The Complete List of Birds of Rwanda

Rwanda’s varied landscapes — from montane rainforests and crater lakes to savanna wetlands — make it a compact but rewarding destination for birdwatching. Local guides and short drives can put you from high-altitude forest to open water in a single day, which helps when you’re trying to cover many species.

There are 96 Birds of Rwanda, ranging from African Emerald Cuckoo to Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. For each species, you’ll find below data organized as Scientific name,IUCN status,Key sites (max 15 words).

When is the best time and where should I go to see the most species?

The dry seasons (June–September and December–February) are generally easiest for access and visibility, but migrants arrive in different months; plan Nyungwe Forest for montane specials, Volcanoes area for Albertine Rift endemics, and Akagera for savanna species.

How up-to-date is the conservation status and what does the IUCN column mean?

The IUCN status reflects the global Red List assessment and may change with new data; use it to gauge global risk while also checking recent local reports or park notices for current population trends and site-specific rarities.

Birds of Rwanda

Images and Descriptions

Shoebill

A massive, prehistoric-looking bird with a unique shoe-shaped bill. This rare and sought-after species is a top highlight for birders visiting the swamps and wetlands of Akagera.

Ruwenzori Turaco

A spectacular Albertine Rift endemic with vibrant green, blue, and crimson plumage. Its loud calls echo through the high-altitude forests, and its crimson wing flash is stunning in flight.

Grauer’s Swamp Warbler

An endangered and secretive warbler endemic to the Albertine Rift highlands. Its survival is tied to the protection of high-altitude papyrus swamps, making Rugezi Marsh a critical site.

African Fish Eagle

The iconic “voice of Africa,” this majestic eagle is easily recognized by its white head and chest and its powerful, ringing call. It’s commonly seen perched near water, hunting for fish.

Red-faced Barbet

A near-threatened species with a very restricted range, found only around the Rwanda-Tanzania border. Akagera is the best place in the world to see this colorful, sociable bird.

Grey Crowned Crane

Rwanda’s national bird, this elegant crane is famed for its golden crown and elaborate dancing displays. Its population has declined sharply, making conservation efforts in its wetland habitats crucial.

Regal Sunbird

A dazzling Albertine Rift endemic. The male has iridescent metallic plumage in shades of green, purple, and red. It flits through flowering trees and shrubs in montane forests.

African Green Broadbill

One of Africa’s most enigmatic and sought-after birds. This small, chunky, bright green bird is an Albertine Rift endemic, incredibly rare and difficult to spot high in the forest canopy.

Red-collared Babbler

A near-threatened Albertine Rift endemic that moves in noisy, active flocks through the forest. It is distinguished by the rich rufous band across its upper chest.

Ruwenzori Batis

A small, striking flycatcher endemic to the Albertine Rift. The male is a crisp black-and-white, while the female has a chestnut breast band. It’s active in the forest mid-story.

Kungwe Apalis

A beautiful Albertine Rift endemic warbler. It has a silvery-white throat and breast contrasting with a dark head. It forages actively in the forest canopy, often in mixed-species flocks.

Stripe-breasted Tit

An Albertine Rift endemic tit, common in high-altitude forests. It is recognized by its streaked underparts and typical tit-like behavior, moving acrobatically through the canopy.

Strange Weaver

An unusual, forest-dwelling weaver endemic to the Albertine Rift. It has olive-green plumage and a distinctive dark face mask. It often forages on tree trunks like a nuthatch.

Dusky Crimsonwing

A shy and beautiful finch of the Albertine Rift. The male is deep crimson and black. It forages quietly on the forest floor, often near streams.

Shelley’s Crimsonwing

Critically endangered and one of Africa’s most mysterious birds. This finch is known from only a few sightings in the Albertine Rift, with unconfirmed reports from Nyungwe’s dense forests.

Archer’s Robin-Chat

A secretive Albertine Rift endemic robin-chat. It has a slate-grey back and rich orange underparts. It’s more often heard than seen, delivering a beautiful, fluting song from deep cover.

Kivu Ground Thrush

A subspecies of the Abyssinian Ground Thrush endemic to the Albertine Rift. This shy thrush forages for invertebrates by flicking leaf litter on the shaded forest floor.

Papyrus Gonolek

A stunning black, yellow, and red bushshrike restricted to papyrus swamps. Its loud, duetting calls are a characteristic sound of its specialized habitat. A true wetland gem.

Carruthers’s Cisticola

A small, plain-looking warbler that is a specialist of papyrus and dense lakeside vegetation. Its presence indicates a healthy wetland ecosystem. Best located by its persistent, chirping call.

White-collared Oliveback

A small, colorful finch found in forest clearings and edges. The male’s white collar and red rump make it stand out. It is often seen feeding on seeds in small groups.

Handsome Francolin

A large, dark francolin endemic to the Albertine Rift. It is very shy and difficult to see well as it scurries through dense undergrowth, but its loud calls are distinctive.

Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher

An Albertine Rift endemic flycatcher easily identified by its all-black plumage and a striking yellow wattle around the eye. It sallies for insects from an exposed perch.

Mountain Masked Apalis

An active and vocal warbler of the Albertine Rift. It has a distinctive black hood and yellow belly, constantly moving through the canopy in search of insects.

Ruwenzori Nightjar

An Albertine Rift endemic nightjar found at high altitudes. It is best located at dusk by its distinct, churring call from a perch in a clearing or along a road.

Bar-tailed Trogon

A stunning, quiet bird of montane forests. The male has an iridescent green head and chest, a red belly, and a finely barred tail. It often sits motionless for long periods.

Dwarf Honeyguide

A small and rare honeyguide endemic to the Albertine Rift. It is parasitic, laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, and is very difficult to locate and identify.

Willcocks’s Honeyguide

A small, rather plain honeyguide of the forest interior. Like its relatives, it is a brood parasite. It is an inconspicuous species, best identified by its unique vocalizations.

Cinnamon-breasted Bee-eater

A beautiful bee-eater common in highland areas. It is bright green with a rich cinnamon throat and breast. Often seen perched on exposed branches, hawking for insects.

Blue-headed Sunbird

A lovely Albertine Rift endemic sunbird. The male has a stunning iridescent blue-violet head that catches the light as it feeds on nectar in the forest canopy.

Purple-breasted Sunbird

A spectacular Albertine Rift endemic. The male’s plumage shimmers with iridescent purple, green, and blue hues. It is a prized sighting for any birder visiting the highlands.

Great Blue Turaco

The largest turaco species, this giant bird is an unforgettable sight. It is deep blue with a prominent crest, moving clumsily through the treetops in noisy family groups.

Black-billed Turaco

A beautiful, mostly green turaco with a rounded crest and a striking red-and-white eye patch. Its crimson wing patches are brilliantly visible when it flies between trees.

Ross’s Turaco

A large, deep violet-blue turaco with a striking red crest and face shield. Often seen in wooded savanna and riparian forests, its brilliant crimson wings flash in flight.

White-headed Woodhoopoe

A noisy and social bird that travels in conspicuous flocks through the forest. It is identified by its white head, long decurved bill, and iridescent dark body.

African Hobby

A small, swift falcon that is a powerful aerial hunter of insects and small birds. It is dark slaty-grey above with rufous underparts and a streaked breast.

Bateleur

A spectacular and unmistakable eagle with a black, white, and chestnut plumage and bright red facial skin. It is known for its rocking, gliding flight low over the savanna.

White-backed Vulture

A critically endangered vulture that was once common. Akagera holds a small but important population. These social birds are crucial for cleaning the ecosystem by consuming carcasses.

Lappet-faced Vulture

A huge and powerful vulture with a bare, reddish head and formidable beak. It dominates other scavengers at carcasses. Sightings in Akagera are rare but significant for this endangered species.

Palm-nut Vulture

An unusual vulture with a diet consisting mainly of the fruit of the oil palm. It looks more like an eagle with its black-and-white plumage and bare red facial skin.

African Finfoot

A secretive and bizarre waterbird, somewhat resembling a cormorant or grebe. It has a slender body and bright red lobed feet. It swims low in the water along vegetated banks.

African Wattled Lapwing

A large, noisy lapwing with distinctive yellow wattles hanging from its face. It is common in open habitats and will loudly protest the presence of any potential threat.

Long-toed Lapwing

A striking black-and-white lapwing with exceptionally long toes and legs, adapted for walking on floating vegetation. It prefers the edges of swamps and marshes.

Water Thick-knee

A nocturnal wader with large, cryptic eyes and intricately patterned plumage that provides excellent camouflage. It is often found resting motionless on sandy or muddy banks during the day.

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

A small, common dove of drier woodlands. It is recognized by the iridescent green spots on its wings. Its cooing call, descending in pitch, is a familiar sound of the bush.

Blue-spotted Wood-Dove

Similar to the Emerald-spotted but found in wetter habitats. It has iridescent blue-green wing spots and a reddish bill. Often seen feeding on the ground.

Tambourine Dove

A beautiful dove with a clean white face and underparts contrasting with its dark brown back. It is shy, preferring the deep shade of the forest floor.

Crowned Hornbill

A medium-sized, black-and-white hornbill with a large red bill and casque. It is a common and noisy resident of forested areas, often seen in small groups.

Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill

A very large hornbill with a massive creamy-white casque on its bill. Its loud, braying calls and the whooshing sound of its wings in flight are unmistakable forest sounds.

White-thighed Hornbill

A large, black and white hornbill. Very similar to the Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, it is often considered a subspecies. Its presence is indicative of a healthy, mature forest.

African Grey Hornbill

A common, medium-sized hornbill with a mottled grey-and-brown plumage and a dark bill with a creamy patch. It is highly adaptable and often seen foraging on the ground.

Bare-faced Go-away-bird

A large, grey turaco-relative with a prominent crest and a bare black face. Its name comes from its nasal, bleating call that sounds like “go-away.”

Eastern Grey Plantain-eater

A large, greyish-brown bird with a shaggy crest. It’s often seen in noisy, sociable groups perched conspicuously at the top of trees.

Speckled Mousebird

A common and highly social bird with a drab, brown-grey plumage, a long tail, and a crest. Mousebirds often scurry through vegetation and hang in odd, rodent-like postures.

Narina Trogon

A stunningly beautiful but shy forest bird. The male is iridescent green with a bright red belly. It can sit motionless for long periods, making it difficult to spot despite its colors.

African Emerald Cuckoo

A brilliant, metallic-green cuckoo. The male’s beautiful, whistling “hello-georgie” call is a classic sound of the African forest, though the bird itself is often hard to see.

Klaas’s Cuckoo

A small, green-and-white cuckoo. Like other cuckoos, it is a brood parasite. Its plaintive, three-note “meit-jie” whistle is a common sound in many habitats.

Red-chested Cuckoo

Famous for its persistent, three-note call that sounds like “piet-my-vrou,” a quintessential sound of the African rainy season. It is a shy brood parasite, rarely seen.

Senegal Coucal

A large, non-parasitic cuckoo with a black head, chestnut back, and creamy underparts. It spends most of its time on the ground and has a deep, bubbling call.

Blue-headed Coucal

A large coucal with a glossy blue-black head and chest, and rich chestnut wings. It is often found clambering through dense vegetation near water.

Giant Kingfisher

The world’s largest kingfisher, this impressive bird has a shaggy crest and a massive bill. It has a loud, rattling call and is seen plunging into water for fish and crabs.

Malachite Kingfisher

A tiny, brilliantly colored kingfisher with bright blue upperparts, a rufous belly, and a red bill. A jewel-like flash of blue as it darts low over the water’s surface.

Woodland Kingfisher

A brightly colored kingfisher often found far from water. It has brilliant blue back and wings, a grey head, and a distinctive red-and-black bill. Its descending trill is a common sound.

Grey-headed Kingfisher

A striking kingfisher with a pale grey head, chestnut belly, and cobalt-blue back and tail. It primarily hunts insects and small reptiles in drier habitats, not just fish.

Striped Kingfisher

A small, less colorful kingfisher adapted to dry country. It is mostly brownish-grey and white with streaks on its head and chest. It has a distinctive, high-pitched “chee-err” call.

Little Bee-eater

Africa’s smallest bee-eater. A tiny, colorful bird with a green back, yellow throat, and black gorget. It’s often seen perched on low stems, darting out to catch insects.

White-fronted Bee-eater

A highly social and colorful bee-eater known for nesting in large colonies in earthen banks. It has a distinctive white forehead, a red throat, and a green body.

Lilac-breasted Roller

An impossibly colorful bird, with a palette of lilac, blue, green, and tan. Famous for its acrobatic rolling flight displays. A must-see species for any safari-goer in Akagera.

Broad-billed Roller

A stocky roller with a purplish-brown body, blue wings, and a bright yellow bill. It is most active at dawn and dusk, hawking insects with agile, swooping flights.

African Pygmy Kingfisher

A minuscule, brilliantly colored kingfisher. It differs from the Malachite by its purple wash on the head and its insect-based diet in drier habitats. A beautiful but tiny gem.

Yellow-billed Barbet

A large barbet of the forest interior. It has a distinctive yellow bill, a mottled body, and a loud, prolonged, and somewhat mechanical-sounding duetting song.

Double-toothed Barbet

A large, striking barbet with glossy black plumage, a bright red breast, and a massive bill with two “teeth” on it. It is social and often found feeding on fruit.

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

A tiny barbet, more often heard than seen. Its call is a persistent, metronomic “pop-pop-pop” that can continue for minutes on end. Look for its bright yellow rump.

Lesser Honeyguide

A small, inconspicuous brood parasite that guides humans and honey badgers to bees’ nests. It has a drab grey-and-white plumage and is best identified by its call.

Scaly-throated Honeyguide

A larger honeyguide with a distinctive scaly-looking throat and breast. Like its relatives, it is a brood parasite. It has a unique, almost magical-sounding trilling call.

Cardinal Woodpecker

A small, common woodpecker. The male has a brown back, streaked underparts, and a red crown and nape. It actively forages on branches for insects.

Tullberg’s Woodpecker

A medium-sized woodpecker of high-altitude forests. It has olive-green, barred plumage. A key species for birders exploring the montane forests of the Albertine Rift.

Mountain Sooty Boubou

A very dark, secretive bushshrike endemic to montane forests. It is almost entirely black and skulks in dense vegetation. Its presence is usually given away by its rich, duetting calls.

Tropical Boubou

A common and vocal bushshrike with glossy black upperparts and pure white underparts. It is famous for its beautifully synchronized, fluting duets between a pair.

Lühder’s Bushshrike

A brightly colored, but skulking, bushshrike. It has a black head, a brilliant orange-rufous breast band, and a white belly. It stays hidden in dense thickets.

Black-headed Gonolek

An incredibly vibrant bushshrike with a glossy black top and fiery crimson-red underparts. It is often seen in pairs, delivering loud, synchronized duets from dense cover.

Brown-crowned Tchagra

A common brownish shrike-like bird with a distinctive reddish-brown crown and a bold white eyebrow stripe. It has a whistling song often delivered in a conspicuous display flight.

Fork-tailed Drongo

A glossy black bird with a distinctive forked tail and a red eye. It is aggressive and fearless, known for its aerial agility and its habit of mimicking other birds.

African Paradise Flycatcher

An unmistakable bird, especially the male with his incredibly long tail streamers. Comes in two color morphs, rufous and white. A truly elegant and beautiful forest resident.

White-tailed Blue Flycatcher

A small, active, and elegant flycatcher that is pale blue overall with a long, fanned, white-edged tail. It often joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Dusky-blue Flycatcher

A subtle, greyish-blue flycatcher found in the shade of the forest mid-story. It is an unobtrusive bird that sits quietly on a perch before sallying out to catch an insect.

Ruwenzori Hill Babbler

A small, active warbler-like bird common in the highlands. It has a distinctive black cap and restless nature, often moving in small, noisy groups through dense vegetation.

Black-lored Babbler

A plain, brownish, and highly social babbler. It moves in noisy, chattering groups through savanna thickets, foraging on the ground. Distinguished by the black patch between its eye and bill.

Arrow-marked Babbler

A noisy, social babbler identified by the white, arrow-shaped streaks on its breast and back. Groups forage together on the ground with constant chattering calls.

Mountain Illadopsis

A shy, brown babbler of the forest floor and understory. It is a secretive bird with a beautiful, clear, and simple whistling song that echoes through the forest.

Red-faced Crombec

A tiny, almost tailless warbler. It has a hyperactive nature, constantly gleaning insects from leaves and twigs in acacia trees. Best found by its persistent, high-pitched calls.

Red-chested Sunbird

A common and beautiful sunbird. The male has an iridescent green head and a striking red breast band. Often seen feeding on nectar from flowers in a variety of habitats.

Variable Sunbird

A very common and, as its name suggests, variable sunbird. The male is typically iridescent green and purple above with a yellow belly, but plumage varies geographically.

Bronze Sunbird

A large, long-tailed sunbird. The male is a dark, iridescent bronzy-green that can look black in poor light. It has a fast, powerful flight and a sharp, chipping call.

Green-headed Sunbird

A fairly large, robust sunbird with an olive-green body and an iridescent green head and throat. It is a common species in forested areas, feeding on nectar and insects.

Collared Sunbird

A very small, short-billed sunbird. The male is iridescent green above and bright yellow below, with a narrow, violet-blue breast band that gives it its name.

Pin-tailed Whydah

A striking brood parasite. The breeding male is unmistakable with his black-and-white plumage and extremely long, black tail plumes. He performs a distinctive, hovering courtship flight.

Birds of Other Countries