Birding in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Birding in the Democratic Republic of Congo : Birding is one of the best safari activities carried out worldwide, bird watching becomes more thrilling when sightseers get to venture the countries that are filled with various birdlife.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) offers incredible birding opportunities to most sightseers and this is because the country is made up of tropical rainforests, savannas, and wetlands which are homes to the birds.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) boasts a rich bird species with over 1,000 species recorded, including numerous endemic and rare species.

And in this article we get to notice some of the most notable birds that can be seen while in the different safari destinations of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) such as; Okapi wildlife reserves, virunga national park, Lomami National Park, Garamba National Park.

ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae

Spur-winged Goose

African Black Duck

Yellow-billed Duck

GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae

Handsome Spurfowl

Scaly Spurfowl

PODICIPEDIFORMES: Podicipedidae

Little Grebe

COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae

Speckled Pigeon

Afep Pigeon

Rameron Pigeon

Lemon Dove

Dusky Turtledove

Red-eyed Dove

Ring-necked Dove

Laughing Dove

Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove

Blue-spotted Wood-Dove

Tambourine Dove

African Green-Pigeon

MUSOPHAGIFORMES: Musophagidae

Great Blue Turaco

Black-billed Turaco

Rwenzori Turaco

Ross’s Turaco

CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae

Blue-headed Coucal

White-browed Coucal

Blue Malkoha

Levaillant’s Cuckoo

Dideric Cuckoo

Klaas’s Cuckoo

African Emerald Cuckoo

Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo

Black Cuckoo

Red-chested Cuckoo

Common Cuckoo

CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae

Montane Nightjar

Square-tailed Nightjar

CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Apodidae

Scarce Swift

Common Swift

African Swift

Little Swift

Horus Swift

White-rumped Swift

African Palm Swift

GRUIFORMES: Sarothruridae

Red-chested Flufftail

GRUIFORMES: Rallidae

African Rail

GRUIFORMES: Gruidae

Gray Crowned-Crane

CICONIIFORMES: Ciconiidae

African Openbill

Marabou Stork

Yellow-billed Stork

SULIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae

Long-tailed Cormorant

Great Cormorant

PELECANIFORMES: Pelecanidae

Pink-backed Pelican

PELECANIFORMES: Scopidae

Hamerkop

PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae

Gray Heron

Black-headed Heron

Purple Heron

Great Egret

Little Egret

Cattle Egret

Squacco Heron

Black-crowned Night-Heron

PELECANIFORMES: Threskiornithidae

Glossy Ibis

African Sacred Ibis

Hadada Ibis

African Spoonbill

ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae

Black-winged Kite

African Harrier-Hawk

Palm-nut Vulture

European Honey-buzzard

Hooded Vulture

Brown Snake-Eagle

Crowned Eagle

Long-crested Eagle

Wahlberg’s Eagle

Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle

African Hawk-Eagle

Lizard Buzzard

African Goshawk

Shikra

Little Sparrowhawk

Ovambo Sparrowhawk

Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk

Black Goshawk

Black Kite

African Fish-Eagle

Common Buzzard

Mountain Buzzard

Augur Buzzard

STRIGIFORMES: Tytonidae

African Grass-Owl

Barn Owl

STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae

Spotted Eagle-Owl

Fraser’s Eagle-Owl

Evreux’s Eagle Owl

Red-chested Owlet

Albertine Owlet

African Wood-Owl

Abyssinian Owl

COLIIFORMES: Coliidae

Speckled Mousebird

Birding in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Speckled Mousebird

TROGONIFORMES: Trogonidae

Narina Trogon

Bar-tailed Trogon

BUCEROTIFORMES: Upupidae

Eurasian Hoopoe

BUCEROTIFORMES: Phoeniculidae

Green Woodhoopoe

White-headed Woodhoopoe

Forest Scimitarbill

BUCEROTIFORMES: Bucerotidae

Crowned Hornbill

Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill

CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae

Malachite Kingfisher

African Pygmy Kingfisher

Gray-headed Kingfisher

Woodland Kingfisher

Giant Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

CORACIIFORMES: Meropidae

Little Bee-eater

Blue-breasted Bee-eater

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

White-throated Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

CORACIIFORMES: Coraciidae

Broad-billed Roller

PICIFORMES: Lybiidae

Gray-throated Barbet

Western Tinkerbird

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

Black-collared Barbet

Double-toothed Barbet

PICIFORMES: Indicatoridae

Dwarf Honeyguide

Least Honeyguide

Lesser Honeyguide

Scaly-throated Honeyguide

Greater Honeyguide

PICIFORMES: Picidae

Rufous-necked Wryneck

Elliot’s Woodpecker

Cardinal Woodpecker

Olive Woodpecker

Tullberg’s Woodpecker

FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae

Eurasian Kestrel

Gray Kestrel

Red-necked Falcon

Eurasian Hobby

African Hobby

Lanner Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

PASSERIFORMES: Calyptomenidae

African Broadbill

PASSERIFORMES: Campephagidae

Gray Cuckooshrike

Black Cuckooshrike

Petit’s Cuckooshrike

PASSERIFORMES: Oriolidae

Eurasian Golden Oriole

African Golden Oriole

African Black-headed Oriole

Black-tailed Oriole

PASSERIFORMES: Platysteiridae

Brown-throated Wattle-eye

Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye

Rwenzori Batis

Chinspot Batis

PASSERIFORMES: Malaconotidae

Northern Puffback

Pink-footed Puffback

Black-crowned Tchagra

Brown-crowned Tchagra

Lühder’s Bushshrike

Tropical Boubou

Black-headed Gonolek

Willard’s Sooty Boubou

Albertine Boubou

Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike

Many-colored Bushshrike

Doherty’s Bushshrike

Lagden’s Bushshrike

Gray-headed Bushshrike

PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae

Fork-tailed Drongo

Velvet-mantled Drongo

PASSERIFORMES: Monarchidae

African Crested-Flycatcher

African Paradise-Flycatcher

PASSERIFORMES: Laniidae

Lesser Gray Shrike

Gray-backed Fiscal

Mackinnon’s Shrike

Northern Fiscal

PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae

Pied Crow

White-necked Raven

PASSERIFORMES: Hyliotidae

Violet-backed Hyliota

PASSERIFORMES: Stenostiridae

White-tailed Blue Flycatcher

White-bellied Crested-Flycatcher

White-tailed Crested-Flycatcher

PASSERIFORMES: Paridae

Dusky Tit

Stripe-breasted Tit

PASSERIFORMES: Alaudidae

Dusky Lark

PASSERIFORMES: Macrosphenidae

White-browed Crombec

Red-faced Crombec

Grauer’s Warbler

PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae

White-chinned Prinia

Rwenzori Apalis

Green-backed Camaroptera

Black-throated Apalis

Black-faced Apalis

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Kungwe Apalis

Chestnut-throated Apalis

Gray Apalis

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Banded Prinia

Black-faced Rufous-Warbler

Gray-capped Warbler

Red-faced Cisticola

Singing Cisticola

Chubb’s Cisticola

Winding Cisticola

Siffling Cisticola

Wing-snapping Cisticola

PASSERIFORMES: Acrocephalidae

African Yellow Warbler

Mountain Yellow Warbler

Icterine Warbler

Lesser Swamp Warbler

PASSERIFORMES: Locustellidae

Evergreen-forest Warbler

Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler

Grauer’s Swamp Warbler

Highland Rush Warbler

PASSERIFORMES: Hirundinidae

Plain Martin

Bank Swallow

Rock Martin

Barn Swallow

Angola Swallow

Wire-tailed Swallow

Red-rumped Swallow

Lesser-Striped Swallow

Mosque Swallow

Common House Martin

White-headed Sawwing

Black Sawwing

PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae

Slender-billed Greenbul

Shelley’s Greenbul

Eastern Mountain Greenbul

Yellow-throated Greenbul

Plain Greenbul

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul

Cabanis’s Greenbul

Yellow-streaked Greenbul

Common Bulbul

PASSERIFORMES: Phylloscopidae

Wood Warbler

Willow Warbler

Brown Woodland-Warbler

Red-faced Woodland-Warbler

PASSERIFORMES: Scotocercidae

Neumann’s Warbler

PASSERIFORMES: Sylviidae

Eurasian Blackcap

Rwenzori Hill Babbler

PASSERIFORMES: Zosteropidae

Green White-eye

PASSERIFORMES: Pellorneidae

Mountain Illadopsis

PASSERIFORMES: Leiothrichidae

Red-collared Mountain-Babbler

Arrow-marked Babbler

Black-lored Babbler

PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae

Violet-backed Starling

Slender-billed Starling

Waller’s Starling

Sharpe’s Starling

Stuhlmann’s Starling

Rüppell’s Starling

PASSERIFORMES: Turdidae

White-tailed Ant-Thrush

Abyssinian Ground-Thrush

Abyssinian Thrush

African Thrush

PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae

African Dusky Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Swamp Flycatcher

Pale Flycatcher

Ashy Flycatcher

Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher

Southern Black-Flycatcher

White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher

White-bellied Robin-Chat

Archer’s Robin-Chat

Cape Robin-Chat

White-browed Robin-Chat

Red-capped Robin-Chat

Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat

White-starred Robin

Red-throated Alethe

Equatorial Akalat

Miombo Rock-Thrush

African Stonechat

Sooty Chat

Arnot’s Chat

Familiar Chat

PASSERIFORMES: Modulatricidae

Gray-chested Babbler

PASSERIFORMES: Nectariniidae

Collared Sunbird

Green-headed Sunbird

Blue-throated Brown Sunbird

Blue-headed Sunbird

Olive Sunbird

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Purple-breasted Sunbird

Bronze Sunbird

Malachite Sunbird

Olive-bellied Sunbird

Stuhlmann’s Sunbird

Northern Double-collared Sunbird

Regal Sunbird

Rockefeller’s Sunbird

Mariqua Sunbird

Red-chested Sunbird

Purple-banded Sunbird

Variable Sunbird

PASSERIFORMES: Ploceidae

Redheaded Weaver

Baglafecht Weaver

Spectacled Weaver

Black-billed Weaver

Strange Weaver

Holub’s Golden-Weaver

Village Weaver

Black-headed Weaver

Forest Weaver

Brown-capped Weaver

Southern Red Bishop

Fan-tailed Widowbird

Grosbeak Weaver

PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae

Bronze Mannikin

Black-and-white Mannikin

White-collared Oliveback

Yellow-bellied Waxbill

Green-backed Twinspot

Dusky Crimsonwing

Abyssinian Crimsonwing

Red-faced Crimsonwing

White-breasted Nigrita

Gray-headed Nigrita

Black-crowned Waxbill

Kandt’s Waxbill

Fawn-breasted Waxbill

Common Waxbill

Crimson-rumped Waxbill

Red-cheeked Cordonbleu

Redheaded Bluebill

Dusky Twinspot

Red-billed Firefinch

African Firefinch

PASSERIFORMES: Viduidae

Pin-tailed Whydah

PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae

House Sparrow

Northern Gray-headed Sparrow

PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae

Cape Wagtail

Mountain Wagtail

Gray Wagtail

Western Yellow Wagtail

African Pied Wagtail

African Pipit

Tree Pipit

Yellow-throated Longclaw

PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae

Oriole Finch

Yellow-fronted Canary

Western Citril

Brimstone Canary

Streaky Seedeater

Thick-billed Seedeater

Yellow-crowned Canary

PASSERIFORMES: Emberizidae

Golden-breasted Bunting.

Contact our trusted tour operators for the best kind of birding safaris in the Republic of Congo such as; Explore Rwanda Tours and more information about accommodations and bookings.

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