Rwanda’s bushshrikes are a broad family of 20 species scientifically known as Malaconotidae. They include six bushshrikes, four puffbacks, four boubous, two gonoleks, three tchagras, and a Brubru! All are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa; the Albertine Boubou and Willard’s Sooty Boubou are Albertine rift endemics and the Papyrus Gonolek is a Lake Victoria endemic. Occupying …
Getting to know Rwanda’s Birds – The Bushshrikes Read More »
Rwanda is home to sixteen members of the swallow family, which is called Hirundinidae. Nine of these are ‘true swallows’, the remaining seven consist of two saw-wings and five martins. The most common and familiar swallow plumage is glossy dark blue above complemented by plain or streaked underparts, the Lesser-striped, Wire-tailed and Angola swallows are …
Good photographs can inspire feelings, conversations and journeys but when first starting out, photography can sometimes seem a tough nut to crack, but with practice and patience the results make the effort so worth it. The five tips that follow can be applied to any camera, from camera phones through to high-end mirrorless cameras, and …
Three different species of ibis call Rwanda home. Two of these, the Hadada and African Sacred Ibis are resident species and can be found year-round across the country. The Glossy Ibis on the other hand is an intra-African migrant and is most abundant in Rwanda between October and January, although numbers will vary depending on …
Birds are good for us. It is now widely acknowledged that watching birds and listening to birdsong improves our mental well-being and has lasting positive effects on our mental health. I am often asked by people I meet how can they ‘get into bird watching?’ The first step is to borrow or purchase a pair …
Getting to know the Birds of Rwanda – Birdwatching basics… Read More »
Two species of mousebird call Rwanda home – the Speckled Mousebird and the Blue-naped Mousebird. Both are breeding residents and can be found in their preferred habitats throughout the year. Whilst they are considered sedentary, they will make local seasonal movements in response to flowering and fruiting trees and plants. Both species prefer open scrub, …
If you had asked me a couple of years to visualise a kingfisher, my mind would have conjured up an image of beautiful little bird with a long beak perched next to water. However, I now know this image fails to appreciate the diverse range of birds that make up the kingfisher family. Of the …
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Turacos are largely arboreal, meaning they spend most of their lives in the canopy of trees. Rwanda’s turaco family includes five actual turacos and two very closely related species, the Bare-faced Go-away-bird and Eastern Plantain-eater. The Great Blue Turaco, Rwenzori Turaco, and Black-billed Turaco can all be found in the tropical montane forests of Rwanda’s …
Rwanda is home to many remarkable birds, none more so than the Hamerkop. The direct translation of the Afrikaans word from which this bird gets its name is ‘hammer head’, and it’s easy to why they have been given this name when you see the shape of a Hamerkop’s head in profile, the bill on …
Among the many different families of birds that call Rwanda home, the thirteen species of cisticolas stand out as fascinating and enchanting residents, even if they are superficially rather dull. There’s a further nineteen closely related species which are closely related to the cisticolas and referred to as ‘Allies’. These allies will be discussed in …