Rubondo Island is tucked into the corner of Lake Victoria, the world's second largest lake, an inland sea sprawling between three countries. Rubondo provide protection for fish breeding grounds, while tilapia and rapacious Nile perch, some weight more than a 100 kg, and tempt recreation fishers with challenging sports fishing and world's records catches. But Rubondo is more than a water wonderland. Deserted sandy beaches nestle against a cloak of virgin forest. Papyrus swamps host the secretive sitatunga a shaggy aquatic antelope, and the dappled bushbuck.
Rubondo is a birder's paradise, with malachite kingfisher's azure brilliance competing with paradise flycatcher's glamorous flowing tail. Rubondo is a home to fish eagle and is global stopover for hundred of migratory birds, as well as a sanctuary for sweet smelling wild-jasmine and a 40 different species of 0rchids.
Ninety percent of the island is covered with humid forest, the remainder ranges from coastal grassland to lake side papyrus beds, a number of indigenous mammals species- hippos, bushbucks, genets and mongooses-share their protected habitat with introduced species such as chimpanzee, elephants and giraffes. Rubondo's wild-flowers are at their best from November to March. For migratory birds, visit from December to February, the Island's climate is at its most pleasant from June to August.
Wildlife
About 80% of the park is covered by a dense forest thus providing a variety of habitats to wildlife ranging from savannah, open woodland, papyrus swamps to dense forest. These habitats form a home for various wild creatures such as sitatunga, bushbucks, velvet monkeys, genet cats, spotted necked otters, hippopotamus and crocodiles which share the ecological niches with introduced species such as chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes, black and white colubus monkeys, suni and African grey parrots. The park is famous by holding a variety of migratory birds from different parts of the world and some birds native to the area are in Emin Pasha Gulf with the African fish eagles distinctly appreciated.
