Rwanda Birding Safaris

Rwanda is one of Africa's best destinations for bird watching. Rwanda has recorded about 650 species of birds 44 of which can only be found in Rwanda. These include many of the sought-after Albertine Rift Endemic ('ARE's) and some of West Africa's forest specials which reach their eastern most limits in Rwanda. The Shoe Bill, the Purple-bleasted Sunbird, the Rwenzori Turaco, the Red-faced Barbet, the Little Bee Eater, the Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Collared Apalis, and Fraser’s Eagle Owl are some of the most sought after birds that are readily available to the eye of anyone visiting any of Rwanda’s national parks; Akagera, Volcanoes and Nyungwe. At Abacus African Vacations, we have come up with some selected tours for those interested in bird watching. These birding trips will enable yout see a select band of localised rarities which, currently, may be seen (safely) only in Rwanda. Our bird watching safaris can be tailored to include other activities such as gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking, game viewing tours and as well extended Uganda or Burundi, other prime birding destinations.

Rwanda Birding Safaris

3 Days Bird Watching Adventure in Rwanda - A 3 Days (2 Nights) birding safari in Rwanda, this starts and ends in Kigali availbale on both scheduled and private (tailormade) basis. On this trip you will visit Akagera with its beautiful undulating plains, its woodlands and sprawling lakes and wetlands. Apart from birds, the game in the park is steadily increasing, with elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, crocodile and different antelope beginning to be seen. Akagera has a good selection of birds. See the details

4 Days Bird Watching Tour in Rwanda - 4 Days (2 Nights) bird watching safari holiday in Rwanda starts and ends in Kigali available on both scheduled and tailormade bsis. This safari takes you to Nyungwe; the massive montane forest found in southern Rwanda and the largest in Central Africa. It has got thirteen species of primate including chimpanzee and large groups of Rwenzori Colobus. Tracking is on steep slippery hillsides and viewing is unpredictable. Around 300 bird species, orchids and butterflies are other attractions. See the details

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Top Bird Watching Destinations in Rwanda

Derek Schuurman describes the following as Rwanda's Prime Birding Sites

NYUNGWE FOREST RESERVE

Preferably known for its 13 species of resident Primates, this beautiful and ancient tropical evergreen forest is arguably the country's most exciting hotspot for birders. A winding tarmac road bisects Nyungwe Forest is and the terrain includes many steep slopes. Birders can seek most of the resident Albertine Rift Endemics along the road including; the remarkable, 'painted' Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Mountain Black Boubou, Rwenzori Batis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Archer's Robin-chat, the rare Grauer's Rush Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Neumann's Warbler, the near-endemic Kungwe Apalis the attractive Mountain Masked Apalis, and a cluster of colourful Sunbirds including Ruwenzori Double-collared, Purple-throated, Blue-headed and the stunning Regal Sunbird. Stripe-breasted Tit and Strange Weaver can also be seen. Nyungwe Forest is now the only site in which the sought-after Red-collared Mountain Babbler can safely be sought.

Due to the steep terrain, much of this forest remains unexplored, a well-laid out system of forest trails is to be found around the Gisakura Guesthouse and the Uwinka campsite. Along the trails, birders can seek Red-throated Alethe, Archer's Robin-chat and the elusive Kivu Ground Thrush. In rank roadside herbage, look for the exquisite Shelley's Crimsonwing and its better-known relative, the Dusky Crimsonwing. The enormous 'psychedelic turkey-like' Great blue Turaco a conspicuous forest inhabitant, and calls of Barred Long tailed cuckoo can often be heard. Keep a lookout for White-bellied Robin-chat, Banded Prinia, Collared Apalis and, high up in the canopy, Slender-billed and Waller's Starlings. Doherty's and Lagden's Bush-shrikes, the delicate White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher and Dusky Tit are further attractions. Nocturnal specials include Rwenzori Nightjar, Albertine Owlet and Fraser's Eagle Owl.

PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS - VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

PNV is a celebrated home to the rare and endangered mountain gorillas! The forest in addition has various troops of recently habituated golden monkeys appreciated. Well placed in the Virunga volcano chain, the park hosts over 180 bird species with many of the Albertine Rift Endemics, such as the Handsome Francolin, the highly sought-after and spectacular, 'painted' Rwenzori Turaco; Archer's Robin-chat and both Dusky and Shelley's Crimsonwings.

For bird watching adventures combined with gorilla tracking in PNV Rwanda,click here to send us your request.

AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK

This is another wonderful park for bird watching! In Eastern Rwanda, the park is dominated by savanna, relatively open grassland and Papyrus swamps. The acacia savanna supports many broadly distributed African birds such as Bennett's Woodpecker, headed Black Chat, White-Black-collared Barbet, Tabora Cisticola and Miombo Wren-warbler. Akagera is probably the best site in which to look for the very rare Ring-necked Francolin. The highly localised acacia specialist Red-faced Barbet can be sought around the Akagera Game Lodge grounds, as can the rare Souza's shrike. Also worth looking for are Barefaced Go-away Bird, Brown Parrot, White-winged Black Tit and Sooty Chat. One of Africa's most sought-after birds, the enormous and bizarre Shoebill, may be present in the Papyrus swamp habitat. Other Papyrus swamp specialists include; the Swamp Flycatcher, Carruther's Cisticola, the elusive White-winged Warbler, and the stunning Papyrus Gonolek. At the water's edge, look for the localised Brown-chested Lapwing and the attractive, widely distributed Long-toed Lapwing.

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