Birding Safari in Nyungwe National Park

One of the smartest choices you could ever make in Nyungwe National Park is to go for a captivating birding safari. Nyungwe National Park in southwestern Rwanda is among the best destinations to go for birding safaris in the country. With at least 345 different species of birds thriving in the Afromontane ecosystem, you will definitely spot hundreds of them. Nyungwe National Park is situated within the Albertine Rift and thus has Albertine endemic bird species, which number at least 26.

What bird species can you see in Nyungwe National Park?

With the aforementioned diversity of birdlife in Nyungwe National Park, you will encounter both resident birds and migratory bird species. Examples include Grauer’s swamp warbler, Kungwe apalis, Neumann’s warbler, handsome francolin, Rwenzori batis, black collared apalis, Shelley’s crimson-wing, Rwenzori turaco, regal sunbird, strange weaver, dusky crimson-wing, and red-throated alethe, among others.

What is the best time to go for a birding safari in Nyungwe National Park?

Nyungwe National Park is open all year round to receive visitors for birding safaris. So, you can plan a birding safari in Nyungwe National Park on any day you like. But the dry seasons are perfect for birding safaris in Nyungwe National Park. This is because dry seasons come with plenty of factors to offer favorable birding safaris in the forest. Firstly, the air is much warmer and drier compared to the wet season, to ensure you are comfortable.

Secondly, it is during the dry season when the birding trails become less muddy and less slippery. The rainfall is much lower than in the wet season, thus the drier ground and birding trails. Your movement along these birding trails is much easier than it would have been during the wet season. Thirdly, during the dry season, the vegetation cover in the forest is not so dense, to ensure that you get clearer views of birds in the forest.

The dry season in Nyungwe National Park is often experienced from June to August, with another one from December to February. However, the wet season also offers great birding safaris in Nyungwe National Park from March to May and from October to November. With increased rainfall, the vegetation receives a lot of water, enough to increase its density. This, plus the multiple water sources throughout the forest, is favorable for breeding birds to thrive.

What other activities can be done in Nyungwe National Park?

While planning your birding safari in Nyungwe National Park, use the tour to enjoy doing other activities. With Standard Safaris, your tour package will include plenty of other activities that will make your tour more memorable. Below are to name but a few.

Chimpanzee trekking tour

There are at least 450 chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park and at least 2 habituated/semi-habituated chimpanzee troops. These include the Mayebe or Gisovu troop. For any visitor on a birding safari in Nyungwe National Park, chimpanzee trekking is unmissable. You are guaranteed to hike into the forest where you will encounter a habituated chimpanzee troop. You will be given an hour to observe and take photos of the chimpanzees once you meet them.

Colobus monkey trekking

While planning your birding safari in Nyungwe National Park, a unique experience of colobus monkey trekking will thrill you. The habituated troops of colobus monkeys include Uwinka, Gisovu, and Gisakura etc. You will locate one of them in the dense forest. Do not worry because you will be under the guidance of experienced park rangers. Similar to a chimpanzee trek, you will observe and take photos for an hour.

Canopy walk

This is a unique 2-hour experience on a suspension spanning 120 meters and 70 meters from the ground. While on a birding safari in Nyungwe National Park, you can enjoy a canopy walk and add more bird species to your checklist. Moreover, you can get clear views of the Afromontane Forest canopy. Since Nyungwe National Park has around 13 primate species, you might want to gaze at them for a short while during your canopy walk.

Nature walk

Nyungwe National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site with plenty of plant and animal life. The atmosphere is one of the coolest to refresh and invigorate you while on a guided nature/forest walk. The forest is also home to 85 mammal species and around 1,100 plant species. You could encounter the olive baboon, bush elephant, serval cat, tree hyrax, black-fronted duiker, and bush pig, etc.

Photography

The lush trees and other vegetation in Nyungwe National Park offer some of the loveliest backdrops in Rwanda to take photos. With plenty of unique wild animals, photography in Nyungwe National Park is worthwhile. Photographs can also be taken while at the Kamiranzovu swamp and Ndambarare waterfalls. The landscapes are also beautiful to take a lot of photos for either commercial or personal purposes.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.