8-day Simple Birding Tour in Uganda
This 8-day Birding Tour in Uganda is a short and rewarding birding excursion. With the assistance of a qualified bird guide from Journeys Uganda, this journey begins and concludes at Entebbe and travels to popular birding locations in the Southwest. intended to reach more than 400 bird species and more than 70 mammal species. The locations are Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Mabamba Swamp, Entebbe Botanical Gardens, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. There is a possibility to witness various bird species while travelling between locations, including gorillas, chimpanzees and Savannah wildlife species.
Detailed Itinerary of the 8-day Birding Tour in Uganda
Day 1: Arrival and Birding Entebbe Botanical Gardens
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will meet and greet and be transferred to Papyrus Guest House for check-in. An opportunity to do the Entebbe Botanical Gardens birding introduction in Uganda will be provided to early arrivals. It is situated in Lake Victoria’s northernmost region. A variety of tropical, subtropical, and temperate plants and shrubs whose regrowth occurs throughout the years can be found in the gardens. This area is home to around 250 different species of birds. We will have the opportunity to search for the following: African Palm-Swift, Winding Cisticola, Splendid Glossy-Starling, Saddle-Billed Stork, Golden-Backed Weaver, Yellow-Backed Weaver, Orange Weaver, Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Scaly Francolin, Slender-Billed Weaver, Northern Brown-Throated Weaver, The Black and White-Casqued Hornbill, Back Kite, Green-Backed Heron, and Tawny-Franked Prinia Pied Crow, Black-Headed Heron, Cattle Egret, Spotted-Backed Weaver, Black-Headed Heron, Grey-Caped Warbler, Grey-Fronted Tinkerbird, Saddle-Billed Stork, Open-Billed Stork, and Marabou Stork, among others.
Day 2: Birding Mabamba Swamp and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
On this day of the 8-day Simple Birding Tour in Uganda, we leave early after breakfast, pack our lunch, and travel about 50 kilometres to Mabamba. Mabamba is one of the few productive wetlands in Uganda that is still there and is maintained by the local populace. Huge papyrus swamps with winding channels and lagoons are designated as important bird areas (IBAs). They are home to numerous Shoebills, Uganda’s most well-known bird resident and the only member of its family, making them among the most sought-after birds on the continent of Africa. It can only be followed by canoeing a wooden boat through the channels. Additional species that resemble Mabamba include the Papyrus Gonolek, African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, White-winged Black Tern, Grey-headed Gull, and Blue-breasted Bee-eater.
When we have time after lunch, we can take a leisurely walk along the wetland’s boundaries to see if we can spot anything we missed on the boat. Later in the afternoon, make a halt at the equator to stretch your legs and see birds before continuing on to Lake Mburo National Park. Dinner and Accommodation at Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Day 3: Birding Lake Mburo National Park
Proceed to the park gate after breakfast, meet our guide, and receive a briefing before going birdwatching on this day of the 8-day Simple Birding Tour in Uganda. Of all the national parks in Uganda, Lake Mburo is one of the best places to go birdwatching if you want to see the bird species associated with acacias. With over 320 species of birds known to call it home, it’s an excellent spot to search for birds like the African-Grey Hornbill, Black-Loward Babbler, and Red-headed Weaver. The following birds are listed in order of decreasing size: Lesser-Masked Weaver, White-Backed Vulture, Tabora Cisticola, Crested-Spurfowl, Brown-Chested Lapwing, Scaly-Throated Honeyguide, Greater Blue-Eared Starling, and Trilling Cisticola The following species are found in the region: Rufous-Bellied Night Heron, Black-Collard Barbet, Green-Caped Eremomela, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warblers, Red-Faced Barbet, and Southern Ground Hornbill. The swamps are home to six papyrus species, including Papyrus Gonolek, and Blue-Headed Coucal. In the late afternoon, we shall embark on a boat ride looking out for species like the elusive African Finfoot, Giant Kingfisher, African Fish Eagle, White-backed Night Heron, and Rufous-bellied Heron. Dinner and overnight at Rwakobo Rock
Day 4: Birding to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Proceed for birdwatching in the foggy highland regions of Kigezi and Kisoro in southwest Uganda following breakfast in the morning, and stop for lunch at Ntugamo. The driving and birdwatching portions of this tour take several hours, so it’s a bit lengthy. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla Mist Camp
Day 5: Birding the Ruhija sector to Mubwindi Swamp
On the 5th day of the 8-day Simple Birding Tour in Uganda, we will pack our picnic supplies and head to Mubwindi Swamp for birdwatching after breakfast. About 350 different bird species may be found at Bwindi, including 23 endemic species from the Albertine Rift. At least 14 species have been found nowhere else in Uganda. It also ranks among the top woodland birding locations in Africa, with native bird guides who can identify the majority of species by call. The endemic species of the Albertine Rift Forest include the following: Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-chat, Yellow-Eyed Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Grauer’s Warbler, Black-faced Apalis, Collard Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grauer’s Cuckooshrike, Red-Billed Helmet shrike, Ruwenzori Batis, the elusive African Green Broadbill, Dwarf Honeyguide, Handsome Francolin, and other birds. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla Mist Camp
Day 6: Birding to Queen Elizabeth National Park
We begin birdwatching in Queen Elizabeth National Park early in the morning after breakfast and have a picnic lunch. We travel through the Kanungu area, where there are many opportunities to look for the rare Rufous-Breasted Wryneck. We then continue to the southern part of the park, where we can’t miss the likes of Whinchats, Greater Scimitar Bills, Black Kits, Superb Sunbirds, and more. We are currently in the Ishasha area. Along the walk, Harlequin, Marsh Tchargra, Brubru, Orange-breasted Bushshrike, Twilling Cisticola, Little Button, Blue, and Common Quails lurk in short grasses. There are a few exciting creatures in this area, like Cape Buffalo, Lions, Elephants, Uganda Kobs, and Waterbucks, among others. There’s a good chance you’ll see the Ishasha lions perched on the boughs of old fig trees, providing shade from the intense Rift Valley sun. Dinner and overnight at Pumba Safari Cottages
Day 7: Game drive while Birding and Boat Cruise at Kazinga Channel
On this day of the 8-day Simple Birding Tour in Uganda, we shall embark on a rewarding game drive and boat cruise. With 95 animal species—the most of any national park in Uganda—and over 610 bird species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest park in Uganda, after Murchison Falls National Park. The following are some of the park’s favourite avian species: Great White Pelican, Goliath Heron, Water Thick-Knee, Striated Heron, African Spoonbill, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Martial Eagle, African Skimmer, Broad-Tailed Warbler, and Amur Falcon. Common Sandpiper, Marsh, Green, Wood, and Three-banded Plover, African Skimmers, Carruthers Cisticola, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, White-Winged Warbler, Lesser Swamp-Warbler, Grey-headed Gull, Plain Martin, Black-Headed Gonolek, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-Faced Cisticola, Red-chested Cuckoo, Tropica Boubou, Diederik, Klaas’s, African-Emerald Cuckoos, Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, African-Wood Owl, and Black-Shouldered Night-Jar. You will be transferred back to Pumba Safari Cottages for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Entebbe
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Entebbe International Airport for departure. That will mark the end of the 8-day Simple Birding Tour In Uganda.