Top Bird species in Virunga National Park Congo

Bird species in Virunga – Yes, Virunga national park is the best bird watching destination in the Democratic republic of Congo. Its is considered to be a birders’ paradise not only in Congo but also in the entire African continent.  The park has different vegetation cover that is a home to over 706 bird species and 24 are recorded as endemic species in Virunga national park.

Expect to spot the following bird species in DR Congo’s Virunga national park if you plan to book a bird watching trip; White-faced Whistling Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Egyptian Goose, Southern Pochard, Garganey, Hottentot Teal, Red-billed Teal, Northern Pintail, White-backed Duck, Spur-winged Goose, Comb Duck, Helmeted Guineafowl, Crested Guineafowl, Common Quail, Harlequin Quail, Heuglin’s Francolin, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Red-necked Spurfowl, Handsome Francolin, White-throated Francolin, Greater Flamingo, Little Grebe, African Olive Pigeon, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Dusky Turtle Dove, Mourning Collared Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Laughing Dove, African Green Pigeon, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Tambourine Dove, Namaqua Dove, Swamp Nightjar, Mozambique Nightjar, Standard-winged Nightjar, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Mottled Spinetailed Swift, African Palm Swift, Alpine Swift, Mottled Swift, White-rumped Swift, Horus Swift, Little Swift, Common Swift, Senegal Coucal, Blue-headed Coucal, White-browed Coucal, Yellowbill, Jacobin Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, Diederick Cuckoo, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, African Cuckoo, African Rail, African Crake, Black Crake, Purple Swamphen, Common Moorhen, Lesser Moorhen, Red-knobbed Coot, White-spotted Flufftail, African Finfoot, Grey Crowned Crane, Black-bellied Bustard, Great Blue Turaco, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Ruwenzori Turaco, Black-billed Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Marabou, Yellow-billed Stork, African Openbill, Abdim’s Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, European White Stork, Saddle-bill Stork, Great White Pelican, Pink-backed Pelican, Hamerkop, Shoebill, White-crested Tiger Heron, White-backed Night Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Striated Heron, Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, Black-headed Heron, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Black Heron, Little Egret, African Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbill, Hadada Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Long-tailed Cormorant, Great Cormorant, African Darter, Water Thick-knee, Spotted Thick-knee, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Three-banded Plover, Forbes’s Plover, White-fronted Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Caspian Plover, Long-toed Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, Senegal Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, African Wattled Lapwing, Greater Painted-snipe, African Jacana, Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, Little Stint, African Snipe, Great Snipe, Common Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Buttonquail, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Temminck’s Courser, Collared Pratincole, African Skimmer, Black-headed Gull, Gray-hooded Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Osprey, Black-winged Kite, European Honey Buzzard, African Harrier Hawk, Palm-nut Vulture, Bateleur, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Western Banded Snake Eagle, White-headed Vulture, Hooded Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Rüppell’s Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Crowned Eagle, Martial Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Gabar Goshawk, Western Marsh Harrier, African Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, African Goshawk, Black Sparrowhawk, African Fish Eagle, Black Kite, Augur Buzzard, Eurasian Buzzard, Mountain Buzzard, African Wood Owl, Spotted Eagle Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Speckled Mousebird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Bar-tailed Trogon, Crowned Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, White-thighed Hornbill, Grey-cheeked Hornbill, Common Hoopoe, Green Wood-hoopoe, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Forest Wood-hoopoe, Wahlberg’s Honeybird, Greater Honeyguide, Rufous-breasted Wryneck, Nubian Woodpecker, Green-backed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Grey Woodpecker, Olive Woodpecker, Grey-throated Barbet, Speckled Tinkerbird, Western Green Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Spot-flanked Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, White-fronted Bee-eater, Red-throated Bee-eater, White-throated Bee-eater, Olive Bee-eater, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, European Bee-eater, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, European Roller, Broad-billed Roller, African Pygmy Kingfisher, African Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Grey Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, African Hobby, Lanner Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Red-headed Lovebird, Grey Cuckooshrike, Black Cuckooshrike, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike, Western Black-headed Oriole, Mountain Oriole, African Golden Oriole, Ruwenzori Batis, Chinspot Batis, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Yellow-crested Helmet-shrike, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Pink-footed Puffback, Black-backed Puffback, Northern Puffback, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Black-crowned Tchagra, Grey-green Bush-shrike, Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, Albertine Sooty Boubou, Lühder’s Bush-shrike, Tropical Boubou, Black-headed Gonolek, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Fork-tailed Drongo, Red-backed Shrike, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Grey-backed Fiscal, Northern Fiscal, White-necked Raven, Pied Crow, African Paradise-flycatcher, Grey-chinned Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Green-headed Sunbird, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Olive Sunbird, Green-throated Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Bronzy Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird, Scarlet-tufted Sunbird, Olive-bellied Sunbird, Ruwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Red-chested Sunbird, Purple-banded Sunbird, Variable Sunbird, Copper Sunbird, Grosbeak Weaver, Red-headed Quelea, Red-billed Quelea, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Northern Red Bishop, Red-collared Widowbird, Black-winged Bishop, Southern Red Bishop, Yellow Bishop, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Fan-tailed Widowbird, White-winged Widowbird, Baglafecht Weaver, Slender-billed Weaver, Little Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Black-necked Weaver, Strange Weaver, Holub’s Weaver, Orange Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Lesser Masked Weaver, Village Weaver, Vieillot’s Weaver, Black-headed Weaver, Golden-naped Weaver, Yellow-mantled Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, Brown-capped Weaver, Red-billed Firefinch, African Firefinch, Green-winged Pytilia, Red-headed Bluebill, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Common Waxbill, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black-headed Waxbill, Red-faced Crimson-wing, Dusky Crimson-wing, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, White-breasted Negrofinch, Grey-headed Negrofinch, Black-chinned Quailfinch, Bronze Mannikin, Black-and-white Mannikin, Pin-tailed Whydah, Village Indigobird, Purple Indigobird, House Sparrow, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Tree Pipit, Richard’s Pipit, Plain-backed Pipit, African Pipit, Long-billed Pipit, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Mountain Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, African Wagtail, White Wagtail, Western Citril, Black-throated Canary, Yellow-fronted Canary, Brimstone Canary, Streaky Canary, Thick-billed Canary, Yellow-crowned Canary, Golden-breasted Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, White-tipped Crested-flycatcher, Blue Crested-flycatcher, Blue-and-white Crested-flycatcher, Stripe-breasted Tit, Western Nicator, Fischer’s Sparrow Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Flappet Lark, White-tailed Lark, Red-capped Lark, Northern Crombec, Green Crombec, White-browed Crombec, Moustached Grass Warbler, White-chinned Prinia, Black-collared Apalis, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Mountain Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Buff-throated Apalis, Buff-bellied Warbler, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Grey-capped Warbler, Red-faced Cisticola, Trilling Cisticola, Chattering Cisticola, Chubb’s Cisticola, Winding Cisticola, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Stout Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Short-winged Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola, Wing-snapping Cisticola, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Banded Prinia, Little Rush Warbler, Eastern Rush Warbler, Bracken Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Common Reed Warbler, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Grey-rumped Swallow, White-headed Saw-wing, Black Saw-wing, Northern House Martin, Lesser Striped Swallow, Rufous-chested Swallow, Mosque Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, Barn Swallow, Angolan Swallow, Rock Martin, Banded Martin, Plain Martin, Sand Martin, Slender-billed Greenbul, Yellow-throated Greenbul, Honeyguide Greenbul, Joyful Greenbul, Simple Greenbul, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Little Greenbul, Toro Greenbul, Common Bulbul, Willow Warbler, Brown Woodland Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Garden Warbler, African Hill Babbler, African Yellow White-eye, Brown Thrush Babbler, Mountain Thrush Babbler, Black-lored Babbler, Black-faced Babbler, Brown Babbler, Arrow-marked Babbler, Red-billed Oxpecker, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Wattled Starling, Slender-billed Starling, Chestnut-winged Starling, Waller’s Starling, Sharpe’s Starling, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Narrow-tailed Starling, Rüppell’s Glossy Starling, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Amethyst Starling, Spotted Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Swamp Flycatcher, Cassin’s Flycatcher, African Dusky Flycatcher, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Grey-throated Tit Flycatcher, Grey Tit Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Northern Black Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Archer’s Robin Chat, Cape Robin Chat, White-browed Robin Chat, Snowy-crowned Robin Chat, Red-capped Robin Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Brown-chested Alethe, White-starred Robin, Equatorial Akalat, Grey-winged Akalat, Whinchat, African Stonechat, Sooty Chat, Northern Wheatear, Ethiopian Thrush and African Thrush

If you are planning to visit Virunga national park to spot the above-mentioned bird species, you are advised to book your safari with a local travel agency like Africa Adventure Vacations.

From a birder’s point of view, Virunga national park can be visited for bird watching throughout the year. Yes, climate is the main factor that you should consider while planning for a birding trip, Virunga is a very wet birding destination and during rainy seasons, roads and forest trails might be in poor condition and this could interfere with birding time.

Generally, the best bird watching time in Virunga national park is from late May through September, when there is less rain and food is in abundancy. The main nesting season I the park is May and June, but from mid-April to mid-May the rains tend to be too heavy. February and early March is the only time Virunga national park is relatively dry. December and January are also good months to spot a number of bird species.