18 Days Uganda Birding Safari

Uganda Birding Safari takes you to major birding destinations for a magical bird watching tour in Mabamba, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park.

Uganda birding safari highlight:

Day 1: Arrival
Day 2: Visit to Mabamba swamp
Day 3: Birding to Kampala
Day 4: Birding to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 5: Birding in Murchison Falls national park
Day 6: Bird in Budongo
Day 7: Birding to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 8: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National park
Day 9: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 10: Bird to Bwindi
Day 11: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park-Buhoma-Ivi trail
Day 12: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park-Buhoma-Muyaga waterfall trail
Day 13: Bird as you transfer to Ruhija via the Neck
Day 14: Bird Mubwindi Swamp
Day 15: Bird to Kisoro
Day 16: Bird to Lake Mburo National Park
Day 17: Birding in Lake Mburo National Park
Day 18: Transfer to Kampala

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

Upon arrival, you will meet our company representative who will warmly welcome you to start your Uganda Birding Safari. Over night at Airport guest houseB/B

Day 2: Visit to Mabamba swamp

After your breakfast, you will be picked up from Airport guest house and transferred to the swamp. Spot outthe Shoebill Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, African Jacana, Malachite Kingfisher and other swamp subjects or dwellers. Dinner and overnight at hotel Africana FB

Day 3: Birding to Kampala

After early morning breakfast we shall search for savannah birds like the White Headed Barbet, Cardinal and Nubian Wood Pecker, White Crested Turaco, African Green Pigeon, Yellow Bellied Hyliota, African MoustachedWabler, White Shouldered Tit, African Paradise Flycatcher, Greater Blue Eared Starling among others. Dinner and overnight at hotel Africana FB

Day 4: Birding to Murchison Falls National Park

Departing from Kampala, bird as you head to Murchison Falls National Park.Look out for birds like raptors, Rock Pratincole, Crested Francolin, White crested Turaco, White-headed Barbet, Narina Trogon, Red-throated Bee-eater, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Silver bird, Red-cheeked Cordon blue, waxbills, finches, sunbirds and canaries, among others. Dinner and overnight at paraa. FB

Day 5: Birding in Murchison Falls national park

After breakfast with your packed lunch, proceed to the escarpment and bird around the vicinity and the road, look out for birds like African Hawk-Eagle, Booted Eagle, Striped Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Black- billed Barbet, Cliff Chat, Spotted Morning Thrush, Northern Crombec, Red-faced Crombec, Green-backed Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Rattling Cisticola, Foxy Cisticola, Red-winged Warbler, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Black-headed Batis, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Red-winged Ptyalin, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Black-faced Waxbill among others. Dinner and overnight at New court View FB. 

Day 6: Bird in Budongo

Look out for species like the African Crowned Eagle, Hugli’s Francolin, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Dwarf Kingfisher, White-thighed Hornbill, a Selection of Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Greenbuls, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Rufus-crowned Eremomela, Whistling Cisticola, Black-throated Apalis, Black-capped Apalis, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Forest Flycatcher, IturiBatis, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Western Black-headed Oriole, Purple headed Starling, Brown Twin spot among others. Dinner and overnight at Budongo Eco lodge

Day 7: Birding to Queen Elizabeth National Park 

After breakfast, we will drive to QENP with several birding hotspots and arrive in time for lunch at the Kingfisher Safari resort. Later we will embark on our birding expedition around the park and return for dinner and bedding at Kingfisher lodge

Day 8: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National park 

You will spend the whole day in the Park looking out for the Grey-headed Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Black-headed Gonolek, Grey-capped Warbler, Slender-billed, yellow backed, Black Headed, Lesser Masked and Golden Backed Weavers, Yellow Fronted and Brimstone Canary during your Uganda Birding Safari. Dinner and overnight at Kingfisher lodge.

Day 9: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Find Scaly Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, several plovers, Harlequin Quail and Common Button-quail. Larks are numerous and include, Red Capped, Rufous-napped, Flappet and the local White-tailed. Raptors include Martial Eagle, Banded Snake Eagles and Bateleur. In the afternoon we embark on a boat trip down the Kazinga Channel. This incredible area for waterbirds will afford stunning views of African Skimmer, Pink-backed Pelican, Saddle-billed, African Open Billed and Yellow Billed Stork, Hamerkop, African Spoonbill, Water Thick-knee, and over-summering Palearctic migrants. In the evening before dinner we will try a night drive with in the peninsular searching for Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, as well as owls if staying on the peninsular. Dinner and overnight at Kingfisher lodge.

Day 10: Bird to Bwindi

After breakfast with your packed lunch, bird en-route to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and arriving in the late afternoon. Look out for species like Raptors, Bee-eaters, Kingfishers, Barbets, Tinkerbirds, Woodpeckers, Apalises, Honeyguides, Greenbuls, Swallows, Larks, Cisticolas, Pipits, Chats, Shrikes, Starlings, Widowbirds and many more. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma lodge

Day 11:  Bwindi Impenetrable National Park-Buhoma-Ivi trail

After an early breakfast, bird in Bwindi impenetrable looking out for species like Black Bee-Eater, Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, Greenbuls, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’sWarbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Starlings, Sunbirds, Black-billed Weaver, Brown-capped weaver, among others. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma lodge.

Day 12:  Bwindi Impenetrable National Park-Buhoma-Muyaga waterfall trail

Get an early start to look for birds like Bar-tailed Trogon, Black Bee-Eater, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, assorted Greenbuls, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler , Oberlander’s Ground Thrush ,Mountain Masked Apalis, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’sCuckooshrike, Starlings, Black-billed Weaver, Brown-capped weaver among other birds. Dinner and Overnight at Buhoma lodge.

Day 13: Bird as you transfer to Ruhija via the Neck

After breakfast, bird as you transfer to Ruhija looking out for birds like Black Bee-eater, Red-throated Wryneck, Mountain Wagtail, Toro Olive-Greenbul, White-starred Robin, Olive Thrush, Cassin’s-grey Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Mountain Masked Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Sharpe’s Starling, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Twinspot, Yellow Bishop, Black-throated Seedeater among others. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma lodge

Day 14: Bird Mubwindi Swamp

After breakfast, walk down to the Mubwindi Swamp looking out for species like the Black-billed Turaco, Western Green Tinkerbird, Fine-banded Woodpecker, African Green-Broadbill, Shelly’s Crimsonwing, Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, RwenzoriBatis, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird and more. Certainly one of the highlights of any birding trips in Uganda, this walk is physically challenging, but taken slowly it is quite manageable. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma lodge.

Day 15: Bird to Kisoro

After breakfast, bird to Kisoro via Echuya forest you may see the Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Canary, Carruther’sCisticola, Little Rush Warbler and Fawn-breasted Waxbill among other birds. Continue with the drive to Kisoro looking out for birds like Handsome Francolin, Olive Pigeon, Western Green Tinkerbird, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Dusky Blue Flycatcher, Mountain Masked Apalis, White-browed Crombec, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Montane Oriole, White-napped Raven, Dusky Crimsonwing, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black-headed Waxbill among other birds. Dinner and overnight at Mutanda Lake resort.

Day 16: Bird to Lake Mburo National Park

We shall drive Lake Mburo, arriving at the park in the late afternoon. Look out for birds like Bateleur, Crested Francolin, Lilac-breasted Roller, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Blue-napped Mouse bird, African Grey Hornbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, Striped Kingfisher, Golden-backed Weaver among other birds. Dinner and Overnight at Rwenyo Rest Camp

Day 17: Birding in Lake Mburo National Park

Look for species like the Bateleur, Crested Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Blue-napped Mouse bird, African Grey Hornbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, Long tailed Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis African Scops Owl, Swamp Nightjar, Black-shouldered Nightjar and Freckled Nightjar. Dinner and overnight at Rwenyo Rest Camp

Day 18: Transfer to Kampala

You will be transferred to Kampala to end your Uganda Birding Safari. Depending on your flight time, you may visit our craft village shops in Kampala to buy souvenirs for your friends and relatives.