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Detailed itinerary 2013 Day
1: Arrive in Kigali
and drive to Nyungwe National Park
We meet in Kigali, Kigale and from there head south towards Butare,
and finally west on a road that passes through Nyungwe National
Park. We will be based at Gisakura on the western, lower edge of
the reserve during our stay and will stay here during four nights.
Days 2-4: Nyungwe Forest
The best birding in Rwanda is to be had in Nyungwe Forest Reserve;
no fewer than 25 Albertine Rift endemics have been recorded here.
We have three full days to explore these endemic-rich highland forests.
The list of possible species is long, but highlights should include
Handsome Francolin (difficult to see), flocks of noisy Black-and-white
Casqued Hornbill, chattering White-headed Woodhoopoes, a gaudy Bar-tailed
Trogon or Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater and several endemics such as
Kivu Ground Thrush, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing and Red-throated
Alethe. Overhead we’ll watch for raptors, as both Buzzard
and Cassin’s Hawk Eagle occur. The area holds of great diversity
of warblers, many of which are hard work to see. Among these area
noisy Chubb’s Cisticola, White-chinned Prinia, Banded Prinia,
Ruwenzori, Chestnut-throated, Mountain Masked, Black-throated, Grey
and Kungwe (rare) Apalises, the unusual Grauer’s Warbler,
swamp-loving Grauer’s Rush-Warbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler,
Mountain Yellow Warbler, White-browed Crombec, striking Neumann’s
Short-tailed Warbler and Red-faced Woodland Warbler. However, the
undoubted stars of Nyungwe are Red-collared Mountain-Babbler, Ruwenzori
Turaco and Purple-breasted Sunbird. The Turaco is rather common
and can even be seen crossing over the tarred road that runs through
the forest. However, the other two species are more challenging.
The babblers are scare, but rove around in noisy parties, carefully
gleaning moss and bark on branches of trees. The sunbirds set up
territories around flowering Symphonia trees, where the males compete
for attention.
Other likely species include: Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Great Blue
Turaco, Red-chested Owlet, Mountain, Montane Oriole, Grey Cuckooshrike,
Pink-footed Puffback, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Doherty’s Bush-shrike,
Ruwenzori Batis, , White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Yellow-eyed Black
Flycatcher, White-starred Robin, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Stuhlmann’s
Starling, Slender-billed Starling, Sharpe’s Starling, Striped-breasted
Tit, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, , Mountain Illadopsis, Ruwenzori
Blue-headed Sunbird, , Stuhlmann’s Double-collared Sunbird,
Regal Sunbird, Black-headed Waxbill, and Thick-billed Seedeater.
Day 5: Nyungwe Forest to Kigali and depart
Today we return to Kigali and depart. |
