Our 20 Day Best of Birding Tour Uganda takes you to main bird watching destinations in the pearl of Africa to spot over 1,000 bird species in just one trip. This tour has been booked by many ornithologists from around the world.
On your adventurous 20 day best birding tour in Uganda, you will explore Uganda’s rich avian life in a number natural habitats ranging from the magnificent tropical rainforests to the rolling savanna plains.
Murchison Falls national park and Queen Elizabeth national park are excellent bird watching destinations to see a wide array of common birds and specials including the rare shoebill stork. Bwindi Impenetrable national park is one of the most accessible sites for Albertine Rift endemics and Semuliki valley national park is the only place in East Africa to spot the Guinea-Congo regional species.
The birdlife in Uganda is good throughout the year however; its best from late May to September, when the rain is less and food is abundant. June to July has the least rain, while April to May and September to November have the most rains. Consequently, too much rainfall may result in delays due to impassable roads and slippery hiking trails hence limiting your best bird watching time. From November to April, migratory birds are usually spotted in several national parks
The following are the key bird species expected to see on your 20 day best birding tour Uganda; Archer’s robin-chat, Black-lored babbler, Shelley’s crimsonwing, Strange weaver, Blue-headed sunbird, Fox’s weaver, Golden-winged sunbird, Chapin’s flycatcher, Dusky crimsonwing, Dwarf honeyguide, Grant’s bluebill, Grauer’s broadbill, Regal sunbird, Grauer’s cuckoo-shrike, Hartlaub’s turaco, Grauer’s swamp warbler, Uganda woodland warbler, Yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Handsome francolin, Red-faced woodland warbler, Red-throated alethe, Jackson’s francolin, Karamoja apalis, Nahan’s francolin, Neumann’s warbler, Oberlaender’s ground thrush, Purple-breasted sunbird, Red-faced barbet, Ruwenzori apalis, Ruwenzori double-collared sunbird, Ruwenzori batis, Ruwenzori nightjar, Ruwenzori turaco, Stripe-breasted tit, Turner’s eremomela, Ansorge’s greenbul, Black bee-eater, Lühder’s bush-shrike, Blue-throated roller, Masked apalis, Equatorial akalat, Ituri batis, Jameson’s antpecker, Magpie mannikin, Great blue turaco, Olive long-tailed cuckoo, Papyrus gonolek, Rufous flycatcher-thrush White-bellied crested flycatcher, Pennant-winged nightjar, Red-chested owlet, Red-tailed ant thrush, , Shoebill, White-bellied robin-chat, White-naped pigeon, Yellowbill among others.
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, meet and greet our company representative and your guide for 20 Day best of birding tour Uganda who will transfer you to a booked hotel for check in, briefing, dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: 2 Friends beach hotel
Meal Plan: Dinner.
After an early morning breakfast, drive to Mabamba swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria. Mabamba swamp is among the few birding areas to spot the solitary shoebill stork and lots of other bird species such as Pink-backed Pelican, Long-toed Plover, Blue-headed Coucal, Long-tailed Cormorant, Yellow-billed Duck, Squacco Heron, Malachite Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Bee-eater among others. On your way back to Entebbe, look out for other birds like Sunbirds, African open billed Stork, African Green Pigeon, Ross’s Turaco, Red-headed Lovebird, Grey Kestrel, Great Blue Turaco, Weavers, Swifts, Finches among other birds.
Accommodation: 2 Friends beach hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, start your bird watching trip to North western part of Uganda, driving whle birding towards Ziwa rhino sanctuary. Check in to your booked lodge, have lunch, refresh and spend the rest of your afternoon looking for birds like Lizard Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, Western Banded Snake-Eagle, Blue-naped Mousebird, Crested Francolin, White-crested Turaco, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Tropical Boubou, Nubian Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Woodland Kingfisher, Hartlaub’s Marsh Widowbird, White-headed Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Grey Woodpecker, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Black-headed Gonolek, Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike among other birds.
Accommodation: Amuka Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have breakfast and later begin your birding safari day in Ziwa Rhino sanctuary to look for birds like Western Banded Snake-Eagle, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Black Cuckoo, African Scops-Owl, Lizard Buzzard, Bateleur, Long-crested Eagle, Red-chested Cuckoo, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Blue-naped Mousebird, Green Wood-hoopoe, African Hoopoe, Crested Francolin, Bruce’s Green-Pigeon, White-headed Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Swamp Nightjar, White-crested Turaco, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Square-tailed Nightjar, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Nubian Woodpecker among other birds.
After leave Ziwa and drive to Murchison Falls National Park via the top of the falls. Look out for bird species like Raptors, Waxbills, Finches, Sunbirds, Red-throated Bee-eater, Crested Francolin, White crested Turaco, Rock Pratincole, White-headed Barbet, Narina Trogon, Silverbird, Red-cheeked Cordon blue, Canaries among other birds.
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After an early breakfast, start your game/bird drive in Murchison falls national park. Have an early lunch before heading to Paraa northern bank for an amazing boat trip at the bottom of the falls where you will see hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, and lots of bird species. On this day, look out for a number of birds such as Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Rock Pratincole, Red-throated Bee-eater, Black-headed Plover, Black-billed Barbet, Spotted Morning Thrush, Swallow-tailed Bee-Eater, Speckle fronted Weaver, White-browed Sparrow Weaver among other birds. Besides the birdlife, you will encounter several mammals like Roth child Giraffe, Uganda Kob, Buffaloes, Elephants, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Defassa Waterbuck, lions, Warthog, Oribi and the odd leopards on a lucky day.
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, drive and bird your way back to Masindi through the rift valley escarpment, you will have magnificent views of Lake Albert on this journey. Bird the escarpment and proceed to Busingiro Forest Centre if time allows. On this day, you may spot birds like Spotted Morning Thrush, Northern Crombec, Striped Kingfisher, Cliff Chat, Red-faced Crombec, Rattling Cisticola, Red-winged Ptyalin, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Black-headed Batis, Black-faced Waxbill among others.
Accommodation: Hoima Cultural Centre
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have breakfast and continue with your 20 Day best of birding tour Uganda on the Royal mile to spot birds like the African Crowned Eagle, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Dwarf Kingfisher, White-thighed Hornbill, Whistling Cisticola, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Rufus-crowned Eremomela, Black-throated Apalis, a Selection of Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Heuglin’s Francolin, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Forest Flycatcher, Greenbuls, Ituri Batis, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Black-capped Apalis, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Western Black-headed Oriole, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Purple headed Starling, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Brown Twinspot among others. Lao watch out for several primates like Red-tailed Monkey, Blue Monkey, and Black and white Colobus Monkey. Drive while birding via Kinyera and arrive late evening in Kibale forest national park for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Isunga Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have breakfast and start your bird watching tour at the peripheral of Kanyanchu (around Kibale Forest) to look out for the Green-breasted Pitta, Yellow-billed Barbet, Sabine’s Spinetail, African Emerald Cuckoo, Narina Trogon, Narrow-tailed Staring, Black-billed Turaco, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Chestnut Wattle eye among other birds. You will also meet several primates like Olive Baboon, Red Colobus, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Black and white Colobus, Red-tailed Monkey, L’Hoest’s Monkey among others. Have lunch and head to Bigodi swamp for more birding opportunities.
Accommodation: Isunga Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
After breakfast, drive to Kihingami Wetland which is just 12km from Fort Portal tourism city for wild nature walk. Kihingami swamp is a home to the White spotted flufftail which is regarded as a very shy bird species to very many birders. Expect to see other birds like Red bellied paradise flycatcher, Red headed bluebill, Black and white shrike fly catcher among others. Later transfer Semliki Valley National Park for an afternoon nature walk within the park. Birds that can be spotted here include; the White thighed hornbill, White crested hornbill, Black casqued wattled hornbill, and Dwarf hornbill.
Accommodation: Semuliki Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast go birding on feet into the Semliki National Park to look for birds like shoebill stork, Nkulengu Rail, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, Piping Hornbill, Red-billed, Dwarf Hornbill, Black Dwarf Hornbill, African Piculet, White-crested Hornbill, Red-bellied Malimbe, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Yellow-throated Nicator Black-casqued Wattled Horbill, Blue-billed malimbe, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, White-throated Blue Swallow, Leaf-love, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Crested Malimbe, Orange-cheeked Waxbill.
Accommodation: Semuliki Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have breakfast and continue with your 20 Day best of birding tour Uganda with a 3-hour drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest national park in Uganda with highest bio diversity compared to other Uganda’s conservation reserves. The park is endowed with over 600 bird species. Travelers looking for birding trips in Queen Elizabeth national park must visit Kazinga Channel, Maramagambo Forest, Kasenyi Area, Lake Kikorongo, Ishasha Sector, Mweya Peninsula, Katunguru Bridge area and Katwe Area for successful birding tours.
The park is an iconic destination to encounter several mammals like Elephants, Ugandan Kobs, Lions, Baboons, Giant Hogs, Leopards, Hyenas, Warthog among others.
While in Queen Elizabeth national park for bird watching safari, expect to see birds like White spotted Flufftail, Black-billed Turaco, Starlings, African Emerald Cuckoo, Lesser Striped Swallow, Cisiticolas, Shrikes, Yellow-billed Barbet, Kingfishers, Widowbirds among other birds.
Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After a cup of coffee, head to the park for game drive/birding safari. On this day, you will also go for a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel after your lunch. Expect to see a number of wildlife including hundreds of hippos, crocodile, Elephants, Uganda Kob, Buffaloes, Bushbuck, Defassa Water buck, leopard and lions on this day. More still, you will spot birds like Pelicans, Senegal Plover, Larks, Wattled Plover, African Spoonbill, Green-backed Heron, Storks, Kittlitz’s Plover, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Babblers, Sunbirds, Weavers, Widowbirds among others.
Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have an early morning breakfast and later set off to bird Maramagambo area around Lake Nyamusingiri to look for birds like Black Bee Eater, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Shining Blue Kingfisher, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Snowy-capped Robin-Chat, Honeyguide Greenbul, Buff-throated Apalis, Red-colored Widowbird among others. After drive to Ishasha sector for an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Ishahsha Jungle Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Wake up for breakfast and head to Bwindi on your 20 day best birding tour Uganda for look for a number of bird species including the 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemic bird species such as the Short-tailed Warbler and Blue-headed Sunbird. On your way look out for species like Raptors, Larks, Tinkerbirds, Cisiticolas, Swallows, Bee Eaters, Apalises, Kingfishers, Chats, Pipits, Starlings, Shrikes, Barbets, Honeyguide Greenbul, Woodpeckers, Widowbirds among other birds.
Accommodation: Silverback lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today you will get the best experience of your birding trip! After breakfast, start your birding journey to Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park on 14km walk to Nkuringo following the Kashasha river trail and Buhoma trails. This is a must do nature walk while birding for hard core birders. Expect to see birds like Western green tinker bird, Black bee-eater, Bar-tailed trogon among others. Please note that your safari vehicle will drive around the forest to meet you in Nkuringo covering a total distance of about 170km which is approximately 6hrs drive.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have breakfast and head to Rushaga sector to bird while following the waterfall trail in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This is one of the best birding spots in the park to see birds like Yellow eyed black flycatcher, Short tailed warbler, Banded prinia, Regal sunbird and most Albertine rift valley endemics.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today we will drive to Nombe pocket forest for best birding opportunities as we look out for Bwindi forest bird specialties such as the Purple breasted sunbird, Rwenzori double collared sunbird, Stripe breasted tit and Doherty’s bush shrike. Later in the evening, we will go birding along the road adjacent to Buniga pocket forest outside Nkuringo Village.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, drive to Lake Mburo National Park with a stopover at Echuya Forest to spot birds like handsome francolin, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Ruwenzori batis, Ruwenzori turaco, dusky crimson-wing, red-faced woodland warbler, purple-breasted sunbird, stripe-breasted tit, regal sunbird, kivu ground-thrush, Grauer’s swamp-warbler, red-throated alethe, Archer’s robin-chat, collared apalis, Ruwenzori nightjar, black-faced apalis, blue-headed sunbird, strange weaver. Later head to Lake Mburo national park for check in and overnight stay.
If time allows, we will go birding in Lake Mburo national park to look out for birds like Bateleur, Crested Francolin, Brown Parrot, African Grey Hornbill, Fork tailed Drongo, Spot-flanked Barbet, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, White-napped Raven, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Blue-napped Mousebird, Black-crowned Waxbill, and Black-headed Waxbill among other birds.
Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have breakfast and head to Lake Mburo National Park for a full day birding safari; looking for birds like the Bateleur, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Blue-napped Mousebird, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Brown Parrot, Crested Francolin, African Grey Hornbill, Black-bellied Bustard, Spot-flanked Barbet, Long tailed Cisticola among other birds. On this day, meet several wildlife such as Elands, Zebras, Reedbucks, Impalas, Buffaloes, Topis, Bushbucks, Waterbucks, Hippos among others
Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Have breakfast and bird to Entebbe to end your 20 day best birding safari Uganda. You will spot birds like Bateleur, Crested Francolin, Striped Kingfisher, African Grey Hornbill, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Spot-flanked Barbet Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Golden-backed Weaver, Lilac-breasted Roller, Blue-napped Mousebird among others.
20 day best birding safari Uganda includes
20 day best birding safari Uganda excludes
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