New Trip Report: Uganda and Rwanda

Our journey through Uganda and Rwanda this month was once again a resounding success, with great views obtained of the four main target birds: Shoebill at Mabamba Swamp, Green-breasted Pitta at Kibale, Grauer’s Broadbill at Mabwindi Swamp in Bwindi and Red-collared Mountain Babbler at Nyungwe, Rwanda. We logged a total of just over 530 bird species, including heard-onlys.

Here follows the summary of the trip and the link to the full trip report.

Green-breasted Pitta photographed on this Birding Africa tour © Andrew de Klerk

Our standard ‘Uganda Specials’ tour was supplemented with a quick pre-tour loop through the lower-altitude forests of Budongo and savannas of Murchison Falls, adding substantially to our species list. Our Specials tour also took in the endemics of the lofty Albertine Rift forests and various other habitats en route. During the two weeks we visited wetlands at Lake Victoria’s Mabamba Swamp, Lake Bunyoni and the Nyabarongo River in Rwanda, mid-altitude forests at Kibale and “The Neck” of Bwindi, grasslands and savannas at Queen Elizabeth, and montane forests at Bwindi and Rwanda’s Nyungwe. Some of the group also opted to spend a day tracking Eastern Gorillas.

Besides the four biggies, other highlights included Ituri Batis, Nahan’s Partridge, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Black Bishop, Cardinal Quelea, Puvel’s Illadopsis and Brown Twinspot in the Budongo area; Heuglin’s Francolin, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Red-winged Grey Warbler and Shelley’s Sparrow at Murchison Falls; Lesser Jacana, Long-toed Lapwing, Blue Swallow, Weyns’s Weaver and Orange Weaver at Mabamba Swamp, Papyrus Gonolek nearby, Speckle- breasted Woodpecker and White-winged Swamp Warbler en route to Kibale, Toro Olive Greenbul, Grey Parrot, Joyful Greenbul, Thick-billed Cuckoo and White-collared Oliveback at Kibale, Senegal Lapwing and White-tailed Lark at Queen Elizabeth, Swamp Nightjar and Red- throated Wryneck en route to Bwindi, Many-coloured Bushshrike and Grey-headed Sunbird at “The Neck”, Handsome Francolin, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Grauer’s Warbler, Doherty’s Bushshrike, Regal Sunbird, Grauer’s Rush Warbler and Dusky Crimsonwing at Ruhija, Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Carruther’s Cisticola at Lake Bunyoni, Ruaha Chat en route to Nyungwe, Mountain Buzzard, Red-throated Alethe, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Equatorial Akalat, Dwarf Honeyguide, Kungwe Apalis, Willard’s Boubou, African Broadbill, Lagden’s Bushshrike, Neumann’s Warbler and Purple-breasted Sunbird at Nyungwe and Papyrus Canary at the Nyabarongo wetlands.

Mammal highlights were Chimpanzee at Budongo, Leopard in a tree at Murchison Falls, Central African Red Colobus and Grey-cheeked Mangabey (Uganda Mangabey) at Kibale, Leopard beside the road in Queen Elizabeth, l’Hoest Monkey and Eastern Gorilla at Bwindi and Angola Pied Colobus at Nyungwe.

See the detailed trip report.

See the 2014 tour dates and prices.

To join Michael Mills in July and August 2014, please contact Marje Hemp: info@birdingafrica.com.