Beautiful Sunbird, Red-pate and Wing-snapping Cisticola, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater and the seasonal Northern Carmine Bee-eater. The shallow marsh at the Nile delta is stalked by pairs of Shoebill, Goliath and Grey Herons.
Birding on the cruise to the bottom of the falls, we tick off the Red-throated Bee-eater nesting in the sand cliffs, Rock Pratincole, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, African Fish Eagle, Yellow-billed Stork, White-faced whistling Duck and several migrant waders. The Nile banks host the Nile crocodile, Monitor Lizard and other game. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Pakuba Lodge, FB
Day 20. Birding with Rhinos on Foot
Driving early start from Murchison Falls NP, we bird through Kaniyo Pabidi section of Budongo forest for the localized Puvel’s Illadopsis before coming in at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Evening birding at our lodge.
Accommodation and Meal Plan: Ziwa Rhino Lodge FB
Day 21. Morning Birding walk with Rhinos and Transfer to Entebbe
This morning we will take an early birding walk at this sanctuary where Uganda’s only population of Rhinos occur. In these wooded grasslands, White-crested Turaco, Greater-blue and Lesser-eared Starlings, African Paradise Flycatcher, Cardinal and Nubian Woodpeckers, Red-headed Lovebird and more.
Accommodation and Meal Plan: Depends on your travel schedule, Booma Lodge.
21 Days Uganda Classic Birding Safari Includes
- A 4-WD drive car and a Bird guide/driver
- Site Entrance and Activity fees
- Boat cruises
- All accommodations and meal plan as mentioned
- Bottled Mineral Water in the car
21 Days Uganda Classic Birding Safari Excludes
- Permits to optional Gorilla and Chimpanzee tracking experience as indicated
- Tips and Gratuities
- Telephone and laundry
- Extra drinks other than mineral water.
- Flight costs, insurance and Visa