9 days Birding the Northern species safari encounters.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

Day 1: Birding to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.

We transfer from Entebbe/ Munyonyo via Jinja and Mbale towns and to the wooded grasslands of Pian Upe. The change in elevation and habitat provides for quite the scenic views. Pain Upe is the largest Wildlife Reserve in the country and is home to a multitude of wildlife species especially birds which include the only country endemic species, Grey Kestrel, African hobby, Fox kestrel, Fox’s Weaver.

Stay at Karamoja Overland Camp/Pian-Upe H/O…2nights FB

Day 2: Whole day in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.

The hunt for the Fox kestrel, Fox’s Weaver has us journey through the park as we also search for other interesting birds like the Rufous Chatterer, Northern Brownbul, Stone Partridge, Purple-banded Sunbird, African Golden Oriole , Abyssinian ground hornbill, Dusky turtle dove, superb Starling, African Hill babbler, secretary bird, ostrich, Eastern bronze napped pigeon, black throated wattle eye, Karamoja Apalis, yellow billed shrike Hartlaubs bustard, Jacksons hornbill, White headed buffalo weavers among many others.

Day 3: Whole day birding to Moroto.

We shall do some birding through the park as we transfer to Matheniko Wildlife reserve in Moroto. We intend to try and get some other sightings along the journey.

Stay at Kara-Tunga Safari Camp…2nights FB

Day 4: Birding Around Moroto Area.

The plan is to spend the whole day moving through Matheniko-Bokora Wildlife Reserve. The reserve is home to a variety of species such as the White-headed, Red-billed and White-billed Buffalo Weavers, Purple Grenadier, Rufous chatterer among many more.

Day 5: Birding to Kidepo Valley National Park

We transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park after breakfast. We shall drive through Matheniko Wildlife Reserve as this stretch provides a fascinating scenery and we will hopefully pick up any species we might have missed out on the previous day. Kidepo Valley National Park is the least explored of all parks in the country which also provides for more popular bird activity with its count reaching 480 species, making it second to Queen Elizabeth National Park amongst all the protected areas in the country.

Stay at Kidepo Savannah Lodge…2nights FB

Day 6: Birding in Kidepo Valley National Park

The park contains one of the most exciting faunas of any Ugandan national park. Along with the neighboring Karamoja region, it houses many species found nowhere else in Uganda, including the greater and lesser kudu, Eland and cheetah. Carnivores here include the lion, leopard, spotted hyena and black-backed and side-striped jackals. Other large species regularly seen here are elephant, Borensis Zebra, warthog, Rothschild’s giraffe, Cape buffalo, bushbuck, bush duiker, Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, hartebeest and oribi.

The park boasts an extensive bird list of around 400 species, making it second only in Uganda to Queen Elizabeth National Park. A few species of note are the Ostrich, Kori Bustard and Karamoja Apalis, Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Scimitar bill, Black-breasted Barbet, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Fox Kestrel, Golden Pipit, Jackson’s Hornbill, Karamoja Apalis, Purple Grenadier, Pygmy Falcon, Red-throated Bee-eater, White-Bellied Go-away bird.

Kidepo is notable for its birds of prey. Of the 56 species recorded, 14 including Verreaux’s Eagle, Egyptian Vulture and Pygmy Falcon are believed to be endemic to the Kidepo and Karamoja region. There has, however, been no comprehensive survey of birds in Kidepo and visitors stand a good chance of adding to the current list.

Day 7-8: Birding to Murchison Falls National Park

Today we leave early for Murchison Falls National Park. The name of the park was derived from the incredible Murchison Falls, where the Nile is forced through a 6-meter gap, forming the most powerful water surge on the planet. A boat cruise on the calmer stretches will allow us to watch and photograph the birds and the large animals which throng the banks, and we may have chances of finding the world’s most peculiar bird, the Shoebill. We will also explore the park’s broad-leaved woodland, dry grasslands, and forests, including nocturnal expeditions to find the unrivaled Standard-winged Nightjar.

There are chances of seeing animals like ; Giraffes, Elephants, kobs, Oribi , Elephants, Lions, Spotted Hyenas, Grass hare, Warthogs, leopards, buffalos and Birds such as Black-headed Gonolek, Spotted Dikkop, yellow-throated longclaw, Kittlitz’s plover, Water and Senegal Thicknee, Blue naped and Speckled mouse birds, Spur-Winged Plover, African wattled Lapwing, Purple -Backed Starlings, Crowned Lapwings, Black-bellied Bustards, Red-necked Spurfowls, Northern Red and Black-Winged Bishop, White-browed Coucal and many others.

Special birds to look for Murchison Falls National Park include Shoebill, Secretary Bird, Abyssinian Roller and Ground Hornbill, Pied Kingfishers, Red-throated Bee-eaters, Goliath Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Senegal Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing, Long-toed Lapwing, Little Bittern, Osprey, Red-necked Falcon, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Vinaceous Dove and Grosbeak Weaver. Other specials include Buff-bellied Warbler, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Spotted Morning-Thrush, Marabou Stork, Red-throated Bee-eater, Silver Bird, Beautiful Sunbird, Black-headed Gonolek, Speckle-fronted and Golden-backed Weavers, White-rumped Seedeater, Pel’s Fishing Owl, White Crested Turaco, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver, Carmine Bee-eater, Night jars (Pennant-winged &Standard-winged), White rumped canary etc.

Stay at Fort Murchison Camp…2nights FB

Day 9: Transfer to Entebbe Intentional Airport.

Today morning after breakfast we shall comb birding wile transferring to Entebbe via the national park and continue to the airport for our flights back home.