Among others and various bird species, Rwanda boasts a great diversity of attractions including jaw-dropping sceneries, wildlife species include the threatened mountain gorillas, the Big Five (lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, rhinos and elephants).
For ornithologists and bird lovers, Rwanda is the ideal location; the country has more than 782 bird species, with at least 525 of them found in and around Akagera national park’s lakes, woods, and savannahs.
In this post there is a combined guide to the species that are readily seen in Rwanda. The great range of birds found in Rwanda comes in all different colors, shapes and sizes.
Similar in appearance to the America Bald Eagle, the remarkably attractive African Fish Eagle is a fierce and aggressive fishing bird and maybe the most often seen eagle in Africa with contrasting white/brown plumage.
Expect to find pairs of African Fish Eagle – the raptor nesting near water sources like Lake Kivu; its distant call is rather remarkable to hear. Chances of spotting them in Rwanda are quite good.
Usually found nesting in the tree in and near Rwanda’s protected regions, including Akagera national park, black-headed weavers are one of the types of birds you are assured to observe there. Their brilliant yellow color, large red eyes, and black hood help one to quickly identify the Black-Headed weaver.
One of the most brilliantly colored birds in Akagera national park will not go ignored during your Rwanda safari tour in the park; this bird is mainly identifiable for its electric blue plumage on its under parts. Bold and gorgeous, Lilac-Breasted roller occasionally drops from notable places like roadside poles the earth. Like other rollers, the lilac – breasted roller is well-known for its rolling flight show.
Among the many frequent and widespread inhabitants of freshwater ponds and lakes in Rwanda, including Lake Kivu and the Kagera River, African Jacana is one Long-legged, long-toed water birds, the African Jacana enjoys strolling and eating on floating vegetation, particularly water-lilies. The African Jacana, sometimes known as the Jesus bird, is also able to walk on water.
Renowned for their beautiful chestnut and white plumage and powder-blue bill and frontal shield, African Jacana
Common birds in Rwanda, white-browed coucal are found in a variety of dense vegetation, thickets, bushed and forested grassland around water sources. Though non-parastic, the White-browed coucal is a prominent bird with a dark cap and face split by a long white eyebrow with light streaking extending across a brown-rufous back. Their kak notes are also somewhat harsh.
Fork-Tailed Commonly found in forest edge, open forested terrain, and semi-arid bush, the little and understated glossy-black bird known as Drongo is best recognizable by its forked tail.
The Fork-tailed Drongo, as shown in the David Attenborough’s Africa series, has gained notoriety for its cheekiness in copying other species including meerkats and big birds of prey.
This bird gets its name from a yellow section of the bill that mimics a saddle. Billed stock is a quite big black and white wader with a lengthy tri-coloured bill. Unlike the other stork species, the saddle-billed bird is among the most beautiful ones.
saddle-billed Usually solitary, storks are occasionally observed in pairs especially in Akagera wetlands within Akagera national park.
Often found in forest, bushed and wooded grassland, Africa Grey Hornbills are the most often seen bird in the hornbill family in Akagera national park. Like most hornbill species, the African Grey Hornbill rock on perches, thrust their bill skywards and flutter wide their wings in spectacular courtship displays. The female has a purplish-red tip on her long curved beak.
After the African Fish Eagle, high-Crested Eagle is maybe the second most often seen eagle in Akagera national park. This lovely bird is easily distinguished for its brilliantly yellow eyes and high crest of feathers which usually wave about in the wind.
Most likely you will see the Long-crested Eagle sitting atop roadside poles and ready to swoop on unwary rodents in Rwanda.
White-faced whistling ducks are long- legs, long-necked birds that often draw attention with their loud far-reaching whistling. Easily identifiable by their chestnut-colored neck and clear white face at a closer view, the White-faced Whistling Duck is a sociable bird/species that prefers to cluster near the Akagera huge lakes.
Beautiful small bird with black and brilliant blue plumage and startling red and black bill is woodland kingfisher. Dove-grey Unlike the forest aspect of its name, the woodland kingfisher is typically found far from water, visiting wooded regions where it hunts insects, lizards, and sometimes small birds. These birds are widely distributed and somewhat common in couples and singles.
Together with the African Fish Eagle and Osprey, one of the three fish-eating raptors found in Akagera lakes, the palm-nut vulture is quite different in form when compared to other vulture species with a bold black and white plumage.
Often huddled on tree branches, the Palm-Nut vulture has long bills for fishing and wide area of bare-pinkish skin around the eyes.
One of the fascinating birds seen in Rwanda is the short-legged heron known as cattle egret, which has predominantly white plumage with a buff-orange on the head, back and breast. Often spotted hunting small animals pushed out of the ground by bigger mammals including elephant, hippos, and Cape buffalo, this classic game-hugging bird is rather common.
Little bee eaters have a short, narrow blue stripe right above the black eye mask and a gain over the throat patch. They are somewhat little birds with generally green plumage and a yellow throat. Perched, Little Bee- Eaters have a quite straight posture and slowly waggon tail. Mostly hunting insects, these birds grab them with a loud click.
Huge birds sometimes seen as the ugly species not just in Rwanda or Africa but also worldwide are marabou storks. With their naked pink-reddish head and neck with scabby lack spots, marabou storks are clearly distinguished from other birds. These birds have among the greatest wingspans of all birds.
Mostly grey with dark-chestnut, black and white wings, grey- headed crane is a handsome and highly noticeable bird, the national bird of Uganda. Still, its most striking feature is its bristly golden crown atop the skull.
Grey- headed crane moves fairly far from water areas so as to feed and the best possibilities of seeing this amazing bird are around lakes and inundated grasslands.
Commonly found in the ground and in great flocks, Helmeted Guineafowl is a unique spotted game bird readily identified by an upright bony casque on top of the head with electric blue face and red-tipped wattles. This bird species is known to stop traffic with their stubbornness over making way for vehicles. Helmeted guineafowl frequent a broad spectrum of grassland, shrub area, and forest.
Inspired by their loud onomatopoeic calls, bare-faced go-away birds are captivating birds and open relatives of the vivid turacos. Usually seen in pairs and often found in open forest and bush region, bare-faced go-away birds are rather thin with black face, white neck and breast and a long grey crest.
Common resident of Akagera national park of Rwanda, Goliath Heron is the biggest heron in the world at 152 cm height. Despite its great scale, the bird is immediately identifiable for its warm chestnut head and hindneck and spear-like bill.
Despite their size, Goliath Heron are living as singles and hardly seen to the casual observer in small groups.
Based on their size and coloration, spur-wing geese are easily identified birds; they generally live near freshwater supplies. Large long necks and a naked warty red face define spur-winged geese.
Spur winged geese show a long white bar along the leading edge on the wing and fly slowly and laboriously. Their flight calls are almost like a hiccup, a repeated variably fast double wheezy tone.
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