Exclusive birding trips in Rwenzori National park – Albertine Rift Endemics
Exclusive birding trips in Rwenzori National Park – With over 217 bird species that are confined within this park, birders are never left out. Mount Rwenzori National Park boasts of its diverse bird species and while on birding tour, the birds to spot out include Johnston’s Ruwenzori Turaco, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Ruwenzori Puff back, Flycatcher- Batis, Black duck, Verreaux’s eagle, Lanner Falcon, Rufous sparrow hawk, African Lammergeyer, Mountain Buzzard, Ruwenzori handsome francolin, Olive pigeon, Western lemon dove, Black-billed Turaco, Alpine swift- Olive woodpecker, Ruwenzori Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Olive-breasted Mountain Greenbul, Toro Olive Greenbul, Dusky Flycatcher, Mountain Yellow flycatcher, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Ruwenzori Olive Thrush, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Mountain Chat, Archer’s Robin Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Ruwenzori White-starred Bush Robin, Red-faced woodland warbler, Bamboo warbler, Cinnamon Scrub Warbler, Collared Apalis, East African Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Black rough-wing swallow, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Stripe-breasted Tit, White Necked Raven, Slender-billed Chestnut-winged Starling, Green White-eye, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Shelley’s Crimson Wing, Ruwenzori streaky Seed-eater, Kivu Grosbeak Seed-eater, scarlet tufted malachite sunbird, Rwenzori double colored sunbird, Regal sunbird, Stripe breasted Tit. 19 of them are endemic such as the Rwenzori Turaco, the malachite sunbird, the long tailed cuckoo, long eared owl, handsome francolin, cinnamon chested bee-eater, robin, montane Boubou, slender-billed starling, black eagle.
When to visit on your exclusive birding trip in Mountain Rwenzori National Park?
Mount Rwenzori National Park is located along the equator and because of this; most parts are wet compared to other parts in East Africa. The highest rainfall amount is experienced in the eastern slopes and rains kick start from March to May and from September to mid-December. For excellent tour, you can opt to travel to this park from June to September as most parts remain relatively drier. This area experiences temperature range of about 5 to 20 degrees Celsius.
How to get Mountain Rwenzori National Park?
To get to this park, you need about 5 hours or more to drive from Kampala to Kasese. You can take a car rental a 4 wheel drive safari car or a public means although this may not be favorable enough in case you are looking at something comfortable. The popular routes include the Kampala-Fort Portal or Kampala-Mbarara-Queen Elizabeth or alternatively, take a flight from Kajjansi airfield.
Where to stay in on your birding trip in Mount Rwenzori National Park?
There are many accommodations for you to spend a night in this park and they include among others-Hotel Margherita which is situated at the base of the mountain just a few kilometers from Kasese town. Amazingly, a side from accommodation, they also offer Rwenzori experience. The Rwenzori International Hotel-this is located about 3 kilometers off Kasese airstrip just at the base of Rwenzori Mountain range. This provides executive self-contained rooms to single non-self-contained rooms with camping options.
Kitara lodge-this is located about 16 kilometers off Katunguru gate of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This accommodation facility is very keen on environmental conservation and it is built using renewable materials.
The Equator snow lodge-this is also set at the base of the mountain and offers luxury accommodation services. Below it, there is a roaring Mubuku River and its cottages are constructed using the river rocks thus making it a few exceptionally rare facilities for one to spend a night while on safari in this park. Tropical savanna guesthouse-this is set along the Mbarara-Kasese route within Kasese Town and it is ideal for budget visitors on safari in Mount Rwenzori National Park.
Best time to visit Rwenzori national park
It’s always good to know the months suitable for trekking; Mountain Rwenzori national park can be visited any time of the year, however the suitable months to visit the Rwenzori national park is during the dry season, which is from June and August and between Decembers to February these are known as the dry months.