20 DAYS UGANDA ULTIMATE BIRDING SAFARI TOUR

Travel after an early breakfast to Mabamba wetland on the shores of Lake Victoria. This is one of the remaining swamps in the country protected by the local communities an extensive papyrus swamp classified as an important bird area and home to several pairs of Shoe bills, Uganda´s most famous avian resident. There is a good selection ofClassic East African water birds, including Pink – backed Pelican, long tailed Cormorant, Goliath Heron, African Open billed, Saddle billed and Marabou Storks, white faced whistling -duck, African fish eagle, African marsh- Harrier African Jacana and many water birds. You will also see the country birds and water edge species like the African green pigeon, Malachite, Giant, and pied king fishers, Blue headed Coucal, Blue breasted Bee eater, Crowned Horn bill, Angola and Rufous -chested Swallows, Winding Cisticola, Greater and lesser Swamp Flycatcher, Scarlet-Chested sunbird, Papyrus Gonolek, Slender-billed, Northern Brown – throated, and Golden-backed Weavers and Papyrus canary.In the afternoon travel to Lake Mburo National Park. This Park has varied habitats from open Acacia woodland, to a number of papyrus lined lakes and swamps. Some of the  many species to search for en route to the park in the woodland in the immediate vicinity of Rwonyo (at lake Mburo) and with in the park include  Blockheaded, Squacco, and Rufous-bellied Herons, Hadada Ibis, Yellow -billed(black)Kite, Spur winged Goose, Comb Duck, Black chested snack Eagle, Lizard Buzard, Palm-nut and white backed vultures, Wahlberg´s and Verreaux´s Eagle, Crested Francolin, Crowned Crane, African Finfoot, Black -bellied Bustard, Temmink´s and  Bronze-Winged Coursers, Senegal, Crowned Wattled and Brown Chested Lapwings, Emerald spotted and blue spotted wood Doves, Great Blue Turaco and many more species can be sited

Start with a boat ride on Lake Mburo searching for the rare White Backed Night Heron, Fin foot and the African Giant King Fisher, Papyrus Gonolek and White Winged Warbler.The more open grassland north of the park headquarters, particularly along the ZebraTrack, is worth exploring for species such as Coqui Francolin, Red necked Spurfowl, Black Bellied Bustard, Temminck´s Courser, and African wattled Lapwing and it´s here where small numbers of migratory Brown -Chested Lapwing can be regularly observed.  Other species of include African Mash Harrier, African Hawk faced Barbet, Rufous- chested, Swallow, Yellow throated long craw and many more.

This is Uganda´s smallest and probably most scenic national park situated in the extreme south western corner of the country on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes which rise up to 4000min elevation. To the south of the park is Rwanda and to the West is the   Democratic Republic of Congo. The park has a nice variety of Rift Endemics, and you explore the treasures of the park a long the excellent Gorge trail, which loops half way up Mt Sabinyo, traversing a variety of montane habitats. Here you can look for Dusky Turtle-Dove, Cape Robin-chat, Brown-Crowned Tcagra, Bronze Sun bird, Rwenzori Turco, Shelly´s Crimson-wing, Kivu Ground Thrush, Black-headed Waxbill, and streaky Seedeater. As you climb and enter the Bamboo zone at 2500m, you may encounter the Handsome Francolin, Kivu Ground Thrush and Cinnamon Bracken Warbler.The   following   Red-hot Pokers attract Malachite, Scarlet-tufted, and Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbirds, as well as Lag den’s Bush-Shrike. Many of these are Albertine Rift endemics, which you can see here. The beautiful Golden Monkeys, A localized form of Blue Monkey   , occurs in the bamboo zone and Mountain Gorillas are seasonal residents in the park.

Echuya is ranked among the top 10% of the 65 sites visited by the Forest biodiversity inventory Team. Densely populated agricultural   land   surrounds   the forest reserve. Echuya Forest reserve IBA, including the Muchuya Swamp, which has a total of over 100 species recorded. These include Grauer´s RushWarbler, Rwenzori Night jar, Dusky Turtle Dove, Regal sunbird, Red Chested Owlet, White naped Raven,  Scarce Swift, Western Green Tinker bird, Doherty´s Bush shrike, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Black-Tailed Oriole, Chubbs´s Cisticola, we continue to Ruhija the southern part of Bwindi national park. Birding on the road may produce good result of the Albertine Rift Endemics.

Spend the entire day birding the Mubwindi Swamp area. The 4km trail to Mubwindi Swamp is the best place for some of the most difficult to find of all rift endemics including Grauer´s (African Green) broadbill, the beautifulRegal Sunbird, and Archer´s Robin- Chat. Mubwindi Swamp is also home to Dwarf Honey guide, Stripe – breasted Tit, RwenzoriApails, African Hill Babbler (sometimes treated as a separate species from Rwenzori HillBabbler), the rare and localised Grauer´s Scrub-Warbler and Carruther´s Cisticola. Some of the many species you may have a chance of seeing here include Black Goshawk, Augur Buzzard, Crowned Hawk-         Eagle, Handsome Francolin, Olive(Ramerson)pigeon, Bronze-winged Pigeon, Black-billed, Ruwenzori, and Ross´s Turaco, African, Barred long tailed, and African Emerald Cuckoos, Red-chested Owlet, Narina and Bar-tailed Trogons, Black and Cinnamon-Chested Bee -Eaters, BlueThroated Roller, White -headed Woodhoopoe, Gray-throated, Double-toothed, and Yellow-spotted Barbets, Western and Yellow-rumped tinker bird, Thick -billed and dwarf Honey guides, Rufous-necked Wryneck, Tull-bergs, Speckle-breasted, Elliot´s Broadbill,RockMartine, Black saw -wing, Gray and Petit´s Cuckoo- Shrike, Cabanis´ Greenbul, White-tailed Ant -Thrush, Kivu Grounded Alethe, Chubb´s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Ruwenzori, Black-throated, and Black-faced Apalis, Scrub-Warblers, Olive-green Camaroptera, Grauer´s and Cameroon Scrub-Warblers, Cinnamon Bracken- Warblers, Mountain yellow warblers, White- browed Crombec, Red-faced Woodland- Warbler, White -eyed slaty- flycatcher, Yellow- eyed Black-Fly catcher, Sooty Archer´s Robin-chats and many more species.

Gorilla tracking is one of the most exciting life time experiences of all time. The gorillas are gentle giants and it is unforgettable, experience to observe them play, groom, eat, swing on the trees and display for dominancy. It is wonderful experience to stare into the eyes of these gentle giants. Each encounter is different and has its rewards; you are likely to enjoy the close view of the adults feeding, grooming and resting as the young stars swing from the vines in a delightfully playful display. Other primate you may encounter include L´Hoest   Monkey, Black and white Colobus; Red tailed and Blue Monkeys. Other mammals include Rwenzori duiker, yellow back duiker, Carruthers squirrels, Bohm´s and Alexander squirrels, and many other species.

The distance is about 50km but it may take the whole day due to the diversity of   birds’ life here.The neck is where the forest narrows and offers excellent forest birding.Key species that we will look for here include many of Rift Endemics like the Handsome francoline, Rwenzori Night Jar, Darwf Honey guide, African Green Broadbill, Acher´s Robin chart, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow eyed Black-flycatcHer, Red faced Woodland warbler and many other species.

Species we will search for include Olive long tailed Cuckoo: Bar-tailed Trogon; DuskyTit; Kivu Ground Thrush; White -bellied Robin Chat; Equatorial Aka-lat; White-tailed Ant-Thrus; Red-throated Alethe; White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher, White -eyed Slaty-Fly catcher; Gray -green Bush shrike; Northern Double -collared Sun bird; Black billed weaver and Magpie Mannikin.High exposed perches in the open forest are favored by African Goshawk; the dazzling Black Bee-eater; Blue-throated Roller; Sooty Flycatcher and forest starlings.Including Waller´s Stuhlmann´s and Narrow-tailed.One of Bwindi´s star avian attraction is the diminutive, pitta-likeNeumann´s Warbler, a vocal yet very secretive bird! Other under- story birds recorded here include displaying African Broadbill; Banded Prinia and the handsome Black-faced Rufous-Warbler.Other wildlife that you may be fortunate enough to find here include the huge Yellow- backed duiker, Guereza Colobus; LHoest´s; Blue and Red- tailed monkeys; Chimpanzee and several species of squirrels including Fire- footed, Carruthers´ mountain Ruwenzori Sun and Red- legged Sun Squirrel.

Start early after breakfast and drive to Queen National Park passing through the Ishasha sector eminent for the tree climbing lions. The park which is named after Queen Elizabeth who visited it in 1954, is the second largest national parkin Uganda, and ranks highest with respect to overall diversity, with a species list exceeding 610.

The park has a mosaic of habitats from moist forest at Maramagambo to wild savannah excellent   for; Lions, Leopard, Elephants, Hyenas, Uganda Kobs, side-striped Jackal, Baboons, Giant Hogs to mention but a few. While in the park, we will per take in the game drives, as well as the boat ride on the Kazinga channel, which is the most thrilling experience in Africa. This boat trip is one of the better places to look for the African skimmer, which are some times present, while the many species possible include: Great White and Pink backed Pelican, Grey, Purple and Goliath herons, Saddle billed and yellow billed storks, Sacred and Glossy Ibises, African Spoon bill, Egyptian goose, Black crake, African Jacana, Black-winged stilt, Water Thick- knee, Spur winged African Wattled, Kittlitz´s and Three-banded plovers. Collared Pratincole, African pygmy King fisher, Brown-throated Sand Martin, Greater and lesser Swamp Warbler, Carruthers´sOther interesting species found in Queen Elizabeth national park include Black -rumped Button-Quail, African crake, Brown -Chested Plover, Verreaux´s Eagle Owl, Black bee Eater, shinning Blue king fisher, White tailed lark as well as Marabou stork, Black shouldered Kite, Hooded, African White backed Ruppell´s Griffon, Lappet-faced and White-headed Vultures , Brown snake eagle, Bateleur, Gabar Goshawk ,Wahlberg´s, Tawny, Martial and Long crested eagle and many more species.

Kibale National Park is the large block of rain forest that offers both excellent birding, and our main opportunity to see Chimpanzee in the wild. The park has the greatest variety and concentration of the primates found anywhere.  in East Africa and its famous for its Chimpanzee.Some of the species we look for around Kibale include African Crowned- Eagle, White. -spotted Flufftail, Afep Pigeon, Red-Winged francolin African Emerald, Dusky long-tailed and Red Chested Cuckoos, Yellow bill (or Blue Malkoha), Black billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue-breasted King fisher, Black and White throated bee eaters, white headed Wood Hoopoe, Speckled, Yellow-rumped, and Yellow-throated Tinkerbirds, Streaky-throated(split from Hairy-breasted), Yellow-billed and -spot Barbets, Willcock´s and Thick-billed Honey guides, Cassin´s Honey bird and many other species to mention but a few.

The drive northwards to Budongo may be long, but with numerous birding stops along the way. As you walk quietly along the trail look for fancy birds, such as the Blue-breasted, Chocolate, and African Dwarf Kingfishers.For the next two days you will visit Budongo Forest starting with the Royal Mile.The Royal Mile is one of the best Uganda´s Bird watching spots. It is also historically known leisure spot for the traditional Kings, hence the name Royal Mile. Here the forest has been cut back a few metres along the sides of the main trail, which makes it a particular good viewing area in this excellent forest.Special birds of the Budongo area include Nahan´s Francolin, Black -collared love bird, White- thighed and Black and white casqued Hornbills, Yellow-spotted and Yellow-billed Barbets, Chestnut -capped Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Western Black-headed oriole, and Brown Twin spot, while a couple of interesting primates here are Red – tailed and blue monkeys. Overhead, Sabine´s and sometimes Cassin´s Spine tails soar above, the clearings.As you walk along the trail look for fancy birds such as Blue -breasted, Chocolate-backed, and African Dwarf King fishers, Blue throated Roller. Red tailed Bristie bill, and Scaly-breasted, Pale- breasted, and Brown I lladopses. Greenbuls are always a challenge and this area has several, including the Little Grey, Little, Cameroon Sombre, Slender-billed, Honeyguide, and Spotted.  Other species regularly seen in the Budongo area are Crested Guinea Fowl, White spotted Fluff- talls, Great sparrow-hawk, Cassin´s Hawk- Eagle. Tambourrine Dove, Gray Parrot, African Emerald, Klaas: and Dusky Long -tailed to mention but a few.

After breakfast, drive northwards towards Murchison Falls National Park birding through the Kaniyo Pabidi section of Budongo, a newly discovered location for the Puvell`s Illadopsis, as well as a good area for Black – billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue throated Roller, Fire-crested Alethe.Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park (4000sq km) and protects al arge section of untamed savannah after the dramatic Murchison falls where the world´s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge in a frothing pool43m below. It is one of the Uganda´s oldest conservation areas, formed in the early 1900´s.The park is perhaps Uganda´s premier game park, with no fewer than 76 mammal species, including Lion, Leopard, Giraffe, Buffalos, Hartebeest, Oribi, Wart hog, and the Uganda Kob. The park hosts over 451 species of birds including the rare Shoe bill. Some of the many species to look for here include African Darter, Goliath heron, Saddle- billed stork, White faced Whistling-duck, Egyptian Goose, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Bat-Hawk, Black-chested, Brown, and Goshawk, Red necked falcon, Crested and Heuglins Francolins, African Fin foot and many more species to mention but a few.

Birding to Kampala for the evening flight.