8-Day Uganda Birding and Chimp Tracking Safari

UBDMSU/ 003- 8-Day Uganda Birding and Chimp Tracking Safari

 Safari Highlights

Woodland, Open Country, Shoebill expedition, Wetland and Forest Birding.  Game Drives, Boat Cruises, Hiking, Nature walks, Chimpanzee Tracking, Cultural and Community Tour.

What you need:

• Some Binoculars.
• Camera with 200+ mm lens (Optional)
• Identification App (Optional)
• Closed shoes, long pants, water and insect repellent.

Safari Overview

The 8-day Uganda Birding and Chimp Tracking Safari offers birdwatching, community visits, and chimpanzee tracking, starting at Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

You will go Shoebill hunting in Mabamba Swamp as part of this amazing safari before travelling to Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, and Kibale, Uganda’s two savannah and one forest national parks, respectively. 

• Entebbe Botanical Gardens: Among the 300 types of tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate zone flora, you can sample a range of water, open country, and forest birds.
• A Medley of Wonders: Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, showcasing over 90 mammal and 612 bird species in diverse habitats, including Kazinga Channel and Kyambura Gorge inhabited by chimpanzees.

The Chimpanzee Capital of the World: The safari ends with a visit to Kibale National Park, Uganda’s Chimpanzee Capital, where you will enjoy chimp tracking, bird watching, ecotourism, and wildlife sampling.

• Rates fixed by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Hotels

 Safari Summary

Day 1- Arrival, pickup and birding at Botanical Gardens

Day 2-   Shoebill/ birding at Mabamba and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park.

Day 3- Game drive and boat cruise in Lake Mburo National Park.

Day 4-   Birding in Kasenyi, Kob Mating Grounds visit, Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel.

Day 5- Birding in Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth National Park)

Day 6-  Birding in Kibale National Park.

Day 7- Birding in Bigodi Swamp and Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park.

Day 8- Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe Airport

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: UBDMSU/ 002-Arrival and birding Entebbe Botanical Gardens    

Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport, you’ll be transferred to a hotel in Entebbe by a Snap Uganda driver/guide. (high-end Number 5 Boutique Hotel – 5 Star

Mid-range: Boma Hotel Entebbe).  After lunch, you’ll embark on a bird watching tour at Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

Birding in Entebbe Botanical Gardens: There is no better way of relaxing amidst nature in the city than visiting the Uganda Botanical Gardens in Entebbe.

Uganda Botanical Gardens in Entebbe on the northern shores of Lake Victoria covering about 40 hectares, covered with around 300 tropical, subtropical, and temperate zone plant species, including 200 indigenous Ugandan plants, 110 exotic plants, and 122 medicinal plants.

The gardens are home to a variety of primates, water, open country and woodland bird species.

The variety of bird life includes; Lizard Buzzard, Woodland, African Pygmy and Pied Kingfisher, Black-headed, Vieillot’s Black, Yellow-backed, Golden-breasted, Spectacled and Orange Weavers, African Paradise, Red-bellied Paradise, Northern-black and African Dusky Flycatchers, Olive-bellied, Green-headed, Scarlet-chested, Marico, Red-chested and Superb Sunbirds among others.

List of birds in Entebbe Botanical Gardens and surrounding areas

After the bird watching exercise in Botanical Garden you go to your booked hotel for an overnight stay.

Accommodation:

High-end: Number 5 Boutique Hotel – 5 Star

Mid-range: Boma Hotel Entebbe

Day 2: UBDMSU/ 002, Shoebill birding in Mabamba Swamp     

Location:

46 km from Entebbe via Nakawuka Road

77km via Entebbe Express

Coordinates: 0.0766039, 32.3505735

After an early morning breakfast, with packed lunch, we start birding towards Mabamba swamp for the Shoebill Stork and a variety of other bird species. The swamp is one of Uganda’s 33 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance hosting key protected bird species.

Mabamba swamp is the nearest place from Kampala where the critically endangered Shoebill can easily be seen.

Mabamba swamp, is the only place rated as the best in Africa or probably in the world where the elusive shoebill can be easily spotted at any one time of the day. Following in in the footsteps of Mabamba is Murchison Falls National Park.

Apart from the shoe bill, here are some of the birds you might see: African and Lesser Jacana, White-breasted, Blue-breast and Little Bee-eaters, Lesser Moorhen, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Black-headed, Long-toed Lapwing, Yellow-billed and White-backed Duck, African Marsh Harrier, Weyns’s Weaver, Blue Swallow and Red-headed among others. . After that we proceed on to Lake Mburo National Park, with stopovers at the Equator, for the water experiment and a quick look at the craft shops and another stopover at Kaaku swamp to check on some birds like Lesser Moorhen, Little Grabe, African Darter, Grey-crowned Crane, Saddle-billed Stork, Spur-winged and Egyptian Geese, White-faced and Fulvuos Whistling-Duck and African Jacana among others.

Read more: List of birds in Mabamba Swamp

Detailed activity at Mabamba

Birding is done on traditional canoe so once at Mabamba we will board a mortised boat and ride through water channels lined with a healthy papyrus swamp. The Local guides, know how to track the shoes bill.  While in the boat, you will spot a variety of birds.

Approximately 38% of the global population of the Blue Swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea), and the globally-threatened Papyrus Yellow Warbler plus other birds of global conservation concern reside in Mabamba. It is also a habitat to rare plant species like Scadoxus species. Recently, Mabamba has become one of the strong holds for the migrant Blue Swallow with over 100 individuals recorded every year.  Mabamba has been surveyed in recent years and now boosts of over 260 species with one day’s record of 157 species (Bird Life International)

A canoe ride through papyrus swamp will take you at the best spot of spotting the Shoebill bird among other rare Africa birds like those mentioned above.

After Mabamba we proceed to Lake Mburo National Park with a stopover at the Uganda Equator crossing, arriving in the evening and checking in at the Lodge for an overnight.

Accommodation:

High- end: Mihingo Lodge

Mid- range: Rwakobo Rock

LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK

Location:

243 km southwest of Mabamba by road (4.5 hours’ drive).

Coordinates: -0.6716956, 30.9308052 

Lake Mburo National Park is Uganda’s smallest savanna park measuring 228 km² close to the to the Masaka Mbarara highway. The park has over 350 bird species and the biggest concentration of Zebras, impala, and eland in Uganda.

The park offers a distinctive environment for species that is uncommon in other Ugandan parks thanks to its diverse range of ecosystems, which include pockets of papyrus swamp, beautiful riparian woods along the lakes and rivers, rocky terrain, forested gorges, and expansive grassland.

Key Wildlife Species

Zebras –  Lake Mburo has the largest concentration is Uganda’s best places to see zebras

Impalas – The park boasts Uganda’s only population of impalas

Elands – Africa’s largest antelope species is frequently spotted here

Buffaloes, Defassa waterbucks, and reedbucks roam the open savanna while Hippos and Crocodiles dominate the lakeshores.

Leopards and hyenas lurk in the woodlands, though sightings are rare

Bush pigs, warthogs, and topis add to the park’s diversity

Since there are no elephants at Lake Mburo, unlike other savanna parks in Uganda, forests can flourish there unchecked.

 Birding in Lake Mburo National Park

One of the greatest places in Uganda for birdwatching is Lake Mburo, which is home to more than 300 different kinds of birds. The area around Rwonyo offers some of the best views of the park’s famous acacia-associated birds.

Lake Mburo is the best place in Uganda for acacia-dwellers such as the black-collared Barbet and Bare-faced Go-away-bird with park forming the northern limit of their range.

The secretive African Finfoot and spectacular Ross’s Turaco are often seen on boat trips. The swamps support papyrus specials such as Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal and the Shoebill Stork.  Migratory birds are present from November to April.

 Notable birds in the park include:

Mosque swallow, Black-bellied bustard, Bare-faced go-away bird, Rüppell’s Starling, Southern ground hornbill, and Black-throated barbet among the many.

List of birds in Lake Mburo National Park

Best time for bird watching

The birdlife in Lake Mburo is good year-round. June and July have the least rain, while March and April have the most rain. The heavy rains might result in delays due to impassable roads, which can limit your bird-watching time.

Migratory birds are around from November to April

Read more about Lake Mburo National Park

Day 3: UBDMSU/ 002, Lake Mburo National Park

1. Bird watching game drive
2. Boat cruise

 Bird watching game drive

After breakfast, we start our birding/game drive. Lake Mburo National Park is the best place in Uganda for acacia-dwellers such as the black-collared Barbet and Bare-faced Go-away-bird with park forming the northern limit of their range.

The swamps in the park support papyrus specials such as Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal and the Shoebill Stork.  Migratory birds are present from November to April.

During the game drive, we look out for bird specialties that include; the rare Shoebill Stork, Trilling, Long-tailed (Tabora), and Caruther’s  Cisticolas, Greater Snipe, Spot-franked, Red-faced and Crested Barbet, Short-toed and Brown Snake-Eagle, Papyrus yellow and White-winged Warbler, African Finfoot, Saddle-billed Stork, Brown-chested, African Wattled and Senegal Lapwing, Red-faced and  Yellow-breasted Apalis, White-winged Black Tit, Broad-billed and Lilac-breasted Roller, Crested and Coqui Francolin among others.

More than 300 bird species have been sighted in the park according to the eBird checklist.

List of birds in Lake Mburo National Park.

We return to the lodge for lunch after the game drive.  After lunch, we take a boat trip on Lake Mburo in the afternoon.

Day 3: UBDMSU/ 002- Birding boat cruise on Lake Mburo

A boat cruise on Lake Mburo is an excellent opportunity for birdwatching. You’ll be able to spot various water birds along the shores and in the wetlands like the African fish Eagle, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, Cormorants, Egrets, Ross’s Turaco, Narina Trogon and the elusive and secretive African Finfoot.

The swamps in the park support papyrus specials such as Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal and the Shoebill Stork.  Migratory birds are present from November to April.

During the boat trip, you might also see crocodiles, hippos, and other animals along the lake shores.

After the boat cruise, we go back to the lodge for an overnight.

Accommodation:

High- end: Mihingo Lodge

Mid- range: Rwakobo Rock

Day 4: UBDMSU/ 002- Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Wake up early in the morning, have and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and check in at the lodge.

Accommodation:

High- end: Mweya Safari Lodge.

Mid-range: Enganzi Lodge.

ABOUT QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Location:

173km by road northwest of Lake Mburo National Park ( 4 hours’ drive)

414 km from Kampala via Masaka-Mbarara – Kasese Road.

Coordinates: -0.1920887, 29.8944855 (Mweya)

Tucked on the floor of the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley in western Uganda, between Lakes Edward and George, is a medley of wonders – Queen Elizabeth National Park, a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO auspices.

The park is gifted with a mosaic of ecosystems that has enabled it to have the highest bio diversity ratings of any National Park in the world.

The diverse ecosystems within the park, which include sprawling savanna. Shady humid forests, sparkling lakes and wetlands, make Queen Elizabeth the ideal destination for boat cruises, birding, community tourism, nature walks, chimpanzee tracking and a must visit for classic big game safaris.

The varied habitats of the park are home to over 90 mammal species along with over 612 species of birds which is a record bird count of any park in Africa.

List of Birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Read more about Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 4: UBDMSU/ 002- Queen Elizabeth National Park

1. Morning Birding Game Drive in Kasenyi Plains
2. Uganda Kob Mating Grounds
3. Afternoon Boat Cruise on the Kazinga Channel

 Birding in Kasenyi Plains

Our morning starts with birding in the Kasenyi Plains, where open grasslands and scattered thickets attract a wide variety of species like; Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Rufous-napped Lark, White-tailed Lark, Red-capped Lark, Flappet Lark, Temminck’s Courser, Black-crowned Lapwing, Senegal Lapwing, and Wattled Lapwing, alongside Yellow-throated Longclaw and the soaring White-backed and Ruppell’s Griffon Vultures.

From the Kasenyi plains, we drive to Uganda Kob Mating Grounds where Kobs congregate and engage in spectacular courtship displays.  Lions are usually not far away. From the Kob Lekking Ground we dive to the lodge for lunch.

 Afternoon Boat Cruise on the Kazinga Channel

After lunch, we enjoy an unforgettable boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel that links Lakes Edward and George.  The channel is lined up with herds of Elephants, pods of Hippos, basking Nile Crocodiles and a great variety of birds that include the African Skimmer, African Spoonbill, Gull-billed and White-winged Terns, Pelicans, and depending on the season and waders like Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints.

Other birds to look out for include; Heuglin’s Gulls, Slender-billed Gulls, Grey-hooded Gulls, Great White Pelicans, Pink-backed Pelicans, Long-tailed Cormorants, and Woolly-necked Storks and Red-throated Bee-eaters.

List of birds on Kazinga Channel

After the boat cruise, we head back to the lodge for an overnight

Dinner and overnight.

High- end: Mweya Safari Lodge.

Mid-range:  Enganzi Lodge.

Day 5: UBDMSU/ 002 – Birding Kyambura Gorge

Birding in Kyambura Gorge

Taking packed lunch after breakfast, we head to Kyambura Gorge, also referred to as the “Valley of Apes.” The gorge has a variety of ecosystems, from savannah to forest, and is home chimpanzees and to a large number of bird species, including wetlands and forest birds.

For birders, Kyambura is a paradise with some unique bird species like;

Here are some of the birds in Kyambura

• Congo Pied Hornbill Lophoceros fasciatus
• Joyful Greenbul Chlorocichla laetissima
• Uganda Woodland-Warbler Phylloscopus budongoensis
• Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata
• Scaly-throated Honeyguide Indicator variegatus
• Black-capped Apalis Apalis nigriceps
• Gray Parrot Psittacus erithacus
• Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava
• White-tailed Blue Flycatcher Elminia albicauda
• Western Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes longuemarei

List of Birds in Kyambura Gorge

After Kyambura, we drive back to the lodge for lunch after which we check out and transfer to Kibale National Park.  Kibale National Park is within half a day’s drive from Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori Mountains and Semuliki National Parks, as well as the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve. Kibale adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park to the south.

At Kibale, you check in and rest.

Accommodation:

High-end: Kimpundu Lodge

Mid-range: Primates Lodge

ABOUT KIBALE NATIONAL PARK

Location:  

110 km northeast of Queen Elizabeth National Park by road (3hours’ drive)

330 km from Kampala via Fort Portal.

33 km from Fort Portal along Kamwenge Road.

Coordinates: 0.4330546, 30.3925610

Kibale National Park k is one of Uganda’s most visited rainforests known for known for its rich biodiversity, forest birds, and primates.  Its diverse ecosystem, from rainforest canopies to swampy clearings, provides a perfect habitat for many species. Kibale National Park is home to 70 mammal and 250 butterfly species and over 300 bird species.

Best Time for Bird Watching

Birdlife in Kibale is good year-round though it is at its best from March to May and from September to November. June to September is the main fruiting season with food is abundance, and with many birds in breeding plumage. Migratory birds can be found from November to April.

After the evening birding activity, we will back to the lodge for an overnight

Read more about Kibale National Park

List of birds in Kibale National Park

Day 6: UBDMSU/ 002 –  Birding in Kibale National Park

After breakfast we proceed for birding starting around Kanyanchu. The most sought after bird is the Green-breasted Pitta, one of Africa’s most elusive birds that we might see in its natural habitat.

With over 300 different bird species, Kibale National Park is a birdwatcher’s dream come true. Due to its combination of lowland and forest habitats, the park is home to a diverse range of birds, including Albertine Rift Endemics and other species that have not yet been identified in any other Ugandan National Park like the Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Nahan’s Francolin and Masked Apalis.

During this birding exercise, we will be able to see other birds like; the Yellow-billed Barbet, African Emerald Cuckoo, and Black-billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Sabine’s Spinetail, Chestnut Wattle-eye, and Narrow-tailed Starling among others.

After the morning birding excursion, we go back to the lodge for lunch.  After a lunch break, we go back to search for more bird species that we were not able to see in the morning concentrating on roadside and forest edge birding.  While birding, expect to see lots of other primates like the Red Colobus and black and white Colobus monkeys, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Olive Baboons, Red-tailed Monkeys, and L’Hoest’s Monkeys.

Later, we go to the ledge of an overnight:

Accommodation:

High-end: Kimpundu Lodge

 Mid-range: Primates Lodge

Day 7:  UBDMSU/ 002– Kibale National Park

1. Birding in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
2. Chimpanzee tracking
3. Birding in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

After breakfast, we will go to Bigodi for birding and a swamp walk.  The walk allows you to look out for more bird species and other primates. Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a community-run wetland about 4 km away from the park and home to other mammals such as sitatunga, bushbucks and otters.

The swamp has more than 200 bird species that include; Lizard Buzzard, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Great Blue Turaco, and Blue-breasted Kingfisher. Other birds to be spotted in the swamp include the Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Woodland Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, and Hairy-breasted Barbet. Also, expect to see the Double-toothed Barbet, little Greenbul, Winding Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola, Green Crombec, and Black-and-white Shrike-Flycatcher.

While in Bigodi, look out for the Great Blue Turaco, which is the emblem of the KAFRED, the Community-based Conservation organization in the area.

After birdwatching, we’ll go to a craft center that’s run by a local women’s organization. Your trip to Kibale National Park, particularly to Bigodi Swamp, supports local communities through ecotourism projects and aids in the protection of endangered birds, and primates.

After enjoying a picnic lunch in Bigodi, we will return to Kanyanchu in the afternoon to conduct chimpanzee tracking.

Day 7: UBDMSU/ 002- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest.

After lunch, we drive to the visitors’ center at Kanyachu for a pre- chimpanzee tracking briefing.  The rangers will brief us about the route we will be taking, the safety precautions, and explain more about the chimpanzees and their behaviour in the wild.

Two treks take place every day in Kibale National Park, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The terrain of the forest is not too challenging, compared to the often gruelling terrain of gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

At around 2.00 am, we will enter the forest to track the chimpanzees and other primates. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale offers exciting experiences. With 13 primate’s species, Kibale National Park is known as the “Primates Capital of the world. “  The park hosts about 1500 chimpanzees out of the 5000 recorded in the country, a record that makes it home to one of the highest concentrations of chimpanzees in Africa.

Chimpanzee tracking is characterised by the sounds and feel of the jungle. Birds sing, leaves dance gently under the cool breeze of the tropical forest. The soft sounds of birds are spiced up by the occasional calls of chimpanzees in the distance as you approach them.

The chimpanzees you are now approaching are habituated. They are accustomed to human presence and tend not to retreat too deep into the forest. This means you do not have to hike as far before coming across them, either on the ground or up and swinging in the trees above. You can see them swinging in the trees. You can observe them foraging. You can watch them playing in one of the most thrilling nature experiences in the world.

We can only spend an hour observing their behaviour once we make contact with them.  The trekking guides will provide more information about the chimps especially on how they behave.

Chimpanzees have different personalities and characters. Some are shy and timid, others are playful and funny while a few are naughty.

A typical trek will take around 3 hours, including one hour with the chimps.

After the chimpanzee tracking exercise, we go back to the lodge for an overnight stay.

Accommodation:

High-end: Kimpundu Lodge

Mid-range: Primates Lodge

Day 8: UBDMSU/ 002- Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe

On our final day, we enjoy breakfast at the lodge before driving back to Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, which takes about 4 hours. It takes 45 minutes to reach Entebbe International Airport from Kampala.

End of trip

Price Inclusions

• Airport transfers
• Chimpanzee tracking permits
• Ground transportation
• Services of English speaking driver/guide
• Full board accommodation
• Entrance fees
• All park fees
•  Nature Walks
• Game drives
• Boat cruises

Price Exclusions

• Air ticket
• Entrance visas
• Drinks which are not included on the itinerary
• Tourist insurance
• Tips

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Trip name: * UBDMSU/ 003- 8- day Uganda birding and chimp tracking safari    

Thank you for choosing Snap Uganda Tours. We will be pleased to hear your comments after the   Photographic Safari.

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