The 8 Days Rwanda Albertine Rift Endemic Birding Tour is a specialist targeted tour, where the main highlights is the local 27 Albertine Rift Endemics (ARE) known from several birding hotspots that lie within Rwandan side of the Albertine Rift. Arriving at Kigali, our birding quest begins in the south-west region of Rwanda, to explore the bird-rich montane rainforests of Nyungwe Forest NP where all the 27-ARE species are known to occur. North of Nyungwe, we will bird the re-generating forests of Gishwati that should provide an easy great birding experience where highlights are high-altitude forest skulkers that might be rather shy and difficult to see in the mature rainforests. In the Volcanoes NP, we bird high near the bamboo zone for altitude-specific specialists notably the Scarlet-tufted Sunbird that frequents flowering lobelias and more endemics.
Between these birding hotspots are agricultural lands, forest patches and wetlands that we will browse through for local specialists. South of Kigali, we will take quality birding the Important Bird Area of Bugesera wetlands, an extensive area of wetlands and marsh fed by Nyabarongo river with several lakes that host a broad diversity of wetland associated specialists.
Optional Bonus Activities
While here in the Albertine Endemic Zone, you will get an opportunity to trek up-close to the two closest man’s relatives to human namely the bulky Mountain Gorillas and the Chimpanzee both endemic and near endemic respectively to the rift. The Golden Monkey also occur on Volcanoes NP. Much as we will be birding in the same habitats as these apes, the in-demand trekking experience permits are rather booked and paid well in advance.
8-Days Rwanda Albertine Endemics Birding Tour Includes
- Accommodations and meal plan as mentioned.
- Transport and Bird Guide/driver.
- Bottled Mineral Water.
- All park entrances and fees.
- Swamp fees and guide fees
8-Days Rwanda Birding Safaris Excludes
- Accommodation and meals on Arrival and departure night
- Meals and other drinks not mentioned.
- Tips and Gratuities.
- Activities other mentioned.
- Activities mentioned here as “Optional”.
Key Abbreviations: IBA: Important Bird Area, ARE: Albertine Rift Endemics, NP: National Park
8Days Rwanda Albertine Endemics Birding Tour Detailed Itinerary
Arrival Day: Meet and Greet
Upon arrival at Kigali airport, you will be met by our company representative who will transfer you to the booked accommodation. Time allowing, take an introductory birding short excursion around the green city of Kigali and its environs. Accommodation: Haven Boutique Hotel, HB
Safari Day One: Birding on transfer to Nyungwe Forest
This morning, your guide/driver will transfer you to Nyungwe Forests located south-west of the city of Kigali. The usual drive of up to 5-hrs shall be greatly interrupted for health and birding stops on several wetlands, cultivation farms and forest patches to tick off quality highland specialists. Birding on, we will spare time for a hot lunch/coffee stop somewhere midway the journey. Thereafter we will resume birding onto our accommodation set on the western edges of the vast rainforest of Nyungwe. Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, FB
Day Two/Three: Birding at Nyungwe Forest NP
Birding in this montane Forests of Nyungwe, our sole target will be the 27-Albertine Rift endemics local here, hundreds of Afro-montane and several high-altitude specialists that make up the 320-species checklist recorded here. For the next two days we will bird along excellent trails that crisscross various forests structures for altitude-specialists, forest interior skulkers, forest edge specialists, high-altitude marshes specialists and generalists.
Nyungwe bird specials include; Rockefeller Sunbird, Kungwe Apalis, Red-collared Babbler and the nocturnal Albertine Owlet, while Handsome Francolin, Collared Apalis, Regal, Blue-throated and Purple-breasted Sunbirds, Rwenzori Turaco, Stripe-breasted Tit, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Neumann’s and Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Strange Weaver, Red-throated Alethe, Dusky Crimson-wing are regular. On our ascent to the high-altitude marsh of Kamiranzovu trail, we will look out for the drab undergrowth specialist Grauer’s Warbler, Kivu Ground Thrush while on we will search out the Grauer’s Swamp Warbler and the Highland Rush Warbler (often treated as a subspecies of the widely spread Little-Rush Warbler).
Other highlights include; White-bellied Robin, Equatorial Akalat, Black-tailed Oriole, Rwenzori Hill-babbler, Red-throated Alethe, Doherty’s Bushshrike, White-browed Crombec, Albertine Boubou, White-bellied Crested-flycatcher, Black-faced Woodland Warbler, Bar-tailed Trogon, Waller’s Starling and Black-billed Turaco, Crowned Eagle, Evergreen and Cinnamon Bracken Warbler. Accommodation: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, FB
Day Four/Five: Birding to and around Gishwati Forest
This morning we will bird our way to Rwanda’s newest national park of Gishwati-Mukura. The regenerating forest spreads over several ranges, offering incredible birding experience to see the usually shy and typical forest skulking ARE endemics, high-altitude range, forest-edge specialists and generalists in this young forest.
Species Highlights here include several not-seen well species from Nyungwe Forest but also good highland species. Rwenzori (Stuhlmann’s) Sunbird, Abyssinian (Mountain) Thrush, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Chubb’ Cisticola, Cinnamon Bracken and Evergreen-forest Warblers, Mountain Yellow Warbler, White-starred Robin, Highland-Rush Warbler, Grey-winged Robin-Chat, Mountain Buzzard, Mountain Illadopsis, Black Saw-wing, Olive Woodpecker, Cape Robin-Chat, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Mountain Greenbul, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Stripe-breasted Tit, Blue-headed Sunbird and more. Accommodation: Forest of Hope Lodge, FB.
Day Six: Birding to and in Volcanoes NP
This morning after breakfast, we will bird on to Volcanoes NP. Along this scenic stretch, we will make birding stops to work on several forest patches arriving late afternoon at Volcanoes. Accommodation: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, FB.
Day Seven: Birding at Volcanoes NP
At Volcanoes NP, we will check in early at the parks visitors center to meet up our ranger guide who thereafter will lead us birding on any of the fruitful trail that crisscross diverse vegetational structures across several altitudes ranges for local specialists. Volcanoes NP lies at the heart of the Albertine Rift Endemic (ARE) zone hosting up to 17endemics to this ecosystem.
Highlights will be the high-altitude favoring Scarlet tufted Sunbird, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Archer’s Robin, Dusky Crimson-wing and Dusky Twinspot. Other Afro-tropical highland specialists include Lagden’s and Doherty’s Bush shrike, Brown Woodland Warbler, Western Green Tinkerbird, Cape Robin-chat, Mountain Greenbul, Kandt’s Waxbill, Lemon Dove and more. Accommodation: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, FB
Day Eight: Birding to Kigali
This morning, we will bird our way to Kigali, exploring various wetlands and cultivated areas for local specialists arriving late afternoon. Depending on your flight schedule, your guide wil transfer you to the airport. Meal Plan: L and D