UGANDA BIRDING TOURS

Bird Watching Safari. Group size 8-12 with 2 leaders 10 Days 9 Nights

Uganda has over 1200 recorded bird species in an area the same size as the United Kingdom. The diversity results from Uganda's position on the Equator at the cross-roads of the plains of East Africa and the rain forests which dominate much of West Africa.

Tour Highlights: This tour takes in the premier regions for birds including the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This remote region holds several Albertine Rift endemic species in Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Kivu Ground Thrush and Red Faced Woodland Warbler. It is probably the best area for the rare and endangered Mountain Gorilla. The tour also visits papyrus beds to search for the enigmatic Shoebill and other birds sharing this unique habitat, notably Papyrus Gonolek and White-winged Warbler. This tour to 'The pearl of Africa' is bound to produce a long bird list as well as close sightings of Primates and mammals.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival-Entebbe
When you arrive in Entebbe, you will be met by the tour guide who will brief you about your tour. You will then be transferred to Hotel Africana BB for Rest and overnight stay.

Day 2: Entebbe Botanicals Gardens
On this day you will be taken for an afternoon excursion to Entebbe Botanical Gardens adjacent to Lake Victoria, an area dominated by huge trees some being festooned with hanging creepers and flowers. Raptors present include Gabar Goshawk, Lizard Buzzard and Ross's Turacos, Black and White Casqued, Piping and Crowned Hornbills. Our main interest will be the riverine trees where we have a chance of Orange-tufted, Green-throated and Red-chested Sun birds and a range of weavers. The latter comprise of the Slender-billed, Orange, Northern Brown-throated, Jackson's Golden-backed and Yellow-backed.

Day3: Mabamba Village
You will visit the Mabamba Village and its adjacent swamp, a maze of channels and lagoons. The entrance road winds its way through areas of secondary forest and agricultural land attracting Ayres' Hawk-eagle, Madagascar Bee-eater, Red-headed Lovebird, African Pied, and Crowned Hornbills, Black-necked and Weyn's Weavers and a range of sun birds including Green-headed, Green, Red-chested, Collared, Marico and Scarlet-chested. The road eventually ends at a papyrus reed bed adjoining Lake Victoria.om hand-paddled boats we explore a maze of channels and mud flats for the majestic Shoebill, African Marsh Harrier, African Pygmy Goose, Black Crake, Purple Swamp hen, Allen's Gallinule, African and, more rarely, Lesser Jacanas, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding and Carruther's Cisticolas, PapyrusGonolek and white-winged Warbler. Mammals are scarce in the swamp but should include the endearing Spot-necked Otter. Later in the day, we transfer to Mbarabara for a two-night stay. Our journey takes us through agricultural land and huge areas of papyrus reed beds. Telegraph wires attract Lilac-breasted Rollers whilst roadside birds include Black-shouldered Kite and Long-crested Eagles.

Day 4: Lake Mburo National Park
We will enter through the village of Sanga, and exceptional area for birds. Common species include African Green Pigeon, White-browned Coucal, Grey-backed Fiscal, Greater Blue- eared Glossy Starling and Ruppell's Glossy Starling, and Copper Sun birds. A small marsh may harbor Black Crake and, nearby, Brown-headed parrot, Woodland Kingfisher and Black-lore Babblers. Grassy fields scattered with acacia trees lure Senegal and the rare Brown-chested Lapwing, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, African Mustached Warbler, Northern Crombec and White-winged Black Tit. In the park itself an exploration of tracks and eed-lined swamps may produce Dwarf Bittern, Yellow-billed Duck, Nubian Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Spot-flanked and Black-collared Barbets. At Nshara Gate a large seasonal marshland has African Open Bill, Sacred Ibis, Wattled Lapwing, African Water Rail, Greater Painted-snipe, three-banded Plover and Malachite Kingfisher. Further along thee spotted Wood-dove, Red-faced, Winding and Croaking Cisticolas, Yellow-throated Longclaw and Golden-breasted Buntings. As dusk falls, we have a chance of the impressive Pennant-winged Nightjar hunting for insects. We have a chance of mammals in Vervet Monkey, Burchell's Zebra and Impala.

Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You will travel to Bwindi Impenenetrable National Park straddling the border with Congo. Our journey takes us to Kabale and over highlands reaching almost 2500 meters. Specialties of this region include Augur Buzzard, White-headed Wood hoopoe, Black-crowned Wax bill, Thick-billed Seed eater and Chubb's Cisticola. The last species sings in duets from exposed branches. We eventually reach Bwindi, a huge montane forest holding 23 of the 24 Albertine Rift Endemics. Three nights at Buhoma tented camp.

Days 6-7 Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
On the morning you have the option of tracking Mountain Gorillas or birdingalong the main track. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is exceptionally rich in forest species restricted to the Albertine Rift covering Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Walking along forest trails is a wonderful natural experience with hundreds of colorful butterflies and areas of streams and tumbling waterfalls. Bwindi offers some of the best forest birding in Africa. The campgrounds before the main track attract Black Sawing, Petit's Cuckoo-shrike, Black and White shrike and African Blue Flycatchers, Mackinnon's Fiscal, Luhder's Bush-shrike, Mountain Greenbul, Black-billed Weaver, Variable Sun bird and Grey-crowned Negrofinch. On the main track itself we enter the forest proper as it passes under huge trees and areas of lichen-lined trunks. Another track takes us to the waterfalls traiul, a reliable area for Red-throated Alethe, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher and Kivu Ground Thrushes. Other species recorded along the main track include Crested Guinea fowl, Black and Cinnamon-breasted Bee-eaters, Bronze-napped Pigeon, Gabon and Elliot's Woodpeckers, Red-fronted Ant pecker, Yelloe-rumped and Speckled Tinker birds, Grey-throated and Yellow-spotted potted Barbets, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Equatorial Akalat, White tailed Crested-flycatcher, Sooty Flycatcher, Stuhlmann's Narrow-tailed and Waller's Starlings, Slender-billed, Plain, Little, Shelley's and Yellow Whiskered and Red-tailed Green bulls, Green-throated Sun bird and Brown-capped Weaver. On another day we walk the Muzabajiro Loop Trail for Rufous-breasted Sparrow hawk, Cassinn's Hawk-eagle, Handsome Francolin, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Crowned Hornbill, Yellow-billed Barbet, African Hill Babbler, Forest Ground Thrush, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Narrow-tailed Starling, Strange Weaver, Red-headed Malimbe and White-collared Olive-Back. We also have a chance of locating primates in LoHoest's Gentle and Red-tailed Monkeys and troops of Chimpanzees.

Day 8:Queen Elizabeth National Park
You will be transferred to Queen Elizabeth National Park, birding en route.Our journey takes us through the southern sector of the park, a wild area of Savanna and forest. At Ishasha, a remote campground, we look for Black Cuckoo-shrike, Yellow bill, Casing's Flycatcher and African Fire finch. The road passes pools with Red-billed Duck, Hottentots Teal and Greater Painted-snipe. We eventually reach the Kazinga channel, linking Lake George and Lake Edward, and our base at Mweya Safari Lodge, an idyllic location set in its own grounds. Two night stay at Mweya.

Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park.
We will explore the National Park and the northern sector, an area of savanna, bush, river and lake habitats. The hotel gardens have Grey-headed Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Black-headed Gonolek, Grey-capped Warbler, Slender-billed Weaver and Brimstone Canary. This morning we take an early morning game drive towards the famous Kasenyi Track, winding through grassland dotted with trees and nearby crater lakes. Our main aim is to locate Lions and other mammals including Hartebeest, Water Buffalo, Ugandan Kob, Oribi, Wterbuck, Bushbuck and family groups of African Elephants. Along the road we should find reasonable numbers of Scaly Francolin, Red-necked Spur fowl, Senegal, Crowned and Wattled Lapwings, Harlequin Quail and Common Buton-quail. Larks are numerous and comprise of Rufus-nape, Flappet-faced and the localized White tailed Lark. Raptors we aim to locate include the Lappet-faced and White-Backed vultures, Martial Eagle, Banded and Brown Snake Eagles and Bateleur. Wet grassland may hold Broad tailed and African Mustached Warblers, Trilling and Croaking Cisticolas, Marsh Tchagra, Fawn-berated and Crimson-rumped Wax bills. Accia trees are home to Black-headed Batis, Sulphur-breasted Bush shrike and Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrikes. In the afternoon we embark on a boat trip down the Kazinga Channel. This is an Incredible area for water birds with close views of Pink-backed Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, Hamerkop, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Water Thick-knee, African Skimmer and over-summering Palearctic waders, notably Common Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit. After dinner we have a night drive along the airstrip searching for Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, owls and Temminck's Courses.

Day 10: Fort Portal
Fort Portal is our destinational and the nearby Kibale Forest. Our main birding stop is Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary run by local people for the Benefit of the Nearby Village. Bigodi Comprises of agricultural land, papyrus and swamo forest. Specialist birding guides take us through several habitats along trails and a marshland boardwalk. The more open ares have Afrrican Goshawk, Black and White Casqued Hornbills, Blue-throated Roller, Great Blue Toraco, Yellow-billed, Double-toothed, Grey throated and Hairy-breasted Barbets and Red-headed Malimbe. We have good possibilities of locating White-spotted Fufftail, Papyrus Gonolek, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat, White-winged Warbler, Blue-headed Coucal and Papyrus Canary from the boardwalk. Weedy areas lure Red-faced Cisticola, Black-crowned Waxbill and White-collared Oliveback. Overnight stay at Fort Portal.

This holiday is fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, transport, boat trips, entrance and permit fees, guidance, tips and taxes.