With about 200 species recorded (including 17 Albertine Rift endemics), Volcanoes National Park offers great bird watching. However, most of the park’s special birds can also be seen in Nyungwe National Park, which is set up better for birding. Local specialties are the vulnerable Grauer’s swamp warbler and the scarlet-tufted sunbird, which can be found on the summit of Mt Bisoke.
Birding Specials Treats for Avid Birders
(ARE) Albertine Rift endemic = only lives in the Albertine Rift- African long-eared owl
- Archer’s robin-chat (ARE)
- Brown woodland warbler
- Brown-necked parrot
- Doherty’s bush-shrike
- Dusky crimsonwing (ARE)
- Dusky turtle dove
- Grauer’s swamp warbler (ARE)
- Handsome francolin (ARE)
- Lagden’s bush-shrike
- Red-faced woodland warbler (ARE)
- Ruwenzori apalis (ARE)
- Ruwenzori batis (ARE)
- Ruwenzori double-collared sunbird (ARE)
- Ruwenzori nightjar (ARE)
- Ruwenzori turaco (ARE)
- Scarlet-tufted sunbird
- Strange weaver (ARE)
Best Time for Bird Watching
The birdlife in Volcanoes NP is good year-round, but the volcanoes are especially wet and often shrouded in mist. This means that birding in this area is easiest during the Dry season, from June to August, and to a lesser extent in September, January and February when it rains slightly less. This is also the best time for gorilla trekking.