7-Day Uganda Birding Safari – Bird Watching In Entebbe, Kampala, Mabira And Murchison Falls 

 

 Day 1: Birding at Uganda Wildlife Education Center

Birding safari start by birding at the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) a zoologist’s center for captive wildlife that has attracted over 170 species of wild birds 10 species of Weavers such as the rare Northern Masked Weaver, Golden Backed, Black Necked, Northern Brown Throated, Grosbeak, Baglafect and many others.

5 species of flycatchers Crested shrike flycatcher, Lead colored, Swamp flycatcher, African paradise Red-bellied etc, raptors such as the Gabar Goshawk, small banded snake Eagle, Shikra, African Goshawk, African Fish Eagle, African Hobby etc and many more species including captive animals.

Proceed to Botanical gardens for another birding experience. Have lunch relax in the evening visit the sewage lagoons. Return for Dinner and Overnight.

Day 2: Bird watching at Heritage Trail

Wake up for breakfast and take a 10-minute drive from the airport to the Heritage Trail Expect the following species; Brown Crowned Tchargra, Black Cuckoo Shrike, Brown Twinspot, Mustached Warbler, Violet-backed Starlings, Yellow bill, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Great sparrow hawk, Short Toed Snake Eagle, Red-Shouldered Cuckoo Shrike, and many more. Continue to LutembeBeach for lunch.

Then take on a boat in search of the papyrus Canary, the thousands of Grey Headed Gulls, White Winged black Terns, Papyrus Gonolek, and continue birding to sunset.

Day 3: Mabamba Swamps Birding Safari

Have an early breakfast and take another birding safari an Important Bird Area (IBA) with a population of about 5 Shoebills to Mabamba swamps.

Most of the birding is performed here by canoeing and other species can be seen; Goliath, Purple, long Toed Plover, African water Rail, Grey and Black Headed Herons, Squacco Heron, Pygmy Goose, Yellow Billed Duck, Black Crake, White Faced Whistling Duck, Swamp Moorhen, Allen’s Gallinule, African Jacana etc.

Sitatunga Antelope (swamp Antelope) and many more. Connect to Kampala stop by another swamp which may reveal Yellow Crowned Bishop, Papyrus Gonolek, Weyns Weaver, White-winged Warbler, and many more take your packed lunch and continue birding to the evening as you proceed for dinner in Kampala.

Day 4: Birding in Mabira Forest

Arise for breakfast then connect to Mabira forest for an hours drive for forest birding in search or species such as, Yellow whiskered Greenbul, White-spotted Flufftail, Toro Greenbul, Forest Robin, Buff spotted Woodpecker, Grey spotted Woodpecker, Leaf love, Red-headed Blue Bill, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-Rumped Tinkerbird, Red-headed Malimbe, Yellow Throated Tinkerbird, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, African Pygmy, Shining blue, Woodland Kingfishers, Red-tailed Ant Thrush Chestnut Wattle Eye, Chin spot Batis, Banded Wattle Eye, Yellow mantled,  Brown-capped, Black Billed, Weyn’s Weavers, Purple headed Starling, Violet-backed Starling, and many more charming species. Have a picnic lunch and continue birding to evening. Return to Kampala for Dinner and Overnight.

Day 5: Bird Watching, Wildlife Safari – Murchison Falls NP

Take breakfast and head for a three-hour drive through the Luwero triangle to Murchison National Park. Take a stopover for a ‘leg stretch’ which may reveal Olive bellied Bronze and Copper Sunbirds, Compact Weaver, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Saddle-billed Stork and any others.

Head for a lunch stop in Masindi. Continue through the park as we bird to the top of the mighty falls if they fall 45 meters and force it through a fissure of 7 meters.

Rock Pratincoles, a mixed flock of swifts, Africa Pied Wagtail, reptiles such as Red-headed Agama continue birding to your accommodation as you wait for Dinner and Overnight.

Day 6: Game drive, Bird Watching

Take breakfast and embark on a game drive in search for species such as Chestnut-capped Weaver, Silver bird, Common Drongo, Spotted morning Thrush Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Namaqua Dove, White Fronted Black Chat, Black-billed Dove, Vinaceous Dove, Carmine Bee-Eater, Red Throated, Swallow-Tailed Bee-Eater, Isabelline and Northern Wheatears, Shoebills, Saddle bill, Grey-crowned Cranes at the Delta and other game like Roth child’s Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Silver Backed Jackals, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Lions, Orbit, Kobs, and many more.

Return for lunch and relax on a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where huge Nile crocodiles, hippos and game drinking water birds like Lesser Jacana, White Necked Stork, Fulvous Whistling Ducks, a variety of herons, Egyptian Plover, Spur Winged Plover, Rock Pranticoles, Water Thick Knee, among others.

Day 7: Murchison Falls – Kampala

Take a meal early in the morning and take a short stop for birds on the way to Sambiya River Lodge species like Tawny Eagle, Martial Eagle, Grey Hornbill, Grey Kestrel, Grey Headed Kingfisher, Helmeted and Crested Guinea fowl. Embark on a primate walk in the Kanio Pabidi forest a sector of the Budongo forest.

Chimps, Black and White Colobus, Red-tailed and blue monkeys and lots of Olive Baboons may be seen. Birds like White thighed Hornbills, Great blue and Ross’s Turacos, Black-billed Turaco, African Green Pigeons, Afep Pigeons, Nahan’s Francolin and Narina’s Trogon, may also be seen. Proceed for lunch in Masindi and continue to Kampala for Dinner and Overnight.

 

Note: We have got two types of Birding Safari, Some opt for Luxury Safari (lodges/hotels) and others opt for Budget Safaris (camping and simple accommodation). Our rates vary with the accommodation type, nevertheless, the rest of the activities will remain the same. Feel free to inquire.