BOOK THIS TOUR
Day 1
Upon arrival at Kigali airport you will be met by drive guide and transferred to you hotel for dinner and overnight at the Kigali Serena.
Day 2: Arrival for Rwanda Birding Safari
Akagera boosts of a rich bird Checklist of over 525 species, this reflects the extremely wide diversity of habitat. 44 species of raptor, Papyrus Gonolek, Shoebill, Storkand a good number of Palearctic migrants, amongst which lesser Kestrel, Great Snipe and Black-winged have been recorded. The park represents the northern limit of distribution of a number of Zambezian biome species, including Sauza’s Shrike, Arnot’s Chat, and Long-tailed Cisticala. One species of the Guinea-Congo Forests biome, seven of the Afrotroica Highlands biome, nine of the eleven species of the Lake Victoria Basin biome that occur in Rwanda have been recorded at this site.
The park also has a health mammal list of over 50 species among which included the African Elephant which was introduced to the park in 1975.
On the way, we hope to pocket African Palm Swift, Little Swift, Mottled Swift, Black-headed Waxbill, Black-crowned Waxbill, Red-collared Mountain Babbler, Archer’s Robin-chat, Collared Apalis, Crowned Eagle, Slender-billed Starling, Grauer’s Scrub-Warbler, Common Bulbul, Village Weaver, Red-eyed Dove, and many more.
Overnight at Akagera Game Lodge
Day 3: Whole Day Birding Akagera National Park – Rwanda Birding Safaris
Today we look for the species listed in the over 500 species checklist known to Akagera, species will include; White-crowned Black Chat, Familiar Chat, Black-winged Bishop and Arrow-marked Babbler, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Shoebill, African Open-billed Stork, Egyptian Goose, Long-toed Lapwing, Spur-winged Plover, Black Crake, Long-tailed Caromorant, Great Cormorants, Goliath heron, African Marsh harrier, Bateleur, Red-faced Barbet, Long-tailed, Trilling, Tabora, Rattling and Winding Cisitcolas, MiomboWrean Warbler, Green-capped Eremomela, Red-faced crombec, Rueppell’s Long-tailed Starling, Amethyst Starling, Senegal Lapwing, Water Dikkop, Brubru, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Brown Parrot, Red-necked Spurfowl, Broad-tailed Warbler, Bennett’s Woodpecked, Sooty Chat, White-winged Black Tit, Flappet Lark, Souza’s Shrike, Crested Barbet and many more. Other Wildlife may include: Giraffe, African Elephant, Hippopotamus, Reedbuck, Waterbuck, Warthog, Impala, just to mention but a few
Overnight at Akagera Game Lodge
Day 4: Birding to Volcanoes National Park for Mountain Gorilla Trekking
We set out in the morning, bird some birding spots along the way arriving in the late afternoon.
Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge / Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge (full Board)
Day 5: Rwanda Gorilla Tracking – Volcanoes NP
The main activity today will be Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Mountain gorillas are the largest living primates and the world’s most endangered apes with an estimated population of less than 800 left in the wild of the whole world and none in zoos. The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla gorillaberingei), was not yet known to scientist until 1902. They are the next closed living relatives to human beings after the two chimpanzee species, sharing 97% DNA with us. Do leisurely birding in the afternoon around Volcano environs.
Overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge Boards)
Day 6: Birdwatching Tour to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge.
Day 7: Birding Nyungwe Forest National Park of Rwanda – (Optional Chimpanzee Tracking)
Nyungwe forest is situated in South – West Rwanda between Lake Kivu and the international border with Burundi. Nyungwe is divided north – south by a line of mountains that reach 2,600 -2,900 m and which from part of the Congo-Nile watershed. As a result, Nyungwe is composed of two areas differing in penology, 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 Rockefellers’ 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 the biome of Afro tropical 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 Rift endemic birds search. Among the many we look out for, include; Kivu Ground-Trushm, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, red-chested, Sunbird Regal Sunbird, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Miombo Rock-Thrush, Mountain Masked Apalis, Black-faced Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared ApalisGrauer’s Warbler, few red-faced Woodland Warbler, Stripe-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Wood-hoopoe, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Greebul, Rwenzori Hill-babler, 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 Cuckooo, Variable Sunbird, Waller’s Starling, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird.
Overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Day 8: Another Day Birdwatching Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda
We look for species probably missed the previous day, we hope to tick-off yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Mountain ScootyBoubou, Ruwenzori Baits, Blue headed Sunbird, Sharper’s Starling, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Dusky Tit, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, SifflingCisticola, Bronze manikin, Golden-breasted Bunting, Neumann’s Warbler, Red-throated Alethe, Mountain Wagtail, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Equatorial Akalat, Black Cuckoo, KungweApalis, White-bellied Robin-chat, and many more. We try our luck and listen out at night fall for the Ruwenzori Nightjar (a nocturnal species), Albertine Owlet and red-chested owlet
Day 9: Transfer to Kigali for the Last Night
While birding to Kigali, we visit Murambi Genocide Memorial Museum and national Museum – Dinner and – overnight at Kigali Serena
Day 10: Departure
End of Rwanda Bird watching Tour.
