11 Days Forest and Savanna Birding Tour in Uganda

The 11 Days Forest and Savanna Birding Tour in Uganda takes you to western and southwestern Uganda, in the Albertine Rift, or Africa’s Western Rift Valley, which is one of the most biologically diverse regions on the African continent. It conserves more threatened and endemic species than any other region of Africa and is an Endemic Bird Area.

This 11-day birding tour explores some of the key birding spots in the Albertine Rift. It starts at Lake Mburo, Uganda’s smallest savanna Park and famous for the African Finfoot, traverses the Kigezi highlands of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for the Specials in Ruhija, then continues to Queen Elizabeth National Park, and ends at Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

Details of 11 Days Forest and Savanna Birding Tour in Uganda

Day 1 – Arrival and pick up

You arrive at Entebbe International Airport, and a representative from our company will meet you, brief you about the tour, and drive you to your booked Hotel in either Entebbe or Kampala. Please feel free to ask questions about Uganda along the way.

Accommodation: Lake Victoria Hotel

Day 2- Birding at Mabamba and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Wake up at 6 am, have a quick cup of tea, pack breakfast, and drive to Mabamba swamp. Mabamba Bay is a unique, extensive marsh stretching along a narrow bay, fringed with papyrus towards the main body of Lake Victoria.

The swamp lies between Busi Island and Buwaya/Zziba village on the mainland. Specifically, the marshland forms part of Buwaya Bay, which sits southwest of Nakiwogo Bay and west of Entebbe International Airport. Additionally, the swamp is about 50 km from Kampala on the northern edge of Lake Victoria.

The swamp is one of Uganda’s 33 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance. It hosts key protected bird species. Of the 200 species in the area, the Shoebill is the most popular attraction.

Other birds are the Blue Swallow, Papyrus Gonolek, Malachite Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Common Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, White-faced whistling Duck, Common Squacco Heron, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Saddle-billed Stork, Grey-headed Gulls, and more.

After the session, we shall drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Lake Mburo is Uganda’s smallest savanna National Park. It is conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. Lake Mburo is home to over 350 bird species, with a 90% chance of seeing the African Finfoot.

Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge | Main Destination: Mabamba Swamp and Lake Mburo National Park

Day 3- Whole day birding in Lake Mburo “Game drive”

We shall wake up at 6 am, have a quick cup of tea, pack breakfast and go for a game drive in search of birds. The network of game tracks in the east of the Park passes a variety of landscape features: acacia woodland, wetlands, grassy hillsides, rock outcrops, and seasonally flooded valley floors.

Lake Mburo has about 350 bird species, including the White-winged Warbler, Shoebill Stork, Crested Francolin, Brown Parrot, Red-necked Spur, Common Quails, African Grey Hornbill, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola, Coqui Francolin, Long-tailed Cisticola, Southern Red Bishop, and so much more.

The best birding spots in the Park include the swampy valleys of Warukiri and Miiriti, as well as the roadsides between Rwonyo camp and the jetty. There are viewing platforms at the salt lick, in Miiriti Valley, and in Rubanga Forest. From the morning game drive, we come back for lunch, have a rest, and go for a boat cruise in the evening.

Boat cruise

The Park thrives with a wide variety of animal and plant species, which you can only see clearly by taking a boat trip. During the excursion, you will encounter hippopotamuses and crocodiles, as well as various birds, including pelicans and herons. Furthermore, you can spot African fish eagles, black crakes, African finfoots, and cormorants as you navigate the water.

Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge | Main Destination: Lake Mburo National Park

Day 4- Lake Mburo and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Ruhija)

We shall wake up at 6 am, have breakfast, and then have a short birding drive through the Park as we transfer to Ruhija. Ruhija is a top must-visit site in Uganda, offering outstanding birding in spectacular environments. Here, there are many birds, and they are easy to spot. Starting early offers the finest opportunity to find the remarkable Rwenzori Batis, Yellow-streaked Greenbuls, Handsome Francolin, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Rwenzori Batis, Western Green Tinkerbird, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, as well as the Chestnut-throated Apalises, among many others.

Accommodation: Agandi Eco Lodge | Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Ruhija side

Day 5- Birding in Ruhija

Wake up early at 6 am, have a quick cup of tea, pack a breakfast, and drive to Ruhija through the Park. Ruhija is the best birding spot in Uganda and Africa.

Located in the eastern part of the Park, the sector harbours species like Rwenzori Batis, Double Collared Sunbird, Black Flycatcher, White-tailed blue flycatcher, Brown-capped warbler, Black Billed weaver, Black-necked weaver, Red-Headed Malimbe, Grey-headed Sparrow, Waller’s Starling, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Montane Oriole, Many Colored Bush-Shrike, Bocage’s Bush-Shrike, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Pink-footed Puffback, Ludher’s Bush-Shrike, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Mountain Illadopsis, and Rwenzori Nightjar.

Accommodation: Agandi Eco Lodge | Main Destination: Ruhija sector of Bwindi

Day 6- Ruhija and transfer to Buhoma

Wake up early at 6 am, have a quick cup of tea, pack a breakfast, and drive to Buhoma as you bird through the Park. The varied habitats of Uganda’s oldest forest mean it is the ideal habitat for a variety of birds, with 350 species recorded, including 23 endemics (90% of all Albertine Rift endemics) such as the Short-tailed Warbler and Blue-headed Sunbird, as well as seven IUCN red data listed species. Easy to see are the African Emerald Cuckoo, Common Bulbul, African Blue and White-tailed Blue Flycatchers, and Red-headed Bluebill. Birding takes place along the main trail, the Buhoma Waterfall Trail, and along the bamboo zone.

Accommodation: Ride 4 a Woman | Main Destination: Buhoma Sector of Bwindi

Day 7 – Whole day birding in Buhoma

In the morning, wake up at 6 am, have breakfast, drive to the starting point of the trails, and embark on the search for the forest species in Bwindi. As we bird in Buhoma, we look out for species like the Regal Sunbird, Dusky Tit, Brown-capped Weaver, Yellow-billed and Yellow-spotted Barbets, African Shrike Flycatchers, Black-and-white Shrike Flycatchers, Common Stonechat, Brown-throated, and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, Apalises, to mention but a few of the forest species.

Accommodation: Ride 4 a Woman | Main Destination: Buhoma

Day 8- Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Wake up early in the morning for a cup of tea, then pack your breakfast and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the southern Ishasha route. This Park is 62 km from Buhoma and covers an area of 1,995 km², making it famous for hosting the largest number of bird species in the region.

Along the way, you can expect to add the Black-headed Gonolek, Slender-billed Weaver, and Red-headed Lovebird to your sightings. In addition, keep an eye out for the Spur-winged Lapwing and various doves, including the Ring-necked and African Mourning varieties. After birding in Ishasha, you will transfer to the northern part of the Park to check in at your Lodge.

Accommodation: Enjojo Lodge | Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 9- Birding in Maramagambo forest (Queen Elizabeth National Park)

Wake up early at 6 am, have a quick cup of tea, pack breakfast, go on a birding expedition to Maramagambo Forest, and have lunch at Jacana Safari Lodge. After lunch, you continue the birding exercise and go back to the Hotel in the evening.

Maramagambo Forest covers part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, from the Kichwamba escarpment to Lake Edward. At Maramagambo forest, you will have a chance to watch a variety of forest birds.

The list includes several uncommon bird species like; the Rwenzori Turaco, the White napped Pigeons, the Pygmy Kingfisher, the African skimmer, the Martial Eagle, the Black-rumped Buttonquail, Chapin’s Flycatcher, the African Broadbill, BlackBee-eater, Papyrus Gonolek, White-tailed Lark, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Canary, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, Corncrake and African Finfoot among others.

Accommodation: Park View Safari Lodge | Main Destination: Maramagambo Forest

Day 10 –Birding in Queen Elizabeth (Game drive and Boat cruise)

Wake up early at 6 am, have a quick cup of tea, pack breakfast, and go on a birding game drive up to lunchtime. With over 600 bird species, the Park has the biggest number of birds of any protected area in East Africa. In the afternoon, go for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.

The Kazinga Channel serves as a haven for water birds, which you can easily spot during a boat cruise. While navigating the waters, you will encounter species such as Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squacco Herons, and White-faced Whistling and Knob-billed Ducks. Furthermore, you can observe African Fish Eagles, Great-white and Pink-backed Pelicans, and African Open-billed Storks along the banks.

As the cruise continues, look for Water Thick-knees, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Swamp Flycatchers, and Yellow-backed Weavers. Finally, you may also see Black Crakes, African Jacanas, and both Spur-winged and African Wattled Plovers.

You may see hundreds of African Skimmers roosting on sandbars near the entry to Lake Edward. However, these birds migrate from the southern tropics, so they typically appear only from December to May.

You should also watch out for other birds in the Park, such as the Grey-headed Kingfisher and African Mourning Dove. Furthermore, you can spot the Red-chested Sunbird, Swamp Flycatcher, and Grey-capped Warbler along the trails. Finally, keep an eye out for various weavers, the Pin-tailed Whydah, and both Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars.

Accommodation: Park View Safari Lodge | Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 11- Transfer back to Kampala and evening birding at Entebbe Botanical Gardens

Wake up early in the morning for breakfast before checking out of the Hotel. Next, drive to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens for a birding session. Since its establishment in 1901, this site has served as the only National Botanical Garden in Uganda. Furthermore, its strategic location on the shores of Lake Victoria—Africa’s largest lake—makes it a prime spot for diverse wildlife.

You will find this site just 34 km from Kampala. During your visit, you will encounter a variety of water, open country, and woodland bird species. For instance, you can spot the Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, and Eastern Plantain-eater alongside vibrant sunbirds and weavers. Consequently, the area serves as a perfect escape for bird enthusiasts.

Furthermore, the gardens provide a habitat for numerous water birds, including the African Jacana, Malachite Kingfisher, and White-winged Tern. As you explore further, you will also see larger species like the Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill and the Egyptian Goose. Finally, in addition to the diverse birdlife, you may encounter a variety of primates roaming the grounds.

Depending on your flight time, this will mark the end of the 11-day birding tour in Uganda. From the Botanical Gardens, we will drive you to the airport for your exit flight or to a Hotel.

Accommodation: Lake Victoria Hotel | Main Destination: Entebbe Botanical Gardens