24 days/ 23 nights
Highlight birds
Shoebill, Green-breasted Pitta, Jackson’s Hornbill, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Grauerʼs (African Green) Broadbill, Grauerʼs Rush Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Banded Prinia, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Chubb’s Cisticola, Red-faced Woodland-Warbler, Red-chested Flufftail,
Pink-footed Puffback, Lagden’s Bush-shrike, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Oriole Finch, Ruwenzori Batis, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Red-faced Crimsonwing, Dusky Crimsonwing, Dusky Twinspot, Olive Woodpecker, Regal Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Dwarf Honeyguide, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Stripe-breasted Tit,
Handsome Francolin, Scaly Francolin, African Crake, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, Western Green Tinkerbird, African (Ruwenzori) Hill Babbler, Red-throated Alethe, Fire-crested Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Mountain Illadopsis, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, White-tailed Blue-Flycatcher, Sharpe’s Starling, Slender-billed Starling, Waller’s Starling,
Black-billed Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Narina Trogon, Dark-backed Weaver, Strange Weaver, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Fraser’s Eagle-Owl, Brown-necked Parrot, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Goliath Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, African Open-billed Stork, Senegal Lapwing, African Wattled Lapwing, Kittlitz’s Plover
Highlight mammals and others
Cheetah, Savannah Elephant, Red-tailed Monkey, Common Zebra, Common Impala, Nile Crocodile, Hippo, White Rhino, Black Rhino, Maasai Giraffe, African Buffalo, Rothschild’s Giraffe, Leopard, African Lion, Chimpanzee, Mountain Gorilla, cheetah, L’hoest monkey, Bohor reedbuck, Uganda Kob, zebra, Eland, Topi, Spotted Hyena,
Habitats covered
Equatorial forest, Wetlands, Savannah, Highland Forest, Albertine Rift Mountains, Semi-arid Scrubland
Photographic opportunities
Excellent
Special moments
Nairobi National Park, River Nile, Lake Victoria, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru National park, the Great Rift Valley, Albertine Rift Endemics, Lake Mburo National Park, Mabira Forest, Bwindi Impenetrable national Park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Lake Edward, Kibale national park, Murchison Falls National park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Day 1:Arrive in Nairobi & Transfer to Nairobi National Park
Arrive in Nairobi at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport transfer to the Hotel for Lunch after Lunch drive to Nairobi National Park for the evening of Birding the tourism capital of Kenya. Birding here is excellent I regard it as urban birding but in a true wilderness experience, look for
Day 2:Transfer to Masai mara National Reserve & Birding En-route
After early morning breakfast transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve with stopover en-route for the finest rift valley birds in Mayimahio, and Narok where you will have your lunch at the selected Tourist Hotel/Restaurant After lunch proceeds to Masai Mara National Reserve the Renowned for the annual wildebeest migration, which is often regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World, Masai Mara National Reserve is the crown of this Kenya Birds Photography Safari, true haven for birdlife it is the second with the highest number of species in Africa. This reserve features a number of habitats conducive stopover at the selected Hotel/Restaurant en-route to Maasai Mara national reserve. The drive here is scenic with plenty to capture your eyes, you will also see several colorful birds before reaching at the lodge.
You will spend the next day learning about this magical destination. Enjoy interesting game drives as you track the Big 5 (African Buffalo, African Elephant, African Lion, Leopard, and Black Rhino), the Big Cats- Lion, Cheetah and Leopard and much more.
Day 3:Full Day Birding in Masai Mara National Reserve
After early morning breakfast proceeds to Masai Mara national reserve with your packed lunch for the full day of exciting birding in this true haven for birdlife it is the second with the highest number of species in Africa. this reserve features a number of habitats conducive for great bird watching, for example, the richly forested areas, swamps, and others surrounding the two permanent the Mara and talek flowing through the reserve which is a popular habitat for hundreds of birds. Masai Maras’ endemic species include the Tara River cisticola, the Aberdare cisticola, Hinde’s pied-babbler, William’s lark, Sharpe’s pipit, and many others.
There are Approximately 450 species of birds in Maasai Mara but it’s well-known for the rosy-throated long claw and magpie shrike and other Popular Species like Rosy-breasted Long claw, Secretary bird, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Schalow’s Turaco, Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Red-necked Spur fowl, Red-winged Francolin, White-headed Vulture, Temminck’s Courser, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, -chested Swallow, and Southern Ground Hornbill etc.
Combined with an excellent game drive takes you into several of maras sites in the search for wildlife. The most amazing location at mara brings opportunities for the best of the photographic sessions one of the prime souvenirs (photos) to take back home with you after the safaris. The drive is conducted in a 4×4 vehicle which is highly adaptive the nature of the terrain that Masai mara holds. While on the game drive, you will site members of the big 5 ie lions, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, leopards, other wildlife include wildebeests, giraffes, cheetahs, warthogs , antelopes, zebras, kudus, hartebeests, gazelles hippos and many more.
You will definitely watch and take excellent photos of the setting sun With horizons that seem to stretch out forever across the savannahs and plains of East Africa, Masai Mara is a place where beautiful sunsets are almost a given. Shades of yellow turn orange and red as the sun makes its way behind the silhouettes of acacia trees and wildlife. Masai Mara comprises the dramatic Great Rift Valley, savannah, rivers and mountain highlands. The land’s diversity contributes to the show, making each sunset moment unique.
Day 4:Visit to Maasai Community
After early morning breakfast visit to Maasai people traditionally nomadic pastoralist, get welcomed by the Maasai music comprises of rhythms rendered by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies, all the while the olaranyani (song leader) sings the melody. The olaranyani is usually the person who can best sing that song. The olaranyani starts singing the namba of a song and the group responds with one unanimous call in acknowledgment. Women recite lullabies, hum songs and sing music that praises their sons. One elision to the vocal creation of Maasai music is the function of the horn of the Greater Kudu to summon morans (initiates) for the Eunoto ceremony (a coming of age ceremony). The ceremony usually lasts ten or more days. [And the singing and dancing around the manyattas involve flirting. Young men will line and chant and the women stand in front of them and sing in counterpoint to them this is very interesting music incorporating traditional Maasai rhythms, chants and beats.
Maasai, historically a nomadic people, have traditionally relied on readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their unusual and interesting housing. The traditional Maasai house was designed for people on the move and thus their houses were very impermanent in nature. The Inkajijik (houses) are either circular or loaf-shaped, and are made by women. Their villages are enveloped in a circular Enkang (fence) built by the men and this protects their cattle at night from wild animals. Traditional Maasai people’s lifestyle concentrates on their cattle which make up the primary source of food. Amongst the Maasai and several other African ethnic groups, the measure of a man’s wealth is in terms of children and cattle. So the more the better.
Get to learn about culture and life style. Here a man who has plenty cattle but not many children is considered to be poor and vice versa. A Maasai myth says that God afforded them all the cattle on earth, resulting in the belief that rustling from other tribes is a matter of claiming what is rightfully theirs, a practice that has now become much less common. After the visit to the Maasai drive back to the lodge as you relax at your private patio.
After Birding along Tourism Route
After Lunch relax as you wait to take the community route for excellent birds within maasai community land which is very exciting
Day 5:Transfer to Lake Naivasha & Birding En-route
After early Morning breakfast transfer to Naivasha We shall head straight to our next birding destination of the Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour, Gatamaiyu Forest. This is a pristine highland wet forest that forms the eastern edge of the great Aberdare Ranges Forest. Birds will be plenty, and we shall enjoy them all day. Local monkeys and squirrels may be spotted too.
On our way to the forest, we shall make a stop-over at Manguo Swamp to spot some water birds. We shall spend the entire morning birding in the forest. In the afternoon, we shall do some more birding and then head to Lake Naivasha.
Day 6:Lake Naivasha to Lake Baringo
On this day we shall enjoy a boat ride on Lake Naivasha and then head for Lake Baringo, as we bird along the way.
We shall arrive in Baringo in the afternoon; and continue adding birds to our Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour list. We shall drive and walk around the scrubland and the cliffs surrounding the lake, in search of the special birds in this unique area.
Day 7:Lake Baringo
A boat ride experience early in the morning will help us enjoy one of the iconic moments of our Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour. This will help you enjoy the beauty of the lake and see the local African Fish Eagles advertising their territories, as they hunt too.
Later, we continue enjoying the terrestrial birds of Baringo. Our target will be to add species we may have missed the previous day.
Day 8:Lake Nakuru National Park
We shall depart early in the morning and head to Lake Nakuru National Park; where our Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour continues. This is a great birding site and is rightly named “the birdwatchers paradise”.
The park also hosts many mammals such as African Lion, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Leopard and Rothschild’s Giraffe.
Day 9:Transfer to Jinja (River Nile)
After a morning boat ride, we shall cruise to the Uganda border and clear with customs. We shall then start the second leg of our Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour.
We shall then proceed to Kampala City via Jinja; often called the source of the River Nile. Birding on the way will be active all day and we shall make strategic stop-overs to enjoy the local birds.
Night in Kampala.
Day 10:Transfer to Kampala & Birding Mabira Forest
We shall leave the hotel early and head to the beautiful Mabira Forest; where birding will be active all day. Mabira Forest is always a key site on our Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour; often producing amazing forest-dependent species.
Mammals to expect here include Red-tailed Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Alexander’s Bush Squirrel, Yellow-backed Duiker, Black-fronted Duiker and Chequered Sengi.
We shall enjoy our picnic lunch here. Later we shall do some more birding, to try for extra species. We shall then return to our hotel for the evening.
Day 11:Mabamba Swamp to Lake Mburo National park
We shall depart early and head to the famous Mabamba Swamp, a nice place to search for the Shoebill- a key target on our Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour. Here we shall enjoy a boat trip, in a traditional canoe. The swamp is very productive and holds a huge variety of birds’ species. We may also be lucky to find the rare Sitatunga Antelope.
In the afternoon, we shall drive to Lake Mburo; as we enjoy more birding on the way. On this day, we shall also get to cross the Uganda section of the Equator on our way. On arrival, we shall start picking our first birds of this vast area until sunset.
Night at Lake Mburo.
Day 12:Birding in Lake Mburo national park
We shall enjoy game drives the entire morning as we score more birds that we may have missed the previous day. Nice mammals will also be abundant including Burchellʼs Zebra, Oribi, Cape Buffalo, Uganda Topi, Nile Hippo, Cape Eland, Vervet (Tantalus) Monkey, Olive Baboon and Impala.
We shall later enjoy a boat ride here to score more birds across the water. This is a major highlight on our Uganda and Kenya Birding Tour. We may also find some Nile Crocodiles here, as they reside around the lakeshore.
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park after ealy morning with stopover for birding en-route birds expected to be seen here includes; Speckled dove, eastern grey plantain eater, secret Ibis, black-headed heron, black kite, grey parrot, village weave, long-tailed purple starling, broad-billed roller enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the green terraced hills and snake-like roads of this Region, the drive along this route is amazing and impressive by the remarkable scenery that unfolds insight. The terraced hills gradually give way to the cascading hills that seem never to end on these snake like roads which will definitely impress you as you drive through this region of Kigezi You also enjoy the cold interior with spectacular Tea Plantations could also be good spot for birding.
After Lunch at selected Tourist Hotel/Restaurant proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is famously known as Africa’s number one birding spot. Sometimes, the Grey-capped Warbler, Dusky-brown Flycatcher, White-necked Raven and Straw-colored Fruit Bats around the parking lot attract your attention before you depart. Driving through Kisoro town, you will possibly see the huge-billed White-necked Raven; this is a cool-looking raven for sure; they have this very huge and thick-looking bill on your way to Bwindi Impenetrable possibly do a few stops to look for Albertine Sooty Boubou, Rwenzori and Black-faced Apalises. We also hope to get better looks at the Mountain Yellow Warbler, Banded Prinia individuals as they skulk in the undergrowth, White-browed Crombec, Brown-capped and the endemic Strange Weaver, Northern Puff-back, Mountain Illadopsis, Red-throated Alethe, Doherty’s and Lagden’s Bush-shrikes and many more to richen our list endemics list, Common Waxbill, Grey-crowned Crane. When we enter Bwindi Impenetrable forest, we shall stop to look for Doherty’s Bush-shrike and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo to add on the list.
Day 13:Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda
After early morning breakfast drive to the briefing point with your packed lunch, this is usually a big day, we anticipate for the big one! Mountain gorilla trekking is such a highlight even on birding tours. After breakfast, you will go to the information office for a proper briefing on how to behave amidst Mountain Gorillas and family allocation.
This activity may take anywhere between an hour to eight, so a reasonable degree of fitness is required. It is a beautiful experience to stare into the eyes of these gentle giants; watch them in awe as they play and go about their daily activities. It is indeed a “once in a lifetime” experience that will linger. Each encounter is different and has its rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the young frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display.
The Park gives you an opportunity to discover the secrets in this mist and fog covered hillsides which is blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforest gorilla tracking. It is a humbling experience to stand just meters from them as they eat, rest, play and bond with their young ones. The gorilla tracking starts at 8:30 am. The tracking lasts from few hours depending on the location of the gorillas as they freely range in the impenetrable forest and tours are limited to only 8 people per group.
When done with gorilla tracking activity, there is a high chance that you will be happy to go out for more restricted-range and Albertine Rift endemics. In this case, you will do a leisurely walk to the community secondary forest. You will look for Barred and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Grauer’s Warbler, Black-tailed oriole, the very skittish Luhder’s Bush-shrike while they make their way through the vines, Gray Cuckoo-shrikes
Day 14:Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Birding En-route
After early morning breakfast drive to Ishasha the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. After over a week of montane forest birding, you will have to leave these fantastic locations and head to the Great East African rift valley. You will bird through Ishasha which is the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park and have a wonderful time working on our woodland and open country birds again. On sunny days, the sky here is excellent for observing some raptors many of which may have seen earlier. Most likely to be new should include Gabar Goshawk, White-headed and Lappet-faced Vulture, Rufous-breasted Sparrow-hawk and Banded Snake-Eagle. White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Greenbul, Rwenzori Hill-babbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Northern Puffback, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Dusky Crimsonwing, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Variable Sunbird, Waller’s Starling, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, just to mention but a few.
The Area can be an excellent spot for, Common Waxbill, Grey-crowned Crane, Variable Sunbird, Thick-billed Seed-eater and we shall stop to look for Doherty’s Bush-shrike and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo to Handsome francolin, Black bee eater, add to our new birds of the day. The L’Hoest’s and Blue Monkeys are among the new primates we should find for our continuously growing mammal list, drive through Ruhija-Butogota-Kihiihi-Ishasha. This drive is long but rewarding enjoy your journey while driving on the winding snake-like roads that shyly pass at the lips of the cliffs looking out for birds such as black bee eaters, red-throated wryneck, mountain wagtail, Tooro olive greenbul, white-starred robin, olive thrush, Cassin’s grey flycatcher, red-faced woodland warbler, Grauer,s warbler, chubb’s cisciticola, 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 seed-eaters, and primates along the way and provide expansive views across the plains of Western Rift Valley to the west, drive through tea plantations and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National park with stopover for the best photographs along the way you will drive through the Impenetrable forest before connecting to the open plains at the extreme end of the rift valley wall. Normally at this time of the trip, the desire to see the big game will be high, you will be having good chances for African Bush Elephants, Leopards and Lions in the trees. The experience here is great. Driving here is long, but full of scenic attractions arriving in the evening to check-in at the lodge.
Day 15:Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park
After early morning breakfast at the lodge experience, the early morning beauty of Queen Elizabeth National Park tends to start with a lovely sunrise, if we have a clear day, you should expect it. The Kasenyi side is most preferred in this section of the park; this is because it offers excellent lekking grounds for the Kob. Game viewers drive their first thing in the morning and birders too, love it a lot for its open grasslands and sparsely distributed thickets that provide perfect microhabitats for quite shy birds. It also offers the best chances for birds like Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Rufous-napped, White-tailed, Red-capped and Flappet Lark, African and Jackson’s Pipit. These four larks mentioned, are a significant target when starting this morning‘s drive. We should see Temminck’s Courser, Black-crowned, Senegal and Wattled Lapwings, Kittlitz’s Plover, Yellow-throated Longclaw, White-backed Vultures, Ruppell’s Griffon and others soring the sky, Black-chinned and Black-faced Quail-finches, and also observe Kob lekking ground activity. Keeping up with the game birding tradition, you will scan openings, thickets and Euphorbia Candelabrums for Lions. Euphorbia Candelabrum is a cactus-like plant that dominates this part of the park.
Afternoon Boat Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park
After lunch, you will do an afternoon boat ride on the Kazinga channel. This 40 km natural channel connects two major lakes in this park; Lake George and Lake Edward. Because of the significant wildlife activity at the banks of the channel, we only cover a less than 4km distance, and this takes us to Lake Edward for a turning point. This boat ride typically targets congregations of birds and big mammals when they come down to cool off during the heat of the day. We should get good looks at fishing African Spoonbill, a few African Skimmer, Gull-billed and White-winged Terns, a few shower birds depending on the season and these should include Curlew Sandpipers, Common, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers, Common Greenshank, Ruff, Little Stint, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-tailed Godwit, Three-banded Plover, and Common Snipe. Other good birds to expect to see include four Gulls; Lesser Black-backed, Heuglin’s, Slender-billed and Grey-hooded Gull, both Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Yellow-billed, Marabou and Woolly-necked Storks, our first of the many Red-throated Bee-eaters and many more. If we choose to go out for a short evening drive, we will have chances for Square-tailed and Black-shouldered Nightjars.
Day 16:Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park & Birding En-route
After early morning breakfast, you will leave Queen Elizabeth National Park keeping an eye in the bushes looking for Black-headed Batis, and Black-crowned Tchagra while you enjoy a very scenic and photogenic drive along the Mountains of the Moon, shortly after arriving at your accommodation. You will proceed for the swamp walk at the sanctuary which is a community-based initiative and one of the most successful few in the country. With your site guide from the community, you should go around and through the papyrus looking for White-spotted Flufftail, Hairy-breasted, Yellow-spotted and Yellow-billed Barbet, Black-and-White Shrike-Flycatcher, Joyful Greenbul, Blue-throated Roller, White-collared Oliveback, Spurb Sunbird and a Shinning Blue Kingfisher.
The walk also being famous for primates, we should see Uganda Red Colobus which are threatened in this region for being preyed on by Common Chimpanzee (remember to learn from our guide, why?). The Uganda Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Mantled Guereza, L’Hoest’s and Blue Monkey are also very likely to show up and after wards drive back to the lodge for overnight.
Day 17:Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park
After early morning breakfast at the lodge drive to Kanyanchu Visitor center for proper briefing and registration to get set for this ritual. Kibale National Park is the best travel destination for chimpanzee tracking in East Africa and can best be defined as the loveliest and most varied of all tropical rain forests in Uganda. It is christened the primate capital of the world because it hosts 13 species of primates including the chimpanzee (Man’s closest relatives- sharing over 98% DNA). It has 1450 chimpanzees, and these represent Uganda’s largest population of this endangered primate species.
In this forest, you will look for the Chimps and also do an early start for the Green-breasted Pitta. This Pitta is one of Africa’s most difficult birds to find! The time we should spend in the forest looking for the Pitta, we will also look for White-throated Greenbul, Crowned Eagle, Thick-billed Honeyguide, Brown-chested and Fire-crested Alethe, Crested Guineafowl, Western Black-headed Oriole, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Blue-throated Roller, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Blue Malkhoa, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Western Nicator, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Bronze-napped Pigeon, Yellow-mantled Weaver, Lesser Honeyguide, Red-chested Owlet and African Wood-owl among others.
Day 18:Transfer to Masindi & Birding En-route
After early morning breakfast transfer to masindi, here you will do the longest drive of the trip; Masindi is seven birding-drive hours away from Fort Portal. Depending on what will be missing on your list, you may decide to spend a few minutes birding the wetlands around Fort Portal town for Northern Masked Weaver, White-collared Oliveback, Highland Rush Warbler and White-collared Oliveback.
The few stops we should do along the way, are for a lunch stop and adding some very likely birds like Yellow-shouldered and Red-collared Widowbird, Brown Twinspot, Red-backed and Brown-backed Scrub-Robin. You will stop over en-route at the selected Hotel/Restaurant for Lunch in Hioma. After here proceed to Masindi for overnight.
Day 19:Birding the Royal Mile of Budongo Forest
After early morning breakfast set off early to budongo for birding Uganda’s most birdy spots, which is located in the country’s most significant forest reserve. The Royal mile is named in memory of Omukama (King) Kabalega who ruled the Bunyoro Kingdom from 1870 to 1899 offers pleasant field hours to many birdwatchers from all over the world. There is a big road in the middle of the forest with a beautiful canopy cover. The sides of the road are well maintained with openings extending up to 7 meters; this is very brilliant for undergrowth birding.
Frequently things work out very well before and after getting in the forest here. The forest edges which we normally explore, usually show African and Black-bellied Firefinches, Grey-headed Oliveback, Compact Weaver, Wahlberg’s Eagle and White-thighed Hornbill, making them our last species of Hornbill.
The interior should show you African Dwarf, Chocolate-backed in the forest canopy and Shining Blue Kingfishers, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Rufus-crowned Eremomela, Ituri Batis, Forest Flycatcher, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Nahan’s Francolin, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Spotted Greenbul, Fire-crested Alethe, Lemon-bellied Crombec. After here proceed via Bunyoro Escarpment with clear view of Blue Mountains of Democratic Republic of Congo beyond Lake Albert, this drive is longer but scenic through Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and arriving late in the evening to check in at the lodge for overnight.
Day 20:Full Day Birding in Murchison Falls National Park
The tour continues to Uganda’s largest national park, which is also at the lowest elevation amongst all other parks. While and after leaving Masindi town, we will scan the trees for Purple Starling. When we approach the escarpment’s thickets and wooded acacias, we will look for birds typical to this habitat. Northern Red Bishop, Beautiful Sunbird, White-fronted Black-Chat, Bronze-tailed, Violet-backed, and Lesser Blue-eared Starlings Whistling and Foxy Cisticola, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Black-faced Waxbill, Cliff Chat, Spot-flanked, Martial Eagle, Black-billed Barbet and hopefully acceptable looks at the shy Dusky Babblers.
As we continue with our drive, you will stop and scan spots for Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow, Cut-throat, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Swallow-tailed and Red-throated Bee-eater, Northern Crombec, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Dark-chanting Goshawk, the very localized White-rumped Seed-eaters and many more.
Viewing the top of Murchison Falls
You should create time for the top of Murchison Falls. These very dramatic falls are arguably the world’s most powerful. The bottom of the falls is great but the top is quite something! This is where the world’s longest river squeezes through a very narrow cleft of about eight feet and drops for a straight forty feet down! We never plan to miss this adventure on any of our tours that get to this part of the country and after here drive back to the lodge for overnight.
Day 21:Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride to Murchison Falls.
After early morning breakfast drive to the northern part of the park and you will possibly be rewarded with a Good views of Heuglin’s Francolin, a central African endemic on this day you will aim at finding some specialties of the Southern Sudan stretch and new lovely mammals that show up during an African safari.
You drive into the open Savannah of Uganda’s biggest National Park, covering the section north of river Nile. We should find Speckle-fronted Weaver, Red-necked Falcon, Red-headed, Cardinal and Red-billed Queleas, Denham’s Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing, Spotted Thick-knee, and the critically endangered and uncommon White-headed Vulture. Swallow-tailed and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Banded Martin, Scarce Swift, Senegal Coucal, Tawny Eagle, Heuglin’s Francolin, Pale and Gambaga Flycatcher, Senegal Thick-knee and seasonal migrants. Our mammal list will aim for African Lions, the graceful Rothschild Giraffe, Lelwel’s Hartebeest, Oribi, Side-striped Jackal, and the shy Bohor Reedbuck.
After a proper lunch by the banks of the mighty river Nile, you will take a three hours boat ride to the bottom of Murchison Falls, an enjoyable on the Victoria Nile that can find Giant Kingfisher, White-crested Turaco and Rock Pratincole at the bottom.
Day 22:Boat Ride to the Delta and Evening Game Drive
This morning after early morning breakfast, you take a morning boat ride to the delta; this sails downstream on the Victoria Nile into Lake Albert. It is an enjoyable nature ride, to and from. The birds love the riverine forest, as do the big mammals and reptiles to the bunks. It is here that one gets to lock eyes with the typical giant Nile Crocodiles that measure six meters and endless schools of Hippopotamus. The banks, riverine forest and thickets are right for Giant Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, the spectacular looking Saddle-billed Stork, Little Bittern and the Shoebill. With a little more effort, some days Pel’s Fishing-owl, White-backed and Black-crowned Night-Heron show up.
We will do a lunch break and a siesta before heading out for the late afternoon to evening drive. This park has extensive savannah grasslands that give fantastic photography opportunity when the sun is setting. The Kobs and the other mammals with a background filled with the Albert Nile, Cattle Egrets flying back to their roost and distant Blue Mountains with beautiful golden sunlight on them is a scene that hardly gets another to compare.
Evening Game Drive in Buligi Areas
The evening drive that is on the plan, places us in what feels like the middle of nowhere. Imagine a spot where you are only surrounded by wildlife, a dark sky with only stars and the moon to pick out with no surrounding light pollution. It is basically living your favourite wild animal’s moment. This is also one of the favourite moments for some of our Avian Safaris guides. Depending on the season, we hope to find a few nightjars like Swamp, Slender-tailed, Long-tailed, Square-tailed, Standard-winged, Pennant-winged, Plain and European Nightjars, Grayish Eagle-owl. New mammals to look out for should include, White-tailed and Marsh Mongoose, Bunyoro Grass Rabit, Leopard, Blotched Genet, Slender Gerbils, Fat Mice, Spotted Hyena, among others.
DAY 23:Birding & Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
While driving to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the drive has the potential of adding good birds to your list, I will list a few of them; Brown-backed Woodpecker, Black and Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike, White Helmet-shrike, Yellow-billed Shrike, Red-winged and Orange-winged Pytilias, Bat-hawk, Beaudouin’s, Short-toed and Brown Snake-Eagles, Abdim’s Stork, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Green-backed Eremommela, Bar-breasted Firefinch, White-shouldered Black-Tit, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Singing Cisticola several other residents and migrants depending in the season.
Here at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary you will enjoy the tracking of the southern White Rhino which were declared extinct in Uganda by 1983. Later. This is the only place in Uganda where you can find Rhinos in the wild. Along with the Rhinos, there are other wildlife that roam this sanctuary. They include animals such as: Baboons, Velvet Monkeys, Warthogs, Black and White Colobus monkeys, Uganda Kob, Waterbucks, Bush backs, Hippos, Pangolins, Mangoose, snakes and different species of dry country birds such as cassin’s hawk eagle, common kestrel, grey kestrel, helmeted guinea fowl, scally francolin, grey crown crane, brown parrot, grey parrot, bare-faced go away bird, African grey hornbill, red-chested cuckoo, African cuckoo, African emerald cuckoo, Buffalo weavers return to Kampala for overnight.
Day 24:Transfer to Entebbe International Airport
After Breakfast transfer to Entebbe International Airport via kampala with stop over en-route for lunch at the selected Tourist Hotel/Restuarant, then after Lunch transfer to Entebbe international Airport to check in for the flight.
END OF THE TRIP
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