18-Day Uganda Birding Safari | Bird-Watching Expedition

Uganda is a land locked country and it lies between the rift valley with over 1060 bird species recorded here.

It is one of the best birding sites in Africa and some refer to it as the “Eden of Birding” due to the concentration of bird species here.

This 18 days birding safari in Uganda will give you the best of what you Uganda has to offer in terms of birding.

10-Day Uganda Birdwatching Safari Itinerary

18-Day Uganda Birding Safari Highlights

Day 1: Arrival & Hotel Transfer
Day 2: Birding to Mabira Forest
Day 3: Morning birding in Mabira then transfer to Masindi
Day 4: Budongo Forest at Kaniyo Pabide
Day 5: Birding the Royal Mile
Day 6, 7 & 8: Masindi to/in Kibale Forest National Park
Day 9 and Day 10 Kibale National Park
Day 11 and 12 Semuliki National Park
Day 13: Bwindi National Park
Day 14: Whole day birding in the Forest
Day 15: Gorilla trekking
Day 16: Buhoma to Ruhija, North of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 17: Birding Ruhija – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer to Kabale
Day 18: Birding as we drive to Kampala and departure

Detailed 18-Day Uganda Birding Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival & Hotel Transfer

When you arrive at the airport for your Uganda birding safari, you will be welcomed by our guide who will then take you to your hotel to check and have dinner and overnight.

Around Entebbe you may encounter birds like the Slender-billed, Brown-throated¸ Golden-backed, Yellow-backed and Black headed, Grey-headed Gull, Cormorants, Common Squacco Heron, Yellow-billed Duck, Kingfishers- Pied, Giant, Malakite, Splendid Glossy Starling, Black-headed Gonolek, Orange Weaver, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Sunbirds – Red-chested, Collard, Scarlet Chested, superb, Green Throated, Olive, Flycatchers-Swamp, African Paradise and Red Bellied Paradise, Broad-billed Roller, Hornbills- Black-and-white Casqued, Crowned and African Pied, Ross’s and great Blue Turaco, olive Bellied and bronze, Pygmy and Striped, Open-billed Stork, Great Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Grey-capped Warbler

Day 2: Birding to Mabira Forest

We shall have an early breakfast we shall drive to Mabira forest and start our birding there.

The Mabira forest is a tropical rain forest in the central region of Uganda and it one of the best ornithological sites in the country with over 300 species of birds recorded here.

Some of the species we shall see include: African Pied Hornbill and Forest Wood-Hoopoe, Blue-breasted, White-bellied, Dwarf and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Yellow-throated and Speckled Tinkerbirds live in the canopy and Toro Olive Greenbul and Green-tailed Bristle bill, Fire-crested Alethe, Forest Robin and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat.

Day 3: Morning birding in Mabira then transfer to Masindi

We shall transfer to Masindi from Mabira Forest.

The area is also the location of Murchison Falls National Park which is the largest park in Uganda.

We shall be expecting to see birds like Thick-knee; Grayish Eagle-Owl; Northern White-faced Owl and Slender-tailed, Long-tailed, Plain and Swamp nightjars, Intermediate Egret; Goliath and Purple herons; African Finfoot; the regal Gray Crowned-Crane, Senegal Thick-knee; Woolly-necked, Saddle-billed and Yellow-billed storks; Hamerkop (near their giant stick nests); Egyptian and Spur-winged geese; Osprey; African Fish-Eagle; Black Crake; Purple Swamphen; Long-toed Lapwing; Spur-winged Plover; African Jacana; African Skimmer; Malachite and Giant kingfishers and dashing Wire-tailed Swallows, Banded Snake-Eagle, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Green-backed Eremomela, Black Bishop, Yellow-shouldered and Marsh widowbirds, Yellow-billed Shrike and Yellow-bellied Hyliota, African and the less common Bruce’s green-pigeons, White-headed Barbet, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, white Crested Turaco, flocks of Lesser Blue-eared and Violet-backed starlings and Piapiac.

Day 4: Budongo Forest at Kaniyo Pabide

We shall be birding in the Budongo forest around the Murchison Falls National Park.

Our emphasis will be at the Kaniyo Pabidi area and we shall be searching for the Puvel’s Illadopsis and many other birds including Crested Guineafowl, White-crested Turaco, White-thighed Hornbill, Green-breasted Pitta, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Blue-breasted, Dwarf & Chocolate-backed Kingfishers, Black-eared Ground-Thrush, Western Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-spotted, Hairy-breasted & Yellow-billed Barbets, Green Hylia, Buff-throated, Black-throated & Black-capped Apalises, Chestnut-crowned Eremomela, Yellow & Grey Longbills, Olive-bellied Crombec, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Little Green Sunbird, Yellow-crested & Brown-eared Woodpeckers, Crested Malimbe and Red-headed Bluebill, Yellowbill, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Crested & Red-headed Malimbes various forest starlings

Day 5: Birding the Royal Mile

The Royal mile is considered the premier birding spot in Uganda and we shall b headed for birding here today.

There are many special birds here and some of the those we shall see include: Buff-spotted Flufftail; Tambourine Dove; Black-throated, the tinkerbirds; Yellowbill a skulking forest coucal; the three forest-dwelling kingfishers; Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted and Dwarf; the huge White-thighed Hornbill; Yellow-spotted, Buff-throated, Western Black-headed Oriole; Green Hylia; Gray and Yellow longbills; Wood-Warbler; and the stunning Black-capped apalises; Rufous-crowned Eremomela; Green and elusive Lemon-bellied crombecs; African Forest-Flycatcher; Hairy-breasted and Yellow-billed barbets, Gray, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher; Purple-headed Glossy-Starling; Little Green, Green, Collared, Olive-bellied and the aberrant Gray-headed sunbirds and White-breasted Negrofinch.

Day 6, 7 & 8: Masindi to/in Kibale Forest National Park

We shall be doing a long drive today and therefore w shall wake up as early as possible and then drive with very few stopovers but will still do some birding on the way.

We shall be driving to Kibaale National Park area.

Some of the species of the day are Dusky long Tailed Cuckoo and the Joyful Greenbul.

We shall check into Kibale Primate Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Other bird species include: Vinaceous Dove, Black-billed Barbet, Cliff-chat, Foxy Cisticola, Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike, Joyful & Honeyguide Greenbuls, Banded Prinia, Masked Apalis, Black-and-white Flycatcher, Pink-footed Puffback, Joyful Greenbul, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, African Pitta, Grey-winged Robin-chat, African Broadbill, Willcock’s & Thick-billed Honeyguides, Cassin’s Honeybird, Mountain Wagtail, Chestnut-winged Starling, Superb, Red-winged Pytilia and Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Masked Apalis and Green-headed Sunbird, African Crowned-Eagle, Afep Pigeon, Red-winged Francolin, Black-billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Black Bee-eater, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Western Banded Snake-Eagle, Great Blue Turaco, Lizard Buzzard, Red-Chested Swallow, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Green-headed & Green-throated Sunbirds, Dark-backed Weaver

Day 9 and Day 10 Kibale National Park

We shall do a whole day birding in the Kibaale National Park where we expect to see the Green Breasted Pitta and the African Broadbill. Some of the other species include: Scaly Francolin, Marsh Tchagra, Green-backed Twinspot, Pittas, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Bicoloured Mannikin, White-naped Pigeon, Afep Pigeon, Narina’s Trogon, Joyful Greenbul, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black Bee-eater, Blue-headed Coucal, Black-bellied Seedcracker, Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Black-faced Rufous Warbler.
We shall have optional Chimpanzee tracking on the second day.

Day 11 and 12 Semuliki National Park

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

We shall bird on the way and reach in time for lunch at the Semuliki safari lodge.

After our lunch we shall do afternoon birding.

We shall have a whole day birding the next day and shall record species like Spot-breasted Ibis, Northern Bearded Scrub-robin, Capuchin Babbler, White-bellied Kingfisher, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Black-winged Oriole, Red-eyed Puffback, Zenker’s Honeyguide and African Piculet, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Yellow-throated Green Cuckoo, Eastern Bearded Greenbul, black throated coucal, Congo serpent eagle, Grey throated rail, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Crested and Red-bellied Malimbe, African pita, Rufus Sided and African Broadbill.

Day 13: Bwindi National Park

We shall depart the Semliki National park and then drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable national park and we shall begin our adventure of this forest from the Buhoma sector of the Park.

We shall go through the Queen Elizabeth National park and we will do some birding on our way.

Day 14: Whole day birding in the Forest

We shall have breakfast and head out with our packed lunch for a whole day of birding.

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

Day 15: Gorilla trekking

We shall have optional gorilla trekking today.

While in the search for the gorillas, you may see many other species that you may have missed.

You may do more birding in the afternoon after your gorilla tracking.

Day 16: Buhoma to Ruhija, North of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

We shall do some morning birding and then transfer to the Ruhija sector of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

We shall make a stopover at the neck and the head to check into our accommodation for dinner and over night.

Some the species we may record today include: Ross’ Turaco; Rufous-necked Wryneck; Brown-backed Scrub-Robin; Pink-footed Puffback; Bronze, Copper and Variable sunbirds; Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater; Cassin’s Honeyguide; Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike; White-chinned Prinia; the enigmatic Chapin’s Flycatcher; Baglafecht, Black-necked and Holub’s Golden weavers; Yellow Bishop; Village Indigobird and Black-throated Seed-eater, Black Goshawk; Bronze-naped Pigeon; Mountain Wagtail; Tiny Sunbird and the attractive Brown-capped Weaver.

Day 17: Birding Ruhija – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer to Kabale

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; White-headed Woodhoopoe; Honeyguide, the rare Lagden’s Bushshrike; Sharpe’s Starling; Black-tailed Oriole; Strange Weaver, and Oriole Finch, Purple-breasted Sunbird as well as Blue-headed and Regal sunbirds, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher; Ruwenzori Batis; Mountain Sooty Boubou; Olive Woodpecker; Thick-billed, Least, and the elusive Dwarf honeyguides; Black Sawwing; 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; African Hill Babbler; Black-faced, Western Green Tinkerbird; Ruwenzori, and Chestnut-throated apalises; Red-faced Woodland-Warbler; White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher; Eastern Mountain, Red-faced and Shelley’s crimsonwings.