Travel Guide for Birding in Akagera National Park

Travel Guide for Birding in Akagera National Park will give a traveler a complete insight into the amazing bird watching activity that can be carried out in Akagera and where exactly you can find which bird. Are you interested in carrying out birding the home of the big 5 animals in Rwanda, akagera national park but you don’t know what to expect during the activity then think no more because the following is a travel guide that will enable you to have a comfortable birding adventure in the park.

What does Birding involve?

A guide: A guide will give you all the relevant information concerning the different bird species in the park. with over 480 bird species that can be seen while you visit akagera national park, i is quite obvious that the guide knows each one of them ad their description from one another given that some bird species can appear the same but one feature can distinguish them from each other which is the duty of the guide to help you in areas where you are stuck when it comes to identifying the different bird species. For birders with their bird checklist, they will be helped by the guide in identifying the different birds on their birding checklist.

A ranger: Any activity in Akagera National Park involves a ranger who will protect you during your different activities in the park and birding is not an exception but the activity also involves a ranger accompanying them during their activity. Akagera National Park is a home to the big 5 animals that is the lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and the leopard which are quite dangerous animals especially the big cats.

Therefore during your biding activity, the ranger should accompany you to ensure that you have a safe birding adventure in the park. It is noted that the ranger moves with a firearm to ensure that you are protected and in case of any animal attack, they can scare off the animals by firing in the sky but the chances of vicious animal attacks are quite rare because the birding spots in the park are quite safe but in case of any attack the group is not caught unaware because there is a ranger who will take control of a situation.

In Akagera National Park, for tourists to participate in the adventure, they should obtain a birding permit which is got through a trusted tour company or from the park headquarters. When you’ve obtained the permit, you will then be free to participate in the activity. In the park, you will be led by the guide to the different birding spots where you can see a number of bird species.

You will have short walks around the park when you see the different bird species, you will be expected to take notes as the guide gives you relevant information about them, you can take pictures and you move to the other birding spots to see a number of other bird species. Other activities that can help you carry out birding include; game drives in akagera national park where you will get to see a number of bird species in the different thickets, shrubs and the grasslands, during the boat cruise in akagera national park, you will see the water bird like the shoe bill stork, spoonbill African kingfisher, the cormorants among other bird species which can also be seen during sport fishing in the park.

Packing list

While packing for your birding adventure in Akagera national park, the following are the items that you will find helpful during your activity in the park;

A Hat which will protect you from direct sunshine when you are carrying out your activity.
Bird checklist, which will enable you to identify the different bird species in the park and the ones that you have seen during your activity.
Binoculars, these will help you to see the birds even when they are far away
Insect repellent because of the different insects in the park that can easily spread diseases
Hiking boots, in the park there are some areas that are waterlogged which can make movements hard during birding, therefore, the perfect hiking boots will enable you to have a smooth activity
Note pad and a pen to note down the information about the different bird species as explained to you by the guide.
Bird list which will be a birding guide of the different bird species that can be seen in the park.

Guidelines for birding in akagera national park

Avoid unnecessary noise because it can scare off the birds during the activity because it will scare off the birds
Avoid unnecessary movements during birding because it can scare off the birds as well as limiting your chances of seeing the different bird species in the country.
Avoid using audio sounds to attract birds to come out of their hiding spots because some audio sounds can interrupt their activities.,
In case of any query, you should ask a guide other than asking birders to disrupt their concentration of learning more about the bird species during the activity
Avoid taking pictures while using flash during birding in the park because it will also scare off the birds.
Follow the lead of the guide to have a safe activity while in the park.