Bird watching in Rwanda occurs in a variety of places like in Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, these are found in the Albertine Rift an area with dense forest vegetation and mountains that act as habitats to these different species which include more than 700 species i.e the shoebill stork, rare acacia and papyrus species like the Red-faced Barbet, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Papyrus Gonolek, White-headed, Black and familiar Chats, Carruther’s and Tabora Cisticolas, White-winged and Broad-tailed, Warblers and Miombo Wren-Warblers, 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 Warbles, Masked Mountain Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit and Strange Weaver, a full range of Rwenzori double-collared, purple-throated, blue-headed and regal Sunbirds.
The other bird species here are the White-bellied robin-chat, Doherty’s and Lagden’s bush-shrikes, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Great Blue Turaco, Barred long-tailed cuckoo and White-bellied crested flycatcher. At dusk, you will have an opportunity to spot the Rwenzori Nightjar and the Albertine Owl as well as the Congo Bay-owl. Around the Nyarutarama Lake near the Golf Course in Kigali you will spot the African Reed Warbler, Great Sedge Warbler, Winding Cisticola, Common Waxbill, Grey-backed Fiscal, Tropical Boubou, Red-rumped, Mosque swallows, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Great White Pelican, Common Moorhens, Grosbeak Weaver, Grey Heron, Yellow-backed (Black-headed) Weavers, and the Pied Kingfisher.
In Akagera National Park, there are a variety of bird species that occupy the acacia and papyrus woodlands Red-faced Barbet, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Papyrus Gonolek, White-headed, Black and familiar Chats, Carruther’s and Tabora Cisticolas, White-winged and Broad-tailed Warblers and Miombo Wren-Warblers. There are also about 524 other vibrant species that inhabit the park and savannah grasslands and these include the gorgeous lilac-breasted roller, black headed gonalek, heuglin’s robin-chat, grey hornbill, ross’s turaco, crested barbet.
Around Gisakura Guest house and the RDB Tourism & Conservation Campsite at Uwinka are good forest tracks that can be followed while bird watching. While here, you will spot lurking species like the Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Collared Apalis, and Shelley’s and Dusky Crimsonwing. You will also spot other species like the White-bellied robin-chat, Doherty’s and Lagden’s bush-shrikes, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Great Blue 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 to see the Congo Bay-owl.
You will also spot bird species like the At the African Reed Warbler and Great Sedge Warbler, the Winding Cisticola, the Common Waxbill, Grey-backed Fiscal, Tropical Boubou, Red-rumped and Mosque at Lake Nyarutarama near the Golf Course in Kigali as well as the Swallows, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Great White Pelican, Common Moorhens, Grosbeak Weaver, Grey Heron, Yellow-backed (Black-headed) Weavers, and the Pied Kingfisher.