Rwanda Birding Tours greatly supplement the famous primate treks that feature chimpanzees and mountain gorilla trekking. Rwanda is a small land-locked country with few safari destinations. It is however diverse and offers some of the best East African Journeys of Discovery.
The country has a dark history of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis but has steadily recovered from that. The Rwandan people have gone through a trying reconciliation process. Rwanda’s current achievements today are proof of that and hard work from the Rwandan leadership and society in general.
The country’s fate changed from civil war to a leading safari destination on the African continent. It is clean and all its ecosystems have gone through conservation recovery registering the best conservation and sustainability successes. This article is just about the leading Rwanda Birding Tours and safari destinations and they include the following.
Nyungwe Forest Birding Tours
Nyungwe Forest lies on the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley in southwestern Rwanda. It is Rwanda’s oldest and best-preserved forest that is home to 13 primate species including chimpanzees. Even though most famous for chimpanzee trekking, Nyungwe Forest is Rwanda’s most important birding area.
There are over 300 bird species in Nyungwe Forest including Albertine endemics. Nyungwe forest stretches on several highlands and you therefore find bird species unique to Highland forests. Notable Bird species you can see here include the great blue Turaco, Rwenzori Turaco, red-collared babbler, and Albertine Owlet.
Nyungwe forest is a center for migratory birds that come from as far as Europe. The best time to see these is from November to May. Rwanda birding Tours to Nyungwe being a forested safari destination differ from open Savannas. Forest birding expeditions mainly depend on calls and the best months for this are from March to May. You can still enjoy birding tours to Nyungwe any time of the year even in the dry season. During that time birding and trekking trails are relatively dry and easy to hike through.
Akagera National Park's Big Five and Birding Safari Tours
Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savanna national park. It is located in the eastern part of the country about a 3-hour drive from Kigali Rwanda’s capital city. Akagera has a diverse ecosystem comprising swamps, savanna grasslands, and woodlands. The park is East and Central Africa’s largest protected wetland.
Rwanda Birding Tours to Akagera differs from Nyungwe Forest and introduces you to wetland and savanna bird life. With over 480 recorded bird species, Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s second most important bird area. Of the 480 species 100 are endemic to Akagera and can not be found in any other destination in Rwanda.
Akagera is home to the rare and prehistoric shoebill stork. Other notable birds you can see on Rwanda Birding tours here include the African fish eagle, sooty chat, black-headed gonolek, booted eagle, and the grey crowned cranes among others. You can enjoy your birding safaris here while on game drives or a boat cruise along Lake Ihema.
Beyond the birds, Akagera National Park has all the big five mammals. These include elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and Rhinos (both black and white rhinos). Other wildlife species you will certainly spot on your Rwanda safari to Akagera include giraffes, the topi, zebras, elands, and many other antelope species. Rwanda birding tours and overall safari experiences in Akagera are possible all year round. The dry months from June to August are however ideal for wetland bird viewing and the wet season months offer the best chances for savanna wildlife bird species.
Nyandungu Eco Park Tours
Nyandungu Eco Park is situated in the heart of Kigali and is one of the best ecosystem restoration successes in Rwanda. This once-degraded wetland covers 121 hectares of forests and swamps. Nyandugu Eco Park’s restoration brought birding and wildlife adventures to the city center accessible to all.
The Eco park was open to public visits in 2022 and is still monitored to ensure more ecosystem recovery and wildlife thriving. There are over 100 bird species recorded here including the grey-crowned cranes, the black Cuckoo-shrike, weaver birds, herons, and kingfishers among others.
Nyandungu Eco Park can easily be explored on foot along the 10-kilometer walkways and bike lanes in the park. When in Kigali you do not have to worry about traveling several kilometers to Nyungwe or Akagera for Rwanda birding tours. You can simply dive in and start your birding journeys here in the city center.
Virunga Mountain Birding Safaris
The Virunga mountains in the Volcanoes National Park area in northwestern Rwanda are not overrated. These mountains are home to mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and several bird species. Virunga Mountain ranges lie in the Albertine Rift Valley and are ideal to explore the Albertine Rift Valley endemics.
There are about 200 bird species recorded here. Notable ones including the black-crowned waxbill, the common stonechat, the Rwenzori Turaco, and Rwenzori batis among others. Rwanda birding tours in Volcanoes National Park are best enjoyed during the dry season from June to August and from December to February. This is because the mountains are often covered in mist on cold days and early morning hours. This fades away on hot days enabling better visibility and photography chances.
You can still combine Rwanda gorilla trekking adventures with the birding tours. It would not make sense to visit the area without doing the gorilla trek. Your Rwanda birding tours to Volcanoes National Park are richer with Nyungwe or Akagera National Park on the same itinerary.
Giswhati Mukura Birding
Giswhati Mukura is a recently established national park in Rwanda. It was gazetted in 2015 and covers the Giswati and Mukura forests which are about 50 kilometers apart. This area between the two tropical rainforests is still not wasted as it is being restored and hopefully, the whole park will become one ecosystem.
Just Nyungwe Forest, Giswhati Mukura is a chimpanzee trekking destination. Where trees are, however, it is rare not to find birds as well. The Giswhati Mukura has so far 150 bird species and the list will increase as the forested park is explored further. The fact that this Rwanda safari destination is not yet fully explored, it offers exclusive primate and birding experiences.
Join our Journeys of Discovery not just to Rwanda but also to other destinations. You can visit Uganda for a hike to the Rwenzori mountains of the moon, visit Tanzania for journeys with the wildebeest migration or take on Kenya coastal Tours and beach holidays.
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