12 Days Birding and Primate Safari in Uganda
- 12 days / 11 nights
- Uganda
Ultimate Uganda Birding Expedition with African Expert Safaris
12 Days Birding and Primate Safari in Uganda is an outstanding experience that will facilitate love for bird watching and wildlife through it all. You begin your journey in one of Uganda’s busiest cities, Entebbe or Kampala, where you will be taken to some beautiful places with a lot of biodiversity found nowhere else in Uganda; these include Mabamba swamps, Lake Mburo National Park savannahs, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest dense forests and lastly the ecosystems of Kibale and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. This kind of trip combines both birding exploratory tours alongside primate tracking (mainly famous mountain gorillas and chimpanzees). Therefore, it guarantees a deep understanding about the natural environment of Uganda.
12 Days Birding and Primate Safari in Uganda tour highlights
- Arrival at the international airport in Uganda followed by transfer to hotel accommodation facilities either found on Entebbe or Kampala.
- Mabamba swamp bird watching site where visitors have high chances of sighting water birds such as Shoebill among others.
- Game park for bird watching inside Lake Mburo National Park
- Stand on the equator line so as to physically be on two different hemispheres at ago
- Birding expedition inside Bwindi National Park which has various endemic species that are unique to the Albertine Rift region.
- Trekking with gorillas across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
- Passing via the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park which harbors tree climbing lions
- Morning birding then afternoon boat ride along Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 1: Arrival
A bird expert veteran will be waiting for you at Entebbe International Airport to take you to either Kampala or Entebbe. However, if your journey is at the beginning of the day, one of the perspectives may be to watch birds as they fly around the beautiful botanical gardens of Entebbe. Thus, you will stay overnight at Sheraton Hotel (FB).
Day 2: Birding Mabamba
After an early morning meal, we will drive towards Mabamba Swamp which is 50 kilometers west of Kampala city. The Mpigi Swamp is a good place to stop before reaching tSwamp since there are papyrus rarities. Birds such as the White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow-backed Weaver and others like the Northern Brown-throated Weaver and Blue-headed Coucal should not escape your eyes during this trip towards the swamp where you are going to take part in canoe birding guided by local people living around there . More wildlife includes Shoebill ; Swamp Flycatcher ; African Purple Swamphen ; African Water Rail ; Common Moorhen ; Lesser Jacana ; African Jacana ; Pygmy Goose from Africa ; Whistling Duck with white face from Africa ; Squacco Heron ; Blue-breasted Bee-eater ; Winding Cisticola ; Goliath Heron and Black Crake. You will stay overnight at Sheraton Hotel (FB).
Day 3: Drive to Lake Mburo National Park
Stand in two hemispheres at once with a stop at the equator. Many wetlands create the habitat for zebras, impalas, elands, topis and buffaloes in Lake Mburo National Park. Birds like Green-backed Woodpecker or African Finfoot can be seen alongside Brown-chested Plover among other species such as Southern Ground Hornbill, Spot-flanked Barbet and Red-faced Barbet straight away followed by Black-collared Barbet with White-winged Warbler then ending it with Papyrus Yellow Warbler first sampling Carruthers’s Cisticola followed next by Papyrus Gonolek while Yellow-billed Oxpecker seems to appear before Northern Brown-throated Weaver. You will spend your night either at Muhingo Lodge or Mantana Tented Camp inclusive of meals throughout one’s stay.
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi National Park
Some birds here include Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Banded Prinia, Black-faced Apalis, Black-throated Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher among others. Other examples include Ashy Flycatcher,Dusky blue Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher ,Chin-spot Batis Wenzori Batis and Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher with White bellied Crested-flycatchers followed by Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Mountain Illadopsis as well as African Hillbabblers who all have their nests hidden from sight while Dusky tits make their homes within loamy ground cover alongside Blue throated brown sunbirds and blue headed sunbirds among them being Northern double collared sunbirds alongside Grey headed sunbirds too. African Broadbills come next on the list before they give way to Western Green Tinker Birds while finally there is African Green Broadbill.
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
In Bwindi you can also go birding whereby you can observe over 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemics. Start your day by exploring the flat forest area of Buhoma Forest Trust. For an overnight stay, you can either go for Gorilla Forest Camp or Buhoma Homestead (FB).
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
On a morning gorilla trek, depart from Buhoma headquarters. An hour shouldn’t be spent walking around but it should at least take more than one hour with gorillas observed during this time period used while moving throughout the forest. For an overnight stay, consider either Gorilla Forest Camp or Buhoma Homestead (FB).
Day 7: Movement to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Tree-climbing lions are in abundant sight within the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will spend your night at either Mweya Safari Lodge or Jacana Safari Lodge (FB).
Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Your day will start with birdwatching at the park before a boat ride through Kazinga Channel. This is where you can find African skimmers striated herons African spoonbills and other related species such as African crakes water thickknees etc for viewing. An overnight stay will be spent in Mweya safari lodge.
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
In the morning proceed on game drive and birding around Queen Elizabeth then transfer to Kibale National Park during the afternoon. O/n Primate Lodge (FB).
Day 10: Chimp Tracking and Birding in Kibale Forest National Park
Early morning chimp tracking and birdwatching. Special birds include Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo; African Black Duck; Joyful; Cabanis; Toro Olive and Cameroon Sombre Greenbuls. Midnight blue magnetic lizard are commonly seen at first light while Black-faced Rufous Warbler; Tiny Sunbird; Green Twinspot; Brown and Scaly-breasted Illadopsis can only be identified by those who have had the chance of hearing them once before. TheBlue-shouldered Robin Chat’s song is not found elsewhere in any part of Eastern Africa besides its home country Uganda. TheGreen-throated Sunbird thrives close to water whereas the Blue-throated Sunbird flits about in wooded areas full of flowers and grasses. It is this specific place which has the greatest chance for encountering Green-breasted Pitta or African Pitta but never both species on one site .Additionally visiting these wetlands offers a good opportunity for observing White-throated Greenbul along with Yellow-whiskered Greenbul including other resident birds like Red-tailed BristleBill , Red-capped Robin Chat , Dusky Tit , Green-headed Sunbird or Brown-capped Weaver or Velvet-mantled Drongo or Bocage’s Bush-Shrike or Pink-footed Puffball .
Day 11: Transfer to Kampala
Birding en route. Overnight at Sheraton Hotel (FB).
Day 12: Departure
Transfer to Entebbe for your return international flight.
Tour Inclusives
- All activities on the itinerary
Exclusions
- Tourist Entry Visa
- International Flight Tickets
- Travel Insurance
- Items of Personal Nature
- Tips and Gratuities
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