Lake Bunyonyi is known as the second deepest lake in Africa with its deep end being at 900m.
Lake Bunyonyi is located in Kabale district south western Uganda and was formed due to lava damming, blocking the outlet river by volcanic eruption hence forming the lake, the deepest in Africa.
There are 29 islands with the biggest being Bwamba Island, which is popularly known as” lepers colony”, and the smallest the “punishment island”, where the Bakiga used to drop unmarried girls who got pregnant before marriage to die of hunger. The lake is free from bilharzias, no hippos and crocodile are present, only otters which are not dangerous.
Go Birding at Lake Bunyonyi
The word Bunyonyi means “place of little birds”. Its 200 species of birds are found both on main land and on the islands.
The area of Lake Bunyonyi has got over 200 bird species and some of these include; the herons, the grey crowned cranes, the white tailed blue monard, the African Harrier Hawk, the egrets, the slender billed baglafetch, the cardinal woodpecker and many more. And apart from seeing the birds, the tourists can also take part in some other activities that include; boat rides, spot fishing, the cultural walks, camping, the bamboo walks that are guided trails and these have been established and are recommended for anyone who may be looking for a long stretch, nature walks and many more. The lake can be visited through the year.
This is the list of common birds of Lake Bunyonyi: Pied kingfisher, Malachite kingfisher, Cinnamon chested bee-eater, Bronzy sun bird, Knobed coot. Very rara, Pied wagtail, Black clake, Common stone chat, Grey shrike, Grey crowned crested crane, Hadada ibis, Swamp fly catcher, Black heron, Great cormorant, Fan tailed widow bird, Streaky seed eater, Speckled mouse bird, Pin tailed whyder, Bronze manikin, Black headed weaver.
Getting There
Lake Bunyonyi can be accessed from Kampala and Kigali in Rwanda. Most gorilla trekking tours in Bwindi feature at least a night at the Lake Bunyonyi given that this is one of the most beautiful places to relax and wind during your safari in Uganda.
Explore Its Islands
The lake is filled with the islands and the most common ones include; the Akampene Island that is known as the punishment Island, Bwana , Kyahugye, Njuyeera, Bucuranuka, Bushara. All the Islands have got many bird species that can be enjoyed by the many bird watchers that visit the lake. This lake is also home to many otters, the crayfish and its bird paradise to many species of birds and lies between Kisoro and Kabale districts that are close to the border of Rwanda.
The lake is one of the most stunning places in the country that provides a breath-taking atmosphere to the tourists or the visitors. Though not well marketed as compared to other tourist sites. Bunyonyi is known as a hide out that you would love to visit in order to have a life birding adventure. The Bunyonyi in the local language means small birds and the main reason as to why the lake was given this name is because it’s a home to a very wide range of bird species. There are many bird lovers that are loving this place since these many birds fly about the whole area and can easily be seen and spotted. As compared to many other birding destinations in the country, this lake is the most convenient place for the visitors since one gets to sit and relax along the lake shores as you view the bird species in the sky.
In the many Islands, it makes it even more convenient to stay around even for those that are homeless fond of taking refuge on this lake and this has increased the number of birds. The islands on the lake are easily accessed by a boat and some of the tourists love moving from one island to another using a boat as you search for the different bird species.as you move on the waters of Bunyonyi, they can get an opportunity of meeting some birds most especially the water birds as they play and move about the water surface.