Burundi

National Parks: Kibira, Rusizi and Ruvubu
Nature Reserves: Bururi Forest, Gisagara, Kigwena Forest, Lac Rwihinda, Makamba, Monge Forest, Rumonge and Vyanda Forest.

The Ruvubu Park is located in north-eastern Burundi, and extends south-westwards from the border with Tanzania along a 65 km stretch of the valley of the Ruvubu River. Its south-western boundary is in 20 km to the east of the town of Gitega. Here at the Ruvubu river valley there is a series of bents covered with swamp vegetation, gallery forest and, further inland, savanna woodland. The rain season lasts from October to May. There were recorded more than 200 bird species, such as Ardeola idae, Circus macrourus, Falco naumanni and Gallinago media and a great amount of waterbirds occur with counts of over 1,000 Pelecanus onocrotalus and large numbers of Mycteria ibis. Neotis denhami is among other species recorded here.

The Kibira National Park includes Burundi’s only montane forest.

The Kibira National Park encompasses four provinces in Burundi and has an area of 40 000 ha. It is a zone rich in both animal and plant variety: 644 plant species have been found in the park, as well as about 98 species of mammal (primates, servals, African civets, etc.). Bird life is also rich and varied, with 43 families and more than 200 species identified.

Burundi Weather Conditions
The climate near Lake Tanganyika and in the Ruzizi River plain is hot equatorial and it is often windy on the lake. The mild climate is typical for the rest of the country. There are 2 rainy seasons in Burundi – the major one from February to May, with a minor rainy season between September and November, and 2 dry seasons: the long dry season from June to August and the shorter dry season between December and January.