The checklist for birds in Akagera National Park is over 480 birds including 100 bird species that can’t be spotted in any other protected area in Rwanda. For Rwanda birding tours, Akagera park is the second-best destination for birding safaris in Rwanda after Nyungwe park with numerous indigenous species!

Birds of Akagera National Park are found in various ecosystems for example, in woodlands, mountain ranges, forests, around lake shores, swamps, and even in the savannah grasslands. A number of birds in Akagera are spotted during guided nature walks however, some areas are strictly for game drives since the park holds some big predators including Lions.

Among the notable bird species in Rwanda Akagera National Park are; the African fish eagle, Papyrus gonolek, Lilac breasted roller, Martial Eagle, Red faced barbet, Robin chat, Woodland kingfisher, Cattle egret, Eastern grey plantain eater, Palm nut vulture, Kingfishers, etc. The dry season offers the best birding expeditions in Akagera park.

In most cases, Rwanda bird watching safaris in Akagera go hand in hand with game viewing tours in this park, for instance, game drives and boat cruise expeditions. It’s also possible to add on your trip gorilla trekking tours in Volcanoes National Park or chimpanzee safaris in Rwanda Nyungwe Forest National Park for a remarkable vacation!

Common Birds in Akagera National Park Rwanda

The following bird species are found in diverse flora ecosystems within Akagera park. While searching for them, you’ll be in the company of our expert local birding guide.

1. Lilac Breasted Roller

A Lilac Breasted Roller is a large-headed, hefty bird with rusty cheeks, a spring-green crown, and a purple breast. Mostly, it dwells in grasslands with sparse trees and open forests and is usually spotted in both singles and pairs.

Rollers are named after their magnificent display flight, which includes side-to-side rolling.

This roller is one of the common species of birds in Rwanda Akagera park. It’s among the common Southern Africa bird species.

2. African Fish Eagle

The African Fish Eagle is a huge, recognizable, white-and-chestnut bird that is usually seen perched next to rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. Its graceful, shallow dive to the water’s surface allows it to hunt fish, but it also consumes carrion, birds, and reptiles.

One of Africa’s most recognizable bird sounds, “wheeee-ah-kleeuw-kleeuw-kluuu,” is made by this bird when it tosses its head backward and calls out loud and clear.

While birding in Akagera National Park, the African fish eagle is hard to miss on the Lake Ihema boat ride.

3. Papyrus Gonolek

Papyrus Gonolek is a brightly patterned black-and-red bushshrike with a yellow cap and pale eyes. The duller immature has orange underparts and a gray crown.

Travelers searching for Akagera birds can spot it in papyrus marshes during Lake Ihema boat rides. In rapid-fire or up-and-down series, the male plays “chonk” or “chuwee” notes. The female’s low ratcheting call is sometimes dueted with the male’s. It’s similar to the Black-headed Gonolek but holds a yellow crown and white wingbar.

4. African Cormorants

It’s a globally widespread large cormorant identified easily by its white throat patch and has no crest. Adults breed with round white flank patches. African “White-breasted” has broad white underparts in all plumages and a contrasting white belly in immature birds.  In Akagera National Park Rwanda, you can spot it on rock outcrops within Ihema Lake.

This spectacular bird feeds mostly on fish.

5. Red Faced Barbet

A Red faced barbet is a lumpy medium size Black barbet. It features red on the face, and white edging on the lower wing.

Tourists on a birding safari in Akagera can spot a Red faced Barbet in woodlands, farmed, and gallery forests. In most cases, it’s found in pairs or small groups.

Some confuse it with a Black-billed Barbet, but it lacks scarlet on the throat and white borders to the top of the wing.

It’s a popular species on Akagera park’s bird checklist.

6. Saddle Billed Stork

A Saddle billed stork is a beautiful long black-and-white stork featuring a bright red, yellow, & black bill. Males hold dark-brown eyes while females yellow. The bird’s gigantic size and dark bands in the white wings are identified in flight.

Scarce but noticeable; generally resident but sometimes nomadic inside the range. It forages for catfish, frogs, birds, and insects.

Tourists birding in Akagera park usually spot them in pairs or individually along wetlands.

7. Giant Kingfisher

Large, hefty black, white, and chestnut kingfisher with a dagger-like black bill and little crest. The male has chestnut plumage on his upper breast, while the female has it on her belly and underwings. Partners hunt fish, crabs, frogs, and invertebrates in freshwater, lake, River Akagera, and marshes therefore, it’s hard to miss them during a boat ride on Ihema Lake.

8. African Grey Hornbill

The African Grey Hornbill holds an ashy tint and a bi-colored bill. The male has a dark bill with a pale wedge at the base, while the female has an ivory-bill with a purple-reddish tip. Note also their lively and undulating flight pattern plus a whitish rump and tail tip.

Mostly inhabit open dry savanna and broadleaved woodland and are spotted usually in many pairs.

9. Hamerkop

A Hamerkop is a brown, ibis-like bird with a shaggy crown and squat body. It’s commonly observed close to rivers, lakes, or wetlands feeding mostly on fish, insects, and frogs.

The Hamerkop nests in big trees an enormous stick nest hard to reach. Seeing Its nest is one of the rare treasures for bird lovers!

Visitors looking for birds in Akagera National Park can’t miss this lovely bird during the Ihema Lake boat cruise.

10.  Marabou Stork

A Marabou Stork is a ghoulish stork with a distinct big dagger-like bill and a bare pink head as well as a neck that appears sunburned. It looks weird with a white ruff and loose inflatable neck skin. It effortlessly flies high in quest of food; note its white abdomen.

In Akagera park, Marabou storks mostly dwell in marshes or dry bush and often linger near carrion after significant predator kills. It’s possible to find them in towns or along the streets in Rwanda.

11. Double Toothed Barbet

Double-toothed Barbet is a big, attractive barbet with a distinctive ivory bill. The underparts and wing bar are crimson. Visitors undertaking bird watching tours in Akagera NP can spot this bird in areas with fig trees, forests, forest edges, and even in agricultural areas. Normally, they are spotted in pairs or small groups.

This Barbet is similar to the Bearded Barbet but lacks a black breast band. The red chest distinguishes it from the Black-breasted Barbet.

12. Helmeted Guinea Fowl

The Helmeted Guinea Fowl is among the notable bird species in Akagera Park. It’s a stunning large large-bodied, and small-headed slaty-gray gamebird with hundreds of white dots. A skull of this Guinea fowl holds a distinct bone-like casque and exposed warty facial skin, which is white, blue, or red depending on the region.

Young birds are brown and usually spotted with adults. In most cases, they are spotted in large flocks within savannas. They feed mostly on insects and grains.

Unlike Helmeted Guinea fowl, Crested Guinea fowl are darker and have a plumed crest.

13. Shoebill Stork in Akagera National Park Rwanda

A Shoebill stork is the most sought-after bird for travelers on Rwanda birding safaris in Akagera park. It’s quite an unusual bird belonging to its own family. In adults, the plumage is always gray; in immatures, it’s brownish. The structure of the Shoebill is stork-like generally but with a thick neck and huge hooked bill. Sometimes fairly high, in flight the lengthy legs trail.

Though not so common, lucky birders have spotted this mysterious bird within deep marshes and papyrus swamps in Akagera park. Usually spotted alone or in pairs.

These birds feed mostly on lungfish but they can also hunt other water species like frogs, snails, monitor lizards, and baby crocodiles.

14. Long Crested Eagle

The Long crested eagle is a bid hefty blackish eagle with a distinctive towering, sagging crest. The wing reveals much white below and little above in flight.

Travelers on Akagera National Park bird watching safaris spot this prey bird in open woodlands or savannah grasslands. This bird perches for a long time, only seldom soars.

More Notable Birds of Akagera National Park Rwanda

Among these birds in Akagera National Park include; wetland birds (papyrus endemics), water birds, raptors, forest birds, savanna related bird species, endemic species, and even migratory birds.

Best Time for Birding Tours in Akagera National Park Rwanda

Every season of birdwatching in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park presents a unique variety of bird species. While in the early wet season of October, visitors can spot hundreds of lapwings and many open grassland species. Birders spot so many francolins, wetland birds, nightjars, and owls during the dry season, which runs from June to early September. The Songbirds are busiest from September to November and once more in March and April.

From February to July, the colonial breeding water birds including Herons, African Darter, Cormorants, storks & Ibises do breed.

Numerous migratory birds visit Akagera from November-April.

As experts in organizing birding trips in Rwanda, we suggest that you travel in the dry months (June-September) when their no rainfall inconveniences. Also, game viewing is at its best as game animals will be easily sighted in the dry savannah.

What to Park for Birding Safaris in Akagera National Park Rwanda?

Bird enthusiasts coming for Rwanda bird watching safaris in Akagera National Park should come with the items below for a successful adventure;

1. Good camera (for taking photos) with extra batteries
2. Binoculars to see small bird species and those far
3. Birding guide book
4. Notebook- must-have for every bird lover!
5. Safari boots
6. Eco-friendly clothes
7. Rain jacket
8. A simple backpack
9. Insect repellent cream
10. Personal toiletries
11. Sunglasses, sunhat, and sunscreens

Expert Guide While Spotting Birds in Akagera Park Rwanda

In this guide, we are going to share with you the dos and don’ts you should follow while in the field looking for birds of Akagera National Park Rwanda.

1. Keep a low voice while in the jungle– a loud voice scares birds
2. Have a birding guidebook– most of our birding guides in Rwanda suggest Birds of East Africa.
3. Ask always a local birding guide. These people have great knowledge about most birds in the region.
4. Go for morning birding sessions in Akagera.  Often, birds- water birds inclusive are very active in the morning hours unlike in the afternoons.
5. Put on light comfortable hiking boots– These keep your feet safe during the game walks in the bush.
6. Your camera should have a clear lens and enough space to accommodate many photos.
7. As you are in the field, have a packed lunch and enough bottled water. Some birding expeditions go for a whole day.

How to Spot Birds of Akagera National Park Rwanda?

Travelers undertaking Rwanda birding safari tours in Akagera park mainly spot birds on game drives, boat cruises, and game walks in some regions of this savannah reserve of Rwanda.

The following are the different ways how Akagera bird watching safaris are done;

i. Undertaking Game Drives

Game drives in Akagera National Park take place in low altitude grasslands. In a safari vehicle, numerous bird and game animals such as Zebras, Buffalos, Lions, and various Antelope species such as Cape Eland- (the world’s largest antelope) are spotted. Therefore, also note that birding is a pure animal watching expedition.

Akagera game safaris offer the best option to spot savannah birds.

ii. Taking a Boat Cruise on Ihema Lake

A boat ride on Ihema Lake gives you room to spot water birds for example Saddle billed storks, White faced whistling duck, and African open bill among others. Usually, it’s done early in the morning starting around 7 am.

Though the main intention of a boat ride is to spot water birds, other species of birds on land can be spotted also.

iii. Having Guided Game Walks

Some regions in Akagera National Park Rwanda allow game walks. These are guided nature walks with an armed ranger guide.

In summary, during your Akagera National Park birding safari trip, be expectant to spot bird species hard to spot in other safari destinations of Rwanda for instance Nyungwe Forest and Volcanoes National Park. Akagera is the best place to spot savanna related bird species in Rwanda.

Read this blog to find out the types of bird species in Akagera National Park.