8 Days bird watching safari in Uganda

Overview of the 8 days bird watching safari in Uganda

This 8 Days Uganda Birding Safari offers the ultimate Uganda birding experience with birding at mabamba swamp to view the elusive shoebill stocks and other bird species. Uganda has over 1072 confirmed bird species and therefore expect a great bird list with this bird watching tour to the best birding spots. This 8 days bird watching safari in Uganda is a birding safari suitable for avid birders who would love to spot out those beautiful flying bird species.

Places visited on this 8 days birding safari in Uganda include Mabamba wetland, Lake Mburo national park, after head for birding at Queen Elizabeth National Park for viewing the Savanna birds. You will also proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to watch the forest birds and later return to Entebbe.

bird watching

Highlights of the 8 days bird watching safari in Uganda

Day 1: Early arrival and transfer to mabamba wetland for bird watching.
Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Day 3: Birding in Lake Mburo National Park then transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4: Bird watching at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 6: Bird watching in Buhoma sector of Bwindi Forest
Day 7: Birding in Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 8: Transfer back to Entebbe International Airport for a departure flight.

Day by day itinerary of the 8 days bird watching safari in Uganda

Day 1: Early arrival and transfer to mabamba wetland for bird watching.

The first day of your birding trip starts early arrival at Entebbe International Airport or pick up from a lodging facility in Entebbe. After meeting and greeting with your safari guide, you then embark on the drive to Mabamba wetland on about 2-3 hours drive. At the wetland, you will use a dugout canoe to explore the wetland in search for swamp bird species and the famous bizarre shoebill stork and later check out for birds around the Visitor Centre.

Swamp species that can be seen include the shoebill stork, lesser jacana, long-toed lapwing, black crake, purple gallinule, swamp flycatcher, broadbill roller, blue-breasted bee-eater, white-thighed hornbill, African pygmy goose, malachite kingfisher, purple heron, and blue swallow. After bird watching, you return to Kampala for dinner and accommodation in a booked lodging facility.

Accommodation Option: Midrange: Cassia Lodge, Budget: Red Chilli Rest Camp – Kampala
Travel Time: 4 hour

Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

From Kampala, your Uganda birding tour guide will ensure your transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. You will have a stop at Kako swamp before reaching the park in time for lunch. Arriving at the park, you will later on go bird watching where you should look out for birds like the African finfoot, Rufous-bellied Heron, white-backed night heron, white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, African fish eagle, pied kingfishers, papyrus canary and many more. Later on the evening, you transfer to prior booked preferred accommodation facility for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Options: Luxury: Mihingo Lodge, Midrange: Rwakobo Rock Lodge/Arcadia cottages, Budget: Eagle’s Nest
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.
Travel Time: 4 – 5 hours

Day 3: Birding in Lake Mburo National Park then transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Early morning, you will be up to watch early risers even before your breakfast. Some of the bird species to look out for during this morning bird watching tour in Lake Mburo National Park include the Red-faced Barbet endemic to the park, cuckoos, Grey-capped Warbler, black-headed weaver, Brown-chested Lapwing, Black-bellied Bustard, Rufous-napped Lark, Lilac-breasted roller and many more.

After bird watching at Lake Mburo you return to your lodge for lunch then after embark on the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive takes you to the beautiful side of western Uganda arriving in the evening for check in and dinner at a booked accommodation facility.

Accommodation Options: Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge, Mid-range: Enganzi Game Lodge/Ihamba Safari Lodge , Budget: Kazinga Channel View resort
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.
Travel Time: 5 – 6 hours

Day 4: Bird watching at Queen Elizabeth National Park

On this day, you wake up, have breakfast and go for birding in search of savannah bird species. You will go birding to the Kasenyi plains and Lake George for chance to see lots of savannah bird species including raptors. Some of the fish species that could be spotted include the African fish eagle, black-tailed godwit, pallied harriers, African skimmers, pink-backed pelicans, saddle-billed stork, common tern, martial eagle, lesser flamingoes, and many others.

In the afternoon, you return to your lodge for lunch then after go for an evening boat cruise on the kazinga channel. The boat ride on the kazinga channel lasts about 2 hours as you see different wildlife and bird species on the shores of the channel that joins lakes Albert and Edward. After the boat cruise, you then return to your lodging facility for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Options: Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge, Mid-range: Enganzi Game Lodge/Ihamba Safari Lodge, Budget: Kazinga Channel View resort
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

From Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will have breakfast then embark on a drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive offers you a chance to go birding along the ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth Park famed for tree climbing lions. Arriving in the afternoon, you have lunch at a booked lodge in the Buhoma sector then embark on an evening bird watching tour.

Some of the forest bird species seen in this sector of the park include the strange weaver, Ross’s Turaco, Stuhlmann’s starling, Grey-headed negrofinch, pink-footed puff back, Ludher’s bush shrike, blue-headed sunbird and many more. In the evening, you return to your lodging facility where you have dinner and spend the night.

Accommodation Options: Luxury: Buhoma Lodge, Midrange: Buhoma Haven Lodge/ Gorilla Mist Camp, Budget: Gorilla mist camp
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Day 6: Bird watching in Buhoma sector of Bwindi Forest

This day is planned out for full day bird watching along the waterfall loop and forest trails searching for Albertine rift endemics and other species. Possible sightings of the endemic species include Black bee-eater, short-tailed warbler, purple breasted sunbird, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, red-faced woodland warbler, Brown-capped Weaver, Red-throated Alethe, Kivu ground thrush, Strange Weaver, Black-faced apalis among others. You return to the previous night accommodation facility for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Day 7: Birding in Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This second morning at Bwindi, you have breakfast then transfer to the Ruhija sector for birding. You have a slow drive on the transfer from the Buhoma sector to Ruhija for bird watching. Birding in Ruhija offers another chance to see more of the Albertine rift endemic birds. You spend the whole day bird watching and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in the evening. You check in at a booked accommodation facility for dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation Options: Luxury: Bird Nest Bunyonyi, Midrange: Bunyonyi Overland Resort , Budget: Arcadia Cottages Bunyonyi
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 8: Transfer back to Entebbe International Airport for a departure flight.

On the last day of your trip, you have breakfast at Lake Bunyonyi then after transfer back to Entebbe International Airport for a departure flight. You will have lunch en route and take an evening departure flight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

End of 8 days bird watching safari