Echuya Forest Reserve

Echuya Forest Reserve is situated in Bufumbira County in Kisoro District and Rubanda County in Kabale District. The southern end runs along the northeastern border of Rwanda. The forest lies between 1’14’ – 1’21’ S and 29’47’ – 29’52’E, covers an area of 34 km, and has an altitudal range of 2270 – 2570 m. It is situated on the high altitude range running between Lake Bunyonyi, 5km to the East, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, 13 km to the southwest. It is 11 km east of Kisoro and 15 km west of Kabale town. The main Kabale – Kisoro road passes through the northern end.

The forest lies at the heart of the biodiversity-rich Albertine rift eco-region and is a site of global biodiversity importance and hence is categorised by BirdLife as an Important Bird Area because of the high diversity of bird species, some of which are globally threatened and endemic.