10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives

10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives

On this 10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives Safari, Our first birding site in Uganda will be the Mabamba wetland on the fringes of Lake Victoria as we search for the Shoebill. Our first national park to visit will be Murchison Falls National Park which was voted No. 9 best birding spot in Africa, home to over 450 bird species and 76 mammal species. Semuliki National Park protects an eastern extension of the vast Ituri Forest of Democratic Republic of Congo and is one of the richest areas for forest birds in Africa

This Uganda birding tour will continue to Kibale National Park, a large block of rain forest that offers great birding and home to 13 primate species with Chimpanzees as the highlight. We will then proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park known for its varied biodiversity and over 600 bird species. Our highlight will be the Bwindi impenetrable forest which has a record of 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics and an opportunity to do a gorilla trek.

Itinerary Highlights:

Key Bird Species.

Shoebill, Papyrus gonolek, Malachite Sunbird, Purple-breasted sunbird, Regal sunbird, Scarlet-tufted Sunbird, Rwenzori Turcaco, Black billed turaco, White crested turaco, Archer’s Robin Chat, Cape Robin, White-starred Robin, Puvels Illadopsis, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, African Green Broadbill, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis, Collared Apalis, Dusky Crimsonwing, Yellow-billed Barbet, Bar-tailed Trogon, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Waller’s Starling, Dwarf Honey-Guide, Oriole Finch, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Red-headed Malimbe, Grey-headed Sparrow, Dusky Twinspot, Green-bakced Twinspot, Think-billed and Streaky Seedeaters, Rwenzori Nightjar, Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Toro-Olive Greenbul, Black Bee-eaters, white faced Go-away birds, African Finfoot

Bird Habitats.

Forest, Acacia Savanna, grassland, agricultural lands, Riverine Forest, Moist woodland, Borassus Palm Savannah, Papyrus Swamps, Lakes and rivers

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Birding in Mabamba Wetland Swamp & Transfer to Murchison.

After an early breakfast we drive to Mabamba Swamp Wetland in Kasanje which is located on the fringes of Lake Victoria – 2nd biggest fresh water body in the world. The drive can take about an hour or more depending on the birding engagement enroute which leads to several stopovers

In Mabamba swamp, you will take a motorised canoe with the area site guide in search of the incredible Shoebill which is often seen standing in the mashes waiting to hunt or flying in the air above the papyrus plants.

There are also other variety of water birds like; African Jacana, White-winged Terns, African Purple Swamphen, Purple Heron, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Winding Cisticola, Red-billed Fire-finch, White-faced whistling duck, Long-toed Lapwing, African Pied Wagtail, Saddle billed Stork, Cape wagtail, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Yellow-billed Duck Long-toed plover, African Fish Eagle and African Marsh Harrier, Swamp Flycatcher etc.

Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 2: Birding Murchison Falls National Park – 10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives.

On this day we shall have an early morning breakfast and then go birding first while on the boat and later while in the car on a game drive.

Spend the morning birding on the boat towards the Delta.  Some of the birds we aim for in this area include; the Shoebill, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, African Water Rail, Allen’s Gallinule, Black Crake, African Crake, Grey-crowned Crane, Southern Pochard, The Egyptian, African Pygmy, and the Spur-winged Goose, Saddle-billed stork, Open-billed stork, Yellow-billed stor kand Marabou stork. More birds include;  the Little and Dwarf Bitterns, Night Heron, Black Heron, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, Green Backed Heron, Little Grebe, Common Squacco Heron, Great White Egret, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, African and Eurasian Spoonbills, the Lesser Flamingo, Lesser Jacana, African Finfoot, Painted Snipe, Wattled Plover.

After the experience on the boat, you transfer to the car and bird in the Savannah in search for; Secretary Bird, Northern Carmine and Red-throated Bee-eaters, Giant, Pied, Stripped, Chestnut-bellied, Blue-breasted, Woodland and the African Pygmy Kingfishers, African Rock Martin; Lesser Stripped, Ethiopian, Angola, Red-rumped and Rufous-chested Swallow, Nightingale, Rock Thrush, Pied Wheatear, Whinchat, White-fronted Black Chat, Sooty Chat. Common Bulbul, Cameroon Sombre and Yellow-throated Greenbul, the Black, White-breasted, and Red-shouldered Cuckoo Shrikes, the Black and Penduline Tits,  Black-lored, and Brown Babblers, Nubian Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Honeyguide, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, and many more.

Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 3: Birding the Escarpment and Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.

Today morning after breakfast, we transfer to Kibale forest with a stopover birding the Butiaba Escarpment for some birds of interest. Look out for; Beautiful sunbird, Black-billed Barbet, Grey-winged Pythilia, Buff-bellied Warbler, Northern Crombec, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Whin chat, Flappet Lark, Little weaver, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Lesser blue-eared Starling, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver, Marsh Tchagra, Copper Sunbird, Green-backed Eremomela, Long crested eagle, Foxy Cisticola, etc. 

Kibale forest is home to 13 primate species with the highlight being the chimpanzees which are easily seen while on chimp trekking

Destination: Kibale Forest National Park
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 4: Kibale Forest Birding for Green Breasted Pitta – 10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives.

We will have an early morning breakfast and leave the lodge with our packed lunch so that we have maximum time in the forest. Our morning focus while birding will be to search for the elusive Green breasted pitta. This a sought after bird can also be rather difficult to sight in the forest but with guidance of the site guide and rangers we hope to increase our chances of sighting the Green breasted Pitta.

In the meantime as we search for the Green breasted Pitta we shall continue birding and equally search for many other bird species which include Western bronze-napped Pigeon, Great blue Turaco, Yellow-throated Nicator, White-headed Wood hoopoe, Red Headed malimbe, Yellow-spotted barbet, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Grey-winged Robin, Blue shouldered Robin Chat, Yellow-spotted Barbet, White-naped Pigeon, Green-breasted Pitta, Red-chested Flufftail, African Pitta, Joyful Greenbul, Cabanis Greenbul, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Masked Apalis, Nahan’s Francolin, Tiny Sunbird, White-collared Oliveback and many more

Destination: Kibale Forest National Park
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 5: Birding to Semuliki National Park – 10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives.

Today after breakfast we bird our way to Semuliki National Park for an experience searching for central African species found only here in East Africa. We shall have several stopovers birding nearby forest patches and swampy areas for different bird species.

We shall spend the day birding in Semuliki forest for central African species of Congo’s Ituri forest. Semuliki forest is a continuation of Congo’s Ituri forest. You have an opportunity of visiting both the ‘female’ and ‘male’ hot springs found within the park.

Some of the species we will look out for include the; Congo Serpent Eagle, Grey-throated Rail, Nkulengu Rail, Long-tailed Hawk, Spot-breasted Ibis, Yellow-throated Nicator, Northern Red-chested Owlet, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, White-bellied Kingfisher, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Zenker’s Honeyguide, White-throated Blue Swallow, Bate’s Nightjar, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Black-winged Oriole,  Lemon-bellied Crombec, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Icterine Greenbul, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Crested and Blue-billed Malimbes, Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike, Pale-fronted Negrofinch, Piping, Red-billedWhite-crested, Black-casqued, Wattled and White-thighed Hornbills.

Destination: Semuliki National Park
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for Birding.

Today after an early breakfast we start the trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park birding along the way. You will have stopovers for both birding and photography moments of the beautiful scenery in this part of the country. Drive past several crater lakes, homesteads, and farms and later with the Rwenzori mountains ahead as you drive.

The road through these crater lakes regions is not tarred therefore sometimes it is very difficult during the rainy season. In case it rains right before your set off, your guide may advise a different route on a more stable road. Because you will be having several stopovers for pictures and birding, you can expect to arrive at your lodge later that afternoon. Have some rest and prepare to start the next day very early for a whole days birding

Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 7: Birding at the Mweya Peninsular & Kazinga Channel then Transfer to Ishasha Sector Birds-and-Wildlife-Kazinga-channel.

Today we will bird the Mweya Peninsular and Kasenyi area where most of the game drives happen and end with a boat safari on Kazinga channel in the afternoon.

Look out for; African Skimmer, Malachite Kingfishers, White-winged Terns, Swamp Fly-catcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, African Jacana, Pin-tailed Whydah, Martial Eagle, Gabon Nightjars. Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squacco Heron, African Skimmer, African Fish Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Sedge Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Great white and Pink-backed Pelicans, African Mourning Dove, African Open-billed Stork, Yellow-billed, Egyptian Goose, a number of Gull species,  to mention but a few.

Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha Sector
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 8: Birding in Ishasha while sighting the Tree-Climbing Lions then after Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

After having our early morning breakfast, we shall start our game drive in the Ishasha sector best commonly known for tree climbing lions and a variety of birds then after we shall transfer to Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park, we have stopovers birding until we arrive at our lodge later that afternoon. You might have opportunity of sighting birds you could have missed the previous day.

In addition to the birding, there are opportunities of sighting the famous tree climbing lions of Ishasha. After a short game drive you proceed to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Buhoma Sector)
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 9: Birding Buhoma Sector – 10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives.

Today after an early breakfast, we get back into the forest for birding taking different trails as advised by the site guide. The site guides usually help with location of the different unique birds and they share information of where they last sighted them therefore increasing chances of locating them.

Today you look out for;  Stuhlmann’s Starling, Narrow-tailed Starling, Waller’s Starling, Montane Oriole, African Golden Oriole, Strange Weaver, Brown-capped Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Magpie Mannikin, Yellow-crowned Canary, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, African Green Broadbill, Oriole Finch, Mountain Buzzard, Ayre’s Hawk Eagle, Handsome Francolin, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, African Wood Owl. More species; Bar-tailed Trogon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, (Western) Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-chested Owlet, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, African Broadbill, Western Green Tinkerbird, African Green Broadbill, Lagdens Bush-Shrike, Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Toro Olive-Greenbul, Ansorge’s Greenbul, White-bellied Robin Chat, Olive Thrush, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Grauer’s Rush-warbler, Neumann’s Warbler and Red-faced Woodland Warbler.

Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Buhoma Sector)
Accommodation Options:

• Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Day 10: Transfer Back to Entebbe – 10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives.

After your morning breakfast, you will start your journey back to Entebbe. You will go cross the equator and experience being the Northern and Southern Hemisphere the same time an also have time to take photos. Buy a few souvenirs in the craft shops and have a quick picnic lunch. Later you depart for the Airport and take your flight back home. This will mark the end of our 10 Day Birding Uganda and Game Drives.

Destination: Kampala (Entebbe)
Drive Time: Approx. 8 hours

Accommodation Option: No (Unless on request)

• Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
• Drinking Water, Fruits and Wi-Fi throughout the journey

Thank you for choosing Arcadia Safaris and we hope to see you (or any referral) when you next visit!

PRICE INCLUDES

• Round Trip Airport Transfers (pick up and drop off)
• Private transportation in a 4×4 Safari Cars
• Meals specified on a Full Board basis
• Accommodation with ensuite facility
• Applicable Park entrance & activities Fees
• English speaking professional Driver-Guide
• All hotel/lodge pickups and drop off
• All Taxes
• Bottled drinking water and Fruits while on safari
• Activities as stipulated in the itinerary (except those stated as “optional”

PRICE EXCLUDES

• Activities not mentioned in the itinerary
• Flight Fares (unless requested)
• Country entry Visa
• Personal/Travel insurance
• Telephone charges
• Laundry
• Bar bills and all other kinds of drinks except water
• Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
• Souvenirs, gifts and Tips
• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
• Covid-19 and other related tests and vaccinations

RATES PER PERSON: (Tour Rates/Prices are Per Person and exclude International Flight from or to your home Country).