21 Days Classic Birding Safari

Arrival at Entebbe International Airport meet your guide from Nsavi Safaris who will then transfer you to your hotel for an overnight.

After breakfast, drive to Mabamba Swamp, a large and accessible wetland on the shores of lake Victoria. This is one of the places to see the prehistoric looking Great shoebill stork. Here we also find some aquatic birds and marsh Harriers, if time allow search for the beautiful painted Pygmy goose.  In the afternoon go birding in Entebbe botanical garden for the Orange weaver, golden backed weaver and other master builders of the Ploceidae family, superb sunbird, green hylia, bat hawk. And several garden birds exploiting this transitional habitat.

Drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, home to about the southern white rhinos. This project is aimed to  re-introduce Rhinos back to the wild following their extinction in 1980’s due to uncontrolled poaching. Later proceed to the legendary Murchison Falls National Park. This Park is one of Uganda’s largest conservation areas and boast of 76 mammal species and 451 bird species that thrive in the open savannah and tropical forests. Enjoy an afternoon game drive in the park. Expect to see Elephants, giraffes, lions, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes and maybe Leopards.

After an early breakfast, proceed to have a game. This is a beautiful drive across savannah, Borassus Palm Forest and grassland down to Lake Albert where the Albert Nile heads north.  Drive in the open African savanna in search for Lions, Leopard, Hyena, Buffalo, Elephant, Jackson Hartebeest. Oribi, Waterbucks, Uganda Kobs, and enjoy spotting various Bird species. In the afternoon, go for a boat ride up the Nile to the falls. Some top birds to be spotted include; the Red throated bee eater with its beautiful displays on the river bank high cliffs, the Rock pranticole on the rocky tops after the crocodile bar, black headed batis, black headed gonolek, spotted morning thrush, beautiful sunbird among others.

Today, you will have a scheduled morning delta boat ride on the Albert Nile where you will have chance to search for the elusive shoebill stork,  proceed for a game drive for birding . In the afternoon, drive to Budongo kanio pabidi forest (Budongo forest) and an afternoon forest walk focusing on some forest woodpeckers like the yellow crested woodpecker, blue throated roller, sabines spine tail, yellow billed barbet, puvels illadopsis, forest flycatcher, honey guides, afep pigions, rufous-sided broadbill etc. Kanio Pabidi is famous for birds, chimpanzees and butterflies.

A short bird watching drive from the Hotel at dawn will take us to one of the best of Uganda’s bird-watching spots, the Royal Mile. This is Uganda’s historically known leisure spot for the traditional King, hence the name Royal Mile. Here the forest has been cut back a few meters along the sides of the main trail, which makes it a particularly good viewing area in this excellent forest. Uganda Special Bird species here include White-thighed and Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills, Yellow-spotted and Yellow-billed Barbets, Western Black-headed Oriole, along with Red-tailed and Blue Monkeys. Overhead, Sabine’s and sometimes Cassin’s Spinetails soar over the clearings. As we walk quietly along the trail, Red-tailed Ant-Thrushes skulk in the shadows, as do Red-tailed Bristlebill, Scaly-breasted, Pale-breasted and Brown Illadopsis. Greenbuls are always a challenge and include Cameroon Sombre, Slender-billed, Honeyguide and Spotted Greenbul, whilst other regular species are Speckled Tinkerbird, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Green Crombec, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Buff-throated Apalis, and both White-breasted and Grey-headed Negro finches. Lower down we should see African Dwarf Kingfishers, White-spotted Flufftails and the elusive Nahan’s Francolin, believed to be one of the most handsome of all Ugandan birds.

Today you will drive to Kibale National Park along the way you will pass by tea plantations. Kibale Forest is a diverse forest that boasts of 13 species of primates such as the Red colobus, grey checked  mangabey and Red tailed monkeys, Rare L’Hoest monkey as well as over 335 bird species with some rare and endemic to the Albertine region and varying tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. In the afternoon you will arrive at your accommodation. This day we shall have a chance of birding the main road or one of the trails in the forest. We might come across the African Emerald Cuckoo, Purple-headed Starling, Black-billed Turaco, Yellow-billed Barbet, Grey-throated Barbet, Blue-throated Roller, Narrow-tailed Starling, Western Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-throated and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds.

After an early breakfast, we drive to Kibale National Park visitor centre for briefing and chimp tracking. The activity may last from a few hours to several hours. Kibale forest is home to 13 primates of Uganda. Birding in the afternoon along the main road may be productive. Depending on the weather predictions, birding Bigodi wetland is also productive with riverine forest birds. Kibale National Park is a good site for a number of birds that are hard to find elsewhere. These include Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Cabanis’s Greenbul and Joyful Greenbul as well as White-spotted Flufftail, Dusky and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Lesser Honeyguide, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, White-chinned Prinia, Grey Apalis, Olive-green Camaroptera and White-collared Olive back.

Today morning, we bird our way to Semuliki national park for a range of central African bird species found only here in East Africa. We will have birding stopovers en route to our accommodation for the night where we arrive later that evening ready to explore this park.

Birding in Semuliki national park, we look out for a number of predominantly Central African species which cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa such as; Long-tailed Hawk, Congo Serpent Eagle, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, the Black-Casqued Wattled, Piping, Red-billed Dwarf and White-crested Hornbills, We also look out forBlue Swallow, White-throated Blue Swallow, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Spotted Greenbul,White-starred Robin, Lowland Akalat, Red-throated Alethe, Fire-crested Alethe, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Red-eyed Puffback, White-tailed Robin-Chat, Northern Bearded Scrub-Robin, Capped Wheatear, Common Stonechat, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, Oberlaender’s Ground-Thrush, Grey Ground-Thrush, Little Grey Greenbul, Toro Olive Greenbul, Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-throated Nicator, Western Nicator and more.

Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Enroute have a nature walk to the sempaya hotsprings in semuliki and then continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park - birding in the Maramagambo Forest following the main trail, visit the Blue Lake and Bat Cave where we expect to see African Rock Python that found refuge in the Cave, and feasts on the Bats for breakfast, lunch and supper! Special birds of this Forest include Narina Trogon, Rufous Flycatcher Thrush; White tailed Ant-thrush, Black Bee-eater, Grey-headed Kingfisher and White-breasted Negrofinch. The same walk will provide you with views of primates, different bird species and beautiful fauna.

Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park in the cool morning with keen birding and game viewing. We do an early game drive that exposes us to diverse animals, Big 5 members Elephants, Buffalos, big cats- Lions, Leopards more times in the evening, warthogs, Hunchback carnivals like Hyenas and many more species can be spotted along the Circuits. There is a rich bird life especially our version of storks in the wetland spots as we reach the Flamingoes in the salt lakes. At 3 pm you go for the 2hrs Boat cruise on the famous Kazinga channel, a 36kms linking Lake George – lake Edward. Here you see land and water Adapted Hippopotamuses Yawning, the National Geographical society killing machine the Nile crocodile gaping along the Banks and Savannah version of Pigs the Warthog- Pumba of the award winning Lion King are a hallmark sign in this Animal home. With your Binoculars along the peninsula you have a magnificent view of Birds and animals like the ever playing African Elephants in Water.

Today, drive to Ishasha sector for the savannah birds, the top vulture of the region Lappet faced vulture, Africa`s most spirited eagle the Marshal eagle, larks, a try to check on the rare Dusky blue flycatcher on River ishasha and bonus to get the Lions high in the Fig tree branches. Get a chance to search for the tree climbing lions. Evening search for the resident Greyish eagle owl and Verreaux eagle owls.

Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.On this truly magical experience, we will search for species such as Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Bar-tailed Trogon, Dusky Tit, Kivu Ground-Thrush, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Equatorial Akalat, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Red-throated Alethe, White-bellied Crested- Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher, Gray-green Bushshrike, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Black-billed Weaver and Magpie Mannikin. High exposed perches in the open forest are favoured by African Goshawk; the dazzling Black Bee-eater, Blue-throated Roller, Sooty Flycatcher and forest starlings including Waller’s, Stuhlmann’s and Narrow-tailed. One of Bwindi’s star avian attractions is the diminutive, pitta-like Neumann’s Warbler, a vocal yet very secretive bird! Other under-storey birds we hope to see include displaying African Broadbill; Banded Prinia and the handsome Black-faced Rufous-Warbler. The mid-storey and canopy support Elliot’s and Tullberg’s Woodpeckers; Cabanis’, Kakamega and Ansorge’s Greenbuls; the strange Grauer’s Warbler and White-browed Crombec. The rare Jameson’s Antpecker may also be seen probing under moss on dead branches or gleaning warbler-like in the canopy. Overhead, Scarce Swifts forage over the forest.

We bird to Buhoma section through “The Neck”. The Neck (where the forest narrows) offers excellent forest birding. Key species that we will look for there include many of the Albertine Rift Endemics that we may not have seen earlier. These include Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Nightjar, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing. A few other species we may encounter as well include Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, Fine-banded and Cardinal Woodpeckers, Willcocks’s Honeyguide, Kakamega Greenbul, Red-tailed Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Mountain Wagtail, Cassin’s Flycatcher, Equatorial Akalat, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Dusky Tit, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Red-headed Malimbe, Dusky Twinspot, Cape Wagtail, Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, and Western Citril.

Today, we set off early, with packed lunch, to the park headquarters for a briefing prior to Gorilla Tracking. This is the most exciting lifetime experience of all time. The gorillas are gentle animals and it is an unforgettable experience to photograph them as they interact. It is a wonderful experience to stare into the eyes of these gentle giants; watch them in awe as they play and go about their daily activities. It is indeed a “once in a lifetime” experience that you must never miss. Each encounter is different and has its own rewards; you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display. We will also look for other primates like the L’ Hoest Monkey, Guereza Colobus; Red-tailed, and Blue monkeys. Mammals include the Rwenzori Duiker, Yellow-back duiker, Caruther’s, Bohm’s and Alexander Squirrels, and many other species.

Mubwindi swamp expedition, with our parked lunch head out after the Ruhija research station to pick our guards since the Forest is alive with Elephants, we need some escorts, birding along will lead us to grip on to some of the forest endemics the hike could get you to a point of over 2650 meters above sea level with the Mist where the Gorillas leave in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. As we check out some soaring buzzards, flocks of stuhlmanns starlings with their aerial displays, We could assemble to head for the Mubwindi swamp for some of the Albertine endemics aiming to grip on the African green broadbill, grauer’s rush warbler Frasers eagle owl, black billed turaco, Rwenzori batis, white browed crombec, tullbergs woodpecker, Dusky crimsonwing, blue headed sunbird, This Impenetrable Forest is full flora and fauna, birds, butterfly and plant species plus mammals like the little bohms squirrel, forest hogs, forest Elephants, Statungas, Duikers super and the best of nature’s forest.

After breakfast you can choose to have a guided village walk for a closer meeting with the local community. Learn about their way of living as you walk through coffee, tea and banana plantations. Afterwards, drive to Lake Bunyonyi famously known as the “Switzerland of Africa”; Lake Bunyonyi  is at 1800meters above sea level and  has an area with superb rich views with small resident and exotic bird species. Have a canoe boat ride on the lake.

Drive to Lake Mburo National Park. and have a game drive out to the vast savannah dotted with acacia and shrubs, and get to see Zebras, Topis, Warthogs, cape buffaloes and impalas. In the afternoon it is time for a boat-cruise on the lake where the must see is the African finfoot. As well as this we see native birds along the banks, Crocodiles, Hippos yawning and more birds during this 2 hours cruise.

Lake Mburo National Park contains multiple habitats, and our time will be divided between birding an extensive area of wetland, some forested areas, and open country with numerous mammals. No fewer than 300 different bird species have been recorded in the park, an indication of the high diversity present here. The more open grassland north of the camp, particularly along the Zebra Track, is worth exploring for species such as Coqui Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, and African Wattled Lapwing, and it is here where small numbers of the migratory Brown-chested Lapwing can be regularly observed. Other species include; African Darter, Striated Heron, Spur-winged Goose, African Marsh Harrier, African Hawk-Eagle, CommonQuails, Water Thick-knee, Red-Faced Barbet, Rufous-naped and Flappet Larks, Rufous–chested Swallow, Yellow-throated Long Claw, Black Cuckoo-Shrike, Singing, Long-tailed (or Tabora) among others.

Early morning nature walks or game birding safari, get up early focusing on the Rwizi track it’s a dense population of some rare birds here, Tabora cisticola, Crested barbet, Red headed weavers, cuckoo shrikes etc chance to see, zebras, waterbucks, birds, buffaloes in. Later drive to Kampala, have a stopover and take photos at the equator. Proceed to the airport and take your onward flight back home.