Bird Watching in Rwanda -Go Primate Adventure

Bird watching in Rwanda is very rewarding with a massive a bird list of over 750 species! Being a small country with an area cover of just 26,338 square kilometers, Rwanda contains the highest concentration of birds per square kilometer in Africa. Birding in Rwanda will reward you with a lot of bird species by covering a small area or spending a short time out on the birding trail. There is also easy access and views to the rare and hard-to-spot bird species.

Generally birdwatching in Rwanda is an enjoyable activity because of the ease to see the birds and the short distance travelled between the protected areas. More birding is along swamps by the highways and agricultural lands in the villages. A visit to Volcanoes park, Nyungwe forest and Gishwati-Mukura park will grant the best opportunities to view some of the 27 Albertine rift endemics.

When to go birding in Rwanda?

All year round! However the period from December to February is the migrant bird season during which Rwanda hosts lots of Wintering and Pelearactic migrants.

Birding infrastructure such as trails, accommodation and roads leading to the birding spots have been developed. Professional bird guides have been trained and are available to lead birding tours in Rwanda. In fact many of the prominent birding spots in Rwanda have knowledgeable site guides.

Where to go birding in Rwanda

Birding around Kigali City

Kigali is the entry point into Rwanda via the Kigali International Airport and therefore offers your first birding activity in Rwanda. There are a number of renowned birding spots within the city that for the visiting new birders provides a good introduction to some local birds of Rwanda.

Volcanoes National Park

The Volcanoes National Park protects Rwanda’s part of the Virunga mountain range, and includes five volcanoes namely Mountains Muhavura, Gahinga, Sabinyo, Bisoke, and Karisimbi. The Volcanoes National Park is famous for the Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys and is mostly visited for treks to observe these endangered and endemic primates and hikes to the volcanoes. But the park boasts of about 165 bird species, 17 endemic to the area. It is must visit for birding to catch the rare species and also enjoy the breathtaking Virunga scenery and a chance to encounter the Gorillas.

Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park is a tropical mountain rainforest and lies on the south-western slopes of the highland region that forms the great divide between the Congo and Nile drainage systems. The park protects the region’s largest montane rainforest and is home to 310 species of bird.

Nyungwe is by far the most popular birding destination in Rwanda, especially being sought out for the numerous Albertine rift endemics; 27 to be found here.

Some of Nyungwe’s specials are: Regal Sunbird, Red-collared Babbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Spurfowl, Rwenzori Batis, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Blue-headed Sunbird, Albertine Owlet.

Akagera National Park

The Akagera National Park lies in the north east of the Rwanda, outside the high rising Albertine belt. It covers a chunk of savannah. A mix of rolling grassland interspersed with broad-leafed and acacia woodland, these lower-lying lands are dissected by the Akagera River.

Birding tours in Uganda

Uganda is home to over 1090 bird species making it a superb destination for bird watching safaris in Africa. The large numbers of birds in the country make up 10% of the worlds’ total bird species population wow what a great destination.

The country also hosts around 24 of the Albertine rift endemics bird species with the rest found in DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.

The continued bird conservation efforts were greatly stimulated by the local cultural norm in the country which has seen immense positive results with the manifesting great bird species numbers in the country.

The country’s conducive climate all year round, abundant water sources and diverse vegetation cover has attracted many bird species into the country. Uganda receives several bird species which fly in from all over the world throughout the year thus great numbers.

A bird-watching safari in Uganda is remarkable, these bird-watching safaris can be done in Uganda’s several National Parks, forests, wetlands, grasslands, woodlands papyrus swamps, forests, Savannah, agricultural lands, woodlands, rocky ridges, and Afro-pine moorland. Birding safaris can be carried out on Boat safaris particularly near the banks of several water bodies, on nature-guided walks in the forest and wetland.

Where can I see birds in Uganda?

Some of the major sites for bird watching DR Congo include; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Semuliki National Park, Mt Elgon National Park, the Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Kibale Forest National Park. More birding sites include Maramagambo forest, Mabira forest, Budongo forest, Kalinzu forest, Echuya forest, PianUpe game reserve, Katonga game reserve, Mabamba Swamp, Nyamuriro swamp, and several agricultural lands.

Flufftails, Rails, gallinules, and coots, Finfoots, Cranes, Thick-knees, Egyptian plover, Stilts and avocets, Oystercatchers, Plovers and lapwings, Painted-snipes, Jacanas, Sandpipers and allies, Buttonquails, Ostriches, Ducks, geese, and waterfowl, Guineafowl, New World quail, Pheasants, grouse, and allies, Flamingos, Grebes, Pigeons and doves, Sandgrouse, Bustards, Turacos, Cuckoos, Nightjars and allies, Swifts, Pratincoles and coursers, Gulls, terns, and skimmers, Shearwaters and petrels, Storks, Anhingas, Cormorants and shags, Pelicans, Shoebill, Hamerkop, Herons, egrets, and bitterne, Ibises and spoonbills, Secretarybird, Osprey, Hawks, eagles, and kites, Barn-owls, Owls, Mousebirds, Trogons, Hoopoes, Woodhoopoes and scimitarbills, Ground-hornbills, Hornbills, Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Rollers, African barbets, Honeyguides, Woodpeckers, Falcons and caracaras, Old World parrots, African and New World parrots, African and green broadbills, Asian and Grauer’s broadbills, Pittas, Cuckooshrikes, Old World orioles, Wattle-eyes and batises, Vangas, helmetshrikes, and allies, Bushshrikes and allies, Drongos, Monarch flycatchers, Shrikes, Crows, jays, and magpies, Hyliotas, Fairy flycatchers, Tits, chickadees, and titmice, Penduline-tits, Larks, Nicators, African warblers, Cisticolas and allies, Reed warblers and allies, Grassbirds and allies, Swallows, Bulbuls, Leaf warblers, Bush warblers and allies, Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies, White-eyes, yuhinas, and allies, Ground babblers and allies, Laughingthrushes and allies, Treecreepers, Oxpeckers, Starlings, Thrushes and allies, Old World flycatchers, Dapple-throat and allies, Sunbirds and spiderhunters, Weavers and allies, Waxbills and allies, Indigobirds, Old World sparrows, Wagtails and pipits, Finches, euphonias, and allies, Old World buntings. All the above birdlife resides within the countries wetland, forests, grasslands, and woodlands.

What time is best for bird watching?

Bird-watching safaris in Uganda can be done all year round however specific periods of the year may be more favorable compared to the others.

Based on the time of the day, the best birding time is often between dawn and 11 am when birds are most active. This is particularly the case in the spring and early summer, when birds sing in the early morning

What is the best place for bird watching in Uganda?

Bird watching in Uganda is remarkable in all destinations, however; Queen Elizabeth National Park is by no doubt the only national park in East Africa with the largest number of bird species. Within the boundaries of this 1978 sq. km, Uganda safari park is about 600 identified bird species.