Congo Birding Safaris in Kahuzi Biega National Park : Kahuzi- Biega National Park is located in Eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The park is a UNSCO World Heritage site known for its biodiversity and unique culture. Kahuzi-Biega national park is a home to the remaining Eastern lowland gorillas in the world and the only place where eastern lowland gorillas can be seen in Africa, the park was gazetted in 1938 and it covers an area of about 6,000 square kilometers making it one of the oldest national parks in the Democratic Republic of cong. The park is also surrounded by lowland forest, montane forest and the bamboo forest. Kahuzi-Biega National Park is home to a remarkable diversity of plant and animal species, including over 1,000 species of plants, 136 species of mammals, and 349 species of birds. In addition to Grauer’s gorillas, other notable species found in the park include chimpanzees, forest elephants, and numerous species of monkeys and birds.
Birding in Kahuzi-Biega National Park is normally conducted under the guiding control of the park rangers and experienced birders personnel. Birding in the park starts just like any others safari experience in the park, birders will meet at the park headquarters offices for a briefing regarding the birding rules and regulations, expectations, carrying items among others.
Lists of birds found in Kahuzi-Biega National Park
During birding safari in the park, you will have a great opportunity to spot some of the different wildlife species including the eastern lowland gorillas and chimpanzee. The part is an excellent birding destination spot with a variety of habitants, you will be amazed with different bird species such as cinnamon-chested bee-eater, black-billed Turaco, Rockefeller’s sunbird, variable sunbird, baglafecht weaver, blue-headed coucal, African golden oriole, petit’s cuckoo shrike, equatorial akalat, mountain thrush babbler, red-throated alethe, cattle egret, black-headed heron, yellowbill, levaillant’s cuckoo, tullberg’s woodpecker, green wood-hoopoe, olive long-tailed cuckoo, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, mountain buzzard, grey woodpecker, barred long-tailed cuckoo, grey crowned crane, grey-headed bush-shrike, common cuckoo, common barn owl, speckled mousebird, bar-tailed trogon, common kestrel, Albertine sooty boubou, black-headed waxbill, ellowbill, levaillant’s cuckoo, tullberg’s woodpecker, green wood-hoopoe, olive long-tailed cuckoo, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, mountain buzzard, grey woodpecker, barred long-tailed cuckoo, grey crowned crane, grey-headed bush-shrike, common cuckoo, common barn owl, speckled mousebird, bar-tailed trogon, common kestrel, Albertine sooty boubou, black-headed waxbill, yellow-whiskered greenbul, white-tipped crested-flycatcher, northern house martin, white-headed wood-hoopoe, bronzy sunbird, common bulbul, eastern nicator, chubb’s cisticola, cape wagtail, green-backed woodpecker, olive-bellied sunbird, green-headed sunbird, cardinal woodpecker, brown-capped weaver, mountain yellow warbler, elliot’s woodpecker, mountain apalis, evergreen-forest warbler among other.
Packing list for tourists when on a bird watching safari in Kahuzi-Biega National Park.
The essentials to consider on your birding safari adventure in Kahuzi-Biega National Park such as birds guidebook, a pair of binoculars for spotting small and distant species, good camera with good lens and enough storage , enough drinking water and snacks, sunglasses, strong waterproof hiking boots, long stocks, walking stick, long-sleeved shirts to protect your hands from being scratched, a hat, rain jacket and a sweater due to the unpredictable weather, backpack for carrying the items you will need while birding, first aid kit, facemask, sanitizer, notebook and pen or pencil, garden gloves ,long trouser because you will be walking through the tropical rainforest with unpleasant vegetation among others.
Other activities to combine with birding safaris in Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Hiking
Hiking would be one of the activities you can opt to combine with your Congo Birding Safaris in Kahuzi Biega National Park. Hiking safaris in the park is done on mount Kahuzi and mount Biega. Hiking safaris in the park offers you with an opportunity to encounter with different wildlife species in the park mostly living on the slopes of the mountain and also chance to explore different stunning vegetation cover. Hiking Mount Kahuzi or Mount Biega takes about 4 hours to reach the summit and 3 hours to descend the volcano. Hiking safari activity starts just like any other activity conducted in the park, early in the morning at different park stations where hikers must gather to learn about the rules and regulations of the hiking activity from the park wardens. During the hike, armed ranger guides lead you throughout the hike while protecting you from dangerous wild animals and rebels since most of the armed rebels hide in the forested areas.
Eastern lowland gorillas tracking
Eastern lowland gorilla tracking in Kahuzi- Biega National Park is a must done activity to every visitors on a Congo safari in the park. The activity starts in the morning with the briefing about the gorilla trekking procedures, rules and regulations, carryon item as well as the expectations. After the briefing you will be allocated with one experienced park guide and the habituated gorilla family to track. Note! Kahuzi-Biega national park has only fully 5 habituated eastern lowland gorilla families allowed for visitors to track in a day and with a maximum of 8 visitors for a single gorilla family. During the track, you will get a chance of encountering with others mammal species that live in the park’s forest, primates and also other bird species. Up on meeting with this fascinating primate, you will get an opportunity to observe how this captivating primates live in the wild as well as seeing how they carry their daily activities while comparing withy the mountain gorilla’s behaviors.
Best time to go for birding in Kahuzi-Biega National Park
You can go for birding in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park any time of the year. However the Kahuzi-Biega National Park is best recommended to go during the wet season which runs from March to May and then from October to November. During the season, there is plenty of food in the park and the birds including the migratory ones are so many here due to plenty of food. The wet season is however characterized by too much rainfall that makes the birding trails muddy and slippery.
You can also however go for Congo Birding Safaris in Kahuzi Biega National Park during the dry season which runs from June, July, August and September and in the shorter seasons of December, January up to mid-February. During the dry season, there are low or no rains and thus offering a perfect time to spot numerous bird species for bird enthusiastic.
Where to stay while on your birding safari in the park
Birders planning to visit Kahuzi-Biega National Park shouldn’t worry much about where to stay, the park offers a lot of accommodation facilities to cater for all classes of visitors such accommodation facilities includes Mount Kahuzi Hotel, Lodge Coco, Lakeside Hotel Bukavu, Hotel Begonias, Orchids Safari Club, and Exodus Bukavu among others.
