Day 1: Birding in Entebbe
Depending on the time your arrival in Entebbe, stay at Entebbe Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel and bird Botanical Beach Gardens. The beautifully landscaped Botanical Gardens at Entebbe offer a superb introduction to Ugandan birds. The tall trees near the main entrance are the favourite day-roost of a pair of Verreauxs Eagle Owls. The key birds resident in the Gardens include red-chested and orange-tufted sunbirds, slender-billed, northern brown-throated, yellow-backed, Jacksons golden-backed, black-headed and Vieillots Black weavers, long-tailed cormorant, black-headed herons, African open-billed stork, grey-headed gull, giant and pied kingfishers, Common Squacco, hadada Ibis, Palmnut, hooded vultures, lizard Buzzard, Shikra, Grey Kestrel, Angola Swallow, Black Crake, grey-capped warbler, Green-throated and scarlet-chested sunbirds, African fish eagle, eastern grey plantain-eater (constantly uttering their strange, chimp-like calls, yellow-billed duck, rock pranticoles, black-headed Gonolek, red-chested sunbirds and swamp flycatcher. There is a tiny remnant patch of rainforest where vervet monkeys and Guereza Colobus can be observed along with Great Blue and Rosss Turaccos, Diederik and Klaass Cuckoos, broad-billed Roller, Woodland Kingfisher, black-and-white casqued Hornbill and splendid Starling. In the evening bird at Entebbe Sewage Pond. This is an excellent spot for waders. Look for Greater Sand plover, Tawny Pipit, Great black-headed Gull and other rarities such as Common Tern, Little-ringed Plover, European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Nightjar, Heuglins Gull, slender-billed Gull, and Eurasian Wryneck.
Dinner and overnight at Entebbe Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel - BB
Day 2: Birding at Lutembe Beach & Kajansi Fish Farm
After breakfast drive to Lutembe Beach expecting to see bird species including Black Cuckoo Shrike, Mustached Warbler, Brown Crowned Tchargra, Violet backed Starlings, Yellow bill, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Great sparrow hawk, Brown Twin spot, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Red Shouldered Cuckoo Shrike, etc. Take your lunch at Lutembe Beach. Take a boat cruise in search for White Winged black Terns, papyrus Canary, thousands of Grey Headed Gulls, Papyrus Gonolek, etc. Later proceed to Kajansi Fish Farm which is situated half way between Kampala and Entebbe. The Kajansi Fish Farm consists of several artificial ponds which attract a variety of water birds including storks, herons, waders and waterfowl. Rarities in this place include Northern Pintail, Little Ringed Plover and Eurasian Spoonbill. Dinner and overnight at Speke Hotel (BB)
Day 3: Bird watching in Mabamba Wetland
Have an early morning breakfast and proceed to Mabamba swamps (Important Bird Area (IBA) with more than 5 Shoebills. You may need to carry a picnic lunch. Birds in Mabamba Wetlands include: Squacco Heron, White Faced Whistling Duck, Goliath, Purple, long-toed Plover, African water Rail, Grey and Black Headed Herons, African Jacana, Pygmy Goose, Yellow Billed Duck, Black Crake, Swamp Moorhen, Allen's Gallinule, Cape Wagtail, etc. Sitatunga Antelope (swamp Antelope) can be sighted in the wetland. In the neighbouring swamp along tarmac road to Kampala you may stop for birds such as Yellow Crowned Bishop, White winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Waynes Weaver, and many more take your packed lunch and continue birding to the evening as you proceed for dinner in Kampala. Return to Kampala in the evening and relax at Hotel Africana in the swimming pool. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Africana - BB
Day 4: Birding Safari to Mabira Forest
Wake up for breakfast and transfer to Mabira forest for an excellent birding experience. Mabira is by far the largest surviving indigenous forest in central Uganda. Mabira is a very important ornithological site in Uganda with over 300 (mostly forest-associated) species recorded, including several rarities. Mabira is one of the two places within East Africa where the pretty tit hylia is resident; and is one of the few places where the localized wood-hoopoe, leaflove, and Nahans Franklin are common. Continue birding in search for other bird species such as White spotted Fluff tail, Forest Robin, Buff spotted Woodpecker, Yellow whiskered Greenbul, Grey spotted Woodpecker, Toro Greenbul, Red headed Blue Bill, Chestnut Wattle Eye, Yellow spotted Barbet, Grey throated Barbet, Yellow Rumped Tinker bird, Red headed Malimbe, Yellow-throated Tinker bird, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, African Pygmy, Red tailed Ant Thrush, Chin spot Batis, Banded Wattle Eye, Yellow mantled, Brown capped, Black Billed, Weyn's Weavers, Purple-headed Starling, and Violet-backed Starling etc. Return to Speke Hotel in Kampala for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Birding in Murchison Falls NP
Take breakfast and drive northwards through the Luwero Triangle and access the park in the afternoon. A variety of unique habitats (ranging from Ironwood forest, Riverine forest, dry and moist woodlands with grassy understorey, Borassus palm savanna, grassland with termitaria, papyrus swamps to lakes and rivers) and lots of superb birds warrant a visit to Murchison Falls National Park. The excellent birding experience is highly enhanced by the abundant wildlife and scenic landscape and more so by the spectacular waterfalls the Murchison Falls for which the park is named. Expect to see key specials including shoebill, Senegal Thick-knee, Denhams Bustard, Secretary bird, Heuglins Franklin, Rock Pranticoles, African Skimmer, Bruces Green Pigeon, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Red-throated, Swallow-tailed and Carmine Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Abyssinian Roller, Black-billed Barbet, White-fronted Black Chat, Foxy and Black-backed Ciosticolas, Green-backed Eremomela, White-breasted Cuckoo Shrike, Bronze- tailed Starlings, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Black Schimitarbill, Pennant-winged and standard-winged Nightjars, Egyptian Plover, Vinaceous Dove, Silverbird, Yellow-billed and Emins Shrikes, Northern Red Bishop, Red-winged Pytilia, Black-rumped Waxbill, White-rumped Seed-eater, Cabaniss Buntings, Bar-breasted and Black-bellied Firefinches, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow weaver and Bat Hawk among others. See big mammals such as buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, hippos, bushbuck, kob and Defassa waterbuck and a variety of predators. Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge (FB)
Day 6: wildlife tour in Murchison
After breakfast embark on a game drive in the park in search of the Big Five and numerous birds in the park. In the afternoon go for a boat cruise down to the mighty Murchison Falls. Watch out for the aquatic life: the water birds and mammals such as the bid herds of hippos, waterbucks, buffaloes, crocodiles, etc. Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge (FB)
Day 7: Birding along Sambiya River
Take an early morning breakfast and bird along the turn to Sambiya River Lodge. Expect species such as Martial Eagle, Tawny Eagle Grey Kestrel, Grey Headed Kingfisher, Helmeted and Crested Guinea fowl, Grey Hornbill, Senegal Coucal, etc. In the afternoon go chimps trekking in Kaniyo Pabidi. Other primates you will encounter in Kaniyo Pabidi include: Black and White Colobus, Red tailed and blue monkeys and Olive Baboons may be seen everywhere. Birds here include Great blue and Ross's Turaccos, Black billed Turacco, White thighed Hornbills, green-breasted Pitta, African Wood and African Scops Owls, African Green Pigeons, Nahan's Francolin and Narina's Trogon, may be seen. Kaniyo Pabidis star avian attraction is the vocal Puvels Illadopsis, a bird that has been recently discovered for the first time in East Africa. In the afternoon return to Kampala and stay at Sheraton Kampala Hotel/ Tourist Hotel for an overnight and dinner.
Note: Price for this itinerary will vary depending on the type of accommodation you select. You are free to choose accommodation ranging from budget, mid-range to luxury.
End of Birding Safari in Uganda
Mountain Gorilla trekking
