12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda.

Uganda is one of the most rewarding bird-watching destinations in East Africa, hosting over 1,080 bird species, including migratory bird species, savannah birds, Rift Valley endemic species, water birds, birds of prey, and the country’s endemic species. This 12 Day best of birding safari in Uganda will give bird enthusiasts and ornithologists a chance to explore the country’s unique bird species. It will take you to Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Semuliki National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi National Park for Albertine Rift endemics and Mabamba wetland for the historic shoebill stork.

Highlights for 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda.

DAY 1: Arrival and Birding at Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

Day 2: Mabamba Wetland

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.

Day 4: Birding in Murchison Falls National Park

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale National Park.

Day 6: Birding in Kibale and transfer to Semuliki National Park.

Day 7: Full Day Birding in Semuliki

Day 8: Birding in Semuliki and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 9: Birding and Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.

Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi Via Ishasha sector.

Day 11: Whole Day Birding.

Day 12: Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe International Airport.

Detailed itinerary for 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda.

DAY 1: Arrival and Birding at Entebbe Botanical Gardens.
Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will meet our company driver and depending on your arrival time, we can have an optional bird watching at Entebbe, especially on the lush grounds of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where you’ll see both forest and lakeshore birds. Your first bird species could include Slender-billed, Golden-backed, Palm-nut Vulture, African Pied Hornbill, Splendid Glossy Starling, Great Blue Turaco, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, and the rare Orange Weaver. After you transfer to your booked hotel, check in and prepare for tomorrow.

Accommodation: 2 friends Hotel ( Mid range).

Day 2: Birding in Mabamba Wetland.

After an early breakfast, you will head to Mabamba Wetland in search of the elusive Shoebill Stork. Mabamba Swamp is renowned for its shoebill storks, one of the rarest and most captivating bird species. You will embark on a traditional canoe ride through the undisturbed wetland swamp’s narrow water channels, surrounded by dense papyrus and lush flora. Keep your eyes peeled for the magnificent Shoebill Stork, along with other swamp subjects like the Saddle-billed Stork, African Jacana, and Papyrus Yellow Warbler. In the late afternoon, you will proceed to the Mpanga Central Forest Reserve to take a stroll in the peaceful beauty of the woodland. See a variety of birds and maybe even some fun monkeys. You will go on a wildlife walk at Mpanga Central Forest Reserve. Anticipate seeing unusual bird species and other amazing animals. Amidst the native African big trees, keep an eye out for black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and stunning butterflies. You will conclude your day 2 of 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda. Dinner and overnight at Mabamba Lodge (mid-range).

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.

You will have an early morning breakfast and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. You will have lunch en route in Masindi. After you transfer to Murchison Falls National Park, you will do birding enroute and expect to see various forest birds in Budongo Forest like Sooty chat, Rollers, Harriers, Vultures, Eagles, Yellow-throated Greenbul, White-fronted Black Chat, Rufous-chested Swallow, Isabelline wheatear, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Olive-green Camarroptera and more. Overnight Pakuba Safari Lodge(Mid-range)

Day 4: Birding Murchison Falls National Park.
Your day 4 of 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda will start with a hearty breakfast, and go for a morning game drive in search of the savannah and open grassland bird species. You will have a chance to encounter various bird species on the drive, like Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Secretary birds, Denham’s Bustard, Black-bellied Bustard, Piapiac, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Red- throated Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rufous-crowned Roller, Long-crested Eagle, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Bateleur, Martial Eagle, African Harrier- Hawk, Senegal thick-knee, Northern Red Bishop, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Black-headed Gonolek, and more. After you return to the lodge, relax, have lunch and head on a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. This allows you to explore the Nile and its unique bird species and close- range of photography opportunities. You will also see the Nile as it forces itself into a 7m gorge before pouring its waters into a 43m devil cauldron with a thunderous roar forming the Murchison Falls. You will encounter birds like African Fish Eagle, Goliath Heron, Giant Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Saddle-billed Stork, Rock Pratincole, African Openbill and more. Expect to see some wild species like schools of hippos, crocodiles basking in the sun, buffalo and elephants drinking water along the shores. After you return to the lodge, relax and have dinner. Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge(Mid-range).

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
You will wake up very early in the morning, have breakfast and drive through the park as you look out for birds that you might have missed on your previous game drive and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. You will do some en route bird watching on the way, and this will give you a chance to see various bird species. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge and relax. You will conclude your day 5 of 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda. Dinner and overnight at Kibale Tourists Lodge (Mid range).

Day 6: Birding in Kibale and transfer to Semuliki National Park.

You will wake up very early in the morning and head to the park for birding. Kibale is blessed with various bird species, including the Rift Valley endemics. You will encounter birds such as scaly-breasted illadopsis, African pitta, red-chested owlet, African pied wagtail, great blue turaco, black-bellied firefinch, African firefinch, black-eared ground thrush, green-breasted pitta, grey parrot, Abyssinian ground thrush, and African emerald cuckoo. Shy flycatcher, brown-backed scrub-robin, African shrike flycatcher, barn swallow, Cameroon sombre greenbul, African grey woodpecker, Narina trogon, square-tailed nightjar, plain nightjar, fan-tailed widowbird, hairy-breasted barbet, swallow-tailed bee-eater, chocolate-backed kingfisher, superb sunbird. You will have lunch. You will later transfer to Semuliki National Park. Semuliki Safari Lodge (Mid range).

Day 7: Full Day Birding in Semuliki

Your day 7 of 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda will with an early breakfast and head to the park for full day birding. Semliki Forest marks the eastern extension of the West African Forest. This makes it the best birding place in East Africa, where you will encounter some of the Guinea Congo Biome endemics not easily seen in other East African destinations. Specialties include, Red-chested Owlet , Orange-tufted Sunbird, Black-winged, Congo Serpent Eagle, Bate’s Nightjar, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Icterine Greenbul, Black-throated Coucal, Nkulengu Rail, Long-tailed Hawk, Spot-breasted Ibis, Capuchin Babbler, Yellow-throated and Western Nicator, Northern Bearded Scrub Robin, Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, White-bellied Kingfisher, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Lyre-tailed and Zenker’s Honeyguides, White-throated Blue Swallow, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Crested Malimbe, Blue-billed Malimbe, Fiery-breasted Bush-shrik, Black Dwarf, Piping, Red-billed Dwarf, Black-casqued Wattled, Capuchin Babbler, among others. Overnight Semliki Safari Lodge

Day 8: Birding in Semuliki and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

On this day, you will have an early breakfast, transfer to the park and do birding along the Sempaya trail. You will look for birds you missed, like Black Bellied Seed Craker, Palm Swamp Bulbul and the Leaf Love, Rufous Bellied Negrofinch, which are easily seen in this area. After you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is Uganda’s second largest protected area, on the shores of Lake Edward. You will check into the lodge and head for an evening game drives looking for numerous birds that inhabit the surrounding Grey Crowned Crane, Black-bellied Bustard, Martial Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur, African White-backed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Temminck’s Courser, African Wattled Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Senegal Lapwing, Kittlitz’s Plover, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Rufous-naped Lark, White-tailed Lark, Black-headed Gonolek. After you return to the lodge and conclude your day 8 of 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda. Accommodation: Engazi Lodge (Mid-range)

9: Birding and Afternoon Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.

You will have an early breakfast and head out for a full day of birding in the park. You will see various bird species, including the Wahlberg’s Eagle, Brown Snake, Short Toed Snake, Martial Eagle, Red-necked Spurfowl, Coucal, Black Lored and Arrow Marked Babbler, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Copper, Scarlet Chested and Red-chested, Black-rumped and Common Buttonquails, African Crake, Hollub’s Golden and Lesser Masked Weavers, Black, Broad-tailed and African Moustached Warbler. In the afternoon, you will have a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel, looking out for water birds that roost in between the Edward and George lakes. Close encounters with the biggest schools of Hippos in Africa and some crocs, many migrating species like the Gulls and Terns are here, after this ride, we have dinner and overnight at Engazi Lodge (Mid-range).

Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi Via Ishasha sector.

Your day 10 of 12 Day Best of Birding Safari in Uganda will start with a hearty breakfast, then transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for birding enroute. You will have a chance to go through the Ishasha sector, which provides chances of viewing the tree-climbing lions and other game. Look out for grassland birds, including African Cuckoo Hawk, White-winged Black Tit, Ovambo Sparrow Hawk, Black Cuckoo, Pipits, Larks, and more. Overnight at Haven Lodge Buhoma.

Day 11: Whole Day Birding.

The Buhoma sector is one of the most incredible places in Bwindi, with various bird species, including Bar-tailed Trogon, Great Blue Turaco, African Green Broadbill, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Black Bee-eater, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, African Emerald Cuckoo, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Mountain Masked Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Dwarf Honeyguide, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Red-headed Bluebill, Kivu Ground Thrush, Cape Wagtail, and Shelley’s Crimsonwing. Overnight at Haven Lodge Buhoma.

Day 12: Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe International Airport.

You will have an early breakfast, check out and transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe. You will enjoy a scenic drive and the breathtaking views of the countryside. You will have birding enroute as you will spot various bird species that call the Pearl of Africa home. This marks the end of your 12 Day best of birding safari in Uganda with Caracal Explorers.

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