Virunga National Park Birds
Virunga National Park Birds
Virunga National Park birds are one of the major reasons why travellers do visit Virunga National Park on Congo safaris, Congo safaris or Congo birding safaris, all throughout the year. Virunga National Park is the oldest and most visited Congo national park located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is contiguous with Semuliki National Park, the Rwenzori, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park of Uganda as well as Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda. Virunga National Park is also one of the largest Congo national parks, inhabiting a variety of flora and fauna, and a chain of volcanoes both active and dormant.
Virunga National Park supports the greatest biological diversity in Africa, thereby hosting a variety of bird species including a number of Albertine endemics. Virunga National Park inhabits over 706 bird species with 24 of the bird species being endemics to Virunga National Park. all the over 707 Virunga National Park birds are spread all over the park in the various features in the park, say wetlands which have bird species like Herons, Ibisis, Egrets, Geese, Darters, Skimmers, Shoebill storks, Ospreys, Warblers, and large numbers of Pelicans among others which can be found say on lower Rutshuru River.
Grauer’s swamp warbler can be found in the highland swamps, Rockefeller’s sunbird, Nectarinia Rockefeller can be found in bamboo forest and heath stream thickets. In the mountain forest, birds like the Rwenzori turaco, Musophaga Johnson, handsome francolin, shoebill Balaeniceps, Forest ground thrush and Turdus Oberlaenderi among others can be spotted here. The Ruwenzori Batis, Ruwenzori double-collared sunbirds, Archer’s robin-chat, are some of the endemics in the Virungas. Other Virunga National Park birds that travellers can spot in the park include the Yellow-billed barbet, Double toothed barbet, African Olive pigeon, tropical boubou, Angolan swallow, white-headed woophoopes, narrow tailed starling, the Madagascar bee eater, among others.
Virunga National Park birds can be spotted while on various activities in Virunga National Park. birding safaris to Virunga National Park are one of the top three reasons travellers do visit the park, alongside gorilla trekking and hiking the Nyiragongo Mountain which has the largest lava lake in the world.
Bird watching in Virunga National Park takes place throughout the day, with the early morning having you wake up to sweet melodies of birds singing and inviting you to go check them out. To enjoy and be rewarded with a large number of bird sightings in a day, travellers should carry the bird watching equipment that includes a good pair of binoculars to help you spot even those far off bird species. Given that you shall mostly be hiking through the jungles of Virunga National Park, carrying good comfortable hiking boots with a grip and preferably waterproof, long sleeved shirts and trousers, a rain jacket, waterproof back pack among others.
Virunga National Park birds can be seen throughout the year, irrespective of the seasons. Whereas most a time travellers are advised to travel during the dry season, for bird watching safaris in Virunga National Park however, the wet or rainy season is the best time to visit to take part in the Virunga birding safaris.
Apart from Virunga National Park birds, there are other attractions and activities in Virunga National park that travellers can do to enjoy their stay there. Virunga National Park is one of the four mountain gorilla destinations in the world. It is for hosting the mountain gorillas and availing travellers with an opportunity to encounter with them on a gorilla trekking safari that travellers do visit the park most of the time. Hiking the Nyiragongo Mountain and other Virunga volcanoes, nature walks to explore the dense jungles of the Virungas among others are some of the activities that travellers can do in addition to sighting the various Virunga National Park birds.
Virunga National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Africa and yet still wild with little exploitation done in the park. This gives travellers after experiencing true African wilderness an opportunity to do so in this gem, Virunga National Park of the Congo. Take time to plan a memorable Congo safaris tour to see the Virunga National Park birds and take part in a number of activities in the park say Congo gorilla trekking, hiking Mount Nyiragongo, among so many others.
