15 Days of Uganda Birding and Photography, Remarkable West

You'll spend the day birding at Mbamba Swamp and the neighborhood community bush. Local communities protect one of the few remaining productive wetlands in Uganda. Extensive papyrus swamps with labyrinthine channels and lagoons, classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA), are home to multiple shoebills—Uganda's most famous avian residents and the only representatives in their family, which are amongst the most sought-after birds on the entire African continent. It is only traced by canoeing through the channels with a wooden boat. Other species of Mabamba include the papyrus gonolek, blue-breasted bee-eater, lesser Jacana, African Jacana, white-winged black tern, grey-headed gull, African skimmers, little egret, long-toed lapwing, spur-winged lapwing, and a few more.

This morning, we have an early breakfast and head out for birding at Mabamba. It is one of the few remaining productive wetlands in Uganda, protected by local communities. Extensive papyrus swamps with labyrinthine channels and lagoons, classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA), it's home to multiple Shoebills — Uganda's most famous avian resident and the only representative in its family, which is among the most sought-after birds on the entire African continent. It's only traced by canoeing through the channels by the wooden boat. Other birds at Mabamba or Kamengo include; Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-Breasted Bee-Eater, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, White-Winged Black Tern, Grey-Headed Gull, African Skimmers, Little Egret, Long-Toed Lapwing, Spur-Winged Lapwing, African Fish-Eagle, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, Common Squacco Heron, Striated Heron, Blue-Headed Coucal, Malachite Kingfisher, Black Crake, Hamerkop, African Marsh-Harrier, Yellow-Billed Duck, Hadada Ibis, White-Browed Scrub-Robin, Swamp Flycatcher, Vanga Flycatcher, Weyn's Weaver, Eastern Grey Plantain-Eater, Sedge Warbler, Wood Sandpiper, Pied Kingfisher, Cape Wagtail, Rufous-Napped Lark, Green Backed Heron, African Snip, Croaking Cisticola, White-Faced Whistling Duck, Spur-Winged Goose, Black-Crowned Waxbill, Scarce Swift, Bern Swallow, African-Dusky Flycatcher, African Yellow Warbler, Collard-Sunbird.

After breakfast, we depart for Murchison Falls National Park, stopping at Masindi town or Kabalega dinners for lunch. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest and oldest national park in Uganda. It lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, hosting 76 species of mammals and approximately 460 bird species. The park is famous for its world-renowned falls, which appear along an area just 6m wide. It is dominated by vast palm-dotted savanna and forest patches in the south. Special birds there include, among others, the Red-throated Bee-Eater, Northern carmine Bee-Eater, Crested Francolin, Black-faced Waxbill, Marsh Tchagra, Northern Red Bishop, Black-winged Red Bishop, Namaqua Dove, Wire-tailed Swallow, White-browed-sparrow Weaver, Cliff Chart, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Senegal Coucal, Silverbird, Standard Winged Night-Jar, Yellow-billed Duck, Black-headed Lapwing, Golden-backed Weaver, Green-winged Pytilia, Shoebill, African Fish Eagle, Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Buff-bellied Warbler, Abyssinian Roller, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Pennant-winged Night-Jar, White-rumped Canary.

We leave early with our packed lunch for a a morning game drive into the park,, birding towards the Nile ferry within the Borassus savanna,, where we will also encounter a variety of Antelopes, Elephants, Cape Buffalos, Giraffes, lions, leopards, Jackson’s heartbeasts, and other wildlife. In the afternoon we have a launch cruise to the bottom of the falls where a variety of water and special birds will be seen such as Rock Pratincole, Northern Carmine Bee-Eater, Red-Throated Bee-Eater, White-Crested Turaco, Vinaceous Dove, Beautiful Sunbird, Red-Winged Warbler, Senegal Thick-Knee, Grosbeak Weaver, Bruce’s Green-Pigeon, Chestnut-Crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Spotted Morning-Thrush, Osprey, Bar-Breasted Firefinch, Black-Headed Gonolek, Pel’s Fishing-Owl, Yellow-Fronted Tinkerbird, Red-Necked Francolin, Little Bittern, Namaqua Dove, Little Sparrow-Hawk, Senegal Thick-Knee, Bat Hawk, Heugln’s Francolin, Blue Spotted Wood Dove, Black-Billed Wood Dove, Swallow Tailed Eee-Eater, Madagascar Bee-Eater, Siffling Cisticola, Singing Cisticola, Yellow-Mantled Widowbird, Olive-Bellied Sunbird, African Quailfinch, Cabanis Bunting.

Early after breakfast, we carry our picnic lunch and drive a short distance from the hotel, which takes us to one of the best birding spots in Uganda, the Royal Mile and Busingiro Forest. The name reveals the African historical leisure spot for the traditional king of Bunyoro. At the mile, the forest is a bit dense; the trail lining was cleared to create a perfect view with good light for bird photography. Later, after our excellent birding, we return to the hotel for refreshments, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Morning after breakfast, with our packed lunch, we depart for Kibale national park. It will be quite a long distance with numbered stops for stretching and look at birds. Early arrivals will give a chance to do evening birding around the hotel. This primarily forest park is not only the best place to track chimpanzees, but also its greatest primate diversity and a thrilling variety of forest birds!

Wake up early at 5:00am and prepare ourselves for the most sought bird the Green-breasted Pitta! Thereafter we continue normal birding getting out from the forest to our hotel for lunch break. In the afternoon proceed birding along the roadside from the hotel and add Bigodi sanctuary. Kibale is a home of 13 primates and about 375 bird species. Primates include; L’Hoest’s Monkey, Red Colobus Monkey, Bush Baby, Olive Baboon, Red-Tailed Monkey, Grey-Cheeked Mangabey, Black And White Colobus, Blue Monkey, Chimpanzee etc. and a long list of sought bird species like; Afep Pigeon, Red-Winged Francolin, Narina Trogon, Bar-Tailed Trogon, Black-Billed Turaco, Black Bee-Eater, White-Headed Wood-Hoopoe, Yellow-Rumped Tinkerbird, African Pitta, Velvet Mantled Drongo, Petit’s Cukoo Shrike, African Broad Bill, Wilcock’s Honeyguide, White-Spotted Flufftail, Western Nicator, White-Tailed Anti-Thrush

Queen Elizabeth National Park “Medley of wonders” is the second largest national park after Murchison, it’s a home of over 600 species of birds! Therefore, it’s one of the reason why this park is ranked among the best birding destinations in Africa. The park name was after the Queen of England’s visit in 1954. Common Scimitarbill, Whinchat, Spurb, Bronzy, Olive-Bellied, Marico, Purple-Banded, Orange-Tufted, Scarlet-Chested, Beautiful, Red-Chested Sunbirds, Three-Banded Plover, Caspian Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Red-Caped Lark, Brown Babbler, Temminck’s Courser, Northern Wheatear, Black-Winged Pratincole, White-Tailed Lark, Mosque Swallow, Black-Bellied Bustard, Little Swift, Harliquin Quail, Button Quail, White-Winged Warbler, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Ovampo Sparrowhawk, Secretarybird, Caruther’s Cisticola, African Skimmers, Black-Headed Gonolek, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-Faced Cisticola, Red-Chested Cukoo, Northern Puffback, Tropica Boubou, Diederik, Klaas’s, African-Emerald Cukoos, Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, African-Wood Owl, Black-Shouldered Night-Jar, Yellow-Throated Long-Claw, East-African Swee, Common Waxbill, Crimson-Rumped Waxbill, Fawn-Brested Waxbill, Zebra Waxbill, Village Indigobird

Early in the morning we depart for Bwindi through the southern sector of QENP-Ishasha where a chance may be granted for you to see the tree climbing lions. Bwindi is situated in southwestern Uganda, famous of its habitat of about 408 mountain gorilla’shalf of world’s population! Including several habituated groups which can be tracked and home of about 350 species of birds including 23 Albertine rift endemics! And at least 14 species recorded nowhere else in Uganda! Opportunities abound to discover the local Bakiga and Batwa pygmy cultures through performances, workshops and village walks. It lies at a relatively higher altitude and temperature here is cooler ranging from 10 to 18°C.23 Albertine rift endemics include; Red-Throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Yellow Eyed Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue-Headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rockeffeller’s Sunbird, Purple-Breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimson-Wing, Red-Collard Mountain Babbler, Chapin’s Mountain Babbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s’ Warbler, Prigogine’s Greenbul, Black-Faced Apalis, Collard Apalis, Stripe-Breasted Tit, Grauer’s Cukooshrike, Red-Billed Helmet Shrike, Ruwenzori Batis, African Green Broadbill, Dwarf Honeyguide, Prigogin’s Nght-Jar, Albertaine Owlet, Congo Bay-Owl, Ruwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin and other birds.

Morning after breakfast you report to park headquarters for briefing prior to gorilla tracking excursion. This activity may take anywhere between one to eight hours so a reasonable degree of fitness is required. Gorilla tracking is a remarkable experience to stare in the eyes of these gentle giants, watch them as they play, and go about their daily activities. Its indeed “once in lifetime” experience that you must never miss! Each encounter is different and has own rewards! But you’re likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters’ frolic and swing on the vines in a delightful display!

At the main trail we bird all the way to Mubwindi swamp and the specials to look at are; Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue-Headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rockeffeller’s Sunbird, Purple-Breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimson-Wing, Red-Collard Mountain Babbler, Chapin’s Mountain Babbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s’ Warbler, Prigogine’s Greenbul, Black-Faced Apalis, Collard Apalis, Stripe-Breasted Tit, Grauer’s Cukooshrike, Yellow-Crested Helmetshrike, Ruwenzori Batis, African Green Broadbill, Dwarf Honeyguide

After breakfast we depart for lake Mburo national park, it’s on a distance of about 200KM from Kisoro-Bwindi therefore our drive takes more hours of our day having strategic stops to stretch our legs and look at birds.

While in the park we shall look out for birds like; African-Grey Hornbill, Black-Loward Babbler, Red-Headed Weaver, Greater Blue-Eared Starling, Trilling Cisticola, Green-Wood Hoopoe, Brown-Chested Lapwing, Scaly-Throated Honeyguide, Lesser-Masked Weaver, White-Backed Vulture, Tabora Cisticola, Crestd-Spurfowl, Red-Faced Barbet, Little Bee-Eater Etc. And Mammals Like the Zebra, Eland, Topi, Impala, Cape Buffalo, Warthog etc. today we target the boat ride along lake Mburo where we hardly miss African Finfoot, White Backed and Black Crowned Night Heron, Giant Kingfisher. A night drive always produces good views of Black Shouldered, Northern Tanzania Fiery Necked Nightjar, Nocturnal Mammals and Bush Babies.

Enjoy one last birding session before transferring to Entebbe for your flight home.