20 Days Birding Across Uganda With Wildlife And Primate

Our driver will pick you up from Entebbe International Airport (15 minutes) and check you in at your hotel within Entebbe. You’ll meet with your 20 Days Birding Across Uganda trip specialist for a briefing just before dinner.

Papyrus Guesthouse has a few resident birds twittering in the garden trees, making for a great introduction to Entebbe’s birdlife. Occasional appearances come from the Yellow Wagtail, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, lizard buzzard, Great Blue Turaco, Eastern Grey Plantain Eater, White-throated Bee-eater, Crowned Hornbill, and Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill.

You’ll stay at: Papyrus Guesthouse (Comfortable)

After an early breakfast, your first bird-watching expedition on your 20 Days Birding Across Uganda Uganda will be out on a canoe to the Mabamba Wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria. Mabamba, a Ramsar-protected wetland, is one of the few remaining swamps in the country in the hands of the local communities. It is an extensive papyrus swamp with a labyrinth of channels and lagoons. It is home to the prehistoric shoebill giant bird, Uganda’s most famous avian resident. This charismatic monotypic species is undoubtedly among the most sought-after birds in Africa.

Today, we’ll make special efforts to find the shoebills by paddling through the channels by boat. There will, of course, be a good selection of classic East African water birds to observe along the way, like Pink-backed Pelican, Long-tailed Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Yellow-billed Duck, Malachite Kingfisher, Long-toed Plover, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, etc.

Bird your way back to Entebbe looking out for birds like the African open billed Stork, Grey Kestrel, African Green Pigeon, Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Red-headed Lovebird, Swifts, Sunbirds, Weavers, and Finches, among other birds.”

You’ll stay at: Papyrus Guesthouse 

After breakfast, you’ll set out on your first country road drive from Entebbe north to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a few miles outside Murchison Falls National Park. You’ll have lunch after checking in and exploring the ranch on foot to meet the endangered white rhinos and spot the ranch’s favorite winged inhabitants.

You’ll spend the entire afternoon bird-watching around the 70 square kilometers (7,000 ha) sanctuary. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is protected by a 2-meter (6.6 ft) electric fence. It is home to at least 40 mammal and reptilian species, including monkeys, antelopes, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and numerous bird species.

Prominent birds you may spot include the Western Banded Snake-Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, Crested Francolin, White-crested Turaco, Blue-naped Mousebird, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, White-headed Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Grey Woodpecker, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Tropical Boubou, Black-headed Gonolek, Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike, Hartlaub’s Marsh Widowbird among other birds.

You’ll stay at: Amuka Lodge – Full Board

Day 4 of 20 Days Birding Across Uganda, After breakfast, you’ll again head out into the Ziwa wilderness to catch what you may have missed yesterday.

Look out for birds like Western Banded Snake-Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Bateleur, Long-crested Eagle, Crested Francolin, Bruce’s Green-Pigeon, White-crested Turaco, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, African Scops-Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Square-tailed Nightjar, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Blue-naped Mousebird, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Green Wood-hoopoe, African Hoopoe, White-headed Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker among other birds.

You’ll have lunch and drive to Murchison Falls National Park for the next three hours of bird-watching along the way. You’ll pass by the top of the thunderous Murchison Falls for a dramatic moment. Then you’ll walk down to the river’s edge and see the mighty Nile waters squeeze through a rocky cleft and plunge 35 meters in a majestic cascade.

Around the falls, look out for birds like Raptors, Rock Pratincole, Crested Francolin, White-crested Turaco, White-headed Barbet, Narina Trogon, Red-throated Bee-eater, Silverbird, Red-cheeked Cordon blue, Waxbills, Finches, Sunbirds, Canaries among other birds.

Staying at: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

After an early breakfast, you’ll join your safari driver for a sunrise game drive on the southern tracks to catch the early risers at their best games.

Take advantage of birding in this animal-rich national reserve and see some safari favorites up close. Although it may not have the rhino, the other big five are present in Murchison Falls National Park. Buffalo and elephants are common sightings on the plains. A healthy population of lions patrols the abundant Uganda kob herds. Many antelopes are found here, including oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, defassa waterbuck, grey duiker, and bushbuck. You’ll be back at the camp for lunch and out again later.

After lunch, transfer to Paraa northern bank for the boat trip up to the bottom of the fall, where it is possible to view hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, and various bird life.

Look out for birds like Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-headed Plover, Rock Pratincole, Swallow-tailed Bee-Eater, Red-throated Bee-eater, Black-billed Barbet, Spotted Morning Thrush, Speckle fronted Weaver, White-browed Sparrow Weaver among other birds. Look out for mammals like the graceful Roth child Giraffe, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Uganda Kob, Defassa Waterbuck, Buffaloes, Elephants, Warthog, Hippos, Oribi, and when lucky, a leopard and Lion, among others.

Staying at: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

After breakfast with your packed lunch, bird your 20 Days Birding Across Uganda way back to Masindi, driving through the rift valley escarpment, where you will have good views of Lake Albert.

You’ll enjoy bird-watching on the escarpment before proceeding to Busingiro Forest Centre, time permitting.

Bird around the vicinity and the road, look out for birds like Striped Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Cliff Chat, Spotted Morning Thrush, Northern Crombec, Red-faced Crombec, Rattling Cisticola, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Black-headed Batis, Red-winged Ptyalin, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Black-faced Waxbill among other birds.

Staying at: Hoima Cultural Center

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

After an early breakfast with your packed lunch, your driver will proceed down to Budongo Forest to explore the birds of the Royal mile, not far from the Murchison Falls National Park’s southern entrance.

The mythical Royal Mile in Budongo Forest can elicit a birder’s knowing smile and satisfied grin once they step into its wooded space. It opens the door to some of Uganda’s most pristine forest habitats. Massive mahoganies, ironwoods, and figs contrive to create the kind of sky-high, neck-cramping canopy tiny songbirds favor. The lush underwoods support a multitude of different ecological niches yet still afford good sightlines to spy the species within. Basically, this area promises the very best of forest birding.

The birding action begins as soon as you enter the woodland with cracker sightings like the Uganda Woodland-Warbler, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, African Forest-Flycatcher, and the highly localized White-thighed Hornbill.

The charismatic but furtive Chocolate-backed Kingfisher commands the most interest from birders on the Royal Mile; kingfishers rule this trail. Nonetheless, look out for tasty birds like the rare Lemon-bellied Crombecs, Crowned Eagle, Magpie Mannikin, Red-chested Cuckoo, and a spate of sunbirds and greenbuls.

Primates like Blue Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, and Black and white Colobus Monkey may cross your path on the Royal Mile.

You’ll then drive to Kibale National Park for the night.

Staying at: Kibale Forest Camp
Meals: Brealfast, Lunch, Dinner

Be up and about by 7:30 am, for this is the day you meet with Uganda’s celebrated primates on a chimpanzee trekking excursion that combines so well with bird-watching.

Kibale hosts the highest number of primates and has the biggest population of chimpanzees. More than 370 bird species have been recorded in Kibale, including forest specials like the sought-after African pitta, Cassin’s spinetail, blue-headed bee-eater, Nahan’s francolin, and Masked apalis.

While on the chimp trail, look out for the Green-breasted Pitta and other birds like Yellow-billed Barbet, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black-billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Sabine’s Spinetail, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Narrow-tailed Staring among other birds.

In the afternoon, you go bird-watching on the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary trail. On this community project, experienced guides take you on a four-hour trail where you can spot nearly 200 bird species recorded in the area. Also, on the trail, you’ll definitely bump into primates like the Red Colobus, Black and white Colobus, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed Monkey, and L’Hoest’s Monkey, among others.

Staying at: Kibale Forest Camp
Meals: Brealfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Uganda bird-watching safari driver will transfer you to Kihingami Wetland, 12 km from Fort Portal, to take a wild nature walk. Kihingami is home to the White-spotted flufftail, a shy species.

Other birds you’ll see include Red-headed bluebill, Black and white shrike flycatcher, and Red-bellied paradise flycatcher.

Proceed to the Semliki Valley National Park for an afternoon nature walk. Birds you’ll spot include the White thighed hornbill, Black casqued wattled hornbill, White-crested hornbill, and Dwarf hornbill.

Staying at: Semuliki Safari Lodge
Meals: Brealfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Semliki Valley has an impressive bird-watching checklist, which includes many birding specials like Abyssinian ground hornbill, African crake, African pygmy goose, Black-billed barbet, Blue-breasted bee-eater, Black-chinned quail finch, Black coucal, Broad-billed roller, Double-toothed barbet, Green wood-hoopoe, Leaf-love, Marsh tchagra, Moustached grass-warbler, Pennant-winged nightjar, Piapiac, Red-necked falcon, Red-throated bee-eater, Shoebill, and Standard-winged nightjar.

After breakfast, you’ll join your walking guide to explore the region’s bird-rich habitats and catch some specials.

Other attractions you can check out in the afternoon include the hot springs at Sempaya and a Pygmy village.

Staying at: Semuliki Safari Lodge
Meals: Brealfast, Lunch, Dinner

On Day 11 of 20 Days Birding Across Uganda, You are in no hurry to get up early on this day. However, the winged forest musicians may not let you have a dull, lazy morning.

You’ll be heading to Uganda’s most celebrated savannah wilderness, Queen Elizabeth National Park, about a 3-hour drive from Semuliki. Queen Elizabeth National Park is the largest national park in Uganda. It ranks highest concerning overall diversity, with a bird species list exceeding 600.

The park has a mosaic of habitats, from the moist forest at Maramagambo to the wild savannah excellent for Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Hyenas, Uganda Kobs, Baboons, Giant Hogs, and Warthog, among others.

As you drive to your safari camp, look out for birds like White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-billed Barbet, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black-billed Turaco, Kingfishers, Lesser Striped Swallow, Cisiticolas, Shrikes, Starlings, Widowbirds, among other birds.

Staying at: Enganzi Game Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

On Day 12 of 20 Days Birding Across Uganda, You’ll have an early bird-watching and game drive expedition the Kasenyi tracks for see one of the big early risers on the grassland. In the early hours, there’s good sightings of the lions hunting, leopards, elephant, and buffallo.

After lunch, you’ll then proceed to Mweya Jetty, reaching in time for a launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel.

There is prolific birdlife around the Kazinga Channel to keep your eyes in action for more than two hours on a boat safari. Prominent birds on the channel include the African Shoebill, Yellow Billed Stork, Great White & Pink-Backed Pelicans, Open-Billed Stork, Saddle Bill Stork, Great and Long Tailed Cormorants, Darters, Black Crake, and Jacana.

Hippos, elephants, and crocodiles are common sightings on the anks of the Kazinga Channel.

Staying at: Enganzi Game Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

You’ll start the day with a sunrise wildlife viewing game drive through the southern tracks of the park to Ishasha Sector.

At Nyamusingiri, around the Maramagambo are, look for birds like Black Bee Eater, Shining Blue Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Speckled Tinkerbird, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Snowy-capped Robin-Chat, Buff-throated Apalis, Honeyguide Greenbul, Red-colored Widowbird among other birds.

Tree-climbing lions are a specialty of the Ishasha sector. You’ll also see giant forest hogs; buffalo are beautiful as they are often reddish brown due to interbreeding with forest buffalo from the rainforests. Many interesting antelope species, such as Uganda kob, topi, and bushbuck, will definitely cross your tracks.

Staying at: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

You’ll be up early for a morning bird-watching and wildlife-viewing experience with a drive towards Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. You will check in at a forest lodge in Buhoma Sector, the north gate entrance, and headquarters to the gorilla park.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest should be on every Uganda bird-watching itinerary. The gorilla sanctuary offers some of Africa’s best montane-forest (mountain-forest) bird watching. Experts estimate about 350 bird species, with 14 not found elsewhere in Uganda. The forest is home to 23 bird species unique to the Albertine Rift (90% of all Albertine Rift endemics), including Neumann’s warbler and blue-headed sunbird.

After checking into your forest cottage, you can have a simple walk around the forest to sight the frequent specials like Raptors, Bee Eaters, Kingfishers, Barbets, Tinkerbirds, Woodpeckers, Apalises, Honeyguide Greenbul, Swallows, Larks, Cisiticolas, Pipits, Chats, Shrikes, Starlings, Widowbirds among other birds.

Staying at: Mahogany Springs Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

on Day 15 Of 20 Days Birding Across Uganda, You’ll get on the trail at about 8:30 am after a short briefing with your walking safari guide at the lodge. You must hit the trails in the misty early morning hours so that the intense afternoon sunrays find you under the jungle canopy. You travel with a local guide and two gun-bearing rangers for security. Go light; just your backpack with lunch, a camera, and walking. It takes about 4-5 hours to walk the trail.

The trail offers some of Africa’s best montane forest bird watching.

Two trails meet somewhere in the rainforest and snake down to Buhoma town; you’ll have to select one. The longer one takes about six hours and strays along the Kashasha river and over several ridges. The shorter one starts at Kashasha River, down Nteko valley, and wanders along Ivy River. You must drive about 15 kilometers to Nteko village to start the Ivy River Trail. However, both trails deliver the same jolt of adventure for avid birders.

Look out for Bwindi’s specials, including:

• African broadbill
• Black bee-eater
• Black-billed turaco
• Black-faced rufous warbler
• Black-faced warbler
• Blue-headed sunbird
• Cinnamon-chested bee-eater
• Grauer’s broadbill
• Handsome francolin
• Many-coloured bush-shrike
• Mountain masked apalis
• Neumann’s warbler
• Olive-breasted greenbul
• Purple-breasted sunbird
• Regal sunbird
• Ruwenzori apalis
• Shelley’s crimsonwing
• Western green tinkerbird
• Yellow-streaked greenbul

On the other side, you’ll meet up with your driver, who will drive you to your forest cottage above the mighty Bwindi Jungle.

Staying at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

It is an early birding start for the Rushaga sector of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. You will follow the waterfall trail, a prime birding spot in a gorgeous swathe of tropical rainforest.

Here you can observe the Yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Banded Prinia, Regal sunbird, and Short-tailed warbler, all of which are Albertine rift valley endemics.

If the calm sunlight of the evening, check out the Nombe or Buniga pocket forest trails. The locations are incredible bird-watching sights for Bwindi specialties like the Purple breasted sunbird, Stripe breasted tit, Rwenzori double collared sunbird, and Doherty’s bush shrike.

Staying at: Four Gorillas Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

The first rays of sunlight pierce the emerald canopy of Bwindi as you arrive at the trekking center, a buzz of excitement in the air. It’s 7:30 am, and the park rangers lay out the ground rules – safety comes first, for you and the gorillas. Based on what you’re up for, they’ll match you with the perfect gorilla family. This isn’t just a hike, it’s a quest!

With your guides leading the way, you plunge into the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Giant trees draped in vines, a symphony of bird calls – it’s a living, breathing rainforest. The trail gets tough, the terrain wild, but the promise of what lies ahead keeps you going. Your guides are experts, not just in finding the gorillas, but in sharing the secrets of this incredible place.

Then, a moment that makes your heart pound. The guides signal to be quiet – the gorillas are near. Every rustle, every snap of a twig sends a shiver down your spine. And suddenly, there they are – a magnificent silverback, his family close by. You witness them in their natural world, their playful moments, their quiet strength. It’s humbling, awe-inspiring, and reminds you why these creatures need our protection.

You’ll be out of there by about 2:00 pm; have lunch somewhere in the jungle and get back to your cottage for the evening. Take advantage of the walk in the rainforest to look out for some special birds, but note that your guide will be more interested in finding the gorillas.

On the flipside, you may not be interested in the gorilla trek. In that case, you can opt for another bird-watching experience on the circular trail inside Bwindi or the Batwa trail in Buniga Forest.

Staying at: Four Gorilla Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

On Day 18 Of 20 Days Birding Across Uganda, After breakfast, you’ll drive down the mountains to reach the Kabale-Mbarara as the sun rises on Lake Bunyonyi. Your next destination is Lake Mburo National Park, but you’ll briefly stop at Echuya Forest reserve just outside Kabala.

There are about 100 bird species recorded in this 34-square-kilometer forest reserve. A large proportion of the birds live only in montane forests. The swamp is likely to support a larger population of Bradypterus graueri than the nearby Mubwindi swamp, one of only a few known localities for this species in Uganda. You may see birds restricted to the Afrotropical Highlands biome, including such rare species as Francolinus nobilis, Batis diops, Ploceus alienus, and Cryptospiza jacksoni.

Arrive at your lake on the edge of Lake Mburo National Park at sunset after a detour to a cultural museum outside Mbarara town for cultural history class.

Accommodation Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (Packed), Dinner

On Day 19 Of 20 Days Birding Across Uganda, Bird-watching pros have recorded more than 310 bird species in Lake Mburo National Park, a small 360-sq-km savannah wildlife reserve halfway en route to Kampala from Bwindi.

The park is the best place in Uganda to watch the acacia-dwelling birds. It also has many forest species in the Rubanga Forest. The swamps, in which six papyrus specials are resident, including the spectacular papyrus gonolek and the blue-headed coucal, are unmissable for birding nerds. The park’s southern species are at the northern limit of their range, including the black-collared barbet and bare-faced go-away bird. Migratory birds come around November to April.

On a game drive, walking safari, and boat launch on Lake Mburo, you should catch at least this entire birds list and more;

• • African finfoot
  • African scops owl
  • Bare-faced go-away bird
  • Blue-breasted kingfisher
  • Blue-headed coucal
  • Brown-chested lapwing
  • Carruthers’s cisticola
  • Greater painted-snipe
  • Hairy-breasted barbet
  • Mosque swallow
  • Papyrus gonolek
  • Papyrus yellow warbler
  • Red-faced barbet (NE)
  • Shoebill
  • Southern ground hornbill
  • Tabora cisticola
  • White-winged swamp warbler
  • Yellow-rumped tinkerbird

Accommodation Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (Packed), Dinner

Let’s say you must catch a late-night flight back home at Entebbe Airport. In that case, you must get up early and hit the highway to be in Entebbe by lunch, go shopping, and freshen up for your long international flight.

On the other hand, you may have booked a night in Entebbe. Therefore, leave a little later in the morning because you are in no hurry. Drive easy as you leave the park, or go bird-watching later in the afternoon at the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe.

Whichever you choose, we’ll prepare you a descent place to freshen and repack or spend a night.

Optional Accommodation Entebbe Hotels
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (Packed)