BIRDWATCHING ETHIOPIA TOURS - 14 DAYS ITINERARY

DURATION : 14 DAYS
TRANSPORTATION : SURFACE
DESTINATION : Awash Region, Bale Mountain Park, Negele Region, Yabello Region, Awassa, Wendogenet, Langano, Ziway

DAY 01 :
Awash Park is located in Rift of dry thornbush and savanna grassland by the Awash river drainage important habitat for species including Sombre Rock Chat, Blackstart, Yellow-breasted Barbet, Bristle-crowned Starling, Superb Starling, Ruppell’s Starling, African Orange-bellied Parrot, Fork-tailed Drongo, Jacobin Cuckoo, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, African Collared Dove, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Ruppell’s Weaver, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Green-winged Ptyalin, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Slender-tailed Nightjar and Dusky Nightjar.

DAY 02 :
Drive to Ali Deghe plains for important species including Somali Ostrich, Arabian Bustard, Somali Bulbul, Abyssinian Roller, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rufous-Crowned Roller, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Gillett’s Lark, Swallow-tailed Kite, Ashy Cisticola, Chestnut-bellied and Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Red-winged Lark, Flappet Lark, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark and Black-headed Plover.

DAY 03 :
Dawn exploring the Ilala Sala plains with acacia thickets and mixed woodlands looking for species including Buff-crested Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Yellow-necked Francolin, Somali Bunting, Grey Wren-warbler, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Cut-throat Finch, Northern White-crowned Shrike, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Cardinal Woodpecker, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Marico Sunbird, Beautiful Sunbird, Nile Valley Sunbird, Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Pin-tailed Whydah, Straw-tailed Whydah, Green-winged Pytilia, African Collared Dove, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Star-spotted Nightjar, Olive Bee-eater, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, White-browed Scrub Robin, Rufous Scrub Robin, Singing Cisticola, Yellow-spotted Petronia, Bush Petronia, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Lesser Masked Weaver, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, African Silverbill and Red-billed Quelea. Overnight Awash Waterfalls lodge Animals: Oryx Beisa, Lesser Kudu, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Salt’s Dick-dick, Hammadryas Baboon, Anubis Baboon, Vervet Monkey and Warthog.

DAY 04 :
Transfer to the Bale Mountains Park situated across the other side of the Rift Valley. Along the roadside fallowland lures Black-Winged Plover, Crowned Plover, White-collared Pigeon, Speckled Pigeon, Wattled Ibis, Sacred Ibis, Pied Wheatear, Cape Rook, Blue-winged Goose, Rouget’s Rail, Ethiopian Cisticola, Ethiopian Stone Chat, Thick-billed Raven, Abyssinian Longclaw, Red-breasted Wheatear, Grassland Pipit, White-winged Widowbird, and among birds of prey are Lesser Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Lappet-faced Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Mountain Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Lanner Falcon.

DAY 05 :
Beyond Goba is stand of Juniper and Hagenia Abyssinica forest harbors Abyssinian Catbird, Ethiopian Oriole, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, White-backed Black Tit, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Brown Woodland Warbler, Red-winged Starling, Slender-billed Starling, Thick-billed Raven, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Common Waxbill and Mountain Thrush. The Sanetti plateau afro-alpine landscape is very important to search the rare and unique Ethiopian Wolfs. Wattled Crane, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Barbary Falcon, Augur Buzzard, Ruddy Shelduck, Red-billed Chough, Ethiopian Siskin, Spot-breasted Plover, Rouget’s Rail, Red-throated Pipit, Chestnut-napped Francolin, Moorland Francolin, Bale Parisoma and Cinnamon Bracken Warbler. Harena Forest is one of the remnant tropical wet forest on the southern lee side of Bale Mountains, that harbors the endemic ’Bale Monkey‘ feed on bamboo forest leaves and bird species are Abyssinian Catbird, Abyssinian Oriole, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, African Crowned Eagle, Great Sparrow-hawk, Red-chested Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, African Hill Babbler, Black and White Manikin, African Citril, Greater Honeyguide and Yellow-crowned Canary. Animals: Ethiopian Wolf, Mountain Nyala, Bohor Reedbuck, Bush Duiker, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Warthog, Anubis Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Bale Monkey, Starck’s Hare, Rock Hyrax and Giant Molerat.

DAY 06 & 07 :
Transfer to the Neghele lowlands that encompass the Genale River Basin, Wadera forest, Hara-kallo mixed woodlands Shelters the endemic Ruspoli’s Turaco, Golden-breasted Starling, Shelley’s Starling, Black-headed Oriole, Red-headed Weaver and Northern Puffback. Liben plain and shrubs itself support species including Liben Lark, Somali Short-toed Lark,, Salvadori’s Seedeater, White-crowned Starling, Speke’s Weaver, Pectoral-patched Cisticola, Rattling Cisticola, Boran Cisticola, Pale Prinia, Reichnow’s Seedeater, Shelley’s Sparrow, Somali Crow, Kori Bustard, Temmink’s Courser, Ethiopian Swallow, plain-backed Pipit, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Lesser Whitethroate, Common Whitethroate, Banded Parisoma and more.

DAY 08 & 09 :
Transfer to Yabelo town junction in the red sandstone with mosaic vegetation is very important birding grounds for the charismatic Stressemann’s Bush-crow, White-tailed Swallow, Juba Weaver, African White-winged Dove, Red-napped Shrike, Vulturine Guineafowl, Yellow-necked Francolin, Pygmy Falcon, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Gabar Goshawk, White-bellied Canary, Pygmy Batis, Spotted Palm-thrush, Bare-eyed Thrush, Somali Fiscal, Taita Fiscal, Somali Courser, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Black-capped Social Weaver, Chestnut Sparrow, Dodson’s Bulbul, Foxy Lark, Tiny Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, African Grey Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Purple Grenadier, Rufous Chatterer, Acacia Tit, Abyssinian White-eye, Violet-backed Sunbird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Woodchat Shrike, Isabelline Shrike, Black-crowned Tchagra, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, White-crested Helmetshrike and Magpie Starling.

DAY 10 :
This day drive to Hawassa, and on arrival search the grounds for species including Spotted Creeper, Pygmy Kingfisher, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Nubian Woodpecker, Blue-headed Coucal, Double-toothed Barbet, Banded Barbet, Red-throated Wryneck, Eurasian Wryneck, Little Weaver, Bronze Manikin, White-browed Robin-Chat, Wattled Starling and Violet-backed Starling.

DAY 11 :
Dawn walks along the bank of lake fig trees and traditional fish-market. African Fish-eagle, Great White Pelican, Hadada Ibis, Black Crake, White-backed Duck, Pygmy Goose, Common Sandpiper, Pied Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Purple Heron, Hamerkop, Lesser Black-backed Gull, White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-faced Whistling Duck, African Jacana, Great Reed Warbler, Lesser Swamp Warbler, African Reed Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Grosbeak Weaver and Red-faced Cisticola. After late breakfast drive to Wendo Genet forest. In the afternoon session walk around spa thickets to search the Ethiopian Boubou, Red-shouldered Cuckoo shrike, Lemon Dove, Tambourine Dove, Sharpe’s Starling, White-cheeked Turaco, Banded Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Lesser and Wahlberg’s Honeybird, Scaly Francolin, African Paradise Flycatcher and Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher.

DAY 12 :
Dawn walk around Wendo Genet forest to locate the rare Yellow-fronted Parrot, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Green Twinspot, African Firefinch, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Lesser and Greater Honeyguides, Narina Trogon, Brown Parisoma, Abyssinian Oriole, Mountain Wagtail, Grey Cuckooshrike, Dark-capped Bulbul and more. In midday drive to Lake Langano and checkin to Simbo lodge. In the afternoon Session walk for species including Hemprich’s Hornbill, White-rumped Seedeater, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Upcher’s Warbler, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Northern Crombec, Red-faced Crombec, Buff-bellied Warbler, Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, White-bellied Go-Away-Bird, Bare-faced Go-Away-Bird, Red-throated Wryneck, Black-winged Lovebird, Blue-napped Mousebird, White-bellied Go-Away-Bird, Common Nightingale, Masked Shrike, Village Indigobird and Little Rock Thrush.

DAY 13 :
Lake Ziway is important for Black Crowned Crane, Yellow-billed Stork, Pygmy Goose, Black Heron, Goliath Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Grey Heron, Spurwinged Goose, Grey-headed Gull, White-faced Whistling and Fulvous Whistling Ducks Lesser and Common Moorhen, Spurwinged Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Grassland Pipit, African Stonechat, African Mourning Dove, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Nubian Woodpecker, Malachite Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Ethiopian Cisticola, Collared Pratincole, African Darter and Common Nightingale.

DAY 14 :
Bushoftu Crater lakes include Chalaklaka and Bushoftu. Common Crane, Black Crowned Crane, Knob-billed Duck, Pied Avocet, Glossy Ibis, Black-tailed Godwit, Great Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Knob-billed Duck, Lesser and Greater Flamingos, Northern Shoveler, African Spoonbill, Little Grebe, Sandpipers, Black-winged Stilt, Snipes, Marsh Harrier, Red-knobbed, Black-necked Coot Heron and Grey Heron. In the afternoon drive back to Addis Ababa, and departure.

For More Info: " Birds of the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Socotra, Book by John Fanshawe, Nigel Redman, and Terry Stevenson "

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