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The 16-Days Uganda Birding Albertine Rift Endemics with Semuliki Specials is specie-targeted tour exploring Uganda’s top birding hotspots with a focus on the bird-rich Albertine Rift Endemic Zone that lie along the western region of Uganda. The tour combines an extension birding experience into the lowland forests of Semuliki NP for a special list of range-restricted species unique to Congo lowland forests coming here on their eastern range limit. While in this region we will birding in the very habitats that host the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzee and offering lifetime trek experiences along these man’s closest relative apes. On your request these optional activities can  that can be tailored well in this tour.

Safari Overview

Our 16-Days birding quest will kick off birding the wetlands of Mabamba near Entebbe where the highlight will be the Shoebill and other quality Lake Victoria including Papyrus Gonolek, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, White-winged Swamp Warbler and more. We head south to bird the wooded grasslands of L. Mburo, targeting woodlands associated  specialists on their northern range-limit and the elusive African Finfoot on the quite lake waters. The tour continues on onto the south-west region of Uganda known for highland lakes, where we take ample time birding the rich bird hotspots of Echuya, Mgahinga Gorilla NP and the UNESCO heritage site of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Highlights will be up to 24 Albertine Endemics across these hotspots and a quality highland specialists here. Heading north we bird through the rich savannas of Queen Elizabeth NP where a boat cruise onto the hippo-fested Kazinga channel brings us variety of waders onto our rich checklist.

On the northern foothills of Rwenzori we bird the exciting lowland forests of Semuliki a hotspot known for typical Congo-biome specialists extending into Uganda on their eastern range-limit. Along the edges of the escarpment in Kibale Forest, we look out for the elegant forest-floor gem, the Green-breasted Pitta and several forest proper specialists.

Read on below in Day to Day detailed itinerary for species highlights.

 The 16 Days Uganda Birding Albertine Endemics Includes

  • A customized 4-WD Tour vehicle with Bird Guide/driver
  • Plenty of bottled drinking water in the car
  • All park entrance fees and activity fees
  • Accommodations and meal plan as mentioned

Excluded

  • Optional Activities Indicated (Gorilla, Chimpanzee and Golden monkey permits)
  • Tips, laundry and gratuities
  • Items of personal care
  • Accommodation and dinner on the last day
  • Other meals and drinks other than indicated
  • Frights to and from Uganda
  • Travel insurance

Detailed Itinerary

Arrival: Meet and Greet

Upon your arrival at Entebbe airport, our company representative will receive and transfer you to your accommodation. Depending on the time of arrival you will meet up your safari bird guide who then will brief you on your upcoming birding safari. Accommodation: Booma Hotel, HB

Day One: Birding for Shoebill at Mabamba and transfer to L. Mburo NP

Our birding quest this morning with begins with an early drive westward from Entebbe to Mabamba Wetland, a community protected swamp noted for its high chances to see the iconic Shoebill. Birding activity will be carried out on a motorized local canoe providing us access to explore a maze of water channels of this vast wetland. Shoebill is a solitary species but often breeding pairs are encountered whereas a three-some is often a breeding pair with an offspring. Other worth highlights are L. Victoria biome specialists including Lesser Jacana, Northern Brown-throated Weavers, Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, Caruthers’s and Winding Cisticola, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-throated Bee-eaters, Marsh Tchagra, Lesser Swamp Warbler and others. The wetlands are stocked by African Fish Eagle and seasonal Osprey and Eurasian Marsh Harrier. Seasonal palearctic congregations include; Black-winged Black Terns, Slender-billed Gulls, Yellow Wagtails, Great Snipe and several Sandpipers.

From Mabamba wetlands, we will have a lunch break at the Equator crossing on our way to L. Mburo NP.  On our way to the hotel we will bird slowly the woodland and savanna species targeting several specialists including; Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Tabora Cisticola, Crested, Red-faced and Black Corralled Barbets, Spot-flanked Barbet, Streaked Kingfisher,  Common Scimitarbill, Green Woodhoopoe, Bare-faced Go-away Bird among others.

Incredible wildlife here includes Plain Zebra, Impala, Common Eland, Topi, Rothschild Giraffe and Cape Buffalo.

Accommodation: Rwakobo Lodge, FB Mid-range

Drive Time: 5hrs

Day Two: Morning Boat Cruise on L. Mburo and Transfer to Mgahinga NP

After an early breakfast, we will hurriedly go for an early morning cruise on L. Mburo specifically for the elusive shy African Finfoot which is often found feeding in calm water edges. But the papyrus edges host Striated, Grey, Purple, Rufous-bellied Herons, Wood Sandpiper, Lesser-masked, Holub’s Golden, Speckled and Little Weavers, Slender-billed Weaver and Pied Kingfishers, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Palm-nut and White-headed Vultures among others. The acacia woodlands host Bateleur, Black-chested and Brown Snake Eagles, Long-crested and Tawny Eagles.

On our transfer through the scenic highlands of Kigezi, we will look out for Grey-crowned Crane parties common in agricultural farms, but also; White-naped Raven, Agur Buzzar, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Common Stone Chat, African Golden-breasted Bunting, Mountain Buzzard and more.  Accommodation. Travelers Rest Camp Kisoro, Mid-range, FB

Day Three: Birding Mgahinga NP

At Mgahinga, we hike up the secondary growth vegetation to tick off Archer’s Robin, Red-faced and Dusky Crimsonwing, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Mountain Illadopsis, Rwenzori Hill babbler, Abyssinian Thrush, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Cinnamon-Bracken Warbler, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Ladgen’s Bush-shrike.

Along the Sabyinyo gorge trail, we will look out for the Rwenzori Turaco, Albertine Boubou, Mountain Buzzard, Ayres Hawk eagle and many more. Accommodation: Travelers Rest Camp Kisoro, Mid-range, FB

Day Four: Birding Echuya Forest onto Ruhija sector of Bwindi NP

On transfer to Ruhija, we stop to bird the Echuya Forest where at the high-altitude swamp we tick off the Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Highland Rush Warbler. Rwenzori Batis, White-starred Robin, Cape Robin-Chat, Sharpe’s Starling, Dusky Twinspot, Black-faced and Kandt’s Waxbill, Ludher’s and Many-coloured Bushshrikes, Mountain Buzzard and Doherty’s Bushshrike also occur. Accommodation: Broadbill Camp, Mid-range, FB

Drive time: 6-hours

Day Five/Six: Birding Ruhija in Bwindi NP

This morning at Ruhija, birding the Mubwindi swamp trail we look out for the leaf-green African Green Broadbill, Dusky Crimsonwing, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Banded Prinia, Purple-breasted Sunbird, White-browed Crombec and Archer’s Robin Chat. Down at the swamp, Highland Rush Warbler and Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Papyrus Canary, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Yellow-bellied and Fawn-breasted Waxbills occur. On the ascent we look out for Doherty’s Bushshrike, Sharpe’s Starling, Dusky Twinspot, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Greenbul, Montane Oriole, Brown-capped, Strange Weaver and Black-billed Weavers, Mountain Buzzard, Red-headed Bluebill, Black-headed Waxbill, Mountain-masked Apalis, Red-headed Malimbe and many more.

Further on the forest trails, we bird out for Eliot’s and Fine-banded Woodpecker, Black-billed Turaco, Mountain Illadopsis, African Hill Babbler, African Crowned Eagle, Grey-winged Robin, Grey Cuckoo-Shrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, African Black Swift, Black-Saw-wing, Slender-billed, Yellow-streaked Greenbuls and more forest edge birds. Accommodation: Broadbill Camp, Mid-Range, FB

Day Seven/Nine:  Birding the Neck, Buhoma and Gorilla Tracking at Bwindi

On transfer to Buhoma, we bird a stretch of a river line forest known as the Neck, looking out for the colorful Black Bee-eater, Joyful, Eastern Mountain and Cabani’s Greenbuls, Mountain Wagtail and Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher that stalk the river edges, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Grey-throated Barbet and Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher. In the luxuriant vegetation along the stream, Banded and White-chinned Prinia, Chubb’s Cisticola, Kandt’s and Black-crowned Waxbill are often seen skulking. Barred Long-tailed and Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Olive Woodpecker, Green-headed and Blue-throated Brown Sunbirds, Dusky Tit, Brown Illadopsis, African Hill Babbler, White-tailed, White-bellied and Dusky Crested-flycatchers. The nearby pond is frequented by African Black Duck and African Finfoot.

On birding Buhoma main trail, we focus on several endemics and other species favoring the lower elevations including, Red-throated Alethe, Oberlander’s and Kivu Ground Thrush, Short-tailed Warbler, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Dwarf and Wilcock’s Honeyguide, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Jameson’s Ant-pecker, African Broadbill, Blue-shouldered Robin Chat, Pink-footed Puffback, White-bellied Robin, Equatorial Akalat, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Kakamega and Arsongie’s Greenbuls, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Bar-tailed and Narina Trogons, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Mottled Spinetail, African Wood Owl, Great Blue Turaco, African Green Pigeon, Green-throated and Bronze Sunbirds, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Streaky Seedeater, Baglafetch Weaver, Ayres’s and Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle among others. Accommodation:  Haven Lodge Buhoma, FB

Day Ten/Eleven Birding onto QENP and Kazinga Channel

Coming into Queen Elizabeth national park, we traverse variety of habitats from woodlands/grasslands, wooded forests crater lakes and wetlands giving us a varied checklist. On a birding cruise along the Kazinga Channel we look out for the African Spoonbill, Grey Heron, African Skimmer and African Darter with large herds Hippo, savanna Elephant, Nile Crocodile and Nile Monitor. The papyrus edges attract Papyrus Gonolek, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Little, Slender-billed and Northern Brown-throated Weavers among several wetland specialists. The grasslands attract African Wattled Lapwing, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Wing-snapping and Stout Cisticola, Collared Pranticole, Banded Snake Eagle and more. Accommodation: Bush-Lodge Mid-Range FB

Day Twelve/Thirteen: Birding the Semuliki Forest

Birding the small but bird-rich lowland Semuliki Forests will give us excellent checklist of the Congo-Guinea biome specialists on their eastern range limit. These lowland forests are the extension of the Congo forests hosting very rare specialists only known here whereas some have limited distribution elsewhere in Ugandan forests and East Africa.

Working the forest interior and edge will afford us excellent sightings of; African Piculet, Spotted and Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Red-tailed Leaflove, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Crested and Red-bellied Malimbe, Chestnut-breasted Nigrita, Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Black and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbills, White-crested, Black-casqued Wattled and Piping Hornbills, Lowland Akalat, Lowland Sooty Boubou, Grant’s Bluebill, Yellow-throated Nicator, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, White-naped Pigeon, Dark-backed (Forest) Weaver, Icterine Greenbul, Red-tailed Rufous Ant-Thrush, Rufous-bellied Helmet-shrike, Swamp Bulbul, Black-winged Oriole, Yellow and Grey Longbill, Ituri Batis and many others. But Pale-fronted Nigrita, Black-collared Lovebird, Black-eared Ground Thrush, Capuchin’s Babbler, Hartlaub’s Duck, White-spotted Ibis and White-throated Blue Swallow are a hard luck. Accommodation: UWA Bandas, FB

Day Fourteen: Birding on transfer to Kibale Forest

This morning we bird along the scenic winding road towards the primate’s capital of Kibale Forest. After a hot lunch in the beautiful town of Fort portal, we bird our way to our accommodation late afternoon set at the edges of Kibale Forest. Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, FB

Day Fifteen: Birding for Pitta, Chimpanzee and more primates…

We set off early to hunt out the Green-breasted Pitta, an elusive colorful forest floor specialist known for splendid displays performed by males. Other specialists will include Dusky Tit, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, Fraser’s Rufous Thrush, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Forest Robin, Spotted Greenbul, Red-headed Malimbe, Olive Sunbird, Afep Pigeon, Green Hylia, Lowland Masked Apalis, Green Crombec, Western Nicator, Toro-olive Greenbul, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Lowland Akalat, Fire-crested Alethe, Uganda Spotted and Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Plain Greenbul, Sooty Boubou, Black-bellied Seed-cracker, Weyns’s and Yellow-mantled Weavers, Speckled Tinkerbird, Hairy-breasted and Double-toothed Barbets, Green-backed Twinspot and more. Here at Kibale the primates’ capital, we have an optional close-up trekking experience along the habituated community of Chimpanzee.

At Bigodi Community swamp we look out for several species including Magpie Mannikin, White-spotted Flufftail, Shinning Blue Kingfisher, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Red-capped and Snow-headed Robin Chats, Yellow-billed Barbet, the colorful Great-blue and Ross’s Turaco, Red-eyed and Tambourine Doves, African Emerald Cuckoo, Grey-green Bush-shrike, Western Black-headed Oriole, African Shrike-Flycatcher plus several encounters with Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Red-tailed, Uganda Red-Colobus, Guereza, Vervet and L’Hoest’s Monkeys while Olive Baboon troops patrols the forest edges. Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, FB

Day Sixteen: Birding on transfer to Kampala

On our transfer we will have several birding stops on various interesting spots including swamps arriving Entebbe in late afternoon and later transfer to the airport.

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