From the source of the White Nile on Lake Victoria to the snow-capped Ruwenzori Range, the montane forests of the Virunga volcanoes, harbouring some of the last remaining Mountain Gorillas, to the extensive savannas around the awe-inspiring Murchison Falls, Uganda is an equatorial country of astonishing contrasts! No other area in Africa can match its amazing diversity of habitats (in an area approximately the size of Great Britain!), and this richness is reflected in its incredible bird list of over 1,000 species, making it arguably the richest African birding destination. Amongst these are many highly sought-after birds, including the unique Shoebill and the numerous spectacular endemics of the Albertine Rift Valley. This tour provides a comprehensive coverage of Uganda while staying at some great lodges, and aside from the birds (over 500 species of them!), it offers superb game viewing and the chance to track Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees!
Please note: As we cannot guarantee the availability of gorilla permits, we suggest you book very early if you would like to purchase one for the optional gorilla trek. As of mid 2022, these permits are US$ 700 per person (non-refundable).
Shoebill, Ring-necked, Heuglin’s & Nahan’s Spurfowls, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Grauer’s Broadbill, Red-faced Barbet, Green-breasted Pitta, Papyrus Gonolek, Lühder’s, Many-coloured & Bocage’s Bushshrikes, Red-throated Alethe, Ituri Batis, Great Blue Turaco, Dusky & Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Blue Malkoha, Black Bee-eater, Blue-throated Roller, African Dwarf, Chocolate-backed, Shining-blue & Blue-breasted Kingfishers, Grauer’s & Neumann’s Warblers, Uganda & Red-throated Woodland Warblers, Fraser’s Rufous Thrush, White-tailed & Red-tailed Ant Thrushes, Lowland Masked, Mountain Masked and Ruwenzori Apalises, Afep & White-naped Pigeons, Greyish Eagle-Owl, Red-chested Owlet, White-spotted Flufftail, African Finfoot, Brown-chested Lapwing, Grey-winged, Blue-shouldered & White-bellied Robin-Chats, Equatorial Akalat, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Magpie Mannikin, Joyful, Kakamega, Ansorge’s & Toro Olive Greenbuls, Dusky & Grey-chested Babblers, Jameson’s Antpecker, Dusky Crimsonwing, Weyns's & Strange Weavers, Mountain Sooty & Lowland Sooty Boubous, Forest & White-headed Wood Hoopoes, Speckle-breasted Woodpecker
Top Mammals Mountain Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Giant Forest Hog, L’Hoest’s Monkey, Central African Red Colobus, Leopard, Lion, Chequered Elephant Shrew
Habitats Covered mid-altitude and montane rainforest, woodlands, acacia savanna, grasslands, wetlands, papyrus swamps
Expected Climate tropical with some rain expected, cooler in highlands
Max Group Size 6 with 1 Rockjumper leader
Tour Pace & Walking moderate pace with some longer walks and drives
Accommodation comfortable to luxurious guesthouses and hotels with some more basic facilities
Ease of Birding moderate with some challenging species
Number of Species Expected ±550
Other Attractions Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Nile & Kazinga cruises, Murchison Falls, African art
Photographic Opportunities excellent
Daniel Danckwerts' fantastic field skills and knowledge, combined with his sense of humour and enthusiasm for showing as many birds as possible to all participants make him an ideal birding guide.
Our Rockjumper guide, Daniel Danckwerts, was super. He was focused on getting us onto the birds especially but was personable and handled logistics and details to make our experience the best it could be. He was enthusiastic, kind, and engaging.
Born and raised in México is a certified Cultural guide and Nature-guide by the Ministry of tourism , began as a cultural guide but made a career in ecotourism and public land administration , seen that her hometown was growing so rapidly decided to give sustainable use to many vulnerable areas such as estuary of san jose home of some endemic birds , created many ecotours for her home town such as bird-watching , sea-turtle watching , stargazing among others she lead most birding tours in her area and also train others , she has been guiding cultural tours since 35 years ago and birding tours since 20 years ago . she will save you time , money and effort to enjoy the endemics
We asked for it, and we got it! This was a fabulous experience. Glen Valentine is a great leader. He has the ears of a cheerful bat, the eyes of a knowledgeable eagle, and the energy of a hummingbird. He is so happy to see the birds, we can't fail to be happy too. Our driver Hillary was a great asset to the trip. He is not only a great driver. He was unfailingly cheerful, very careful on our behalf. He knows his birds and mammals too! I am sure he could lead a good trip all by himself. Both Glen and Hilary used local guides and contacts to great effect. We always saw what was around to be seen with that added local expertise.
Daniel Danckwerts is an excellent guide, very skilled at finding and identifying birds, very energetic, and clearly dedicated to helping all the clients see the birds. He is a good conversationalist, knowledgeable on many subjects and very enjoyable to bird with. I would happily go on future tours with him.