4 Days Rwanda Birding Safaris

Start/End: Kigali

Duration: 4 Days

Activity:Birding

 

Destinations: Nyungwe Forest,  Volcanoes National Park

 

Description

This 4 Days Rwanda Birding Safari helps you fully explore Nyungwe Rain Forest. The Nyungwe rainforest is located in south-west Rwanda, at the border with Burundi, to the south, and Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. Nyungwe is divided north–south by a line of mountains that reach 2,600–2,900m and which form part of the Congo–Nile watershed. As a result, Nyungwe is composed of two areas differing in pedology, vegetation, water-flow and biodiversity.

The Nyungwe rainforest is probably the best preserved montane rainforest in Central Africa. It is located in the watershed between the basin of the Congo River to the west and the basin of the Nile River to the East. From the East side of the Nyungwe forest comes also one of the branches of the Nile sources.

 

Trip Summary

  • Day 1: Arrival for Rwanda Birding Safari
  • Day 2: Bird watching in Nyungwe Forest
  • Day 3: Full Day Birding in Nyungwe Forest
  • Day 4: Birding From Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park and transfer to Kigali for Departure

Day 1: Arrival for Rwanda Birding Safari

Arrival for Tour and transfer to Nyungwe Forest Reserve Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge (FB).

Day 2: Bird watching in Nyungwe Forest

Nyungwe is composed of two areas differing in pedology, vegetation, water-flow and biodiversity. This wonderful birding area lies west of Butare, with the Butare to Cyangugu road passing straight through the middle, providing excellent roadside birding. A total of 275 species have been recorded in Nyungwe, reflecting the wide habitat diversity and altitudinal range. These include, all the 25 species of the Albertine Rift mountains Endemic Bird Area that occur in Rwanda, Chapin’s Flycatcher and Rockefeller’s Sunbird (both globally threatened, restricted-range and biome-restricted). In addition, 11 of the 23 species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome and 71 of the 74 species of this biome of Afrotropical Highlands that occur in Rwanda have been recorded at this site. Generally, Nyungwe is certainly the most important forest for the conservation of montane birds in the region. We have an early morning breakfast then set out to Uwinka for the Albertine Rrift endemic birds search. Among the many we look out for, include; Kivu Ground-Thrushm, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Red-chested, SunbirdRegal Sunbird, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Miombo Rock-Thrush, Mountain Masked Apalis, Black-faced Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Grauer’s Warbler, few Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Stripe-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Red- throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Ruwenzori Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Handsome Francolin, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Greenbul, Rwenzori Hill-babbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Northern Puffback, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Dusky Crimsonwing, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Variable Sunbird, Waller’s Starling, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, just to mention but a few. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge. (FB)

Day 3: Full Day Birding in Nyungwe Forest

You will look for species probably missed the previous day, hope to tick-off Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Rwenzori Batis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Sharpe’s Starling, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Dusky Tit, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Siffling Cisticola, Bronze Mannikin, Golden-breasted Bunting, Neumann’s Warbler, Red-throated Alethe, Mountain Wagtail, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Equatorial Akalat, Black Cuckoo, Kungwe Apalis, White-bellied Robin-chat, and many more. We try our luck and listen out at night fall for the Rwenzori Nightjar (a nocturnal species), Albertine Owlet and Red-chested Owlet. Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge (FB)

Day 4: Birding From Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park and transfer to Kigali for Departure

Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (FB)

 

End of Safari

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