17-Day Uganda Birding Mabira, Mabamba, Murchison, Kibale,Semliki, Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo
Day 1: Meet and greet at hotel, then depart for Mabira forest for whole day birding. Species here include the blue turraco, African grey parrot, hornbills and a variety of colorful sunbirds. Mabira is only one of the two places in East Africa where the pretty tit hylia has been recorded and one of the few places in Uganda where the localized forest wood-hoopoe, leaf love, Weyne’s weaver and Nahan’s francolin are regular. With a knowledgeable guide and many trails in the forest your day will be rewarding.
Dinner and overnight at Accommodation of your own choice
Day 2: Early morning breakfast and we proceed on to Mabamba wet land. Species here include papyrus endemics such as white winged warbler, Caruthers’ Cisticola and papyrus gonolek.Among other birds we watch out for saddle-billed stork, African pygmy goose and lesser jacana and the magnificent shoebill can be sighted in this area. We proceed to Masindi town for the Night.
Dinner and over night in Masindi town.
Day 3: Early morning breakfast and we depart for Budongo forest. We bird the royal mile in the morning and continue with birding the Busingiro area in the afternoon. This area offers one of Uganda’s forest birding and species here include African dwarf, blue-breasted and chocolate-backed kingfishers, Cassin’s hawk eagle, Nahan’s francolin, white-thighed hornbill, yellow-billed barbet, lemon-billed crombec, black-capped apalis, forest flycatcher, yellow-footed flycatcher and Jameson’s wattle eye. Various monkeys may also be sighted
Dinner and over night in Masindi town.
Day 4: We depart early for Kaniyo Pabidi sector of Budongo Forest enroute Murchison falls National Park. We spend the morning birding this forest, one of the four blocks of Budongo forest or probably do chimp tracking as well. We visit the top of the falls, one of the highlights of this park.
Dinner and overnight at Accommodation of your choice
Day 5: Depart early for the Northern bank if not staying at Paraa.The extensive game-viewing tracks north of the Nile allow access to a variety of Savanna habitats and to wetlands. Whole day birding and game viewing. Species here are Shoebill, secretary bird, Bat hawk, Red-necked Falcon, Heuglin’s Francolin, Denham’s bustard, Senegal thick-knee, Egyptian-plover, Rock pranticole, plus many more.
Dinner and overnight at Accommodation of your choice
Day 6: Early morning birding on the tracks while the launch trip will be done in the afternoon for water species.
Dinner and overnight at Accommodation of your choice
Day 7: Early morning birding L.Albert and the escarpment of the Albertine rift valley enroute Masindi town.
Dinner and overnight in Masindi town.
Day 8: We depart for Kibale National park through local homesteads and expansive shambas.We bird the entrance road to Kibale forest in the late afternoon before retiring for dinner.
Dinner and overnight at Accommodation of your choice
Day 9: Early morning birding in Kibale forest-Kanyanchu area. Afternoon is a visit to Bigodi sanctuary (Magombe swamp) for swamp endemics.
Dinner and overnight at Accommodation of your choice
Day 10: Transfer to Semuliki wildlife reserve birding enroute. Birds to watch out for are the crested Francolin and helmeted guinea foulbrood-billed roller, green wood hoopoe. Birding done for the rest of the day.
Dinner and over night in Semuliki
Day 11: Transfer to Mweya early morning birding/game viewing enroute, Bird L.Kikorongo and Kasenyi tracks. Afternoon birding along Kazinga channel on the launch cruise for water birds.
Day 12: Early morning coffee, depart for the crater for grassland species and also L.Katwe area/Munyanyange Lake, home to spectacular concentrations of water birds. Key species in this park are Martial eagle, black rumped buttonquail, African skimmer, verreaux’s eagle owl, black bee-eater, white-tailed lark, white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, and papyrus canary.
Dinner and overnight in Mweya
Day 13: Transfer to Jacana lodge (Queen Elizabeth Park) that lies on L.Nyamusingiri where African fin foot is resident. Take a 1 km walk for opportunities to see forest greenbuls, sunbirds, woodpeckers and other elusive species or probably take one of the longer trials in this beautiful park for more sightings.
Dinner and overnight at Jacana
Day 14: Whole day forest birding in Maramagambo forest and one of the highlights is to the bat cave where an opportunistic palm nut vulture fond of fruit bats may be sighted. Three forest trails in this forest are worth birding. The longer loop around the back of Lake Nyamusingiri offers an opportunity to seek out rarities such as scaly-breasted illaopsis, snowy-headed Robin-chat and chestnut wattle-eye.
Dinner and overnight at Jacana.
Day 15: After an early breakfast depart for L.Mburo perhaps the best place in Uganda to find African fin foot and most of the papyrus endemics. Common birds in this habitat which is dominated by tall grass savannah dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees, dense thorn thickets along water courses are crested francolin, emerald –spotted wood dove, brown parrot, bare-faced go-away –bird, blue-naped mouse bird, lilac-breasted roller, green wood hoopoe among others which can be encountered whilst driving towards rwonyo camp, the park headquarters’. We bird as we drive in and enjoy game viewing as well. Birding along the Zebra tracks will enable us see species such as Coqui Francolin, Red- naked spirfowl, black bellied bustard, African wattled Plover and so many others. About 315 species have been recorded here. We bird whole day and then retire for the night.
Dinner and overnight at accommodation of your choice.
Day 16: After breakfast we explore the scenic lakeside track, which allows us explore the aquatic habitat. We shall look out for papyrus specials and also take a boat to enable us observe inaccessible species.
Dinner and overnight at accommodation of your choice.
Day 17: Depart for Kampala with a stop over at the equator for photographs
Dinner and overnight at accommodation of your choice.
notes for birders
NB. Gorilla viewing could be done by adjusting the itinerary to include one day extra for this activity.
Price includes transport to and from Kampala, Park entrance fees, game drive fees, boat ride on the Nile, Kazinga Channel and L.Mburo, accommodation on full board and an English speaking driver (guide), lunch to and from, Chimp tracking fees, nature walking fees. It however excludes beverages, souvenirs, tips and all expenditures of a personal nature.
Notes for Birders
- Please respect habitats, laws and the rights of local people
- Bring along with you all the film you might need with you
- The savannah areas have lots of light where as the forests have very little
- Come along with enough lens cleaning equipment
- Include a small medical kit, sun protection gear(hat, sunglasses and sunscreen)rain gear, a warm jersey for the high land areas,mosquitoe net and repellant,water purification tablets(Mineral water is available though),a torch or portable spotlight
- In the forests, gum boot are recommended or alternatively come along with fast-drying sturdy boots
- To scan the forest canopy, you may need a telescope.
- All required immunisations must be taken prior to visiting here.
- Light clothing for the Savannas but long pants in forests areas and “jackets”.
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