Our 9-Day Uganda Birding Safari will offer you nine days in the central and western regions of the country.
We will visit the birding hotspots of Uganda, such as Mabamba Swamp, Lake Victoria Shores, wetlands, swamps, savanna grasslands, Lake Mburo National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Additionally, you’ll have the chance to see the rare and endangered mountain gorillas.
So, prepare yourself for an amazing Uganda birding safari adventure!
9-Day Bird-watching & Gorilla Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Birding in Entebbe and Its Surroundings
- Day 2: Bird Watching at Mabira Central Forest Reserve
- Day 3: Birding at Mabamba Swamp
- Day 4: Birding in Uganda Safari – Lake Mburo, Western Uganda
- Day 5: Birding to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 6: Birding at Maramagambo Forest
- Day 7: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Transfer to Kibale Forest
- Day 8: Birding in Kibale Forest
- Day 9: Birding as We Transfer to Kampala
Detailed 9-Day Bird-watching & Gorilla Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Birding in Entebbe and Its Surroundings
Our birding safari begins with birding spots around Entebbe.
We will start at the Wildlife and Education Center, which was once an animal orphanage in the 1920s and is now flourishing with lush vegetation.
Here, you can spot bird species like Crowned Cranes, Parrots, Pelicans, the Northern Masked Weaver, Shoebill Stork, African Fish Eagle, Small Banded Snake Eagle, Ostrich, Crowned Cranes, weaver birds like the Orange Weaver, Black-Necked Baglafecht, African Goshawk, and the Swamp Flycatcher.
Day 2: Bird Watching at Mabira Central Forest Reserve
After an early breakfast, we will drive to Mabira Forest to begin our birding adventure.
Mabira Forest, located in the central region of Uganda, is one of the best ornithological sites in the country, with over 300 bird species recorded here.
We will be on the lookout for birds such as the Grey and Yellow Longbill, Hairy Breasted Barbet, African Pitta, Sooty Flycatcher, Fire Crested Allethe, Nahan’s Francolin, Olive Green Cameroptera, Tit Hylia, Yellow-Billed, Yellow-Spotted, Speckled, and Weyn’s Weaver, as well as the Purple-Throated Cuckoo-Shrike.
We’ll then drive back to Entebbe for an overnight stay and dinner.
Day 3: Birding at Mabamba Swamp
Mabamba Swamp is renowned for the Shoebill Stork, but it is also home to many other bird species, including the Long-Tailed Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Yellow-Billed Duck, Blue-Breasted Bee-Eater, African Open-Billed Stork, Grey Kestrel, African Green Pigeon, and Great Blue and Ross’s Turaco.
In the mid-morning, we’ll drive to Lake Mburo National Park.
Day 4: Birding in Uganda Safari – Lake Mburo, Western Uganda
After breakfast, we will embark on a game drive around the park and Lake Mburo.
Some of the species we hope to record include African Marsh Harriers, Banded Snake Eagles, Shikra, Steppe, and African Hawk Eagles, Papyrus Gonolek, African Fish Eagle, Goshawks, Augur Buzzard, African Finfoot, Giant Kingfisher, White-Backed Night Heron, Little Bittern, Black-Crowned Night, and Green-Backed Herons, African Open-Billed Stork, African Fish, Tawny, Malachite Kingfishers, African Finfoot, Giant Kingfisher, Brown-Chested Plover, Red-Faced Barbet, Madagascar, and common Heron.
Day 5: Birding to Queen Elizabeth National Park
We’ll head to the Kasenyi area of Queen Elizabeth National Park and embark on a game drive with the hope of spotting the Verreaux’s Eagle Owl.
Other species we expect to see on this day include the Brown Short-Toed and Bateleur Eagles, African Harrier Hawk, Martial and Tawny Eagles, Lizard Buzzard, Grey Kestrel, Crowned, Senegal, and African Wattled Plovers, Harlequin Quail, Brown Snake Eagle, and Common Buttonquail.
In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel in search of species like the Great White and Pink-Backed Pelicans, African Jacana, Lesser Flamingo, African Fish Eagle, Common Squacco Heron, African Open-Billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Grey-Headed, Malachite, and Pied Kingfisher.
Day 6: Birding at Maramagambo Forest
We’ll explore the Maramagambo Forest with the intent of finding species like the Bat Hawks, Sulphur-Breasted Bush Shrike, Blue-Breasted Kingfisher, Brown-Eared Woodpecker, Fawn-Breasted Waxbill, Dark-Capped Yellow Warbler, Brown-Backed Scrub Robin, Red-Headed Blue Bill, African Finfoot, and the Eurasian Golden Oriole.
Day 7: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Transfer to Kibale Forest
This will be a long drive day, so we will wake up early and drive with few stopovers.
Nevertheless, we’ll still do some birding along the way as we head to the Kibale National Park area.
Some of the species of the day include the Dusky Long-Tailed Cuckoo and the Joyful Greenbul.
We’ll check into Kibale Primate Lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 8: Birding in Kibale Forest
We’ll spend the entire day birding in Kibale National Park, where we hope to spot the Green-Breasted Pitta and the African Broadbill.
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.
Day 9: Birding as We Transfer to Kampala
We’ll drive back to Kampala while continuing our birding along the way.
More recommended tours:
- 35 Days Grand Uganda Safari – Birding, Wildlife and Cultural Journey
- 21-Day Ultimate Uganda Birding Safari Experience
- 18-Day Birding Safari – Exploring Uganda’s Avian Paradise
- 18-Day Birding Safari in Rwanda and Uganda
- 12-Day Uganda Birding Safari – A Birdwatcher’s Paradise
- 10-Day Birding Expedition Across Uganda’s Pristine Habitats