Top Bird Species to See in Akagera National Park.
Akagera National Park is one of the top bird watching destinations in Rwanda, situated in the far northeastern region of the country. It is the largest national park in the country, covering an area of about 1,122 square kilometres. This blog will list the top bird species to see in Akagera National Park, which birders can encounter on their birding safari. It is blessed with various natural systems, including swamps, lakes, savannah grasslands and woodlands that provide various habitats to the park’s inhabitants. It hosts over 90 mammal species, including the African Big Five, lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos, reptiles, and amphibians. It’s also home to over 480 bird species, including savannah birds, water birds, woodland species and migratory bird species that attract thousands of birders to come and enjoy the park’s rich avian life.
Top Bird Species to See in Akagera National Park.
- Ring-necked Dove
- African Pygmy-Goose
- Red-billed Duck
- Garganey
- Blue-billed Teal
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Crested Francolin
- Purple-crested Turaco
- Eastern Plantain-eater
- Bare-faced Go-away-bird
- Blue-headed Coucal
- Secretary bird
- Red-faced Barbet
- African Finfoot
- Denham’s Bustard
- Black-bellied Bustard
- White-crested Turaco
- Ross’s Turaco
- Osprey
- African Harrier-Hawk
- Western Barn Owl
- Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
- African Barred Owlet
- Spotted Eagle-Owl
- Marsh Owl
- Speckled Mousebird
- Narina Trogon
- Common Hoopoe
- Green Woodhoopoe
- Red-headed Weaver
- African Gray Hornbill
- Shoe Bill Stork
- White-faced Whistling-Duck
- European Honey-buzzard
- Palm-nut Vulture
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck
- Knob-billed Duck
- Egyptian Goose
- Red-winged Francolin
- Dusky Turtle-Dove
- Speckled Pigeon
- Mourning Collared-Dove
- Ring-necked Francolin
- Shelley’s Francolin
- Coqui Francolin
- Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl
- Blue Quail
- Red-necked Spurfowl
- Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
- Blue-spotted Wood-Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Tambourine Dove
- Red-eyed Dove
- African Green-Pigeon
- Purple-crested Turaco
- Eastern Plantain-eater
- Bare-faced Go-away-bird
- Blue-headed Coucal
- White-browed Coucal
- Black Coucal
- Blue Malkoha
- Great Spotted Cuckoo
- Pied Cuckoo
- Thick-billed Cuckoo
- Dideric Cuckoo
- African Cuckoo
- Madagascar Cuckoo
- Klaas’s Cuckoo
- Swamp Nightjar
- Fiery-necked Nightjar
- Pennant-winged Nightjar
- Fiery-necked Nightjar
- Freckled Nightjar
- Common Swift
- African Swift
- Mottled Swift
- Alpine Swift
- Horus Swift
- Red-chested Flufftail
- African Crake
- Lesser Moorhen
- Red-knobbed Coot
- African Swamphen
- Gray Crowned-Crane
- Water Thick-knee
- Black-winged Stilt
- Black-bellied Plover
- Common Greenshank
- Ruff
- Black-rumped Buttonquail
- Small Buttonquail
- Bronze-winged Courser
- Temminck’s Courser
- Collared Pratincole
- Glossy Ibis
- Hadada Ibis
- Little Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Rufous-bellied Heron
- Little Egret
- Black Heron
- Dwarf Bittern
- Western Cattle-Egret
- Malagasy Pond-Heron
- Malagasy Pond-Heron
- Indian Pond-Heron
- Goliath Heron
- Purple Heron
- Yellow-billed Egret
- Hamerkop
- Great White Pelican
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Bateleur
- Hooded Vulture
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Western Banded Snake-Eagle
- Bat Hawk
- Martial Eagle
- Dark Chanting-Goshawk
- Booted Eagle
- African Harrier-Hawk
- Western Barn Owl
- Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
- African Barred Owlet
- Spotted Eagle-Owl
- Marsh Owl
- Speckled Mousebird
- Narina Trogon
- Common Hoopoe
- Green Woodhoopoe
- Red-headed Weaver
- African Gray Hornbill
- White-throated Bee-eater
- European Bee-eater
- Little Bee-eater
- Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
- African Pygmy Kingfisher
- African Pygmy Kingfisher
- Giant Kingfisher
- Woodland Kingfisher
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Striped Kingfisher
- Purple Roller
- Broad-billed Roller
- White-headed Barbet
- Spot-flanked Barbet
- Crested Barbet
- Spot-flanked Barbet
- Scaly-throated Honeyguide
- African Gray Woodpecker
- Red-throated Wryneck
- Corn Crake
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Striped Crake
- Black Crake
- Lesser Jacana
- African Jacana
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Gray-hooded Gull
- White-winged Tern
- African Skimmer
- Black-winged Pratincole
- Little Grebe
- Saddle-billed Stork
- African Darter
- Great Cormorant
- African Sacred Ibis
- Common Ringed Plover
- Senegal Lapwing
- Brown-chested Lapwing
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Greater Painted-Snipe
- Common Sandpiper
- Common Snipe
- African Snipe
- Wood Sandpiper
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Curlew Sandpiper
