14-Day Uganda Birding Lifers — Shoebill to Kidepo

Day 1 — Arrival & Birding: Entebbe Botanical Gardens

Activities: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), meet your expert guide, and transfer to your accommodation. After lunch and check-in, enjoy a guided birding walk in the Botanical Gardens.

Set along Lake Victoria’s northern shores, the Entebbe Botanical Gardens offer a peaceful start for birders, photographers, and nature lovers. This mix of wetland, forest, and garden habitats hosts over 300 bird species, plus playful Vervet and Colobus monkeys. A perfect introduction to Uganda’s rich wildlife and birdlife.

🎯 Target Birds — Entebbe Botanical Gardens
Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Yellow White-eye, Purple-banded Sunbird, African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, Yellow-billed Duck, Glossy Ibis, Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Tern, Diederik Cuckoo, Green Crombec, Tambourine Dove, Cameroon Olive Greenbul, Little Olive Greenbul.

Click here for the Full Bird List — Entebbe Botanical Gardens

  Overnight: Full Board, Entebbe

Day 2 — Mabamba Wetlands (Shoebill Quest)

Activities: Very early departure for Mabamba Wetlands (a Ramsar site). Take a canoe through the papyrus channels in dedicated pursuit of the prehistoric-looking Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex). Other wetland specialties include the Papyrus Gonolek, Blue Swallow, Goliath Heron, and Long-toed Lapwing.

🎯 Target Birds — Mabamba Wetland
Shoebill, Papyrus Gonolek, Malachite Kingfisher, African Purple Swamp hen, Lesser Jacana, African Fish Eagle, Great Egret, Black Crake, Allen’s Gallinule

Return to the Entebbe/Kampala area by late afternoon, positioning for the eastern transfer.

Overnight: Full Board, Entebbe/Kampala area

Day 3 — Mabira Forest Walk and Transfer to Mount Elgon

• Activities: Early morning guided walk in the lush Mabira Forest to seek out forest specials often missed in the afternoon, such as Nahan’s Francolin, Great Blue Turaco, and African Dwarf Kingfisher. After an early lunch, commence the long but scenic transfer east toward the Mount Elgon region (Mbale area). Roadside birding will focus on raptors and woodland species during the drive.

🎯 Target Birds — Mabira Forest

• Nahan’s Partridge (Francolinus nahani) – IUCN Red List

• Lowland Sooty Boubou (Laniarius leucorhynchus)

• Buff-spotted Woodpecker (Campethera nivosa)

• Golden-crowned Woodpecker (Dendropicos xantholophus)

• Jameson’s Wattle-eye (Platysteira jamesoni)

• Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis)

• Uganda Woodland Warbler (Phylloscopus budongoensis)

• Lesser Bristlebill (Bleda notatus)

• Overnight: Full Board, Mount Elgon area

Day 4 — Mount Elgon National Park (Full Day)

• Activities: A full day dedicated to exploring the afro-montane forests and moorlands of Mount Elgon. Targeted walks along forest edges and trails (e.g., Kapkwai) will search for high-altitude species and montane endemics like Jackson’s Francolin, Black-collared Apalis, Tacazze Sunbird, and the highly sought-after Abyssinian Crimsonwing.

• Overnight: Full Board, Mount Elgon area.

🎯 Target Birds — Mt. Elgon National Park

• Abyssinian Ground-Thrush (Geokichla piaggiae)

• Black-throated Wattle-eye (Platysteira peltata)

• Black-collared Apalis (Oreolais pulcher)

• Scaly-throated Honeyguide (Indicator variegatus)

Endemics  — Eastern Highlands:

• Abyssinian Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza salvadorii)

Click here for the Full Bird List — Mount Elgon National Park

Day 5 — Transfer to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

• Activities: Morning drive as the habitat shifts dramatically from montane forest to the dry acacia plains of Karamoja. Transfer to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, one of Uganda’s largest and most remote reserves. Afternoon orientation drive/walk to begin searching for dry-country species like bustards, larks, and raptors.

• Overnight: Full Board, Pian Upe area

Day 6 — Full Day Birding in Pian Upe

• Activities: Full day of intensive birding drives and short walks across the reserve’s savanna and scrub habitats. The primary focus is on the rare endemics: Fox’s Weaver (Uganda’s only true endemic) and the localized Karamoja Apalis. Also look for Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Black-bellied Bustard, and White-headed Buffalo-Weaver.

🎯 Target Birds — Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow (Gymnoris superciliaris)
Stone Partridge (Ptilopachus petrosus)
Reichenow’s Seedeater (Crithagra reichenowi)
Red-winged Pytilia (Pytilia phoenicoptera)
Foxy Lark (Calendulauda alopex)
Red-fronted Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus pusillus)
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
Karamoja Apalis (Apalis karamojae)

[Click here for the Full Bird List — Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.

• Overnight: Full Board, Pian Upe area

Day 7 — Transfer to Moroto / Mount Moroto

• Activities: Morning birding drives in Pian Upe to mop up any missed species before transferring north to Moroto, the gateway to the Karamoja region. Late afternoon walk around the Moroto area, with a focus on Rufous Chatterer, d’Arnaud’s Barbet, and colorful finches like the Purple Grenadier.

🎯 Target Birds — Along the Way to Moroto

• Rufous Chatterer (Argya rubiginosa)

• d’Arnaud’s Barbet (Trachyphonus darnaudii)

• Blue-capped Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus)

• Steel-blue Whydah (Vidua hypocherina)

• Shining Sunbird (Cinnyris habessinicus)

• Hunter’s Sunbird (Chalcomitra hunteri)

• Purple Grenadier (Granatina ianthinogaster)

• Tiny Cisticola (Cisticola nana)

• Wailing Cisticola (Cisticola lais)

• Northern Brownbul (Phyllastrephus strepitans)

• Overnight: Full Board - Moroto

Day 8 — Mount Moroto Slopes and Transfer to Kidepo NP

• Activities: Morning birding on the slopes and rocky gorges of Mount Moroto to target rock-loving passerines such as the Little Rock Thrush and Brown-tailed Rock Chat. Midday departure for the long, adventurous transfer deeper into the remote north, heading for Kidepo Valley National Park.

🎯 Target Birds — Moroto

• Hartlaub’s Turaco

• Amethyst Sunbird

• Golden-winged Sunbird

• Delegorgue’s Pigeon

• Lemon Dove

• Brown Parisoma

🎯 Target Birds & Other Key Species

• Little Rock Thrush (Monticola rufocinerea)

• Bristle-crowned Starling (Onychognathus salvadorii)

• Brown-tailed Rock Chat (Oenanthe scotocerca)

• Red-and-Yellow Barbet (Trachyphonus erythrocephalus)

🦅 Raptors

• Lanner Falcon

• Peregrine Falcon

• Red-footed Falcon

• Overnight: Full Board, Kidepo Valley NP (Apoka/Narus Valley area)

Day 9 — Arrival & Introductory Birding: Kidepo Valley NP

• Activities: Gentle entry into Kidepo with birding stops en route to the lodge. Afternoon introductory game and bird drive in the Narus Valley, which retains water and attracts a higher concentration of birds and wildlife. Target species include the Ostrich, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, and large ground birds like the Kori Bustard.

• Overnight: Full Board, Kidepo Valley NP

Days 10–12 — Intensive Birding in Narus & Kidepo Valleys

• Activities: Three full days dedicated to exploring Kidepo’s varied habitats. Drives will cover the Narus Valley (favored for raptors and bustards), the dry Kidepo Valley toward the Hot Springs, and the rocky kopjes. Key specialties include the localized Black-breasted Barbet, Clapperton’s Francolin, Red-throated Bee-eater, various larks, and dry-country seedeaters (Eastern Paradise Whydah, Straw-tailed Whydah).

• Overnight: Full Board, Kidepo Valley NP.

• 🎯 Target Birds — Kidepo Valley National Park

• Key Birding Species:
  Black-breasted Barbet (Lybius rolleti)
  Rosy-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
  Chestnut Sparrow (Passer eminibey)
  Chestnut Weaver (Ploceus rubiginosus)
  African Silverbill (Euodice cantans)
  Eastern Paradise Whydah (Vidua paradisaea)
  Straw-tailed Whydah (Vidua fischeri)
  Red-fronted Barbet (Tricholaema diademata)
  Yellow-bellied Eremomela (Eremomela icteropygialis)
  White-fronted Black Chat (Myrmecocichla albifrons)

• Raptors & Bustards:
  Hartlaub’s Bustard (Lissotis hartlaubii)
  Buff-crested Bustard (Lophotis gindiana)
  Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori)
  White-bellied Bustard (Eupodotis senegalensis)
  Denham’s Bustard (Neotis denhami)
  Black-bellied Bustard (Lissotis melanogaster)

• Hornbills:
  Northern Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus)
  Jackson’s Hornbill (Tockus jacksoni)
  Hemprich’s Hornbill (Tockus hemprichii)

Click here for the Full Bird List — Kidepo National Park

Day 13 — Return Transfer toward Entebbe

Activities: Early departure begins the staged return journey (950+ km total). This is a long transfer day necessary to break the drive back to Entebbe. The route offers final roadside birding opportunities as you cross the vast savannah landscapes. 

Overnight: Full Board, En route accommodation (Soroti/Lira area)

Day 14 — Entebbe & Departure

• Activities: Final major drive leg to cover the remaining distance to Entebbe. This day allows for some final roadside and open-country birding before reaching the city. Transfer directly to Entebbe International Airport (EBB) for your international departure.

Overnight: Day use/Departure.