16-Day Ultimate Birding Uganda Experience and Wildlife

After an early breakfast, we drive to Mabamba Swamp, 50km west of Kampala. Stop en-route at Mpigi Swamp for papyrus rarities. Look out for the white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, yellow-backed weaver, Northern brown-throated weaver, blue-headed coucal, and other swamp specialties.

We continue to the Mabamba Wetland. At the swamp, most of the birding is done on a canoe which is paddled by our local site guides. Watch out for the shoebill - both in the sky and down in the marsh. You can also look out for the swamp flycatcher, African purple-swamp hen, African water rail, common moorhen, lesser jacana, African jacana, African pigmy goose, white-faced whistling duck, squacco heron, blue-breasted bee-eater, winding cisticola, goliath heron, and black crake.

In the afternoon, we continue to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You will have evening birding around Ziwa and later have dinner.

Accommodation : Amuka safari lodge 

After an early breakfast, you will proceed for an hour of on-foot rhino tracking. During the transfer to Murchison Falls NP, you will have a lunch stop. You may get a chance to see Nahan’s francolin, Cassin’s spinetail, and the chestnut-capped flycatcher. There are many confusing forest greenbuls to test us which include the spotted, Xavier’s, white-throated, and honeyguide greenbuls. Canopy flocks support yellow-mantled weaver, rufous thrush and Uganda woodland warbler.

The undergrowth along the track holds numerous skulkers including the scaly-breasted, brown and pale-breasted illadopses, fire-crested Alethe, blue-shouldered robin chat, rufous flycatcher, thrush and grey-throated tit-flycatcher in the Budongo Forest Reserve. On the way to the dramatic Murchison Falls, 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. You will have an amazing view of the falls and check in at the hotel.

Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge 

After breakfast, we have a launch cruise where you have chances to view huge Nile Crocodiles, big pods of hippos, and other wildlife. You will also see a wide variety of waterbirds like the shoebill, secretary bird, Abyssinian roller and ground hornbill, and pied kingfisher, and also view the magnificent falls from the bottom.

On the evening game drive in the national park, you will have chances of viewing hartebeest, lion, buffalo, primates, mongoose, giraffe, and elephant.

Accommodation : pakuba safari lodge 

After breakfast, we will have a morning game drive as we drive to Kibale Forest. Kibale Forest National Park is the best safari destination for chimpanzee tracking in East Africa. It contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of all tropical forests in Uganda. It hosts 13 species of primates including the chimpanzee. It is also home to the rare L'Hoest's monkey and East Africa’s largest population of the threatened red colobus monkey.

The park boasts 325 bird species, including 6 that are endemic to the Albertine Rift region. They include the black-capped apalis, blue-headed sunbird, collared apalis, dusky crimsonwing, purple-breasted sunbird, and red-faced woodland warbler. If you are lucky, you may also see the African pitta, green-breasted pitta, black bee-eater, yellow-spotted nicator, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, little greenbul, black-eared ground thrush, brown-chested alethe, blue-breasted kingfisher, Abyssinian ground thrush, and the crowned eagle.

accommodation : chimpanzee forest guest lodge 

After an early breakfast, we go to the visitor center of Kibale National Park for a briefing before the chimp trekking. The duration of the activity varies depending on the location of the chimpanzees. Once you encounter them, you will spend 1 hour with the chimpanzees.

It could be fruitful to go birding in the late afternoon along the major road.

Accommodation : chimpanzee guest lodge 

After breakfast, you will head for birding in the Bigodi Wetland which has riverine forest birds. Kibale National Park is a good site for a number of birds that are hard to find elsewhere. They include the speckle-breasted woodpecker, Cabanis’s greenbul and joyful greenbul as well as white-spotted flufftail, dusky and olive long-tailed cuckoo, lesser honey guide, blue-shouldered robin chat, white-chinned prinia, grey apalis, olive-green camaroptera and white-collared oliveback.In the afternoon, we transfer to Queen Elizabeth and enjoy evening birding around.

Accommodation :Lake Munyanyange Lodge.

After breakfast, you will go birding at Uganda's Lake Munyanyange. It is home to a rich diversity of waterbirds like flamingos and other wildlife, making it the second-most important place in the world for these iconic flamingo birds after the Great Rift Valley of East Africa.

Later in the afternoon, there will be a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel. The channel is a natural formation of around 20 miles long, connecting 2 freshwater lakes, Lake George to the east and Lake Edward to the west. The shores of the channel offer a variety of habitats, and you may have a chance to see greenshank, common-ringed plover, ruff, black-tailed godwit, and grey (black-bellied) plover, lesser black-backed gull, grey-hooded gull, malachite kingfisher, pink-backed pelican, marabou storks, saddle-billed stork, great and little egret, and white-bellied cormorant. As for mammals, this area apparently hosts the largest population of hippos in the world. Later, we check in at the hotel for dinner.

Accommodation : the bush lodge 

After breakfast, we have a morning game drive. Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world. This is evidenced by the presence of open savannah, rainforest, dense papyrus swamps, and brooding crater lakes, as well as the vast Lake Edward. Queen Elizabeth National Park has almost 100 mammal species and a remarkable 612 bird species, hence making it a superb safari territory. Elephants, a profusion of hippos, the elusive giant forest hogs and handsome Uganda kobs are all regularly sighted around the tourist village on the Mweya Peninsula which also boasts a marvelous waterfront setting in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Enjoy afternoon birding as you head to Ishasha where you may have chances to glance at the tree-climbing lions.

Accommodation : Mbogo lodges 

There will be a morning game drive searching for lions and birds. Here, we may also find savannah birds with the top vulture of the region - the lappet-faced vulture, Africa's most spirited eagle - the Marshal eagle, and larks. You can try to tick off the rare dusky blue flycatcher on River Ishasha, the trek sandpiper, the grey plover, and the rare blue quail.

Other notable birds you may see include the African thrush (a relative of the European blackbird), white-browed robin chat, common bulbul, greater honeyguide, and trilling cisticola. Also, look out for the white-browed coucal, a medium-sized bird normally seating on top of bushes enjoying the sun. Other great birds include the mythical flying bats headed to figs and hawking insects. Later, we transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

accommodation :buhoma haven lodge 

After breakfast, we will assemble at the park offices for the briefing prior to this memorable gorilla-tracking event which is indeed a “once in a lifetime” experience that you must never miss. Each encounter with the gorillas is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display.

The afternoon forest birding in Bwindi ranks the best in Uganda. Special birds include the black-faced rufous warbler, Grauer’s warbler, banded prinia, black-throated apalis, mountain-masked Apalis, red-throated alethe, Chapin’s flycatcher, chin spot batis, Rwenzori batis, yellow-crowned canary, thick-billed seed-eater, streaky seed eater, African green broadbill, Shelly’s crimsonwing, white-bellied robin chat, olive thrush, white-tailed ant thrush, Grauer’s rush warbler, short-tailed warbler, Neumann’s warbler, and red-faced woodland warbler.

Accommodation : Buhoma haven lodge 

After breakfast, we have a village walk around the Buhoma Community. We will visit the Batwa and you will observe their way of living. The Batwa were given land upon relocation from the forest and most of their basic needs are taken care of. The money they receive out of the village walk is used to buy clothes and food. They also use the money from the sale of crafts for recreational purposes, reading, and buying alcohol. You will also observe how they go about the process of juice making. We will also visit the traditional healer and you will observe how he treats ailments using tree bark, leaves, and some animal material. He dresses in goat and cow skin to preserve the way traditional healers used to dress.

You will also be taken through tea plantations and 10 sites that describe the way of life of the Buhoma community. In the afternoon, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi as you bird on the way.

Accommodation : lake bunyonyi rock resort 

After breakfast, you will have a boat ride on one of the deepest lakes in Africa and may have a chance to view different species of birds. They include the grey-crowned crane, the African harrier hawk, egret, and cardinal woodpecker. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of 2,200 to 2,478, but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical - you could admire them all day! They include Punishment Island, Bwana, and Kahungye.

In the afternoon, you will have birding around Lake Bunyonyi.

Accommodation : lake bunyonyi rock resort 

After breakfast, transfer to Lake Mburo National Park which is the only park in Uganda to contain impala and the only one in the Rift region to host Burchell’s zebra and eland. In Uganda, common wildlife species include warthog, buffalo, oribi, deffassa waterbuck, and reedbuck. Leopard and hyena are also present while hippo and crocodile are found in the lake.

Common conspicuous birds we will encounter on our journey to Lake Mburo include the crested francolin, emerald-spotted wood dove, brown parrot, bare-faced go-away bird, blue-napped mouse bird, lilac-breasted roller, green wood hoopoe, common scimitar bill, African grey hornbill, spot-flanked barbet, Nubian woodpecker, trilling cisticola, yellow-breasted apalis, Northern black tit, chin-spot batis, greater blue-eared starling, and Marico sunbird. Later in the evening, you will go on a boat cruise where you will enjoy the magnificent evening sunset.

Accommodation : Rwakobo rock 

After breakfast, you will head out for a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. It is the only park in Uganda to contain impala and the only one in the Rift region to host Burchell’s zebra and eland. In Uganda, topi is only found in Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Common wildlife species include warthog, buffalo, oribi, deffassa waterbuck, and reedbuck. Leopard and hyena are also present while hippo and crocodile are found in the lake.

Accommodation : Mihingo lodge 

After an early breakfast, you will have a morning game drive and then be transferred to Entebbe for departure.