Bird Watching in Rwanda

With over 703 species including 29 Albertine Rift Endemics housed in the various habitats, Rwanda is a birder’s paradise and maybe the best African Montane Birding on the continent. Great road network, safety and security, and diversity of habitat help Rwanda to be the Best African Montane Birding location.

The top list of resident species in Rwanda is Albertine Rift Endemic and many Lake Victoria Basin Endemics; most birders concentrate more of their attention on Nyungwe national park and Akagera national park, which are among the best birding areas in Rwanda. Good birding locations in Rwanda, however, abound throughout the nation and even near Kigali and consist of

Nyungwe National Park

One of the most well-known national parks in Rwanda, Nyungwe national park is a tropical montane rainforest among the oldest in Africa, most likely the best maintained montane rainforest in Central Africa. It is ideal for bird watching (Rwanda birding safaris).

Located on the border of Rwanda with Burundi, southwest Rwanda’s Nyungwe national park, sometimes known as Nyungwe Forest national park, is contiguous with the Kibira national park to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo the West. Nyungwe Forest contains one of the branches of the Nile sources in the watershed between the basin of the River Congo to the west and the basin of the River Nile to the East.

Perfect Francolin
The Red-collared Babbler is the main attraction of Nyungwe national park, which spans almost 970 square kilometers and hosts 13 species of primate as well as many endemic plant species. It is the only safe place in Rwanda where one may see this amazing bird. From a well-maintained network of paths assisted by an experienced bird guide, other bird specialties in Nyungwe national park include Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Nightjar, Grauer’s Warbler, Regal, Blue-headed and Purple Breasted Sunbirds, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler and Neumann’s Warbler. Rwanda’s bird watching scene is excellent.

Other birds you will witness in Nyungwe National Park include Congo Bay Owl, Albertine Owlet and Shelley’s Crimson wing, Rockefeller’s Sunbird most especially during the Night walks on which you will also view the park’s elusive nocturnal species.

Akagera National Park

With its rolling hills, lakes, marsh and woodlands, Akagera national park is the only savannah park in Rwanda and the biggest protected wetland in central Africa. It is also the final haven for species adapted for savannahs. Situated on the international borders of Rwanda and Tanzania, Akagera national park spans 1,122 square kilometers and is home to traditional African Big 5 as well as diversity of birds noted to be over 490 species, so providing a comparable experience to others in the religion.

The most-after bird in Akagera national park is the range of restricted Red-faced barbet, which is readily found mainly near Akagera game lodge and Muyumbu campsite. Among the highlights of the park are Northern Brown-throated Weaver; Papyrus Gonolek; White- Winged Swamp Warbler; Carruthers’s Cisticola, White-collared Oliveback, and Grey-crowned Cranes; among the limited species there are Other species include good numbers of raptors, the shoe bill, and other species.

Observing Birds in Rwanda
Grammar Gonolek
A boat tour on Lake Ihema provides fantastic views of several water bird species and a good opportunity to observe the African Finfoot, which can also be seen from the deck at the Ruzizi Tented Lodge, while on a Rwanda birding trip in Akagera national park. One can see numerous nocturnal bird species like Verreaux’s Eagle Owl and several Nightjar species by means of a night game drive at Akagera national park.

Volcanoes National Park

With around 200 recognized bird species, Volcanoes National Park is the most well-known national park in Rwanda famed for mountain gorillas. It also presents good birding possibilities. Protecting the forested slopes of the great Virunga mountain range, Volcanoes National Park is the in northwest corner of Rwanda. Named for the sequence of extinct volcanoes forming the Virunga Massif, Viringa national park

Among the over 200 bird species found in Volcanoes National Park, 17 Albertine Rift Endemics—species like Nyungwe—are present; these species are similar to Nyungwe, but the Scarlet-Tufted Sunbird is only found in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda; hence, the best place to see these birds is by means of treking to Mount Bisoke.

Rwanda’s Bird Watching Program
White-collared olive back

Gishwati – Mukura National Park

Comprising two independent rates, the sizable Gishwati and the smaller Mukura, which total 34 square kilometers plus a buffer zone, Gishwati-Mukura national park is the fourth national park in Rwanda. Situated on the slope between the Congo and Nile water catchment zones along the very varied Albertine Rift in west Rwanda, the forests are found in the mountains above Lake Kivu.

Mukura forest includes roughly 163 species including numerous Albertine Rift Endemic and forest specialists; Gishwati Forest boasts a good birdlife noted to be around 232 species. Among these birds are Regal Sunbird, Grauer’s swamp warbler, Ruwenzori Batis, Woodhoopoe, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Martial Eagle, Strange weaver, Grey Crowned Crane, Dusky Crimsonwing, Ruwenzori Turaco, Mountain Yellow Warblers, Red-throated Alethe.

Kivu lake

One of the African Great Lakes in the Albertine Rift, the western limb of East Africa, Lake Kivu is on the boundary between Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. One stop site for bird watching safaris in Rwanda supporting a great population of bird life including White-breasted Cormorants, Pied Kingfishers and Osprey hosted in the lake, the lake shore hosts Rwanda’s more common terrestrial special and hotel gardens in Karongo, Ribavu and Rusizi offering interesting birding experience. Regular birds in this area include Familiar Chat, Brown-throated Wattle-eye and Spot-flanked Barbet, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Double-tooth Barbet.

Parks

The wetlands named Important Bird Areas by Birdlife International cover Rwanda’s 10% comprising Rugezi, Akanyaru Wetlands, and Nyabarongo Wetlands.

The sole RAMSAR Site in Rwanda is Rugezi Marsh, which is in northwest Rwanda close to Gicumbi. Grauer’s Swamp is home to a good population there. Among others, the marsh shields and supports Grey-crowned cranes, Papyrus Canary, and Papyrus Yellow Warbler. Kaje Nyagafunzo is an area of open water near the sound of the marsh; a boat trip on the lake is a fantastic way to see some of the typical waterbirds in Rwanda, including White-backed Duck and Lesser Jacana.

There are also several savannah species and water birds.

 Kigali

With several hotel gardens featuring unique bird species and Nyarutarama Lake, sometimes known as Lover’s Lake, at the edge of the Kigali gof course, Kigali city the capital of Rwanda is a fantastic Urban Birding destination. Among the bird species found in Kigali city are White-collared Oliveback, African Swamphen, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Bat Hawk, Narina Trogon, Lesser Honeyguide, Brown-backed Honeybird, Black Cuckoo-Shrike, Olive-bellied, Red-chested Sunbird and Bronzy Sunbird, African Goshawk, Palm Nut Vulture, Crested Barbet, Grey-backed Fiscal, Rüppell’s Starling and Black-headed Weaver among others.

Birders in Umusambi village receive close-up views of the grey-crowned cranes that have been rescued. This community hosts more than a hundred different kinds of birds.

Once finished, the park the Rwanda Environment Management Authority is building near Kigali city will be a great site for urban birding. Wetlands near Kigali city provide ideal locations for urban birding in the outskirts of the city.