5 days Uganda birding safari is one of the special bird destinations with a vast species to pick from with more than 10,000 bird species both endemic and common that certainly make for a great viewing. Queen Elizabeth National Park has the highest number of bird species in the whole country. Expect to see birds like shoebill stork, African green broadbill, handsome francolin, blue-headed sunbird, regal sunbird, dusky crimsonwing, shelley’s crimsonwing, dwarf honeyguide, purple breasted sunbird, grey-crowned crane, great blue turaco, marabou stork, long-crested eagle, black bee-eater, martial eagle, African openbill, grey-crowned crane, African fish eagle, ostrich, pin-backed pelican, indian peafowl and many more. As we enjoy all these bird species, these different parks or sanctuaries offer an opportunity to see animals like lions, buffaloes, crocodiles, waterbucks, hippos, warthogs, leopards and more. The trip will start in Kampala to Murchison to Queen Elizabeth and back to Kampala.
Upon arrival to your agreed point you will be met by a driver guide from Glory Summit Tours who will brief you on how you will move for the next 3days, after which you will set off for Murchison Falls National Park at 7:30am which will be 4-5hours. You will get to Murchison in time for lunch, so you will check into your lodge and then have lunch. With lunch out of the way, you will head to out onto the Nile to enjoy the afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls which takes about 2-3hours to see water animals like crocodiles, waterbucks, hippos, warthogs, and bird species like the rare shoebill stork, hornbills, fly catchers, herons and king fishers with a guide to answer any questions you might have. After the cruise you will hike to the top of the Falls, where you will experience the pressure of the falls, with a view to die for, a rainbow and perfect spot for pictures there after you will head back to your lodge for both dinner and some relaxation.
After breakfast, you will check before you head to Budongo Forest for some bird watching which normally takes between 2-3hours. Expect to see birds like the rare shoebill stork, grey and yellow long-bills, brown twin spot, yellow-footed flycatcher, black-capped apalis, Ituri batis, chestnut crowned sparrow, black beaded batis, silver bird and warblers and while birding you will also see some mammals like antelopes, buffaloes, elephants, leopards and many more. You will then exit Murchison for Queen Elizabeth which will take about 6hours and as you move you will enjoy the Rwenzori Mountains and beautiful scenery and vegetation. You will get to Queen Elizabeth in time for dinner, after which you will check in and rest for the night.
You will enjoy your breakfast then head out to Maramagambo forest for bird watching which will take about 3-4hours. With the biggest number of bird species in Uganda you will see marabou stork, black cuckoo, little grebe, African finfoot, black coucal, Rwenzori turaco, blue-breasted king fisher, yellow bill, red-chested cuckoo and many more. During the hike you will also see other chimpanzees, monkeys, elephants and bush pigs; after the hike you will head back to the lodge for lunch and after lunch you will head to Kazinga Channel and launch, the cruise will tale 3-4hours with a guide to avail answers for any questions you might have during the boat cruise and during the cruise you will see water animals like the hippopotamus, buffaloes, water bucks, crocodiles and bird species like African fish eagles, African skimmers, yellow-billed stork, martial eagle, white-tailed lark, little bee-eater, swamp nightjar, grey-capped warbler and many more. You will head back to the hotel in time for dinner and after dinner you can enjoy the evening by the fire as you relax for the night
With breakfast done, you will check out of the hotel and exit the park for Kampala. On your way to Kampala you will enjoy the beautiful scenic views of the countryside and also have a chance to take some pictures while at it. A stopover in Mbarara for lunch and another at the Equator for more pictures and exploring the craft world will be done. Then continue to Kampala, you will then get to your lodge and check in for the night, have dinner and rest.
You will meet at an agreed point with our driver from Glory summit tours who will brief you about the safari then you will set off for Mabamba swamp which will take about an hour. When you get to Mabamba you will get onto a canoe and find your way through the swamp with a guide to ensure you don’t miss out on any wildlife including the Shoebill stork, which when found you will watch from a distance as it enjoys the swamp or the lung fish which is its favorite thing to eat. You will also see other birds like papyrus gonolek, blue swallow, white-winged warbler, yellow warble, yellow wagtail, water thicknee, tawny eagle, swamp flycatcher, stripped kingfisher, squacco heron, pygmy geese and many more. You will then have lunch in Entebbe, after which you will head to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center for some more birding and expect to see masked weaver, African paradise, black necked, grosbeck flycatcher, snake eagle, African goshawk, fish eagle and other animals like lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes and zebras. Once done with the zoo, you will be dropped off to the airport by our driver marking the end of your birding safari.
