14 Days Forest Birding Safari Uganda: Highlights

Day 1: Welcome to Uganda

Day 2: Birding in Mabira Forest

Day 3: Transfer to Budongo Forest.

Day 4: Royal mile – Budongo forest.

Day 5: Busingiro – Kibale Forest National Park

Day 6 & 7: Green-breasted Pitta – Optional Chimpanzee Tracking

Day 8: Semliki National Park

Day 9 & 10: Semliki National Park

Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 12: Albertine Rift Endemics Tour and Optional Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Day 13: Birding Tour in Ruhija

Day 14: Birding to Kampala/Entebbe

Detailed 14 Days Forest Birding Safari Uganda

Day 1: Welcome to Uganda

On your arrival at the airport, look out for your bird guide, he/she will be holding a placard with your name written on it. You will then be transferred to your hotel. Depending on the time of arrival, you might choose to rest or go birding right way at the Entebbe botanical gardens or the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.

Day 2: Birding in Mabira Forest

Mabira forest is the nearest forest reserve near the capital city of Uganda. We will be in search of the 315 bird species ever recorded with 74 of the species of the Guinea – Congo forests which are found in Uganda.

Day 3 of 14 Days Forest Birding Safari Uganda: Transfer to Budongo Forest.

We will have an early start and then set off to Budongo Forest which has a prolific bird life with two of the most sought after species not found anywhere in East Africa. You will have multiple stopovers along the way.

Day 4: Royal mile – Budongo forest.

We will bird several trails today but most important is the Royal mile for magnificent species. Look out for but not limited to the Puvel’s Illadopsis and Nahan’s Francolin other special birds include; the Yellow-billed Barbet, Grey-throated Barbet, Honeyguide Greenbul, Chocolate–backed Kingfisher,White-headed Saw-wing, White Wagtail, Black-eared Ground-Thrush among others.

 Day 5: Busingiro-Kibale Forest National Park

For the early hours of the day, we bird Busingiro and later transfer to Kibale Forest National Park which is the most accessible of Uganda’s major rainforests.

Day 6 & 7: Green-breasted Pitta – Optional Chimpanzee Tracking

Kibale forest has over 330 bird species that have been recorded, the park boats of the green breasted pitta as the most sought after species along with others. We will be birding in the forest, Bigodi wetland Sanctuary and Sebitoli for Unique forest species, papyrus endemics and some shore birds.

There is an option for chimpanzee tracking upon request while booking the safari.

Day 8 of 14 Days Forest Birding Safari Uganda: Semliki National Park.

Semliki harbors a large number of predominantly Central African species which cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa and these include some of the continent’s most spectacular and sought-after birds such as; Long-tailed Hawk, Congo Serpent Eagle, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Black-wattled Hornbill, the Nkulengu Rail, just to mention but a few. There is a single, unconfirmed report of the globally threatened Lesser Kestrel.

Day 9 & 10: Semliki National Park

Being one of the richest areas for both flora and fauna in Africa most especially birds, we bird the place for two days. We aim at a record of 400 species which will include the African Piculate, Blue Swallow, White-throated Blue Swallow, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Spotted Greenbul among others.

Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This is the best place for forest birding safari in Uganda and yet Africa’ number one birding spot, the park has 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics including the globally threatened species such as the African Green Broadbill and Shelley’s Crimsonwing, plus others such as Oberlander’s/Forest Ground Thrush, Sassi’s Olive Greenbul, Dusky Crimson-wing, Strange Weaver, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Purple -breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Short -tailed/Neumann’s Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Collared Apalis, Montane Masked Apalis, Kivu Ground Thrush, Red-throated Alethe, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Nightjar, Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin.

Day 12: Albertine Rift Endemics Tour and Optional Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

There are less than 800 mountain gorillas in the whole world. Uganda is home to more than a half of these beautiful, majestic gentle giants and yet endangered apes. Therefore, Gorilla tracking in Uganda is a must experience not to be missed. Bwindi impenetrable forest habituates families of mountain gorillas along with other species of primates for example, Chimpanzees, Colubus monkeys, Olive baboons, name it.

At Buhoma, we look out for species like, the Black Bee-Eater, Dusky Tit, Brown-caped Weaver, the Yellow-billed and yellow-spotted Barbets, the African and Black-and-white Shrike Flycatchers, Common Stonechat, Brown-throated and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, Apalises, Equatorial Akalat, Slaty Flyacatcher, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Black-throated Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Grey Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, the Olive-green and Grey-backed Camaropteras, White-chinned Prinnia, Green Hylia, Short-tailed Warbler, White-tailed Antithrush, Cape Wagtail, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, White-browed Crombec, the list is long.White-eyed Slaty FlycatcherWhite-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

Day 13 of 14 Days Forest Birding Safari Uganda: Birding Tour in Ruhija

Today we bird Ruhija in search for the darling African Green Broadbill, Handsome Francolin, Strange Weaver, Shelley’s and Dusky Crimson-wings, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, White-browed Crombec, White-aped Raven, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Sharp’s Starling, Mountain masked and Rwenzori Apalises and many more.

Day 14: Birding to Kampala/Entebbe

This is what we believe the end of a very successful 14 days forest birding safari Uganda. We shall bird our way to Kampala/ Entebbe for your flight home.

End of 14 Days Forest Birding Safari Uganda