The Top 6 Best Bird watching Spots in Rwanda : With its rugged topography, deep valleys, numerous steep hills, and Albertine rift montane forests in the western province and a range of volcanoes rising from the Northern Province, Rwanda is one of the most fantastic and fascinating birders’ paradises in East Africa. With its diverse range of habitats, this makes the country a haven for many bird species, including the rarest and endemic species found there. The country of Rwanda offers the best montane birding experiences, with over 704 bird species recorded within the diverse habitats of the country, including 29 endemics to the Albertine Rift.
As you travel through Rwanda, you can stop at a number of birding destination, including the most well-known national parks, well-liked wetlands, and other significant bird areas internationally recognized by Birdlife International. What are the best bird watching places in Rwanda? We have highlighted the 5 best bird watching spots in Rwanda across the entire country that can reward you with the most incredible sightings of a variety of bird species and make your birding safari in Rwanda memorable and of once in a life time. Here are our picks for the top best places to go bird watching in Rwanda:
Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park is our top pick for the best bird watching locations in Rwanda. It is completely covered in dense, tropical and Afromontane rainforests, bamboo forest slopes, grasslands, and wetlands that are home to more than 322 bird species making it one of the best bird watching destination not only in Rwanda but in East Africa. It is also the habitat of several primate species, including chimpanzees and this makes it the best safari destination to go both bird watching safari and chimpanzee trekking safaris. Most birders who visit Rwanda say Nyungwe National Park is where they have the most success spotting magnificent birds like the red-collared hornbill.
Akagera National Park
With impressive rolling highlands, vast plains, and wetlands primarily dominated by swamp fringed lakes, Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only Savannah Park for Rwanda Wildlife Safaris. The park is Rwanda’s second most important birding site after Nyungwe, and has been documented with over 400 bird species to date. As a result, birders can spot some of the rarest bird species while in Akagera National Park, including the Shoe-billed stork and Gonolek, which are restricted to papyrus swamps; white-collared olive back, and Grey-crowned cranes. You can also watch other varieties of birds spices in this park that include lappet-faced vulture, swamp flycatcher, African jacana, and other water bird species such as the Fin foot, among many others.
Volcanoes National Park
After your unforgettable gorilla trekking, golden monkey, or hiking activities in this park, you can make your safari tour memorable and more enjoyable by adding bird watching experience in the densely vegetated volcano rainforests, bamboo forests, grasslands, and swamps. Volcanoes National Park is also noted as an important bird area, with records of more than 200 bird species in this national park.
Visitors and bird aficionados have the chance to see a variety of bird spices at Volcanoes National Park, including some that are similar to those in Nyungwe National Park, species that are only found in the Virunga volcanoes and Rwenzori Mountains, and rare species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift. Birds such as the Rwenzori Turaco, francolins, dusky crimson wing, Archer’s ground robin, Rwenzori double-collared sunbird, and many others can be seen in this national park.
The Nyabarongo River Wetland
It is another best place to go bird watching in Rwanda. The area is full of many ecosystems include wetlands, swamps, and grasslands where it is simple to watch the various bird species that call the region home.
A few of the species found in the wetland are the papyrus gonolek, white collared olive bark, white winged scrub warbler, papyrus yellow warbler, northern brown throated weaver, African jacana, yellow wagtail, black headed heron, African Marsh harrier, common snipe, little egret, spur-winged geese, long-toed lapwing, lesser jacana, white-winged swamp warbler, sunbirds, palm nut vulture and many more
Kigali
Not only Kigali is the beautiful city and capital of Rwanda, it is also one of the best place to go for bird watching in your Rwanda safari tour. There are many locations near Kigali that provide good urban birding experiences, including various wetlands and lakes on the outskirts of the vibrant and verdant Kigali city, such as wetlands and lakes in the Bugesera region, which is located south-east of Kigali. With more than 415 species recorded in this region, you can see amazing bird species like Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, and White Cuckoo, The Top 6 Best Bird watching Spots in Rwanda .
Kivu Lake
When taking a birding tour, Lake Kivu makes for a very pleasant stopover but is also not without its attractions. Numerous White-breasted Cormorants, Pied Kingfishers, and Ospreys can be observed fishing in the lake while they are migrating. Some of Rwanda’s more widespread terrestrial species can be found around the lakeshores, and birding can be interesting in the hotel gardens in Karongi, Rubavu, and Rusizi. Along with other species, including Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Familiar Chat, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, and Spot-flanked Barbet, the Double-tooth Barbet is frequently observed in this area. For the more common species, the area near Kinunu is also a fantastic place to go bird watching.
Best time to go birding in Rwanda: When should you visit Rwanda for bird watching?
The best time to go birding in Rwanda is between December and February, when birds migrate from other countries that are experiencing winter and you can easily see them. However, birding is possible all year round.
Packing list for your bird watching safari in Rwanda: What is required for birding safari in Rwanda?
Although it doesn’t take much to go birding, one must be well-equipped for the sport. As a result, the items listed below come highly recommended when visiting Rwanda for bird watching safari activities:
Binoculars
When going birdwatching, one definitely needs a pair of binoculars. Given that birds are a generally shy species and will flee if they sense that they are being approached or noticed, it should be one of the first items you pack before leaving on your trip. The best course of action is to bring a pair of binoculars, which can be readily adjusted to give the impression that you are viewing the birds up close.
Booklets for identification
These are offered for sale in various birding stores and are quite helpful in identifying the many bird species that can be found in various birding locations. These identification guides make it simple for birdwatchers to recognize the birds they observe in the forests because they provide both the birds’ photos and various names.
Snacks and drinking water
Birding is typically done in extremely remote and distant locations, and in the majority of situations, there aren’t any food stands or restaurants nearby. It is therefore advised to bring enough food and drink for the trip. If one experiences hunger or thirst while birding, it is not a pleasant experience.
An insect deterrent
The various bird species can be found in grasslands and woodlands, which are also the nesting grounds for many other insects, including mosquitoes. Carry insect repellent so that you can enjoy birdwatching without interruptions and with less hassle from insects, The Top 6 Best Bird watching Spots in Rwanda .
Camera
When you go birding, a camera is not absolutely necessary, but it is essential for those who wish to document their adventures and compare the birds they observe with those they have read about in books.
Voice recorders
A portable voice recorder is useful for recording the various sounds made by different bird species. The many birds can be easily identified with the aid of portable recording equipment.
