14 Days Uganda Birding Trip

Day 1: Arrive Kampala
Today bit of birding is arranged depending on the arrival time. Few site around and very near makes a great introduction to birds of Uganda.

Day 2 and 3: Murchison Falls National Park
Characterized by riverine, ironwood forests, savanna with Borassus Palm, Papyrus Swamps, lakes and rivers, dry and moist woodlands. Specialties here includes Shoebill, Secretary bird, Bat Hawk, Red-necked Falcon, Heuglin’s Francolin, Denham’s Bustard, Senegal Thick-knee, Egyptian Plover, Rock Pratincole, Black-headed Plover, African Skimmer, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Vinaceous Dove, White-crested Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Long-tailed, Pennant-winged Nightjars,Red-throated, Swallow-tailed andRed-throated, Swallow-tailed and Northen Carmine Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Roller, Black Scimitarbill, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-bellied Barbet, Black-faced Cisticola, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Green-backed Eremomela, yellow-billed and Emin’s Shrikes, White-breatsed Cuckoo-shrike, Lesser Blue-eared and Bronze-tailed Starling, Northern-Red Bishop, Grey-headed, Olive-back, Red-winged Pytilia

Also other wildlife is present such as elephant, Nile Crocodile, Hippopotamus, Cape Bufallo, Defassa Waterback among others

Day 4: Murchison Falls National Park- Budongo Forest
Birding in the forest and later transferring to Busingiro part of the forest

Day 5 and 6: Budongo Forest- Busingiro Forest
We spend the whole day birding in the East Africa’s largest natural forest under protection and one boasting a list of over 350 spp and where the famous “Royal Mile”
Specialties here includes Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Nahan’s Francolin, Black-collared Lovebird, Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetails, Chocolate-backed, Blue-brested and African Dwarf Kingfishers, Piping Hornbill, Red-sided Broadbill, Green-breasted Pitta, Puvel’s Illadopsis, Spotted Greenbul, Fire-crested Alethe, Black-eared Ground Thrush, Black-capped Apalis, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Grey and Yellow Longbills, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Bown Twinspot, Grey-headed Olive-back

Day 7 and 8: Kibale Forest
Birds includes Grey-winged Robin, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Black-billed Turaco, White-naped Pigeon, Green-breasted Pitta, Red-chested Flufftail, African Pitta, Joyful Greenbul, Cabani’s Greenbul, Grey-throated Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Masked Apalis, Nahan Francolin, Tiny Sunbird.

Day 9 and 10: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Birds here includes Pink-backed Pelican, Great and Long-tailed Cormorant, Common Squacco heron, African Open-billed Stork, White-faced Whistling and Knob-billed Ducks, Termnick’s Courser, Collared Prantincole African Fish Eagle, African Wattled Plovers, Shoebill, African Skimmer, Martial Eagle, Verreaux’sEagle Owl, Black Bee-eater, Black-rumped Buttonquail, White-tailed and Red-capped Larks, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus, Brimstone Canary, Pin-tailed Whydah, African Morning Dove, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-headed Gonolek, Red-chested Sunbird, Slender-billed, Yellow-backed and Lesser Masked Weavers, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars,

Day 11, 12 and 13: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
With 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift Eendemics being found here it certainly offers one of the best and the greatest birding experience in any of Africa’s montane forest.
Birds may include the Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Sooty Boubou, Mountain Masked and Chestnut-throated Apalis, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, White-browed Crombec, African Green Broadbill, Western Green Tinkerbird, Shelly’s Crimsonwing, Collared Apalis, Banded Prinia, Dusky Crimsonwing, Mountain Illadopsis, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-chat, White-stared Robin, black-headed Waxbill

Day 14: Lake Mburo National Park – Mabamba Swamp- Kampala
The park dominated by the tall grass, acacia woodland and euphorbia trees while along the river a dense thicket of thorn makes it a worthy birding place to visit and almost the most accessible site for savannah species.
Specialties includes African Finfoot, African Darter, Hadada Ibis, Brown-chested Plover, Southern Ground Horbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, Northern Black Tit, Marico Sunbird, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Crested, Coqui Francolins, Red-necked Spurfowl, Brown Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away-Bird, Green Woodhoopoe, African Grey, Southern Ground Hornbills, Nubian Woodpecker, Fiery-necked, African White-tailed Lark, Rufous-naped, Flappet Larks, Lesser Swamp, Greater Swamp Warblers, Southern Red Bishop. Mabamba Swamps make an ideal site to look for the Carruther’s Cisticola, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Saddle-billed Stork, African Pigmy Goose, Purple and Goliath Herons, White-faced Whistling, Hottentot’s, Yellow-billed Ducks, White-winged (Black) Tern, Blue-breasted Bee-eater