6 Days Rwanda Birdwatching and Gorilla Tracking Tour

Rwanda Bird watching Tours | Bird Watching and Gorilla Journeys | Mountain Gorilla Tracking Safari Adventure | Safaris

Bird Watching and Gorilla Journeys

Detailed Itenary

DAY 1 Rwanda Bird watching Adventure: Arrival for Rwanda Birding and Mountain Gorilla Trekking Trip

Arrival for Tour and transfer to Nyungwe Forest Reserve

DAY 2 Rwanda Bird watching Adventure: Birdwatching Nyungwe Forest Reserve of Rwanda – Rwanda Birding

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 form part of the Congo–Nile watershed. As a result, Nyungwe is composed of two areas differing in pedology, vegetation, water-flow, and biodiversity.

This beautiful 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). Also, 11 of the 23 species of 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 undoubtedly 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.

DAY 3 Rwanda Bird watching Adventure: Whole Day Birding Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda

DAY 4 Rwanda Bird watching Adventure: Birding From Nyungwe to Volcanoes National Park for Mountain Gorilla Trekking and some bird species

DAY 5 Rwanda Bird watching Adventure: Rwanda Gorilla trekking- Volcanoes NP

The primary 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 gorilla beringei), was not yet known to the scientist until 1902. They are the next closest living relatives to human beings after the two chimpanzee species, sharing 97% DNA with us.

DAY 6 Rwanda Bird watching Adventure: We transfer to Kigali for departure and end the tour