4 days birding safari in Murchison Falls
4 Days Birding Safari in Murchison Falls National Park gives you an opportunity to trek through diverse ecosystems and an incredible diversity of over 400 bird species, guided by the idea of vast bird-watching areas; Traverse a rich, colorful land of rolling savannahs, swamps, and riverine forests seemingly designed by a child’s imagination, or exploring nature in its entirety, as it meets the pressing needs of many avid birders you would definitely take this 4 days short birding to to Murchison Falls National Park which is located northwest of the country with a rich bird life classified into larger categories of Guinea-Congo biome endemic birds, migratory birds, water birds, and savannah bird associated with the Somali-Ethiopia habitats among others. The park has sightings of birds like the pre-historic Shoebill Stork, Open billed-Stork, weavers, Black-bellied Bustards, Francolins, Shrikes, Woodland Kingfisher, Abyssinian ground Hornbill, Mousebirds, Hamerkop, Doves, Grey Heron, Coucals, Flycatchers, Cukoos and others.
Close to the riverine, marshes, and moorlands, such areas harbor birds like Ducks, Herons, Francolins, Pied, Malachite and Giant Kingfisher, Geese, Plovers, Red-throated Bee-eater, Warblers and Stilts among others.
Day 1: Birding safari in Murchison Falls National Park via Mabamba wetland.
On this day, you will be picked up early in the morning by your guide in Entebbe and head to the Mabamba wetland which is about 2 hours drive southwards. Perhaps out of Entebbe, before reaching the wetland, your birding guide will start pointing at various bird species such as the Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, White-Shouldered Black Tit, Purple Heron along the wetlands enroute, Vieillot’s Black, Blacked-headed and Weyns’s Weaver, Banded Snake Eagle, Great Blue and Ross’s Turaco, Red-headed Lovebird, Variable and Scarlet -chested Sunbird among others. This marshy plain swamp is one of the best birding sites to spot the elusive but calm Shoebill Stork. However other bird species can also be seen such as Grey Heron, Lesser and African Jacana, Long-toed Lapwing, Winding Cisticola White-backed and White-faced Whistling Duck. Many other species can be found in the marshes including the Black-headed Heron, Purple Heron, Little Egret, Purple and Goliath Heron, Allen’s Gallinule and Purple Gallinule, the globally threatened and migrant Pallid Harrier, and the Blue Swallow. Then transfer back to Kampala city and head to Masindi passing through rich vegetation zones of savannah along the Luwero-Nakasongola-Gulu highway and later branch off to Masindi town for dinner and overnight stay. On your way to Masindi, you will have a chance to spot different kinds of birds such as the Dark Chanting Goshawk, Lizard Buzzard, Grey Kestrel, Banded Snake Eagle, White Headed Barbet, Yellow-shouldered and Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Red-winged Black Bishops, Lesser and Great Blue-eared Starling, Great Blue and White-crested Turaco, Grey Woodpecker, White Shouldered Black-tit, Brown Throated Wattle Eye, Brown Twin-Spot, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Village and Black Headed Weaver, Broad-billed Roller, Bronze- Tailed Starling, Grey Capped Warbler, Barn Swallow, Greater Honeyguide, Sooty Chat, Cardinal and Nubian Woodpecker among others.
Accommodation:
• Masindi Hotel
Meals:
• Lunch and Dinner
Destination:
• Mabamba Wetland
Day 2: Birding in the Royal Mile and Boat Cruise on the Nile
You will be served breakfast early morning, then transfer to one of the best forests for birding with the well-informed bird guides in the country. The Royal Mile, an extension of the Guinea-Congo Forest, is a habitat for outstanding forest birds such as the Chestnut-Capped Flycatcher, Jameson’s Wattle Eye, Dwarf Kingfisher, super noisy White-thighed Hornbill, Sabine’s Spine Tail, and others. By the time you leave the forest, you will have great knowledge with a reference of a convincing checklist as regards forest bird species. Accommodation:
· Paraa
Destination:
· Murchison Falls National Park
Meal:
· Breakfast, lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Birding safari in the northern part of Murchison falls and Top of the Falls
Early in the morning, you continue with your Murchison birding safari drive through the wider rolling savannah mostly to see different savannah bird species such as King fishers, Hornbills, Sparrows, Weavers, Waxbills and others. Along the way on a lucky day, you may get the opportunity of seeing the big cats hunting such as the lions, leopards, and herbivorous like elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Jackson’s Hartebeests, and many more as part of the mammal checklist, that extend to over 76. If you continue down the circuits heading to the delta point such as Albert circuit and Queens circuit, your eyes won’t blink on seeing a cock tail of birds as you extend near the Delta point including the pre-historic Shoebill Stork, Senegal Thick-knee, Goliath Heron, Pied King fisher, Pelicans, and between February to March the Egyptian Plover, Denham’s bustard, the Spur-winged Geese are among the 451 bird species recorded in this conservation area. After this experience, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and prepare for an extension to the top of the Falls in the afternoon with a super spectacular experience of a 3-hour boat ride won’t leave you the same but instead with great stunning memories to the base of the magical Murchison Falls. Here you will encounter a pool of giant open-mouthed hippos, grooming for dominance, especially the dominant male, nowhere than here in Uganda! Swimming elephants, Nile crocodiles, and some monitor lizards scroll along the banks of the Nile Delta together with a variety of beautiful birds along the river banks of the Nile Delta, with various beautiful birds along the river banks. Perhaps the chance to tick on the Rock Pratincole is our aim as we approach the base of the falls. With our passion for bird watching, this could be our magnet for spotting some water birds with spectacular colours such as the Red-throated bee-eaters displaying their colourful Plumage along the cliffs on the banks of the Nile. This is a classic large-scale attraction in which an explosive drop of water shoots directly through a narrow gorge of 7 meters and plunges approximately 45 meters down the base of the falls. This scenic experience will attract several birds such as King fishers, Heron, Sstork, African Jacana, Egrets, Malachite Kingfisher, Palm-nut Vulture among others. Make a simple trek on the side of the thundering waterfalls as they embark on a three-month voyage to the Mediterranean Sea.
Accommodation:
· Paraa Safari Lodge
Destination:
• Murchison Falls National Park
Meal:
• Breakfast, lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Birding safari in Budongo Forest-Chimpanzee walk
Wake up early in the morning for the nearby Budongo Forest with an informative birding forest guide to conduct an unforgettable birding walk experience in the jungle. The forest is one of Uganda’s homes to top residents of mostly Skulking birds such as Puvel’s Illadopsis, Yellow-billed Barbet, Blue-throated Roller, Nahan’s Patrideg, African Broad Bill, Black Capped Apalis, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Tit Hylia, Yellow-browed Carmaroptera and many more birds hosted by this great forest with tall, broad-leaved old trees that form upper dense canopies such as figs, ironwood and mahogany trees. These trees provide insects for Crombecs, Spinetails, Longbills, Crested Guineafowl, and many others. In addition, you will have a chance to see many other forest species including the prominent primates of the forest the chimpanzees swinging and crossing along tree canopies, including red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, Blue monkeys, Vervets, and will come across different plant species, butterflies, insects among others. This great combination of various species with a great bird-watching safari experience will give you a memorable and remarkable taste in your life. After your great Murchison Falls Birding safari, you will drive back to Kampala/Entebbe or the hotel.
Accommodation: End of Tour
Meals:
• Breakfast and Lunch
Destination:
• Kampala/Entebbe
4 days birding safari in Murchison Falls Tour includes
· Bird Watching
· All activities on the itinerary & park entry fees
· Accommodation and meals
· Transport in a Standard Safari vehicle 4×4 Landcruiser
· Professional Tour Guide
4 days birding safari in Murchison Falls Package Excludes
· International Flights
· Items of Personal Nature
· Tips and Gratuity