Bird Guides

Bird Guides of the World: Claudien Nsabagasani, Rwanda

September 15, 2026 by Editor No Comments

What is your favorite bird species?

Doherty’s Bushshrike

What is your name, and where do you live?

Claudien Nsabagasani, I live in Rwanda

What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?

Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Senegal

Grey-crowned Crane

How long have you been a bird guide?

Since 2023

How did you get into bird guiding?

I started as a university student, joining the morning birding as a BirdLife International partner, then conducted research on endemic birds to the Albertine Rift in Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi. I worked with BirdLife International as an IBA Monitoring officer in West Africa (based in Senegal) for 2 years

Double-toothed Barbet

What are the aspects of being a bird guide that you like best? Which aspects do you dislike most?

I like designing birding itineraries and conducting birding tours. I don’t like to see birds’ habitats being destroyed

What are the top 5-10 birds in your region that are the most interesting for visiting birders?

Rwenzori Turaco, Regal Sunbird, Grey-crowned Crane, Papyrus Gonolek, White-colored Oliveback, Papyrus Canary, Arnott’s Chat, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Doherty’s Bushshrike

Rwenzori Turaco

Can you outline at least one typical birdwatching trip in your area? Please briefly describe the locations, the key birds and the approximate duration of such a trip

  • Day 1: Arrival in Kigali: Up on arrival, you meet our driver and transfer to the hotel for dinner and accommodation at Chez Lando Hotel
  • Day 2: Birding around Kigali and drive to Akagera NP: We are birding at Nyandungu Wetland Eco-tourism Park until 11 am, when we drive to Akagera National Park, with a lunch break stop. After checking in at the lodge, we drive to Ihema Lake for a sunset boat from 4:30 until 6:00; accommodation at Ruzizi-tented Lodge or Akagera Game Lodge.
  • Day 3: Birding and safaris: After breakfast, we go for another day of birding and safaris towards the north of the park. Afternoon transfer to the lodge for night birding and game drive as well as overstay; accommodation at Karenge Bush Camp.
  • Day 4: Safaris and transfer to the volcanoes region: We have an early morning birding and safari, and after breakfast at 9 am, we are doing a birding and game drive as we exit towards Musanze. Afternoon, we drive to Musanze Town where we reach at dinner time; accommodation at Mount View Gorilla Lodge.
  • Day 5:: Trekking Mountain Gorillas: Depart from the hotel after breakfast to reach the park headquarters at 7:00, when we have a briefing on gorilla trekking and are allocated to the group of Gorillas (alternatively, those who are not trekking go for birding in Buhanga Eco-Park). Afternoon wevisit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus to learn the legacy and hard work of Dian Fossey to protect the endangered Mountain Gorilla; accommodation at Mount View Gorilla Lodge.
  • Day 6: Trekking Golden Monkeys and drive to Lake Kivu: We go to the park HQ for briefing on visiting the endangered primate, Golden Monkey; trekking goes until lunchtime. After lunch, we drive along Lake Kivu towards Kibuye; accommodation at Moriah Hotel
  • Day 7: Birding on Lake Kivu and Zipline in Nyungwe NP:  We have a boat cruise to see birds at the islands. After lunch, we drive to Nyungwe NP, and we have ziplining and a canopy walk until 5 pm when we drive to the lodge for dinner; accommodation at Chimpanzee Lodge.
  • Day 8: Full day birding: We are birding to see Endemic birds to the Albertine Rift and mountain birds, i.e Rwenzori Turaco, Regal Sunbird, Doherty’s Bushshrike, etc. Accommodation at Chimpanzee Lodge.
  • Day 9: A second full day birding: We try more endemics and mountain birds i.e Purple-breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, etc.; accommodation at Chimpanzee Lodge.
  • Day 10: A 3rd full day birding: We are birding on a different trail to try rare birds like Red-collared Mountain Babbler, Great Blue Turaco, etc.; accommodation at Chimpanzee Lodge.
  • Day 11: Trekking Chimpanzee and driving to Kigali: With packed breakfast, we leave the lodge at 5:30 am for chimpanzee trekking. The trekking goes until lunch. After lunch, we drive to Kigali for dinner and overnight at Chez Lando Hotel
  • Day 12: City Tour/Birding in Bugesera airport transfer: Morning city tour where you can visit Kigali Genocide Memorial until lunchtime; we can also visit wetlands in Bugesera to see Papyrus Gonolek and more waterbirds. Have lunch, then souvenir shopping before we drive to the airport for the evening flight

Great Blue Turaco

What other suggestions can you give to birders interested in your area?

Bring binoculars, sunscreen, insect repellent, long-sleeved shirt, nice hiking shoes, quick-drying pants, hat, camera (optional), telescope (optional).

If any readers of 10,000 Birds are interested in birding with you, how can they best contact you?

Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of 10,000 Birds?

The best birding places in Rwanda are

  • Nyungwe National Park:  A paradise of Endemic birds to the Albertine Rift Region and a good place to trek Chimpanzees
  • Akagera National Park: A savannah park with about 500 bird species, many species of antelopes, and the African Big Five
  • Volcanoes National Park: Mountain forest birds combined with trekking Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys
  • Birding sites around Kigali (Nyandungu Urban Wetland eco-tourism Park, Umusambi Village, Gashora swamp): Birding in restored wetlands to see waterbirds and papyrus birds, i.e Papyrus Gonolek, Carruther’s Cisticola, etc.