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BIRDING TOURS IN RWANDA.

Introduction.
Rwanda, a landlocked country in East Africa, sits at the hub of Africa. Comparatively, the area occupied by Rwanda (26,338 sq km) is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. It is bordered on the North by Uganda, on the East by Tanzania, on the South by Burundi, and on the West and Northwest by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a total boundary length of 893 km. Rwanda's capital city, Kigali, is located near the center of the country.

Here In Rwanda, at the center of the Albertine Rift, deep volcanic forces are pressing the continental plates apart and a world of exquisite beauty and unsurpassed biodiversity awaits you. Rwanda is the bridge between the forest ecosystems of the Congo basin and the great rift valleys of the east. It shares in the biological riches of both worlds, offering a concentration of biodiversity found nowhere else in Africa.

After the horrors of the mid 90's, Rwanda has embarked on rebuilding its infrustracture. The country now has an excellent Road network, first-rate accommodation facilities and a remarkable low rate of crime. Refugees have been resettled strategically, avoiding conflicts with biodiversity conservation and areas of specific conservation interest like nature reserves are being restored.

Birding Tours in Rwanda.
Rwanda's location in the Albertine Rift and its dense forests and mountains create a distinctive and remarkable environment for nature lovers, especially birdwatchers. The country has a bird list of over 670 species and supports a higher number of Albertine Rift endemics than any other country outside the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Akagera National Park, which is the most diverse park in Rwanda in terms of fauna and flora, is well known as the home to the most sought-after bird, the mysterious Shoebill, and is one of the reliable sites in the region to see the bird. Other rare and stunning wetland birds in this park are the Papyrus Gonolek, Carruther's Cisticola, White-winged Warbler and the Blue-headed Coucal. One cannot also miss the acacia species that are supported by the park; including Red-faced Barbet, Bennett`s Woodpecker, White-headed, Black chats, Tabora Cisticola, White-winged and Broad-tailed Warbler and Miombo Wren-warbler. The trip to Akagera National Park can further reward the visiting birders with the presence of the large mammals, including hippo, elephant and giraffe.

Further southwest of Akagera, there lies Nyungwe National Park, a vast tract of virgin forest, one of the largest uncut natural forest reserves remaining in Africa. Nyungwe is home to more than 300 species of birds, 27 of which are regional endemics. One does not need to go deep in the forest to access the treasures of this park . The excellent winding tarmac road that bisects the forest follows the crest of the mountains, creating one of the few places in the world that allows the birders to look directly into and even down on the rainforest canopy. It is along this road where you can find most of the Albertine Rift endemics, including handsome francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Rwenzori Batis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Archer`s Robin-chat, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Grauer`s Rush, Neumann`s and Grauer`s Warblers, Masked Mountain Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit and Strange Weaver, and a full range of Rwenzori Double-collared, Purple-throated, Blue-headed and Regal Sunbirds. The Red-collared Mountain Babbler, Kungwe Apalis and the Rockefeller's Sunbird are other rare bird species that can only be spotted here. Of recent, there have been reports of sighting such charms as the Congo Peacock in the remote dense forest!

There are also good forest tracks for birding based around the Gisakura Guest House, and the Campsite at Uwinka, where some of the more skulking species can be seen such as the Red-throated Alethe, Archer's Robin-chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, collared Apalis, and Shelley`s and Dusky Crimsonwing.

Other special birds here include White-bellied Robin-chat, Doherty`s and Lagden`s Bush-shrikes, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Great Bue Turaco, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo and White-bellied Crested Flycatcher. At night, Rwenzori Nightjar is not uncommon, Albertine Owlet may be found, and there might be a possibility of seeing the Congo Bay-owl.
Added to this impressive list is the presence of 13 primates, including chimpanzee, more than 100 species of butterflies.