12-Day Birding Safari in Uganda's Best Sites

This 12 days birding safari around Uganda will take you to the most pristine ecological sites rich with the most sought after bird species.

There are over 1060 species recorded in Uganda.

This makes it one of the best destinations in Africa.

Be sure you have the best experience and a big bird count after this Uganda birding safari.

21-Day Ultimate Uganda Birding Safari Experience

12-Day Birding Safari Highlights

Day 1: Arrival & Hotel Transfer
Day 2: Today you will start early and transfer to Kisoro
Day 3: Birding in Mgahinga National Park
Day 4: Birding to Ruhija
Day 5: Birding to Mubwindi Swamp
Day 6: Birding to Buhoma via the Neck
Day 7: Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 8: Birding to Kasese
Day 9: Birding the Rwenzori then transfer to Fort Portal
Day 10: Birding to Semuliki
Day 11: Whole day birding Kirumia Trail
Day 12: Birding to Entebbe

Detailed 12-Day Birding Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival & Hotel Transfer

You will be met at the airport by our representative who will take you to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Today you will start early and transfer to Kisoro

We shall have a long drive today and therefore we need to have an early breakfast and then drive to south western Uganda to the foothills of the Gahinga Mountain.

We shall bird on our way and we expect species like Rufous Bellied Heron, Brown and Black Chested Snake Eagles, the Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Collared Apalis, Bush-shrike Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Saddle Billed Stork, Grey Crowned Crane, Mountain Buzzard and Rwenzori Hill Babbler.

Day 3: Birding in Mgahinga National Park

We shall be birding the Gahinga and Sabinyo Mountains. Our birding will start at the Ntebeko Camp.

We expect to record species like the Dusky Turtle Dove, Rwenzori Turaco, Cape Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, White-eyed Slaty and White Tailed Blue Flycatcher, Olive Wood-pecker, White-starred Robin, Mountain Yellow Warbler, White-napped Raven, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Yellow-crowned Canary, Streaky and Thick Billed, the Shelly’s Crimson-wing.

Day 4: Birding to Ruhija

Our birding today will be to look for species like Mountain and Augur buzzards; Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk; Rameron Pigeon; Brown-necked Parrot; Black-billed Turaco; Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo; Gray Cuckoo-shrike; Red-tailed, Shelley’s and Yellow-streaked greenbuls; Olive Thrush; White-starred Robin; Stripe-breasted Tit; Mountain and the beautiful Gray-chested illadopses; Purple-breasted Sunbird as well as Blue-headed and Regal sunbirds, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher; Ruwenzori Batis; Mountain Sooty Boubou; Olive Woodpecker; Thick-billed, African Hill Babbler; Black-faced, Western Green Tinkerbird; Ruwenzori, and Chestnut-throated apalises; Red-faced Woodland-Warbler; White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher; Eastern Mountain, White-headed Woodhoopoe; Honeyguide, the rare Lagden’s Bushshrike; Sharpe’s Starling; Black-tailed Oriole; Strange Weaver, and Oriole Finch, Least, and the elusive Dwarf honeyguides; Black Sawwing; Red-faced and Shelley’s crimsonwings.

Day 5: Birding to Mubwindi Swamp

Our birding will focus on the broadbill, Black-billed Turaco, Olive, Elliot’s and Fine-banded Woodpecker, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Chestnut-throated Collard and Black Throated Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, African Green-Broadbill, Mountain, Shelley’s and Yellow-streaked Greenbul, , Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Mountain Greenbul, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Red-faced Woodland and Mountain Yellow Warbler, Rwenzori Batis, Regal Sunbird.

Day 6: Birding to Buhoma via the Neck

We shall be leaving the ruhija sector of the Bwindi forest National park to the Buhoma sector of this National park. Our species list for today will include: the Black Bee-eater, the Red-throated Wryneck, Mountain Wagtail and the Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher, White-starred Robin, Olive Thrush, Mountain Masked, Chestnut-throated, and Grey Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Sharpe’s Starling, the elusive Regal and Purple-breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Collared and Dusky Twinspot.

Day 7: Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

We shall have breakfast and head out with our packed lunch for a whole day of biridng. Some of the species we may record include: Black Sawwing, Black-billed, black necked, starlings, warblers, akalats, Rufous chested Fluff tail, Red-chested Owlet, and Montane masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Black and White Shrike, barbets, greenbuls, black bee-eaters, flycatchers, and possibly Red-fronted Antpecker, olive pigeons, Fine banded woodpeckers, several species of tinkerbirds, strange Weavers, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Mountain Greenbul, Variable Sunbird and Grey-crowned Negrofinch, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher and Kivu Ground Thrush, African Blue Flycatcher, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Luhder’s, Bocages and many coloured Bush-shrikes, crested guineafowl, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, Handsome Francolin and White-headed Wood-hoopoe.

Day 8: Birding to Kasese

We shall head out with back lunch again as we make our way to Kasese via the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Some of the species to be recorded here are: the purple breasted sunbird, Grey Apalis, Ayres and Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, Dusky Crimson-wing, Red-bellied seed cracker, Abyssinian, Red faced, Shelly’s and Woodhouse Antipecker, Stripe-breasted Tit and Forest Flycatcher.

Day 9: Birding the Rwenzori then transfer to Fort Portal

We shall do some birding along the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains and the transfer to Fort Portal.

Today’s birding will yield the following species: African Long-eared Owl, Holarctic Long-eared Owl, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Stuhlmann’s Double-collared Sunbird and the Grauer’s Cuckoo-shrike.

Day 10: Birding to Semuliki

We shall be driving to the Semuliki National park today from Fort Portal.

We shall bird on the way and reach n time for lunch at the Semliki safari lodge.

After our lunch we shall do afternoon birding and we expect to see birds like African Scops Owl, Pennant winged and Pearl spotted Owlet, Slender Tailed, White Tailed nightjars.

Day 11: Whole day birding Kirumia Trail

We shall have a whole day birding the Semliki National Park.

The birding area is famous for the fact that it harbors the West African migrant birds which you may not see anywhere in East Africa.

Such birds include: Yellow Throated Cuckoo, Red Bellied, Blue Billed, Crested and Red Headed Malimbe, the Lyre Tailed Honey Guide, Maxwell’s weaver, Fiery Breasted Bushshrike, African Piculet, Western Bronze Naped and Olive pigeon, Piping, Black Watltled Casqued and white Crested Hornbills, Red Tailed, Ictrine and Xavier’s Greenbull, Black Throated Coucal, Red Billed, Black Dwarf, Yellow Throated Nicator, Grey crowned, Pale Fronted and Chestnut Bellied Negrofinch, Red Tailed and Green Tailed Bristlebill, Eastern Bearded, Palm Swamp Bulbul and the Leaf Love.