While many people eye the opening of the Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park (NUWEP) which has been postponed several times, animals have been rounding up in this 121ha recreational park. This place whose walls and pavements are decorated with volcanic rocks commonly known as “amakoro” gives a clear picture of what life would be if we let nature do its work. A few meters after the entrance, it is already beautiful and neat. Even the air is fresh. On the right, it’s all Savanna grassland and on the left, it is so green with tall trees and birds singing near the Kivu pond, one of the multiple ornamental ponds at the park. While 18 thousand trees that make up 72 species were planted in the park, no single animal was introduced. From turtles and snakes to the fish in the ponds and birds- all which are present, found their new home at the park. For birds- which are known to find home where there is food and security, they have flocked to the park, and not just those with the same feathers. Some trees are already decorated with multiple nests. Will Wilson, a wildlife photographer specializing in bird photography has only been in the country for a year. He has already identified at least 100 species of birds in the NUWEP alone, and he says there must be more “shy” birds that hide from the camera. “I don’t think we have even scratched the surface of how many birds there are. Because only when the bird wants to show itself will it hold its head up, then you get to see it. So there are a number of shy birds; some of them we have seen, but there are ones we haven’t seen yet,” he said. Wilson didn’t know he could specialize in a single field of photography until he came to Kigali in 2021. Unlike his wildlife photographer friends who had found “that one area” of passion, he hadn’t in over 15 years he had been a photographer. “A friend of mine said to me that I shouldn’t worry much about it because if I found it, I would know. ‘You will enjoy every shot and it will turn to gold,’ he would tell me,” Wilson said. And then he realized the diversity and density of bird species in Kigali that from the dawn chorus in the morning to the pre-roosting calls at night, blew him away, he told The New Times. Wilson has served in the British Military for 20 years where he left with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations. He then set his own security consulting business up. At that time, he was wondering if he wanted to do photography as a full-time professional because he didn’t want it to be his job, despite the fact that it was his passion. Then he moved to Rwanda where he got to learn that it wouldn’t be bad, after all. “I have taken how I was taught to shoot a rifle and apply it when I shoot my camera to take birds in flight. I was taught to locate an enemy, and now I locate birds,” he added. While he has had much fun with birds in Kigali, Wilson says he has seen species at NUWEP that he hasn’t seen anywhere else in the city. “What sets Nyandungu apart is the different environment and habitats within the one sight,” he said. Urban birding is not quite popular among Rwandans, but some places like Nyarutarama Lake- also known as the “Lover’s Lake” at the edge of the Kigali golf course, and Umusambi village, another restored wetland area providing a sanctuary for over 50 endangered Grey Crowned Cranes saved from the illegal pet trade- where there are also more than 150 species of other birds have always been go-to places for those who enjoy it. The frequently seen birds at the park are the Great Egret, Little Egret, Black-headed Heron, Yellow-billed Kite, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Hamerkop, Reed Cormorant, Village Weavers, and Black-headed weavers, among others. Among other things that make it fun for Wilson in bird photography in Kigali is the bird-lover community in Rwanda. He takes a picture and sends it to one of them and they immediately respond with the local name of the bird. He also identifies the birds with the help of a book- Birds of East Africa by Jerry Stevenson and John Fansahawe which have more than one thousand bird species found in East Africa. Wilson is also working on a book that will compile photographs of birds in Kigali, to make it easier for people to identify them when they are bird watching. He is also teaching Photography in the country, and one of the places he has a class is at Umusambi village. While bird watching is not so famous in Rwanda, birds have always been important in the Rwandan culture. For instance, one Matene (pin-tailed whydah), a resident breeding songbird in most of Sub-Saharan Africa was believed to be magical. It was believed to be a source of female attraction for men, and so they killed multiple of them to use their tails. Another one is Kagoma (African fish eagle), believed to be among the oldest of all living birds, that even has a dance named after it. Women dance to the fast beating drums stretching their arms and then bending them per beat, just like the bird’s wings. No song is sung throughout, only drums. Victor Ndoli is a professional traditional dancer in the national ballet Urukerereza. He told The New Times that this eagle was believed to be strong among other animals, that it could even kill a lion. He added that in the Rwandan culture, it was a symbol of immunity, dominance, strength and elegance. Despite all that, it was regarded as harmless. “That is why Kagoma is a women-only dance. It was believed that they looked graceful, neat and simple, yet at the same time, bearing strength that was relied on by everyone around them,” Ndoli said. These are among other birds that people won’t have to travel to watch if they are in Kigali when the NUWEP finally opens. Beautiful Little Bee-eater at Nyandungu. / Photo by Will Wilson Black-headed Weaver flying over Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park. / Photo by Will Wilson Female Pied Kingfisher in the rain. / Photo by Will Wilson Hamerkop in flight enjoying the newly revamped Nyandungu Wetland Eco-Tourism Park. / Photo by Will Wilson Hamerkop, one of hundred kinds of birds in Nyandungu Wetland Ecotourism Park in Kigali. / Photo by Will Wilson Juvenile African Fish Eagle. / Photo by Will Wilson Juvenile Yellow-billed Kite. / Photo by Will Wilson Male Black-headed Weaver. / Photo by Will Wilson Male Village Weaver. / Photo by Will Wilson
