UGANDA BIRDING SAFARI - 13 DAYS
Day 1: Kampala - Entebbe
Arrive in Uganda through Entebbe International Airport and stay in either Kampala or Entebbe.
Day 2:- Mabamba Swamp
This is about 50km west of Kampala. The wetland is newly discovered home for the most sought after Bird the shoebill. Birding is done on the canoes in marsh channels. Special birds include White winged warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow backed weaver, Northern brown throated weaver, Blue headed coucal, and other swamp specialties. Continue to Mabamba swamp. Most of the birding is from a canoe. Look out for the shoebill stork both in the sky and down on the marsh. Also look out for the swamp flycatcher, African Purple Swamphen, African water rail, Common Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy goose, White faced whistling duck, Squacco Heron, Blue breasted beater, Winding cisticola, Goliath Heron and Black Crake.
Return to your Hotel for dinner and overnight stay
Day 3:- Murchison falls National Park
This is Uganda’s largest national park that protects a chunk of untamed African savanna and bisected by the mighty River Nile. It is named for the dramatic Murchison fall, where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below.Day
4:- Murchison falls National Park
Take a boat along Victoria Nile to the delta at Lake Albert. This is a home to Hippos and many enormous Nile crocodiles as well as special Birds which include the Shoebill, secretary bird, Abyssinian roller and ground Hornbill, pied Kingfishers, Red throated Bee-eaters lining the banks, Goliath Heron, Saddle Billed stork, Sacred Ibis, Fulvous whistling Duck, Senegal and Water thick knees, Black Headed and Black toed Lapwing, Little Bittern, Osprey, Red necked falcon, Blue breasted bee-eater, Vinaceous Dove and Grosbeak weaver.
This afternoon cross to the Top of the falls. Look out for White fronted black chat, Rock Prantincoles, White crested Turaco, Grey woodpecker, Darter and Giant Kingfisher, Red throated Bee-eater, Red shouldered Cuckoo Shrike, Western Violet backed Sunbird, Black Headed Gonolek, Chestnut crowned sparrow-weaver, Brown twin spot, Bar Breasted Firefinch, Red winged Pytilia and Red winged Grey warbler, Bruce’s Pigeon and Osprey.Day
5:- Murchison Falls National Park
Whole day Game drive on northern bank of the Victoria Nile. Birds recorded here include Egyptian Plover, Shoebill, Red winged Grey warbler Rock Pranticole, Secretary bird, bat hawk, Denham’s Bustard, Pels fishing owl, White crested Turaco, Vinaceous Dove, Senegal thicknee, Chestnut crowned sparrow-weaver, Carmine bee eater, Night jars, White rumped canary.Day
6:- Budongo forest
Start early birding in Budongo forest through the escarpment looking for Fox’s cisticola, White headed Barbet, Northern crombec, Singing cisticola, Grey headed Bush shrike, Black bellied Barbet, Grey headed olive back, Black Bellied firefinch, Madagascar Heron, Lesser masked weaver and Shikra.
Afternoon birding at Budongo maybe very productive. The forest is one of the largest and most beautiful forests in Uganda. It’s a home to African Crowned Eagle, Olive Camaroptera, Yellow and Grey Longbills, Chocolate Backed Kingfisher, Red tailed Ant-thrush, Velvet mantled Drongo, Rufous crowned Eremomera, Ituri Batis and Nahan’s Francolin. Dinner and Overnight stay.Day
7:- Budongo forest: Royal mile and Busingiro
An early start for a whole day birding trip to Busingiro. The area is famous for its Key species which include, African Dwarf and chocolate backed Kingfisher, chestnut-crowned Eremomera, White spotted flufftail, Yellow and grey Longbills, Olive bellied Crombec, Brown eared woodpecker, Dusky long tailed cuckoo, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, Crowned Eagle, Forest Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Camaroptera and Cabanis Bunting, Brown-backed scrub-Robin, Narina Trogon, Golden Crowned Woodpecker, Rufous Flycatcher Thrush, Chestnut capped flycatcher, Black headed paradise flycatcher, Little Green Sunbird, Green Sunbird, both Negrofinches, Western Black headed Oriole, African Emerald cuckoo Red tailed ant-thrush, Yellow Longbill, Grey Longbill, Forest Robin, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Rufous crowned Eremomela, the exclusive lemon bellied Crombec, Yellow mantled weaver, Yellow browed Camaroptera, Green Crombec, Crested Malimbe and Red headed Bluebill. Dinner and overnight stay.Day
8:-Kibale Forest National Park.
Depart early for Kibale Forest National Park. This is a rather longer drive but the area has a range of Birding opportunity. Kibale forest birding spots include Green breasted Pitta, White-napped Pigeon, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, white-napped pigeon, grey throated fly catcher, Scaly Francolin, African Uganda woodland warbler, African pita, red chested fluff tail, grey winged pigeon, chestnut-winged and the forest is also a home to 13 primate species. Dinner and Overnight stay at Mantana luxury tented camp or Ndali lodge
Day9: Birding and Chimpanzee Tracking
Whole day birding in the forest and chimp tracking. Dinner and overnight at Mantana luxury tented camp or Ndali lodge
Day 10: Birding in Bigodi Wetlands
Bird Bigodi wetland in the morning, with packed lunch leave for Semiliki forest which is a moist semi-ciduous forest and a home to Maxwell’s black weaver, black winged oriole, sport breasted ibis, yellow throated green cuckoo, white bellied kingfisher, red eyed puff back, African piculet, Northern bearded scrub robin, capuchin babbler, red bellied malimbe, Zenker’s honey guide and many more different species. Dinner and overnight at Semiliki lodge
Day 11: Birding Safari in Semuliki Forest
Whole day birding in the Semiliki forest. Dinner and overnight at Semuliki Uganda Safari lodge.
Day 12: Birding in Semuliki Forest
Early morning, go birding in the Semiliki forest Reserve, and in the afternoon visit Sempaya hot springs. Have the evening relaxing. Dinner and overnight at Semiliki lodge.
Day 13: Return Trip to Kampala
Breakfast at Semuliki Lodge and return to kampala
END OF THE UGANDA BIDING SAFARI
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