Tour Overview
The 5 Day Budongo and Bugoma birding expedition is a fun package for travellers who want to explore birds in Uganda’s most birding tourist destinations. This safari will take you to Budongo Forest, which is adjacent to Murchison Falls National Park.
This is one of the birding areas that Uganda boasts about. You will also carry out birding in Kaniyo Pabidi forest in Murchison Falls, and the same trip will take you to Bugoma forest, another bird dwelling area.
While on this birding expedition, you will encounter several birds, for example; rufous-chested swallow, eagles, barbets, lesser striped swallow, white-breasted sooty chat, Isabelline wheatear, white-fronted black chat, Abyssinian ground hornbills, rollers, yellow-throated greenbul to mention but a few. You will as well encounter wildlife such as leopards, lions, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes and other wildlife.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park
Upon arrival, our driver guide will pick you up from the airport, and brief you about your 5 day Budongo and Bugoma birding expedition, thereafter, you will set off for Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park that stretches to make 3,893 square kilometers and this expanse of land is a bird dwelling area that hosts over 470 birds.
This park is located in northwestern Uganda and it will take you about a 6-hour drive from Kampala the capital city of Uganda, lunch en route will be in Masindi. Arriving in Murchison Falls will be in the evening, check-in to the lodge, freshen up, have dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Birding in Budongo forest and boat cruise
On this day, you will arrive very early in the morning, meet your driver guide and be transferred to Budongo forest which is located in the south of Murchison Falls National Park. You will get a chance to see birds when they are still in their nests and others will be flying out to start their day.
While in the Budongo forest, you will have a chance to spot birds that cannot be found elsewhere in East Africa and these are; the yellow-footed flycatcher and Pavel’s illadopsis.
Budongo forest is one of the largest natural forests that Uganda celebrates, it has several wildlife such as chimpanzees, birds, plants, forest elephants, bush pigs, buffaloes, baboons, monkeys, and butterflies among other animals.
On your search for birds, you will meet the following birds black lured, brown babblers, eagles, rufous chested swallow, barbets, white-fronted black-chat, and Ethiopian swallow among others. You will return to the lodge in time for lunch, and later in the evening, you go for a launch cruise to the Nile Delta.
You will enjoy the stretch of the Nile which attracts wildlife such as buffaloes, elephants, and antelopes will be seen at the river bank, it is on this launch cruise that you will be rewarded with sighting shoebill storks, cormorants, kingfishers, and eagles, among other birds. You will return to the lodge in the late evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Check-out and transfer to Bugoma forest
Arise in the morning, enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, bid farewell to Murchison Falls and head to Kibale Forest National Park. You will do a game drive in the morning as you check out of the park, expect to be welcomed by herds of elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and hartebeests among others, several birds will be seen as well as you enjoy the game drive.
You will exit the park, and head to Bugoma Forest located in the Rift Valley floor, lunch will be served at Bugoma Forest Lodge, thereafter embark on an excursion in this forest, to see different species of monkeys, birds and flora species. Return to the lodge, relax, have dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Birding in Bugoma forest
Unfold your day with a delicious breakfast, meet your driver guide and head to the briefing area of Bugoma forest. Kickstart the day with a chimpanzee trekking adventure and later birding experience.
Bugoma forest has a recorded number of 225 bird species and it’s a home to two species of birds that are widely threatened and these are; black-eared ground thrush which is also known as (zoothera camaronesis) and nahan’s francolin which is also widely known as (Francolinus nahani). Bugoma forest is home to other bird species such as the Ethiopian swallow, francolins, owls, kites, and eagles, among other birds.
The forest is endowed with other species like chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys, and butterflies among other wild species, you will later return to the lodge for lunch, and then in the evening, you will have a guided nature walk to Bigodi wetland another birding area located in Kibale national park.
You will spot shoebill storks, saddle-billed storks, and herons, and later return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 5: Check-out and departure
On the 5th day, you will wake up in the morning, enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, check out and transfer back to Kampala. You will arrive in time for lunch, have an en-route lunch and then be dropped at the hotel or the airport depending on your time for your flight.
