How long will the mass genocides of the mid-1990s lie heavy on the minds of the people of Rwanda and continue to deter foreign visitors? When will travelers realize that Rwanda is now a relatively peaceful, friendly country to travel in?
Since the days of Diane Fossey, Rwanda has been recognized as one of the best places to view gorillas, but few people know any more about the country than just this. Those that visit tend to hop across the north-western border with Uganda, to track gorillas in the Volcans National Park near Ruhengeri. This is one of the best sites to see Ladgen’s Bush-Shrike Malacanotus lagdeni, but tourism activities are heavily focused on gorillas, and hiking and bird watching are so poorly promoted as to appear to be discouraged.
Birding safaris in Rwanda
Are you a birder and looking for the best destination for birding experience? The Republic of Rwanda is a fantastic destination for bird watching enthusiasts, as it is home to a diverse array of bird species. With a total area of approximately 26,338 square kilometers, the country encompasses varied habitats, including forests, wetlands, and savannas that provide excellent opportunities to observe both resident and migratory birds. For the best birding safari, here are some of the popular and best destinations in the Republic of Rwanda;
Akagera National Park
Located in eastern Rwanda, Akagera National Park offers a rich avian diversity. Covering a total area of approximately 1,122 square kilometers, the park is known for its water-loving birds that can be seen around the shores of river Kagera from which park was named, in its forests and open plains. Among the bird species include; the iconic shoebill stork, African fish eagle, herons, gray crowned, lilac breasted roller, fork tailed drongo, pin tailed whydah and numerous waterfowl species.
Nyungwe Forest National Park
Found in the western region of Rwanda on the border with Burundi where it is contiguous with Kibira national park to the south, and Lake Kivu and Democratic Republic of Rwanda to the west, Nyungwe Forest is a renowned destination for birding. With its dense montane rainforest, the park is home to over 300 bird species with 16 endemics, 27 Albertine rift endemics, and 121 forest species that can be sight in its pristine rainforests. Among the birds found in the park include; the colorful Rwenzori turaco, Albertine owlet, Chestnut Owlet, Olive and Elliot’s Woodpeckers, Great Blue and Ruwenzori Turacos, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, , Stripe-breasted Tit, the remarkable Red-collared Babbler, Archer’s Robin Chat, White-bellied Robin Chat, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Handsome Francolin Mountain Masked, Black-faced, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Purple-breasted and Regal Sun-birds, Chestnut-throated, Collared Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, Neumann’s Short-tailed Warbler, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, and numerous sunbird species.
Volcanoes National Park
Though Volcanoes National Park is most famous for its population of endangered mountain gorillas, it also offers excellent birding opportunities. It covers 160 square kilometers of rainforests and also encompasses five of the eight volcanoes – Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo where a number of bird species can be seen. It also borders different forestry national parks like Virunga national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park where the migratory birds come from. Volcanoes national park boasts a variety of forest-dwelling birds, such as the Rwenzori double-collared sunbird, Ruwenzori batis, and handsome francolin, Baglafecht weaver, black crowned waxbill, Rwenzori turaco and many others.
Rugezi Marsh
Also known as Ruhengeri marsh, Rugezi marsh is a wetland area which is one of the headwaters of the Nile in the Northern province within Buberuka highlands. With a total coverage of 6,735 hectares, the wetland is reported to be a habitat of over 43 bird species within and in the surrounding areas. Among the bird species here include; the rare Grauer’s swamp warbler, white-winged swamp warbler, herons, ibises, ducks, and many others.
Lake Kivu
Lying on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Lake Kivu is a stunning freshwater lake which is great birding spot. With a total surface area of approximately 1,460 meters, Lake Kivu protects about 750 bird species including the migratory and resident species. Among the birds at the lake include, African fish eagle, malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, kestrel, African Pied Wagtail, Tropical Boubou, Common Waxbill, spotted Yellow-throated Greenbul, Speckled Pigeons, Chin-spot Batis, Ashy Flycatcher, Cardinal Woodpecker, Bronzed Sunbirds, African Pied Wagtail, White tailed Blue Flycatcher, colorful Southern Red Bishop, Red-chested sunbirds, Hadada Ibis, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Scarlet-chested, Spectacled Weaver, Striated Heron, Common Waxbill, Black-headed Heron and several egret and cormorant species.
Akanyaru wetland
Situated in the southern region of Rwanda near the Uganda Rwanda border, Akanyaru wetland is another destination fantastic for birding safaris. The wetland hosts over 54 species of birds and among these include; Madagascar Squacco heron, guinea Congo forest biome, pallid harrier, less kestrel, less swamp, papyrus gonolek and many more.
For the best birding safari, you should book through authorized local tour operators like Primate Safari Experiences Limited or specialized birding companies. These tours typically include experienced guides who are knowledgeable about the local bird species and their habitats, enhancing your chances of spotting and identifying various birds.
Birds to See in Rwanda
Although 17 Albertine Rift Endemics have been recorded, most are more readily seen elsewhere. Fortunately Rwanda has much more to offer, especially to birders.
With the exception of out-of-bounds sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the best birding in the Albertine Rift is to be had in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest Reserve. Here, 25 Albertine Rift Endemics have been recorded, more than at any site in Uganda and currently second only to the Itombwe Mountains in the DRC. This reserve adjoins the Kibira National Park in Burundi to protect one of the largest areas of montane forest in Africa. Add to this some impressive primates – a group of owl-faced monkeys is in the process of being habituated – and utterly spectacular scenery, and you have one of the most rewarding ecotourism sites in Africa. Access is straightforward too. The tar road from Butare to Cyangugu on the DRC border runs through the heart of the forest, providing far easier access to high altitude habitats that to the more popular sites in Uganda, namely Ruhiza in the Bwindi National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Ruwenzori National Park. With regular public transport, a camp site (at the summit of the pass, in the centre of the forest) and inexpensive guest house (on the western edge of the forest), this is a far better option for budget travellers than any of the parks on Uganda.
Of course, a major drawback is that African Green Broadbill Pseudocalyptomena graueri does not occur here. However, Nyungwe is the only safe site in the world where the spectacular Red-collared Babbler Kupeornis rufocinctus occurs. In addition to those species regularly found in Bwindi, the following species have been recorded in Nyungwe: Rwenzori Turaco Ruwenzorornis johnstoni (common along the roadside), Albertine Owlet Glaucidium albertinum (about 5 records), Kungwe Apalis Apalis (rufogularis) argentea, and possibly Schouteden’s Swift Schoutedenapus schoutedeni and Rockefeller’s Sunbird Cinnyris rockefelleri. The large Kamiranzovu swamp provides far easier access to Grauer’s Swamp Warbler Bradypterus graueri than at Bwindi in Uganda. Grauer’s Warbler Graueria vittata can be heard commonly in bushy areas in Nyungwe, not just at Kamiranzovu, though is difficult to see. When the Symphonia trees are in flower in June / July, Purple-breasted Sunbird Nectarinia purpureiventris can be seen displaying without leaving the main road.
To the detriment of its wildlife, most of Rwanda lies on fertile soils that support a very high human population (c300 people/km2). Consequently, few sizeable patches of intact habitat remain. Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, a savanna-dominated area in the north-east of the country that lies in the Victoria Basin, is still its largest, but has been reduced in size by over 60% in the last 10 years. Still, this area holds an interesting selection of species associated with a diversity of habitats: wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, riparian forest and bush country. Indeed, Akagera has one of the longest species lists for any conservation area in Africa: over 525 species have been recorded, with many birds reaching their northern limit here, such as Arnott’s Chat Myrmecocichla arnotti, Purple-crested Turaco Tauraco porphyreolophus, Sousa’s Shike Lanius souzae, Tabora Cisticola Cisticola angusticaudus and Bennett’s Woodpecker Campethera bennettii. The park is one of the best places to search for the localised Red-faced Barbet Lybius rubrifacies, which can be seen around the entrance of the recently rebuilt Akagera Game Lodge. Also worthy of special mention are papyrus associated species, most significant of which is Shoebill Balaeniceps rex, which should be searched for along the lake shore. Lastly, this is also a known site for one of Africa’s rarest francolin, Ring-necked Francolin Francolinus streptophorus, although there appear to be no recent reports of this species from here. Camping is possible and there are also a number of other hotels less than one hour’s drive from the reserve.
The final component of Rwanda that is of particular interest to birders is the number of wetlands, which occupy almost 10% of the country. Three of these are IBAs and the main wetlands are: Akanyaru and Nyabarongo on the southern border with Burundi, Rugezi in the north near the Ugandan border, Mugesera-Rugwero in the south-east and Kagera along the eastern border with Tanzania. These wetlands hold Papyrus Yellow Warbler Chloropeta gracilirostris, White-winged Warbler Bradypterus carpalis, Papyrus Gonolek Laniarius mufumbiri, White-collared Oliveback Nesocharis ansorgei and Papyrus Canary Serinus koliensis, but little information exists as to how these wetlands can be visited.
Source: African Bird Club