Hard Core Birding

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, meet & greet by your driver/guide and transfer to your accommodation. 

Dinner and  Overnight at The Boma Hotel  (Bed & Breakfast).

Early breakfast and then with a packed lunch, proceed to the bird Mabamba Wetlands where you will be driven in a motorized boat as you bird through the swamp, look out for birds like the mighty Shoebill and other birds like Long-tailed Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Yellow-billed Duck, Malachite Kingfisher, Long-toed Plover, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, among other birds.

Bird your way back to Entebbe, looking out for birds like African open-billed Stork, Grey Kestrel, African Green Pigeon, Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Swifts, Sunbirds, Weaverbirds, Finches, among other birds.

Dinner and Overnight at The Boma Hotel (Full Board)

After breakfast, bird as you head for Murchison Falls National Park with a lunch at any convenient restaurant. After lunch, bird, as you continue to Pakuba via the top of the falls. Have a short walk around the top of the falls, from where you can walk down to the river’s edge and see the water narrow as they are forced through a rocky cleft and plunge 35 meters in a majestic cascade. Look out for birds like the beautiful White- crested Turaco, Greater blue-eared Starling, Cuckoos, Weavers, Raptors, White- headed Barbet, African Paradise-flycatcher, Red-cheeked Cordon blue, Waxbills, Finches, Sunbirds, among other birds. 

Dinner and overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge. Full board

After Breakfast, head out for morning birding, getting back in time for lunch. After lunch, transfer to Paraa northern bank for the boat trip up to the bottom of the Falls, and it is possible to view hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of bird life. Look out for birds like Denham’s Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-headed Plover, Rock Pratincole, Swallow-tailed Bee-Eater, Red-throated Bee-eater, Carmine Bee-Eater, Black-billed Barbet, Spotted Morning Thrush, Northern Red and Black-Winged Red Bishops, Speckle-fronted Weaver, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, among other birds. Look out for mammals like the graceful Roth child Giraffe, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Uganda Kob, Bushbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Buffaloes, Elephants, Warthog, Hippos, Oribi, and, when lucky, a leopard and Lion, among others.

Dinner and overnight as before.

After breakfast with your packed lunch bird as you proceed for the drive to Budongo Forest, driving through the rift valley escarpment where you will have good views of Lake Albert. Bird the escarpment before proceeding to Busingiro Forest Centre. Birds around the vicinity and the road. Drive through to Masindi Hotel, where you will be spending your two nights. Look out for birds like Striped Kingfisher, Red-chested Cuckoo, Foxy Cisticola, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Black-headed Batis, Cliff Chat, Green-backed Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Green-headed Sunbird, Red-winged Pytilia,  Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Dwarf Kingfisher, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, among other birds. 

Dinner and overnight at Masindi Hotel (Full Board)

After breakfast with your packed lunch, proceed to bird the Royal Mile to look for forest birds. Look out for birds like the White-thighed Hornbill, Narina Trogon, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Dwarf Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, a selection of Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Yellowbill, Forest Flycatcher, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Fraser’s Ant Thrush, Red-tailed Ant Thrush, Western Black-headed Oriole, Purple-headed Starling, Purple Starling, among other birds. You may see primates like Blue Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, Black and white Colobus Monkey as you look for the birds. 

Dinner and overnight as before, Full board.

As you head south to the mid-end of  Kibale Forest (Kanyanchu), birding en route. Look out for birds like the Western Banded Snake Eagle, Crested Guinea Fowl, Striped Kingfisher, Red-chested Cuckoo, Great Blue Turaco, Lizard Buzzard, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Lesser Striped and Red-breasted Swallows, Joyful Greenbul, Masked Apalis, Chubb's Cisticola, Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher, Whinchat, Stonechat, Green-headed Sunbird, Common Fiscal, among other birds. 

Dinner and overnight at Home Bliss Hotel (Full board)

After breakfast, bird to Semuliki National Park, getting there in time to bird the trails around the hot springs. After this whole day of birding, drive back to Fort Portal, where you will spend two nights.

Dinner and overnight at Home Bliss Hotel (Full board)

After breakfast, proceed for a whole day of birding on the Kirumia trail. Look out for birds like White thighed Hornbill, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Piping Hornbill, White crested Hornbill, Red-billed dwarf Hornbill, Black dwarf Hornbill, Crested Malimbe, Swamp Palm Bulbul, and you open your eyes wide, as you may be chanced with an African Piculet among other birds.

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge( Full board).

After breakfast, bird the vicinity of Kanyanchu and the road. Look out for birds like White spotted Flufftail, Yellow-billed Barbet, African Emerald Cuckoo, Grey Parrot, Black-billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Sabine’s Spinetail, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Red-tailed Ant Thrush,  Narrow-tailed Starling, white-collared Oliveback, and more. Primates like Chimpanzees, Red Colobus, Blue Monkey, Black and white Colobus, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, L’Hoest’s Monkey, among others birds. 

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (Full board).

After breakfast, Bigodi Bird, lunch at Gardens Restaurant in Fort Portal, then head towards Queen Elizabeth National Park, driving along the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains through Kasese, and crossing the Equator. Birding en route to the accommodation, where you will spend three nights. Look out for birds like the Grey-headed Kingfisher, Lesser Striped Swallows, Zitting Cisticola, Babblers, Grey-backed Shrike, Common Fiscal, Starlings, Widowbirds, and many more. 

Dinner and Overnight at Bush Lodge (Full Board).

Day 12: Bird Queen Elizabeth National Park     

Early breakfast and with a packed lunch, set off for a game drive/birding. In the afternoon, go for the launch (boat) trip on the Kazinga Channel, to see a variety of wildlife, including hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, and bird life from a boat for two hours. Look out for birds like Pelicans, Green-backed Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Martial Eagle, Common button Quail, Kittlitz’s Plover, Senegal Plover, Wattled Plover, Larks, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Babblers, Sunbirds, Weavers, Widowbirds, among other birds. Look out for mammals like Uganda Kob, Bushbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Buffaloes, Elephants, Warthog, when lucky, a leopard, and Lion among others.

Dinner and overnight at Bush Lodge (Full board).

With your picnic lunch, bird as you proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, birding en route, arriving in the late afternoon. Look out for birds like Martial Eagle, Francolins, Barbets, Chats, Cuckooshrikes, Sunbirds, Fork tailed Drongo, Larks, Pipits, Weavers, Widowbirds among other birds. You will look out for mammals like Topi, Uganda Kob, Water Buck, Buffaloes, Elephants, Baboons, and others. 

Dinner and overnight at Ride 4 A Woman ( Full board).

After an early breakfast, start looking for bird species 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, Mountain Masked Apalis, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Starlings, Black-billed Weaver, Brown-capped weaver among other birds. 

Dinner and Overnight at Ride 4 A Woman (Full board).

Second day birding Bwindi to fill in the gaps.

Dinner and Overnight at Ride 4 A Woman (Full board).

fter breakfast, start the drive to Ruhija birding en-route looking for birds like Tambourine Dove, 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, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Twinspot, Yellow Bishop, Black-throated Seedeater among other birds. 

Dinner and overnight at Agandi Uganda (Full board).

After breakfast, with you packed lunch bird the Mubwindi Swamp looking out for birds like Black-billed Turaco, Western Green Tinkerbird, Fine-banded Woodpecker, African Green-Broadbill, Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Montane Sooty Boubou, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird among other birds.

Certainly one of the highlights of any birding trip in Uganda, this walk is physically challenging but, taken slowly it is quite manageable. 

Dinner and overnight as before. Full board

Today we bird to Kisoro via Echuya forest and a nearly finished papyrus that lies along the outflow of Lake Bunyonyi to try the Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Canary, which can be seen here by luck, Carruthers’ Cisticola, try the Little Rush Warbler also, 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 Ichumbi  Hotel (Full board).

After breakfast with your parked lunch, drive to Ntebeko Camp from where you will start your trek to probably the most scenic protected area in Uganda. You will take the gorge trail that loops half way up Mt. Sabinyo, through a variety of montane habitats. Look out for birds like Dusky Turtle Dove, Rwenzori Turaco, Cape Robin-Chat, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Grassland Pipit, White-starred Robin, Common Stone Chat, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, White-napped Raven, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Bronze Sunbird, Yellow-crowned Canary, Streaky Seedeater and try the elusive Shelly’s Crimson-wing among other birds. 

Dinner and overnight at Ichumbi  Hotel ( Full board).

Bird to Lake Mburo getting to Mbarara in time for lunch. After lunch continue with the drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Birding here is a delightful experience, and often one of the highlights of a birding trip to Uganda. Look out for birds like Crested Francolin, Emeraled Spotted Wood Dove, Spot flanked Barbet, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Black-headed Gonolek, Starlings,  Dusky Blue Flycatcher, Mountain Masked Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, White-napped Raven, Dusky Crimsonwing, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black-headed Waxbill among other birds. 

Dinner and Overnight at Rwakobo Rock ( Full board).

Whole day birding Lake Mburo National Park looking for species like the Bateleur, Crested Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Blue-napped Mousebird, African Grey Hornbill, Red-faced Barbet, Spot-flanked Barbet, Long-tailed Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, and more. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise to look for the African Finfoot and others. Before or  (and) after dinner, try the African Scops Owl, Swamp Nightjar, Fiery-necked Nightjar, Black-shouldered Nightjar, and others. Look out for animals like the gorgeous Eland, Zebra, Impala, Buffalo, Reedbuck, Topi, Waterbuck buck Bushbuck, Hippos, Oribi, Grey-duiker, and others. 

Dinner and overnight at Rwakobo Rock ( Full board).

After breakfast, transfer to Entebbe International Airport in time for your departure flight.