For more information (including and easy to print itinerary), contact us at 1-888-203-7464 or by email at info@pibird.com To learn about our other great trips, click here. |
| Uganda with Johnnie Kamugisha Our typical birding and wildlife trip in Uganda begins in Kampala. A first day at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Lake Victoria and other Kampala locales is worthwhile for finding a number of bird species. Then we travel to Mabamba Swamp in the next morning for Shoebill and numerous other species. Next to Queen Elizabeth National Park for great African wildlife and birds over two days. Other destinations over the week will include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (both Buhoma and Ruhija) and Lake Mburo National Park. Most trips are then extended (based upon group interest) to Kibale National Park, Semuliki National Park, Budongo Forest Reserve, Muchison Falls National Park and many other bird watching spots along the way. 350 to 400 bird species will be seen on the base trip, with about 20 to 40 more per day on each day of extension. |
| Brief Itinerary Flight In and Arrival Day 1: Assure you can start with the group on the morning of Day 2. Most participants will fly in the day before (Day 1), but arriving late at night. Day 2: Birding in the Kampala and Entebbe area, including Entebbe Botanical Gardens and Lake Victoria. An opportunity for resting (for those interested and/or recovering from a long flight) is possible on this first day. Day 3: Birding on foot and by boat at Mabamba Swamp (for Shoebill) and birding in the Kampala area. Days 4 and 5: After transfer nearly two full days of spectacular birding and fantastic African wildlife at Queen Elizabeth National Park. Days 6 to 9: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (BIFNP)
Day 10: Birding in transit and at Lake Mburo National Park Day 11: Birding and wildlife watching at Lake Mburo National Park Day 12: Birding in morning at Lake Mburo and then birding and transfer to Entebbe. Flights home that evening starting at about 5 PM. Extension Options: Most trips are then extended (based upon group interest) for another 2 to 9 days. Extensions can include Kibale National Park, Semuliki National Park, Budongo Forest Reserve, Muchison Falls National Park and many other bird watching spots along the way. An additional day or two just outside Kampala is also often worthwhile for the avid bird watcher. |
| With Uganda's Top Bird Guide: Johnnie Kamugisha was featured in Birder's World Magazine as one of two top guides in Uganda. One of our trip hosts has been exploring Uganda birding possibilities for several years and has spoken to many bird watchers to learn about the best birding spots and the best local guides. Johnnie was highly recommended by everyone who birded with him. Two of our business partners have birded with Johnnie, and we believe his hospitality and trip leadership will make your trip enjoyable, safe and comfortable. Not only does Johnnie know the bird calls he hears, he can call back to the birds without the use of tape. Johnnie has been guiding throughout Uganda for over a decade and is recognized by many as the top bird guide in the country. This full itinerary is available below. Please contact us at 1-888-203-7464 if you are interested in birding in Uganda. We will gladly discuss birding, lodging and other details with you.. |
| Partnership for International Birding: Full Itinerary for Uganda Day 1: Arrival and Flight Suggestions On your arrival into Uganda (Day 1), you will be met by Johnnie (in nearly every situation) when you arrive to Entebbe airport. Most flights arrive late at night. A few are overnight, and it is fine to arrive in the morning on Day 2 (but please check with us about arrival plans in these cases). We will spend the night at a nice (yet quiet) hotel close to the airport to make transfers simple. Day 2: Entebbe Botanical Gardens and Lake Victoria After an excellent breakfast at the hotel, the group will start on an all morning birding venture. These century-old botanical gardens are on the shore of Lake Victoria. Here we hope to find Pink-backed Pelican, Gray Kestrel, Green Pigeon, African Open-billed Stork, Great Blue Turaco, Ross's Turaco, and Malachite Kingfisher. Past trips have picked up Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Orange Weaver and Black-crowned Waxbill. The Gardens are also good for a number of surprises. Most trip participants will appreciate an early afternoon nap after lunch on this first day, after a long flight to Uganda the proceeding days before. At about 2 PM, we will try a couple of other Entebbe and Kampala area birding locations. After supper and doing the bird list, the group will go for a good nights rest to support an early start for the Shoebill on Day 3. Note: This location is close to the airport so transfers from arrivals are possible on Day 2, but you will miss some good birding. Itinerary for Uganda in 2010 to be continued below to under the Martial Eagle. |
| Itinerary for Uganda in 2010: Continued Day 3: Mabamba Wetlands and Shoebill and More
Day 4: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) After breakfast we drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park birding en-route. Getting to the National Park by noon will require an early start. Based upon interesting habitat or based upon what birds Johnnie hears, we will take several fun and productive birding breaks along the way. QE National Park is in southwestern Uganda on Lake Edward and Lake George and the Kazinga Channel that connects them. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded here, and we’ll see some of them. During the day, we will look out for species like Western banded Snake Eagle, Woodland Kingflish, Grey- headed Kingfisher, Red-chested Cuckoo, Great blue Turaco, Lizard Buzzard, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Lesser striped and Red-breasted Swallows, Joyful Greenbul, Masked Apalis, Whinchat, Stonechat, Green-headed Sunbird, Zitting Cisiticola, Grey-backed Fiscal, Common Fiscal, Wattled Starling, Sharpe’s Starling, Baglafecht Weaver, and Fan-tailed Widowbird among others. QNEP is home to numerous of the large mammals of Africa. Itinerary for Uganda continued under the Luhder's Bush- shrike and more on QENP below. |
| Itinerary for Uganda in 2010: Continued QENP Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park After an early breakfast, we will set off for a birding and wildlife safari. In the morning, we may see African Fish Eagle, Yellow-billed Kite, Helmeted Guineafowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Yellowbill, African Grey Hornbill, and White-winged Widowbird. After lunch at the lodge, we will take a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. Here we should see hundreds of hippos, crocodile and bird life from a boat for two hours. We will look for pelicans, Green-backed Heron, storks, African Spoonbill, Martial Eagle, Kittlitz’s Plover, Water Thick-knee, Senegal Plover, Wattled Plover, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Arrow- marked Babbler, Black-lored Babbler, and White-throated Bee-eater. Sometimes it is possible to see the spectacular Papyrus Gonolek from the boat too. Mammals could include Uganda Kob, Bushbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Water Buffaloe, Elephants, and Warthog. If we’re lucky we could see leopard, spotted Hyena and Lion among others. Day 6: QENP and Then On To Bwindi After breakfast with a packed lunch, we’ll drive south to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Yes that’s the real name “Impenetrable Forest”. We’ll be birding en- route. We hope to encounter African White-backed Vultre, Lappet–faced Vulture, White- headed Barbet, Spot-flanked Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Nubian Woodpecker, Bearded Woodpecker, Flappet Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Plain-backed Pipit, Lesser Striped Swallows, Zitting Cisiticola, Grey-backed Shrike, Common Fiscal, Lesser Blue- eared Starling, and Ruppell’s Long-tailed Starling. Lodging in Bwindi ranges from the affordable to the very expensive; however, the lodges are very close together (about 5 minutes drive). The group will have a choice between two different lodges (with no logistical problems) to suite the budget of the trip participant. Itinerary for Uganda continued with over 4 days at Bwindi National Park. Go to right hand column under the Ross's Turaco and start next at Day 7. |
| Itinerary for Uganda in 2009: Continued Day 7: Birding Bwindi After an early breakfast, we find our way into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Bwindi is home to nearly two dozen species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift zone. Some species we hope to see are: Black Bee-Eater, Yellow Tinkerbird, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Elliot’s Woodpecker, African Broadbill, Ansorge’ sGreenbul, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Red- faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Bocage’s Bush- shrike, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’s Cuckooshrike,, Blue- throated Brown Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Black-billed Weaver, and Brown- capped Weaver among others. In addition to a rich bird habitat, the park provides protection for numeorus butterfly and tree species. Much of this montane rift zone is over 6000 feet in elevation. Note on Bwindi and Mountain Gorilla Trek: Anyone interested in trying for the Mountain Gorilla will have to take a Trek with a National Park Guide. There is a separate cost for this, and you will have to sacrifice a day of bird watching. Opportunities for trying to see the Mountain Gorilla are on a lottery system. If you are interested in seeing the Mountain Gorilla, we will enter you in a lottery for both Bwindi days with the hope that you will get an opportunity to see this species. The launching point for this trek is very close to either of the lodges at which we are staying. We will have someone return you to the lodge after the trek (so you can easily rejoin the birding group and share your Mountain Gorilla adventure). Day 8: Bwindi Day Two After an early breakfast, we will re-enter the forest and track down some of the birds we didn’t encounter the previous day, such as White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Mountain Illadopsis, Short-tailed Warbler, Dwarf Honeyguide and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo . We should find mixed feeding flocks with several species seen in one tree or location. In addition to forest, Bwindi affords some marshland birding and a bamboo zone with its own avifauna. Before we leave Bwindi we hope to see: Stuhlmann’s Starling, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Chubb’s Cisticola and African Citril. Day 9: Bird as you transfer to Ruhija via the Neck After breakfast we’ll bird as we move southward to Ruhija via “the neck.” “The neck” is a narrow band of mid-elevation forest connecting the two ends of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. We’ll expect birds like Black Bee-eater, Red-throated Wryneck, Mountain Wagtail, Toro Olive-Greenbul, White-starred Robin, Olive Thrush, Cassin’s- grey Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Mountain Masked Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Sharpe’s Starling, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Twinspot, Yellow Bishop, Black-throated Seedeater and more. A late evening drive along the road can often turn up Rwenzori Nightjar and several other nocturnal birds. Notes on Lodging: The group will stay at the newer Treker’s Lodge. However, for those wishing to save some money, it would be possible to stay at a nearby research station. However, lodging at the research station is very basic (with no running water). Day 10: Bird Mubwindi Swamp at Bwindi After breakfast, we’ll walk down to the Mubwindi Swamp, where you can find the Grauer’ s Rush Warbler, Archers Robin Chat and Western Bronze-naped Pigeon. We’ll be looking for other specialties including the Black-billed Turaco, Western Green Tinkerbird, Fine-banded Woodpecker, Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Bar- tailed Trogon, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird and more. If we are very lucky, we may find African Green-Broadbill. Certainly one of the highlights of any birding trips in Uganda, this walk is physically challenging, but taken slowly it is quite manageable for many participants. The elevation change is about 1000 feet. For those not thinking the Mubwindi Swamp is suitable for the physical abilities, an alternative birding day with a National Park Guide will be arranged. Itinerary for Uganda continued as we go to Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP). Continued below under the African Paradise Flycatcher below. |
| Itinerary for Uganda in 2010: Continued Day 10: Bird to Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) After an early breakfast, we will bird the National Park for a little bit more as we leave Ruhija and head to the Park border. Then we go onto Lake Mburo looking out for birds like Bateleur, Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Bare- faced Go-away-bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, African Grey Hornbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, Yellow-breasted Apalis, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Stripe-breasted Tit, Mountain Masked Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, Fork tailed Drongo, Black-crowned Waxbill, and Black- headed Waxbill among others. Lake Mburo National Park is located in southern Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. Day 11: Bird Lake Mburo National Park Whole day birding Lake Mburo National Park. Habitat here is acacia forest, lake and a large expanse of papyrus wetlands. The papyrus swamps are host to numerous species found in no other habitat. We’ll be looking for species like the Marsh Harrier, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Grey-crowned Crane, Marsh Tchagra, Papyrus Gonolek, Brown- backed Scrub Robin, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Red-faced Barbet, White-headed Saw-wing, Nubian Woodpecker, Diedrick and Klass’s Cuckoos, Long tailed Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis and more. If we can fit in a boat trip on the lake African Finfoot is a distinct possibility. Before dinner, try for the African Scops Owl, Swamp Nightjar, Black-shouldered Nightjar and Freckled Nightjar. Look out mammals like the gorgeous Eland, Zebra, Impala, Buffalo, Reedbuck, Topi, Waterbuck Bushbuck, Hippos, Oribi, Bush-duiker and others. Day 12: Drive to Entebbe After breakfast and a morning of birding, we will spend the remainder of the day heading back towards the Entebbe Airport arriving by about 5 PM. As we head back to the airport, we will enjoy birding along the way and look out for birds like Lilac-breasted Roller, Broad-billed Roller, Striped Kingfisher, Blue-naped Mousebird, African Grey Hornbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, and Fork tailed Drongo. Most participants will start the journey home later that evening flying from Entebbe aiport. Others will check into the hotel for another night’s stay (at an additional charge). Extension Options: Most trips are then extended (based upon group interest) for another 2 to 9 days. Extensions can include Kibale National Park, Semuliki National Park, Budongo Forest Reserve, Muchison Falls National Park and many other bird watching spots along the way. An additional day or two just outside Kampala is also often worthwhile for the avid bird watcher. To learn more about extension, click here. |
| Species Lists: A complete bird list of 1,014 species is available upon request. We also have a list of the 141 mammals which could be seen on this trip. |
Uganda 2010 and 2011
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| Uganda Options on Length of Trip and Pacing: These itineraries are for the birders, loving an early start and birding until dusk. A more leisurely paced trip can also be developed over one week or two weeks. Trips for specifically for photographers can also be arranged. Please contact and let us know what pace of trip best meets your needs. |
| Many itineraries are possible year round, but best times are June and into August, and then November and December. |
| Scheduling for Uganda Birding and Wildlife Trips: November 14 to 25, 2010: Uganda with Johnnie Kamugisha and hosted by PIB's Harry Fuller. Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Mabamba Swamp, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi including Buhama Main Trail (alternative day for Mountain Gorilla Trek), The Neck, Ruhija and more. Then Lake Mburo National Park. Maybe room for 1 or 2 day extension. June 1 to 12, 2011: Uganda with Johnnie Kamugisha. Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Mabamba Swamp, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi including Buhama Main Trail (alternative day for Mountain Gorilla Trek), The Neck, Ruhija and more. Then Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda offers a number of trip extension options depending upon group size and interest from two to nine days. June 27 to July 8, 2011: Uganda with Johnnie Kamugisha. Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Mabamba Swamp, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi including Buhama Main Trail (alternative day for Mountain Gorilla Trek), The Neck, Ruhija and more. Then Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda offers a number of trip extension options depending upon group size and interest from two to nine days. August 1 to 12, 2011: Uganda with Johnnie Kamugisha. Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Mabamba Swamp, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi including Buhama Main Trail (alternative day for Mountain Gorilla Trek), The Neck, Ruhija and more. Then Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda offers a number of trip extension options depending upon group size and interest from two to nine days. Scheduling Custom Trips: If these dates do not work for you, we are glad to help schedule trips for you from June to August and then November and December. |
