Rwanda Wildlife Tours | Bird Watching & Wildlife Tours in Rwanda | Best Rwanda Wildlife Tours Holiday
Rwanda, is a birder’s heaven with 703 species, 29 Albertine Rift Endemics, diverse habitats, and the best montane Wildlife in Africa which make Wildlife Tours in Rwanda always Memorable. Rwanda offers arguably the best African Montane Wildlife anywhere. Combine that with a great road network, safety, and security, a diversity of habitats and you have one of the best eco-tourism destinations in Africa.
The compact nature of the country means that several Wildlife sites can be visited in a relatively short Rwanda Wildlife Tours trip, giving access to some of the most desirable species in Africa. In total 703 bird species are known from Rwanda and surprises are always possible with several species added to the country list since 2010. Among the resident species are 29 Albertine Rift Endemics and several Lake Victoria Basin Endemics, which should be on any birder’s wish list.
Most birders will want to focus their attention on Nyungwe Forest National Park in the west of Rwanda and Akagera National Park located in the east. However, good Wildlife Tours in Rwanda can be found across the country and even close to Kigali, so no matter how long you are staying there is rewarding Wildlife on offer.
Bird Watching & Wildlife Tours in Rwanda | Best Rwanda Wildlife Tours Holiday – Kitagata Safaris
Where to go for Rwanda Wildlife Tours | Rwanda National Parks
Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park is a tropical montane rainforest that is home to 322 bird species as well as 13 species of primate and numerous endemic plant species. So far 29 bird species have been found here. The star attraction is undoubtedly the Red-collared Babbler and Rwanda is the only safe place to see this stunning bird.
Other specialties include Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Nightjar, Grauer’s Warbler, Regal, Blue-headed and Purple Breasted Sunbirds, and Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, and Neumann’s Warbler. All of these and more can be seen easily from a well-maintained network of trails with the help of the park’s expert bird guides.
Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park is a savannah park with rolling hills, lakes, wetlands, and woodlands. It offers a more traditional African Big 5 safari experience, but the diversity of habitats means it has excellent Adventure for Tours in Rwanda too.
To date, 490 bird species have been observed in Akagera National Park. The park offers a comparable experience to others in the region, but its compact nature means you can access the different habitats easily and build a good bird list. The range-restricted Red-faced barbet is probably the most sought-after bird and should be easy to find around Akagera game Lodge and Muyumbu campsite.
Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park is located in a region of mostly dormant, heavily vegetated volcanoes and includes Rwanda’s highest point, Mount Karisimbi. The park is famous for Mountain Gorillas Adventure Tours in Rwanda, but also offers good Adventure potential and 200 bird species are known from this area, among these are 17 Albertine Rift Endemics.
The species here are similar to Nyungwe, however, Scarlet-Tufted Sunbird is only found here in Rwanda and a trek to the summit of Mt Bisoke is your best bet for this bird. There are also a series of lakes surrounding Volcanoes National Park that can be worth a quick detour.