Bird Watching Experience in Volcanoes National Park.
Bird watching experience in Volcanoes National Park offers bird enthusiasts a unique and tranquil way to explore one of the most breathtaking landscapes and a rich birdlife in Rwanda. The park is prominently known as home to the endangered Mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. It’s located in the northwestern part of the country, bordering DR Congo and Uganda. The park was established in 1925 to protect the mountain gorillas that existed at that time, and it’s one of the oldest national parks in Africa. Volcanoes National Park has various ecosystems such as wetlands, grasslands, montane forests, and bamboo forests, which provide habitats to the park’s rich birdlife and wildlife.
It is a paradise for bird watching, with over 237 bird species that call this awesome park home, such as water birds, migratory birds, 18 Albertine Rift endemics, forest birds and the park’s residents. Birding is best enjoyed while on a nature walk, and hiking both provide equal chances of spotting various bird species. Visitors can also enjoy other activities while in the park, like gorilla trekking, nature walks, golden monkey tracking, hiking and cultural encounters. Bird watching in Volcanoes National Park is the best way for ornithologists and nature lovers to enjoy the sweet melodic songs and sounds of various unique species.
Birds to See in Volcanoes National Park.
Birders will encounter various bird species while on their bird watching experience in Volcanoes National Park, which include Scarce Swift, African Palm Swift, Alpine Swift, White-rumped Swift, Little Swift, African Swift, Blue-headed Coucal, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, Diederick Cuckoo, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Black Crake, Red-knobbed Coot, Grey Crowned Crane, Ruwenzori Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Marabou, Yellow-billed Stork, European White Stork, Pink-backed Pelican, Hamerkop, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Black-headed Heron, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, Little Egret, African Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, Great Cormorant, Three-banded Plover, African Snipe, Gray-hooded Gull, White-winged Tern, Black-winged Kite, European Honey Buzzard, African Harrier Hawk, Palm-nut Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, White-headed Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Crowned Eagle, Martial Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Tawny Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, African Marsh Harrier, Lizard Buzzard, Little Sparrowhawk, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Black Sparrowhawk, Black Kite, Augur Buzzard, Eurasian Buzzard, Mountain Buzzard, Common Barn Owl, African Long-eared Owl, Speckled Mousebird, Crowned Hornbill, Cardinal Woodpecker, Olive Woodpecker, Western Green Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Spot-flanked Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, European Bee-eater, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Common Kestrel, African Hobby, Eurasian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Brown-necked Parrot, Ruwenzori Batis, Chinspot Batis, Chinspot Batis, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Lagden’s Bush-shrike, Northern Puffback, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Albertine Sooty Boubou, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Lühder’s Bush-shrike more.
Bird Watching Experience in Volcanoes National Park.
Bird watching in Volcanoes is best done in the morning hours, when birds are most active, and this is a guided activity led by a knowledgeable park birder who identifies various bird species by listening to their beautiful calls and sounds. It starts with a briefing about the dos and don’ts of the activity, and later, participants meet their assigned park birder, who leads them through the park. The park has well maintained bird trails, which are specifically for bird watching and all cater to all levels of birders, whether you are an experienced birder or simply a beginner. Volcanoes National Park offers exceptional bird watching experiences in the heart of Africa. Bird lovers are encouraged to prepare a birdwatching checklist on their birding safaris, which will guide them in looking for the specific bird species they are interested in seeing. If you are a bird lover planning a safari in East Africa, Volcanoes should be added to your bucket list, as it offers exceptional bird watching experiences to all travellers visiting the park.
What to Pack on a Birding Safari.
Travellers coming for bird watching safaris in Volcanoes National Park should pack some essential items that will enable them to have a memorable bird watching safari in the park. They should pack comfortable waterproof hiking shoes, a pair of binoculars, a camera with extra batteries, long sleeved shirts, long trousers, reusable water bottles, energy snacks, insect repellent, a birding checklist, a waterproof jacket, a waterproof backpack, and a wide brimmed hat.
What is the best time to do bird watching in Volcanoes National Park.
Bird watching experience in Volcanoes National Park can be done at any time of the year; however, some months are better than others. The park receives two seasons: the wet season and the dry season. The wet season, which runs from October to November and March to May, is the most loved season by bird lovers. During this period, the park has plenty of food, which attracts various bird species. This is the time of the year when migratory bird species run away from Europe and North Africa in search of food and good weather conditions. It’s the breeding period of most bird species which makes encountering them very easy since they don’t move deep into the forest in search of food. Birders should be prepared that during this season the park is muddy which makes penetration challenging. Birders can also come during the dry season which runs from June to September and December to February, during this period the park is dry and penetrating it is easy.
