8 Days Birding and Gorilla Tour – Uganda
Duration
Overview
This 8 days Uganda birding tour will offer you an incredible birding experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Lake Mburo national park. Bwindi national park is a prime birdwatching spot that is a must visit while on your Uganda birding safari. The park has a total of 350 species of birds including 23 of these species being Albertine Rift Endemics. The most searched for bird by keen bird watchers in Bwindi is the African Green Broadbill. Other species in Bwindi include Chapin’s flycatcher, Shelly’s Crimsonwing, Dwarf honeyguide and Frazer’s eagle owl among others.
Lake Mburo national park is a gem that is rich in diversity with 315 species of birds and 68 different mammals. Birds of Lake Mburo national park include Black-Bellied bastard, Black-collared barbets, African Finfoot, white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, Southern Ground Hornbill, Grey crowned crane which is Uganda’s national bird, Nubian wood pecker, malachite kingfishers, common quails, brown parrot, African fish Eagle.
Included/Exclude
- Birding fees
- Gorilla Trekking Permit
- 4WD Safari car and fuel
- Park Entrance
- Professional English speaking birding tour guide
- Drinking water in the car
- Meals as mentioned above
- Accommodation as mentioned in itinerary
- Optional Activities
- International Flights
- Insurance
- Porter fees
- Tips and Laundry services at the lodge
- Uganda Visa charges
Tour Plan
Your tour starts this morning with pick up by your driver guide from Kampala. After brief introductions you begin the journey to Lake Mburo national park which is the smallest national park in Uganda and rich in diversity with different bird species and animals. You will bird along the way as there is quite a number of bird species to look out for along the way.
On arrival you will head to your lodge, check in and have lunch. After a delicious lunch you head out in to the park for a game drive in Lake Mburo national park. While on the game drive you will begin your birding and look out for wildlife in the park. Return to the lodge for overnight after the game drive.
Accommodation – Mihingo Lodge (Luxury), Rwakobo Rock (Mid-range), Eagle’s Nest (Budget)
Meal Plan: Lunch, Dinner
After an early breakfast at the lodge you begin your birding experience in Lake Mburo national park. On the game drive in the park you will look out for bird species like Black-Bellied bastard, Black-collared barbets, white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, Southern Ground Hornbill, Grey crowned crane which is Uganda’s national bird, Nubian wood pecker, malachite kingfishers, common quails, brown parrot, African fish Eagle, Greater blue-eared starling, Red-necked spurfowl and many other species. You will also look out for wildlife which includes zebras, elands, ipalas, topis, oribi, buffalo, and the recently introduced giraffes.
After the game drive you head for a boat ride on Lake Mburo. You will look out for crocodiles, hippos, antelopes and buffaloes as they come to the shores of the lake to drink water. You will look out for the special African Finfoot and a number of water birds that can also be sighted while on the boat ride. After the boat ride you return back to your lodge where you will have dinner.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today you depart from Lake Mburo national park and travel to Bwindi impenetrable national park which is well known for gorilla trekking and its Albertine Rift Endemics. Bwindi national park is one of the best birding hot spots in Africa. You will travel to Ruhija sector of the park where you overnight as you look forward to tomorrow’s birding experience.
Accommodation – Bakiga Lodge (Mid-range), Trekkers Tavern (Budget)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
You will leave the lodge early in the morning and start your full day birding experience in Bwindi national park. The Mubwindi swamp is a great birding trail where you will look out for different forest birds and the Abertine rift endemics resident to this area. The most sought after bird today is the elusive African Green Broadbill. Other species that you can expect to see include Ruwenzori Apalis, Regal sunbird, Dwarf Honey guide, Ruwenzori Turaco, Crowned Hawk-eagle, Olive Pigeon, Grauer’s Scrub warbler, Bronze Winged-Pigeon, African emerald cuckoos, Red-chested owlet, Yellow Spotted barbets, Olive woodpeckers, Yellow-rumped tinker bird, Brown capped weavers, Handsome Francolin, Chapin’s Fly catcher, Blue-Throated Roller, African Hill Babbler, Stripe-Breasted Tit, Double-Toothed Barbets, Kivu Ground-Thrush, Short-Tailed warbler, Black saw-wing, Mountain Yellow Warbler, black goshawk and many other bird species along swamp trail. After the full day birding experiences you will return back to the lodge in the evening and get your much needed rest.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you will bird to Buhoma sector of Bwindi national park through the “The Neck”. Look out for the forest specials and some of the Albertine Rift Endemics that we might have missed sighting yesterday. Overnight at a lodge in Buhoma.
Accommodation– Bwindi Lodge (Upmarket), Buhoma Haven Lodge (Mid-range), Buhoma Community Rest Camp (Budget)
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you will have an early breakfast at the lodge and then your driver guide will drive you to the park office in Bwindi for the gorilla trek. You will receive a briefing from your ranger guide and then you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek. You then start the trek in to the diverse Bwindi forest for an encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas. On locating the gorillas you will spend 1 hour with them in which you have time to capture your best shots, watch the gorillas as they feed and go on with their day. After the rewarding experience you start to trek back to the lodge. Arrive at the lodge and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today will be spent in birding in buhoma, a sector of Bwindi national park. Species to look out for today include Black billed weaver, Kivu Ground-Thrush, White bellied Robin-chat, Black bee-eaters, Blue-Throated Roller, Sooty Flycatcher, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, White-browed Combec, Jameson’s Ant Pecker, Olive Long-tailed cuckoo, White breasted Crested-Flycatcher, forest starling and other forest specials. While birding if lucky you might sight blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys and squirrels. After a long and fulfilling day spent birding, you retire to the lodge at the end of the day for dinner.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe with a stopover at the Uganda Equator where you will take photos and have lunch at one of the restaurants at the Equator. After lunch you proceed with the journey.
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
