Bird Watching - 11 days

Uganda is an ornithologist's paradise as well as a natural habitat for innumerable plants, from the luxuriant growths of the rain forest to tiny alpine flowers on the mountains.

Although a comparatively small country, Uganda has over a thousand different species of birds from great eagles and rare shoebill storks to tiny iridescent sunbirds.

The shoebill is a large bird, its most obvious feature being a shovel-like bill with a hooked tip. The bird uses this bill for searching out food like fish, frogs, snakes, molluscs and carrion in the mud of its marshland home.

A solitary bird, the shoebill can fly well and even soar, holding its neck drawn in, pelican-fashion. It lays 2 eggs on the ground in a nest made of rushes and grass.

Shoebill Safaris got is name from this beautiful bird. Tourists interested in birding watching especially the shoebill are at a greater advantage in attaining maximum satisfaction.

However other bird species can also be watched in the different natural habitats around the country with the Shoebill guides who are specialized and experienced in this field.
Bird watching tour packages include the following;

Day One
Depart from Kampala to the South Western part of Uganda and move on to
Kibale forest the extra ordinary forest that boosts of Uganda’s 335 species of bird, over144species of butterfly and a home to an astonishing 12 species of primate
and probably one of the highest primate densities in the world. Late afternoon birding at the entrance of the Park. Dinner and overnight to Kanyankyu Tourist center.

Day Two
Full day birding in Kibale Forest on the guided Forest walks expect to see a variety of bird species like white- bellied Crested Flycatcher, Grey- throated Flycatcher Uganda woodland warbler, White-naped pigeon, African Pitta, Joyful Greenbul and many more. Don’t forget to spot families of chimps and monkeys swinging through the ancient forest trees as you move on.
Return to the Tourist center; visit the Bigodi Swamp in the evening for more bird species.
Dinner and overnight at the center.

Day Three
After an early breakfast we’ll take an early morning walk in Magombe Forest for yet more species of bird, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park for birding around the Mweya Peninsular and Lake George.
Launch cruise on the amazing Kazinga channel for a thrilling bird life like the famous shoebill, African Skimmer, Papyrus Gonolek, Black bee- eater and many more. Watch out for Schools of Hippos, Buffalos crocodiles and more game that come to have a drink on the Kazinga water channel.
Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge/ Camping/ Hostel.

Day Four
We’ll an early drive to Ishasha through the Maramagambo- Kigezi area. Watch out for chimps that “criss –cross” the roadArrive at Ishasha for a late evening walk. Dinner and overnight at Ishasha tented camp.

Day Five
After an early morning drive we’ll probably see the rare tree climbing lions, proceed to
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a home to the rare mountain gorilla, the treasure chest of flora and fauna and the richest forest in East Africa. Expect to see various bird species in the Albertine Rift Valley namely Red –throated Alethe, Red -faced Woodland Warbler, Collared Apalis, Woodpeckers, Black bee – eater, Cuckoos and others.
Afternoon birding, lunch, dinner and overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma homestead.

Day Five
We’ll spent the whole day birding in the forest and onto the Waterfall trail, working slowly back along the “main track” where we’ll spend the whole afternoon.
Dinner and overnight at Buhoma.

Day Seven

Early departure for Ruhija, birding “the neck” for a few hours enroute.
Afternoon along the road to Kabale.
Dinner and overnight at Ruhija.

Day Eight
Walk the along trail to Mubwindi Swamp, afternoon around Ruhija.
Over night at Ruhija.

Day Nine
After breakfast, Bird slowly enroute along the road towards Kabale then depart for Lake Mburo National Park. Other than birds Lake Mburo NP boosts of small beautiful lakes, game species notably impala, eland, zebra, buffalo, klipspringer and waterbuck.
Late afternoon birding at the entrance road to Rwonyo.
Over night at Rwonyo.

Day Ten
Full day birding at Lake Mburo.
Picnic lunch, the take a canoe trip to see the kingfisher, heron and other water bird species and watch out for hippos and crocodiles, don’t worry your guide will keep you
a distance from them for the can be dangerous!!!
Dinner and overnight at Rwonyo.

Day Eleven
Morning game drive (optional), back to Rwonyo, relax and “chit - chat”.
Afternoon drive back to Kampala.