BIG FOCUS ON ALBERTINE RIFT VALLEY ENDEMICS – 22 days

Day One

Arrival at Entebbe Airport, birding in Botanical Gardens depending on time of arrival. The beautiful gardens established in 1901 lie on the showers of Lake Victoria which offers superb introduction to Ugandan birds. The common species here include; Verreaux’s Eagle Owls, Orange-tufted and Red-chested Sunbirds, Orange Weaver, Slender-billed, Northern Brown-throated, Yellow-backed, Jackson’s Golden-backed, Black-headed and Vieillot’s Black Weavers, Long-tailed Cormorant, Common Squacco, Black-headed Heron, Hamerkop, African Open-billed Stork, Yellow-billed Duck, Grey-headed Gull, Giant and Pied Kingfishers, Swamp Flycatcher, Black-headed Gonolek, Red-chested Sunbird, Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Die Derik Cuckoo, Woodland Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, Black and White Casqued Hornbill, Splendid Starling, African Fish Eagle, Eastern Grey Plantain Eater, Hadada Ibis, Palmnut Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Shikra, Lizard Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, Grey Kestrel, Black Crake, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Angola Swallow, Winding Cisticola, Red-faced Cisticola, Grey-capped Warbler, Common Wattle-eye, Green-throated Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird etc.

Day Two

Birding in Mabamba Swamp. This is a protected wetland/Swamp around Lake Victoria which is Ideal spot for water birds. To mention some of the key species in this wetland; Shoebill Stork, African Skimmers,  White-winged Warbler, Carruther’s Cistcola, Saddle-billed Stork, African Pygmy Goose, Lesser Jacana, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed Egret, White-faced Whistling Duck, Hottentot Teal, African Fish Eagle, Black Crake, African Jacana, Long toed Plover, Grey-headed Gull, Gull-billed and white-winged Terns, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Cape Wagtail, Swamp Flycatcher, Winding Cistcola, Red-chested Sunbird, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Scaly Francolin, Senegal Plover, Madagascar, Bee-eater, Grey-rumped Swallow, Plain-backed Pipit, Blue Swallow etc.

Day Three and Four

Biding in Northern Murchison Falls National Park. Murchison Falls National Park offers a variety of unique habitants and lots of superb birds which gives a great birding experience to a birder. The key species here includes; Shoebill Stork, Secretary bird, Bat Hawk, Red-necked Falcon, Heuglin’s Francolin, Denham’s Bustard, Senegal Thick-knee, Egyptian-plover, Rock Pratincole, Black-headed Plover, African Skimmer, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Vinaceous Dove, White-crested Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Long-tailed Pennant-winged and Standard-winged Nightjars, Red-throated, Swallow-tailed, and Carmine Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Roller, Black scimitar bill, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-bellied Barbet, Brown-backed woodpecker, Spotted Morning Thrush, White-fronted Black Chat, Silverbird, Singing, Foxy and Black-backed Cisticolas, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Green-backed Eremomela, Yellow-billed and Emin’s Shrikes, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, Lesser Blue-eared and Bronze-tailed Starling, Beautiful Sunbird, Chestnut-crowned sparrow-weaver, Northern Red Bishop, Grey-headed, Olive-back, Red-winged Pytilia, Brown-twinspot, Bar-breasted and Black-billed fire finches, Black-rumped Waxbill, Paradise Whydah, White-rumped seedeater and Brown-rumped and Cabanis’s Bunting etc.

Day Five and Six

Birding in Southern Murchison Falls National Park in Kaniyo Pabidi. Budongo Forest Reserve lies at the edge of Albertine Rift Valley to the South of Murchison Falls National Park and protects the largest Natural Forest area in East Africa. It boosts an impressive bird list of over 350 species and is the best site in Uganda for a number of sought after birds. The key species in this area are Nahan’s Francolin, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Cassin’s Spinetail, Ituri Batis, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Black-collared Lovebird, Sabine’s  Spinetail, Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted and African Dwarf Kingfishers, Piping Hornbill, Red-sided Broadbill, Green-breasted Pitta, Puvel’s Illadopsis, spotted Greenbul, Fire-crested Alethe, Black-eared Ground Thrush, Black-capped Apalis, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Grey and Yellow Longbills, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Brown Twinspot, Grey-headed Olive-back etc.

Day Seven and Eight

Birding in Royal Mile and Busingiro. This is considered to be one of the country’s premier area for birding. The key species in this area include; Banded Snake Eagle, Crowned and African Pied Hornbills, Bat Hawk, Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Marsh Tchagra, Black Bishop, Brown Twinspot, Black-bellied Fire finch, Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted and African Dwarf Kingfishers, White-thighed and Black and white casqued Hornbills, Yellow spotted, Hairy-breasted and Yellow-bellied Barbets, Western Black-headed Oriole and Purple-headed Starlings, Cameroon Sombre, Slender-billed Honey guide White-throated, Red-tailed and spotted Greenbul, Buft-throated, Black-throated, Black-capped Apalises, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Grey-headed and Green Sunbirds, Yellow-mantled Weaver and White-breasted Negrofinch, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Rufous Thrush, Green Hylia, Grey Longbill, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Nahan’s Francolin, Scaly-breasted, Brown and Pale-breasted Illadopses, Red-tailed Bristle bill, Fire-crested Alethe, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Red-tailed Ant Thrush, Forest Robin and Jameson’s wattle-eye, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Yellow Longbill and Grey-throated Flycatcher, Black Sparrow hawk, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Crowned Eagle,  Black-collared Sunbird,, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Green-breasted Pitta, Ituri Batis etc.

Day Nine and Ten

Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale National Park offers excellent forest birding in addition to the greatest concentration of primates in East Africa. Among the key species in this forest includes; Red-winged Francolin, Red-chested Flufftail, White-napped Pigeon, Green-breasted Pitta, African Pitta, Joyful Greenbul, Grey-winged Robin, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Grey-throated Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Masked and Black-capped Apalises, Chestnut-winged Starling, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Tiny Sunbird, Grey-headed Olive-back etc.

Bigodi Swamp area

Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Canary, White-spotted Flufftail, Blue-headed Coucal, Great Blue Turaco, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Barbet, Scaly-throated Honey guide, Blue-shouldered Robin Chat,  Snowy-headed Robin Chart, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grey-capped Warbler, Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Mosque Swallow, White-chinned Prinia, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Brown-headed Tchagra, Village Indigo bird etc.

Day Eleven and Twelve

Semiliki National park is an Eastern extension of the vast Ituri forest in Democratic Republic of Congo. It forms part of the forest continuum resulting out of the climatic upheavals of the Pleistoceno and therefore one of the richest areas for both flora and fauna in Africa more especially for birds Semiliki National Park is one of the richest area of forest birds in Africa. A large number of predominantly central Africa Species reach the eastern limit of their distribution here and cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa. Harbors some of the Africa’s most spectacular and sought-after birds. Congo Serpent Eagle, Long tailed Hawk, Nkulengu Rail,  Black-wattled Hornbill, Lyre-tailed Honey guide, Spot-breasted Ibis, Hartlaub’s Duck, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Red-thighed sparrow hawk, Forest Francolin, Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Bate’s Nightjar, Chocolate-backed, White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers, White-crested, Black Dwarf, Piping and Black-wattled Hornbills,  Red-rumped Tinker bird, Spotted, Lyre-tailed and Zenker’s Honey guides, African Piculet, Gabon woodpecker, Red-sided Broadbill, White-throated Blue Swallow, Green-tailed Bristtlebill,  Sassi’s Olive, Xavier’s Swamp, Simple and Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin, Forest and Grey Ground Thrushes, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Red-bellied Malimbe,  Grant’s Bluebill etc.

Day Thirteen and Fourteen

With the bird list of 550 species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the places which a birder can put on the list to visit. One of the key species in this park includes the  Shoebill Stork,  Martial Eagle, Black-rumped Buttonquail, African Skimmer, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Black Bee-eater, White-tailed Lark, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, African Fish Eagle, Eurasian Honey Buzzard, Steppe Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Short-tailed Snake Eagle, Knob-billed Ducks, African Jacana, Black Crake, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Common Squacco Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Red-throated Pipet, Brown-snake Eagle, Bateluer Eagle, African Harrier-Hawk, Lappet-faced Vulture, Ruppell’s Vulture, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Speckled Tinkerbird, Grey woodpecker, Lesser Flamingos, Broadbilled Warbler, African Moustached Warbler, Black Bishop etc.

Day Fifteen and sixteen

Bwindi National Park in Buhoma and Ruhija.  Bwindi National Park gives you the finest montane forest birding in Africa giving numerous possibilities of the twenty four (24) Albertine Rift Valley endemics such as; African Green Broadbill, Shelley’s Crimson wing, Yellow eyed Black Flycatcher, Blue-headed Sunbird, Purple Breasted Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Bronze-napped Pigeon, Bar-tailed Trogon, Black Bee-eater, Willcock’s Honey guide, Black faced Rufous Warbler, Red throated Alethe,  Archer’s Robin Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Montane Masked Apalis, Collared Apalis, Graver’s Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Nightjars, Woodpeckers,  Forest Ground Thrush Chapin’s Flycatcher, Brown-capped Weaver, White-collared Oliveback, Red-fronted Antpecker,  Oriole-finch etc.

Day Seventeen and Eighteen

Echuya and Mgahinga National Park. This will give you a good experience of forest birds, just to mention a few species in this areas will include;  Handsome Francolin, Dusky Turtle Dove, Rwenzori Turaco, Montane (Rwenzori)Nightjar, Alpine Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, White –tailed Blue Flycatcher, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Montane Double-collared Sunbird, Narina Trogon, Archer’s Robin Chat, Red-faced woodland, Yellow Warblers, Montane Masked, Chestnut-throated Apalises, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Montane sooty Boubou etc.

Day Nineteen, Twenty and Twenty one

Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Day Twenty two

Drive to Kigali and Fly out back home.