15 Days Uganda Birding Tour & Primate Tracking Safari

Tour Name: Uganda Birding Excursion

Tour Duration: 15 Days, 14 Nights

Destinations: Budongo Forest, Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Forest, Lake Mburo

Tour activities: Birding, Game drives, Boat trips, Gorilla Tracking, Primates Trekking and Nature walks

Day 1: Kampala - Masindi
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, meet your driver/guide and transfer to Lake Victoria Hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria, relax and take a birding tour along the Entebbe Peninsula, especially on the lush grounds of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where we’ll see both forest and lakeshore birds. Time permitting, we shall set out for Masindi, passing through undulating grasslands and mosaic woodland where we’ll watch for such species as White-crested Turaco, Bronze-tailed Starling, Marsh Widowbird and Black Bishop. Night at Masindi Hotel.

Days 2: Budongo- Royal Mile tour
Depart early after breakfast for the nearby Budongo Forest, driving along the “Royal Mile,” a truly spectacular road with forest canopy towering far overhead. There is a good system of trails in the forest, and as we explore them over the next two full days we’ll hope to see vociferous Nahan’s Francolin, excessively noisy White-thighed Hornbill, graceful Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetails, rather secretive Blue-throated Roller, Yellow-browed Camaroptera puffing out its blue cheek patches as it pipes incessantly, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher high in the canopy, Ituri Batis and Black-capped Apalis. Overnight stay at Masindi Hotel.

Days 3: Murchison falls
Have breakfast and drive through Budongo forest to Murchison Falls National Park, stop for a picnic lunch on the dramatic Butiaba Escarpment overlooking Lake Albert, where we can admire the stunning view out toward Butiaba and keep an eye open for Foxy Cisticola, White-winged Black Tit and Red-winged Pytilia at the same time. Descending into the Albertine Rift and continue north to Murchison Falls, arriving in the late afternoon. Overnight at Sambiya River Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park.

Days 5: Murchison falls tour
This day we’ll explore this splendid park. Naturally we’ll visit the awesome Murchison Falls, where the mighty Blue Nile is forced through a 7mtrs wide gap. A highlight of our visit will undoubtedly be the boat trips to the foot of the falls and to the delta area, and of course the one bird that will be on everyone’s mind is the bizarre Shoebill. Superb views can be had of this wonderful bird, and the captain and naturalist on the boat rarely disappoint their passengers. There will be other birds including vivid Red-throated Bee-eater as well as mammals such as Rothschild’s Giraffe, Elephant, Waterbuck and many others.

Our drives around the extensive plains will provide classic African vistas complemented by exciting birds. Among others we’ll be on the lookout for Saddle-billed Stork, African Finfoot, Red-necked Falcon, Senegal Thick-knee, White-collared Pratincole and Giant and Woodland Kingfishers. In the scattered woodland and savanna we’ll search for Heuglin’s Francolins irrupting on noisy wings from the rank grass, gem-like and graceful Swallow-tailed and Blue-breasted Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Rollers, comical Abyssinian Ground Hornbills and buzzing jewels in the form of Northern Red Bishops. Nights at Sambiya River Lodge.

Day 6: Murchison falls - Fortportal
Leaving Murchison Falls, we’ll make a short drive to the recently discovered population of Puvel’s Illadopsis, a dowdy bird with an impressive voice. Toward Hoima there are a few papyrus swamps where specialties such as White-winged Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek can be found, while the surrounding scrub may harbor Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-bellied Seedcracker and Gray-headed Oliveback. Night at Mountains of the Moon Hotel, Fort Portal.

Day 7: Kibale Forest National Park
The Fort Portal Hotel will be our base from which to visit the extensive, mid-montane Kibale Forest Reserve. Kibale is home to nine species of primates and there is the opportunity for a Chimpanzee trek on easy, well-marked trails. Birding along the road is also very rewarding and we could encounter White-spotted Pygmy Crake, White-naped Pigeon, African Gray Parrot, Black Bee-eater, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed Starlings, Blue-throated Brown and Superb Sunbirds, White-collared Oliveback and Brown Twinspot among others. Night at Fort Portal.

Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National park
Our next port of call is the world-famous Queen Elizabeth National Park on the shores of Lake Edward. After checking in at our lodge we’ll head straight out to spend the remainder of the day driving along trails looking for such park specialties as Uganda Kob and Giant Forest Hog. Numerous birds inhabit the surrounding scrub and lakeshore and in the evening spectacular Pennant-winged Nightjars fly around the grounds of the lodge. Night at Mweya Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National park
Today we explore Queen Elizabeth Park with 611 Birds species. These include the magnificent Martial Eagle, comical Red-necked Spurfowl, secretive Black-rumped and Common Buttonquails, cautious African Crakes peering out from the gassy verge, African Skimmers cutting a trench across the waters in the quiet bays, enormous Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl booming around the lodge in the evenings, crisp Sooty Chats, glistening Red-chested Sunbird and Slender-billed Weaver coming into the dining room to share breakfast. Night at Mweya Lodge.

Day 10: Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
This morning we’ll board a boat for a trip on the Kazinga Channel, the narrow neck of water that connects Lakes George and Edward. Here we’ll have fine views of many waterbirds and some of the skulking birds in the reedbeds. After breakfast we’ll depart Mweya for Buhoma in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Night at Buhoma homesteads.

Days 11: Gorilla trekking Adventure
For this day in the park we’ll be based at Buhoma, where we’ll have the opportunity to go Gorilla trekking. The chances of finding a troop are good and spending an hour with these immense but placid creatures is an experience never to be forgotten. The forest of the park’s lowland portion has an avifauna quite different from that of the higher parts, where altitude and the steep tracks make for slow progress. Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Bar-tailed Trogon, African Broadbill and White-bellied Robin-Chat are just a few of the species we may find in the forest. We’ll spend the next two days at Ruhija exploring the montane forest in search of a variety of birds including many Albertine endemics. The list will be impressive but should include Rwenzori Nightjar, African Green Broadbill, Stripe-breasted Tit, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Rwenzori and Mountain Masked Apalises, Grauer’s, Short-tailed and Red-faced Woodland Warblers, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Fulleborn’s Black Boubou, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Blue-headed and Purple-breasted Sunbirds and Strange Weaver. Nights at Gorilla Resort or Buhoma community Bandas: Meal plan: Full Board

Day 12: Bwindi – Lake Mburo
Leaving Bwindi we’ll look for a few marsh birds before continuing to Lake Mburo National Park for the remainder of the day. As we trace the edge of the dense papyrus-filled bays we’ll stop at several locations to look for regional specialties such as Senegal and Brown-chested Plovers, Brown Parrot, Yellow-eyed Black Tit and Yellow-throated Leaflove, to name but a few, while commoner mammals might include Impala, Topi, Oribi and Burchell’s Zebra. Night at Mantana or Mihingo Lodge.

Day 13: Lake Mburo – Kampala
From Mbarara we’ll travel to Kampala. Overnight at Speke Hotel or Holiday Express Hotel

Day 14: Kampala – Mabira forest
After an early breakfast we’ll investigate Mabira Forest. Although isolated by the surrounding banana and sugar plantations, this remarkably productive forest is possibly the richest in the country, and well-maintained trails make birding easy. Mixed flocks are often found along the broad tracks, and noisy groups of the near-endemic Weyn’s Weaver, arguably the most attractive of the group, busy themselves in the canopy. We can also hope to see African Pied Hornbill and Forest Wood-Hoopoe, while the seasonal pools can attract Blue-breasted, White-bellied, Dwarf and Shining-blue Kingfishers. Yellow-throated and Speckled Tinkerbirds live in the canopy and Toro Olive Greenbul and Green-tailed Bristlebill are secretive interior inhabitants. If there are safari ants on the march, Fire-crested Alethe, Forest Robin and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat may be in attendance. Over night in Mabira; The Rain Forest Lodge.

Day 15: Airport transfer
We’ll have another morning in Mabira Forest before returning to Entebbe and the Lake Victoria Hotel where the tour concludes in time for the evening flights back home

OUR SAFARI QUOTATION INCLUDES:
1 Ground Transportation
2 Full time English speaking professional driver guide
3 Agreed upon accommodation and meals stated
4 All activities mentioned
5 Park entry and vehicle entrance fees,

6 Gorilla and Chimpanzee permits
7 Airport Transfers

 

Prices exclude
1 Airfares to Uganda
2 Entry visas and airport taxes
3 All personal expenditure such as laundry and drinks are excluded.

BOOK THIS BIRDING & GORILLA SAFARI