This 8-day shoebill watching and wildlife safari in Uganda is one of the top birding tours to spot shoebill storks in various travel destinations across the Pearl of Africa. Participants visit several places in search of shoebills and other unique bird species, including Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Budongo Forest, Murchison Falls National Park, and Mabamba Swamp.
The shoebill stork is among the most iconic bird species in Uganda, and this safari offers numerous sighting experiences of this peculiar and fascinating bird in the wetland areas of Mabamba and along the River Nile in Murchison Falls National Park. During the 8-day shoebill watching and wildlife safari in Uganda, participants also have the opportunity to encounter the Big 5 safari game animals and other wild animals.
8 Days Shoebill Watching and Wildlife Safari Uganda Highlights
Day 1: Arrival
Day 2: Rhino tracking – Evening birding – Night Walk
Day 3: Full Day Birding Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 4: Birding The Royal Mile
Day 5: Full day birding in Murchison Falls National Park
Day 6: Game Drive – Boat Cruise – Hike to the top of the falls
Day 7: Budongo Forest Bird Watching
Day 8: Shoebill Safari in Mabamba Swamp
Day 1: Arrival
Upon arrival, participants meet a company representative and their birding guide for a transfer to the booked hotel. After a briefing, spend time birding around the lodge in preparation for the exciting 8-day shoebill watching safari in Uganda. Dinner and overnight stay at Via Via Hotel.
Day 2: Rhino tracking – Evening birding – Night Walk
Following a morning breakfast, head northwards through the farmlands and swamps of central Uganda, arriving at the lodge set in acacia woodland in time for lunch. Take a few minutes to tour the camp or relax before embarking on a rhino tracking tour at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This tour takes approximately 2 hours, walking to and observing the rhinos. Although guarded constantly, the rhinos live in the wild, making it a unique opportunity to spend time with these giants while supporting their reintroduction to the wild in Uganda. After the rhino tracking tour, take a birding tour of the sanctuary to spot over 300 species of woodland, savannah, and wetland birds, such as palm nut vultures, speckled breasted woodpecker, White-crested Turaco, barbets, African cuckoo, shoebill stork, blue-spotted dove, Ross’s Turaco, Abdim’s stork, giant kingfisher, African black crake, Eastern Grey Plantain Eater, Coqui Francolin, Curlew Sandpiper, Crowned Hornbill, Dark-caped Yellow Warbler, Dusky Tit, Double-toothed Barbet, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Egyptian Goose, Crested Francolin, European Bee-eater, Eurasian Hobby, and Fan-tailed Widow Bird, among others.
Later, take a night walk to spot nocturnal animals like leopards, aardvark, and porcupine, while listening to the night sounds and wild whispers in the sanctuary for everlasting memories. Dinner and overnight stay at Ziwa Rhino Camp.
Day 3: Full Day Birding Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Wake up early morning for breakfast and start a full day of birding in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to spot birds like African Broad Bill, African Citril, African Crowned Eagle, African Darter, African Golden-breasted Bunting, African Golden Oriole, African Goshawk, African Green Pigeon, African Grey, African Grey Hornbill, African Hawk Eagle, African Hoopoe, Barn Swallow, Barred Warbler, Bat Hawk, Bateleur, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Black-and-white Cuckoo, Black-and-white Manikini, Black-and-white Shrike Flycatcher, Black-bellied Bustard, Black-crowned Tchagra, Black-crowned Waxbill, Brown Parrot, Brown-backed Srub Robin, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Buff-spotted Flufftail, Cardinal Woodpecker, Cattle Egret, Chinspot Batis, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Eurasian Hobby, Eurasian Nightjar, European Bee-eater, Fan-tailed Widow Bird, Flappet Lark, Fork-tailed Drongo, Foxes Weaver, Giant Kingfisher, Goliath Heron, Grassland Pipit, Grey Heron, Grey Kestrel, Grey Woodpecker, Hadada Ibis, Hammerkop, Helmeted Guineafowl, Heuglin’s Francolin, Intermediate Egret, Isabelline Shrike, Klass’s Cuckoo, Knob-bellied Duck, Large Brown Snake Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Long-tailed Cormorant, Long-toed Lapwing, Malachite Kingfisher, Marabou Stork, Marico Sunbird, Martial Eagle, Namaqua Dove, Northern Black Flycatcher, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Northern Wheater, Nubian Woodpecker, Red-necked Falcon, Red-rumped Swallow, Red-throated Wryneck, Red-winged Starling, Ring-necked Dove, Ross’s Turaco, African Fish Eagle, Ruff, Rufus-billed Heron, Rupell’s Long-tailed Starling, Sacred Ibis, Vinaceous Dove, Violet-tipped Courser, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Wattled Lapwing, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Western Black-headed Oriole, White-backed Night Heron, White-bellied Tit, White-headed Barbet, White-headed Mouse Bird, White-headed Saw Wing, Yellow-backed Weaver, Yellow-billed Shrike, Yellow-billed Stork, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Yellow-fronted Canary, Yellow-rumped Tinker Bird, Yellow-throated Longclaw, and Yellow Wagtail, among others. Later, transfer to Masindi for dinner and an overnight stay at Masindi Hotel.
Day 4: Birding in Murchison Falls
Have breakfast and head to the Royal Mile for bird watching. Participants can spot the following bird species at the Royal Mile: African Dwarf Kingfisher, African Forest-Flycatcher, African Palm-Swift, African Pied Hornbill, African Pygmy-Kingfisher, Ambourine Dove, Ashy Flycatcher, Barn Swallow, Black-and-white Mannikin, Black-headed Paradise-Flycatcher (Red-bellied), Bronze Mannikin, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Buff-throated Apalis, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Crowned Eagle, Golden-crowned Woodpecker, Gray Greenbul, Gray-headed Nigrita, Great Blue Turaco, Green Sunbird, Green-backed Camaroptera, Grosbeak Weaver, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Little Green Sunbird, Magpie Mannikin, Olive Sunbird, Red-chested Cuckoo, Red-headed Malimbe, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Slender-billed Greenbul, Spotted Greenbul, Superb Sunbird, Toro Olive-Greenbul, Uganda Woodland-Warbler, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Western Black-headed Oriole, White-breasted Nigrita, White-spotted Flufftail, White-thighed Hornbill, White-throated Bee-eater, Yellow-spotted Barbet, and Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, among others. Retire and drive to the booked lodge for an overnight stay and dinner at Pakuba Safari Lodge.
Day 5: Full day birding in Murchison Falls National Park
Wake up for an early morning breakfast and head to the park for a full day of bird watching in search of shoebills and other birds like Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, African Darter, African Jacana, Black-billed Barbet, Black-headed Lapwing, Blue-headed Coucal, Denham’s Bustard, Giant Heron, Giant Kingfisher, Gray-crowned Crested Crane, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Long-tailed Nightjar, Long-toed Plover, Malachite Kingfishers, Martial Eagle, Murchison Falls Flycatcher, Osprey, Pied Kingfishers, Read-throated Bee-eater, Rock Pratincole, Saddle-billed Stork, Sandpipers, Secretary Bird, Senegal Thick-Knee, Silver Bird, Standard-winged Nightjar, Swamp Flycatcher, Veracious Dove, Weaver Birds, Yellow-billed Stork, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, and more. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at Pakuba Safari Lodge.
Day 6: Game Drive – Boat Cruise – Hike to the top of the falls
Today is the highlight of the 8-day shoebill watching and wildlife safari in Uganda! After an early morning breakfast, start the morning game drive / bird watching trip. Participants can see several birds and animals such as giraffe, buffalo, lion, elephant, leopard, hyena, hartebeest, and more. Take a short break for lunch and later go for a boat cruise and hike to the top of the falls to see birds like the African Jacana, African Quail-Finch, Blue-headed Coucal, Denham’s Bustard, Sandpipers, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Squacco Heron, and Swamp Flycatcher, among others. Drive to Budongo Forest for dinner and an overnight stay at Budongo Eco Lodge.
Day 7: Budongo Forest Bird Watching
Have breakfast and go for a 3-hour guided walking bird watching safari in Budongo Forest to see various forest bird species such as African Dwarf Kingfisher, Black-eared Ground Thrush, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Brown Twinspot, Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Cassin’s Spinetail, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Crested Guineafowl, Crowned Eagle, Grey-headed Sunbird, Ituri Batis, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Little Green Sunbird, Olive-breasted Greenbul, Plain Greenbul, Puvel’s Illadopsis, Sabine’s Spinetail, White-spotted Flufftail, White-thighed Hornbill, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, and more. On a lucky day, participants may meet some primates, including chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus, blue monkey, red-tailed monkey, and olive baboon. Have lunch and drive back to Entebbe for an overnight stay at 2 Friends Beach Hotel.
Day 8: Shoebill Safari in Mabamba Swamp
Have breakfast and drive to Mabamba Swamp for shoebill tracking by canoe. Mabamba Swamp is the best site to spot shoebills at close range, so if participants have had no luck so far on this trip, this is a fabulous opportunity to see a shoebill. Other birds encountered in Mabamba include Black Crake, Black Egret, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Goliath Heron, Lesser Jacana, Orange Weaver, Papyrus Gonolek, and more. Have lunch and drive to Entebbe International Airport to end the 8-day shoebill watching and wildlife safari in Uganda, taking home countless unforgettable memories.
