Rwanda is a known birding destination. It is a home to over 750 species of birds that can be sighted during a birding safari. Most interestingly, there are more than 27 species of Albertine Rift Valley birds within this country, also known as the land of a thousand Hills.
The Important Birding Areas within this Central African country include the Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rugezi marshland, Akagera National Park, Akanyaru wetlands, Kigali City and Nyabarongo wetlands which all offer unforgettable bird watching opportunities for tourists who visit the country.
The Albertine region is made up of a chain of Mountains that were formed through the uplifting of the earth crust and volcanic activity. It extends through the western half of Rwanda, the land of a thousand Hills and stretches across other countries including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo among others. The Albertine is also referred as the center of the Afro-montane habitats as well as being a belt of extraordinary animal and plant endemism including more than 40 species of birds, over 34 species of mammals, 117 butterfly species and 16 reptiles as well as 34 species of Amphibians worth encountering on safaris.
So far, mountain gorillas are the most popular of the Albertine Rift valley endemic species. Rwanda is interestingly a haven to at least 27 species of birds referred as the Albertine Rift Endemic.
Therefore, the notable Albertine Rift endemic bird species within Rwanda include Mountain Masked Apalis (Apalis personata), Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis ardesiacus), the Archer’s Ground Robin (Dessonornis archeri), the Blue-headed Sunbird (Cyanomitra alinae), the Shelley’s Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza shelleyi), the Red-collared Babbler (Kupeornis rufocinctus), Grauer’s Swamp Warbler (Bradypterus graueri), the Stripe-breasted Tit (Melaniparus fasciiventer), Strange Weaver (Ploceus alienus), the Ruwenzori Nightjar (Caprimulgus ruwenzorii), Neumann’s Warbler (Hemitesia neumanni), the Handsome Francolin (Pternistis nobilis), the Ruwenzori Batis (Batis diops), the Congo Bay Owl (Phodilus prigoginei), the Willard’s Sooty Boubou (Laniarius willardi), Kivu Ground Thrush (Geokichla tanganjicae), the Purple-breasted Sunbird (Nectarinia purpureiventris), Dwarf Honeyguide (Indicator pumilio), Rockefeller’s Sunbird (Cinnyris rockefelleri), the Dusky Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza jacksoni), the Ruwenzori Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris stuhlmanni), the Ruwenzori Apalis (Oreolais ruwenzorii), the Red-faced Woodland Warbler (Seicercus laetus), Kungwe Apalis (Apalis argentea), the Red-throated Alethe (Pseudalethe poliophrys), the Ruwenzori Turaco (Gallirex johnstoni), Regal Sunbird (Cinnyris regius), the Albertine Owlet (Glaucidium albertinum), Grauer’s Warbler (Graueria vittata), which are all worth encountering during birding safaris in Rwanda.
Besides the mountain gorillas that draw thousands of tourists to Rwanda, it is also a popular birding destination because it offers shelter to a number of bird species that include 27 Albertine Rift endemic species worth exploring on safaris. Some of the common Albertine endemic species include the Handsome Francolin, Ruwenzori Batis, the Congo Bay Owl, Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Kivu Ground Thrush, the Stripe-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Dwarf Honeyguide, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Dusky Crimsonwing, Ruwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Ruwenzori Apalis, Strange Weaver, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Kungwe Apalis, Red-throated Alethe and Archer’s Ground Robin among others.