The 8 Days Rwanda Albertine 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 Rwanda. The tour will be led by a local bird-specialist guide starting and ending in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.
Our bird quest begins in 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 regenerating 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 marsh fed by the Nyabarongo river with several lakes that host a broad diversity of wetland associated specialists.
Optional Activities
This birding tour explores Rwanda’s Albertine Endemic Zone that host the endangered Mountain Gorillas and the Chimpanzee both endemic and near endemic respectively to the rift. The rare Golden Monkey also occur on Volcanoes NP. And since we will be birding in the same habitats, this offers an incredible optional opportunity to trek up-close and along these apes in their natural rainforest homes – a lifetime memorial adventure. Please note that the trekking experience permits are high-demand requiring pre booking and full payment 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 dinner on departure night
- Meals and other drinks not mentioned.
- Tips and Gratuities.
- Activities other than mentioned.
- Activities mentioned here as “Optional”.
Key Abbreviations: IBA: Important Bird Area, ARE: Albertine Rift Endemics, NP: National Park
8-Days 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 bird guide/driver will transfer you to Nyungwe Forest 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 explore quality highland bird specialists in these small habitats. 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
Our birding quest while in these ancient montane forests of Nyungwe we target the local 27 Albertine Rift endemics known from here but also a quality other Afro-montane and high-altitude specialists that make up the 320-species checklist recorded here. On the next two days we will be joined by a local expert site guide to explore excellent trails that crisscross various forests structures for the local altitude-specialists, forest interior skulkers, forest edge specialists, high-altitude marshes specialists and generalists.
Bird highlights lits here at Nyungwe Forest include; the rare Rockefeller Sunbird and 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 trail to the high-altitude marsh of Kamiranzovu, we will look out for the drab undergrowth specialist Grauer’s Warbler, the shy Kivu Ground Thrush and Equatorial Akalat among others. At the swamp, we 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, 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/Seven: Birding to and in Volcanoes NP
Coming into Volcanoes NP, we will bird on a fruitful trail on the lower slopes of Mt.Bisoke and the park edges for local 17 Albertine Rift Endemic (ARE) known from these high montane ranges.
Highlights will be the high-altitude favoring Scarlet tufted Sunbird that often venture on lower altitudes along Mt Bisoke trail, but Rwenzori Turaco, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Archer’s Robin, Dusky Crimson-wing and Dusky Twinspot occur here. 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