Birding and Nature Safari

Very early in the morning, you will set off to bird Mabamba Swamp in Mpigi. The swamp provides a large variety of bird species with African water or swamp bird species like shoebill stork, pink-barked pelican, long-tailed cormorant, saddle-billed stork and marabours and others.

Thereafter, we will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park through Mbarara-Kasese Road with a stop at the equator. Bird your way as you enter the park heading to your accommodation for dinner and an evening rest.

Start your day with a game drive in the Kasenyi plains for more wildlife experience with savannah-bound bird species in areas surrounding salt lakes like Lake Katwe, Bunyampaka among others. On the game drive, you will also see bird species like Guinea fowls, the black bee-eater, Palm-nut Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, African Wattled Plover, Crowned Plover, Senegal Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Rufous napped Lark, Flappet Lark, White-tailed Lark, Brown-backed Srub-Robin, Black-crowned Tchagra,  among others. Animals that you will encounter include elephants, Kobs, buffalos among others.

In the afternoon, we will go for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel that is a home to different bird species including the pied kingfisher, African fish eagle, cormorants among others.

We will spend the day birding in the Maramagambo forest. Notable birds to look out for include, Little Grebe, African Finfoot, Red-chested Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, Yellowbill, Black Coucal, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Black Bee-eater, Blue-throated Roller, Barbets, Red-throated Wryneck to mention but a few.

You will go for a morning bird watching in Kyambura Gorge and the surrounding areas. Some of the bird species to look out for include the Palm-nut Vulture, Hooded Vulture, African White-backed Vulture, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle. Later in the afternoon, transfer to Kibale Forest National Park and check in to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Start the day with an early morning walk viewing birds in Kibale Forest known to have over 320 recorded bird species including the Green-breasted pitta, African pitta, Abyssinian ground thrush, Crowned eagle, Dusky crimson wing, Black-capped apalis, Collared apalis, Purple-breasted sunbird, Black bee-eater, Yellow spotted nicator, Little greenbul, Black-eared ground thrush, Brown-chested alethe, Yellow-rumped tinker bird, Blue-breasted kingfisher. In Kibale Forest, there is also an opportunity for you to see chimpanzees in their natural habitat as well as many other species of primates. Kibale Forest contains the largest number of primates in Africa.

Today, you will spend the day birding in Kibale Forest and the surrounding areas including the Bigodi swamp. Whilst birding Bigodi swamp trails, you can see the great blue turaco, hornbill, waxbill, weaver, cuckoos, kingfisher, flycatcher and many other species. You will also go birding around the crater lakes before returning to the lodge for a rest.

Today, you will depart your lodge for birding in the Sebitoli area along Mubende – Fort Portal road on your way back to Kampala / Entebbe. Arrival in the late afternoon with drop off at your residence or at the airport if having an onward journey.