Birding tours from Cape Town to Cameroon and Madagascar, with the only African Birding Specialist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ethiopia Birding Tour

Ethiopia adds up to a truly bird-filled experience in an usual country: it offers numerous endemics, a rich assemblage of montane and arid savanna species and an influx of Palaearctic migrants. Unrivalled scenery, unique mammals and fascinating cultures enhance the feeling of outlandishness. On our tours we visit a wide range of habitats.

Highland grasslands and moorlands hold unusual endemics such as Blue-winged Goose, Spot-breasted Lapwing and Rouget’s Rail, whereas rocky areas are home to Rueppell’s Black Chat and White-billed Starling.

In forest patches in the central highlands we will search for White-cheeked Turaco, Ethiopian Oriole, Abyssinian Catbird, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Black-winged Lovebird, Abyssinian Woodpecker and White-backed Tit.

The rift valley's arid savannas and numerous lakes teems with birds, including a good diversity of bustards. In the remote south of the country we may find three of Ethiopia's most sought after endemics, fabled Prince Ruspoli's Turaco, Stresemann's Bush Crow and unusual White-tailed Swallow.

We offer two consecutive tours to Ethiopia. The main tour concentrates on the wide range of habitats comfortably accessible from Addis Ababa, including montane forests and moorlands at Debre Libanos and the Bale Mountains, and savanna birding in the rift valley around Lake Langano and Awash. The second tour is for the more adventurous and heads to remote south in search of Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco and Stresemann’s Bush Crow, among many others.

For more information on our Ethiopia birding tour itineraries, please contact us.

Featured Leaders: Callan Cohen

Callan & Deirdre recommend: This tour is well suited to world listers, keen birders and mammal enthusiasts.

Callan Cohen founded Birding Africa 12 years ago and has written two books on birding in Africa, including the definitive birding site guide to southern Africa and Madagascar. Callan has over 20 years of birding experience in the region.

Deirdre Vrancken is a primatologist whose expertise in lemurs will add an extra dimension to the tour. She has studied Pronghorn Antelopes in Montana, African Elephants in East Africa, and our closests living relatives, Bonobos, in the jungles of the Congo.

Callan and Deirdre lead bird and primate tours together to Madagascar, Uganda, Rwanda, Gabon and Tanzania.

Callan also leads to tours to Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Cameroon, Mali, Ethiopia, and Ghana.

What participants say...

Please click here to have a look at what participants say about our tours led by Callan Cohen & Deirdre Vrancken ...

Blue-winged Goose seen on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.
Blue-winged Goose seen on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.

Ankober Serin on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.
Ankober Serin on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.

Gelada Baboon seen on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.
Gelada Baboon seen on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.

Male Gelada Baboon on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.
Male Gelada Baboon on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.

Gelada Baboon live among steep cliffs - seen on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.
Gelada Baboon live among steep cliffs - seen on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Callan Cohen.

Ethiopian Wolf on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Claire Spottiswoode.Male Gelada Baboon on a Birding Africa Ethiopia tour © Claire Spottiswoode.
Ethiopian Wolf and Gelada Baboon © Claire Spottiswoode.


2010 Tour dates and cost

Birding Africa Tours Dates Days

Cost*

Single**

Detailed itinerary Tour report
Somaliland 6 - 20 June 2010 15 enquire enquire please enquire link to website


* Cost per person sharing a room, ** Single room supplement.
* Included in the above price: Birding Africa tour leader, Birding Africa printed booklet with species lists, domestic flights within Madagascar, boat trips as indicated on the itinerary, road transport, guide fees, entry fees for the parks, reserves and botanical gardens, full board accommodation and drinking water on the bus. Not included: international flights, drinks, optional tips, and items of a personal nature are not included.

2011 Tour dates and cost (provisional)

Birding Africa Tours Dates Days

Cost*

Single**

Detailed itinerary Tour report
Ethiopia December 2011 (provisional) 15 enquire enquire please enquire link to website


* Cost per person sharing a room, ** Single room supplement.
* Included in the above price: Birding Africa tour leader, Birding Africa printed booklet with species lists, domestic flights within Madagascar, boat trips as indicated on the itinerary, road transport, guide fees, entry fees for the parks, reserves and botanical gardens, full board accommodation and drinking water on the bus. Not included: international flights, drinks, optional tips, and items of a personal nature are not included.

Practical tour information

Focus For keen birders and mammal enthusiasts. Designed to see as many as possible endemic birds, but while on the walks we spend a lot of time looking for other aspects of wildlife such as mammals. We can also customise any itinerary to suit to the keen birder, the wildlife enthusiast or both.
Photography Many participants on our trips are amateur wildlife photographers. And when we get excellent views of a bird or mammal, some time is usually spent watching and photographing it. However, this is not a photographic tour and once the majority of the people have felt that they have absorbed the animal or bird to their satisfaction, then we move on in search of the next encounter. Thus, while the photographic opportunities are very good, the group will only occasionally wait for somebody who wants to spend even longer getting better photos.
Fitness Little fitness is required. The few walks are generally in relatively flat areas with occasional small inclines.
Timing Please enquire.
Climate Warm to hot in the lolands and cool in the forests and highlands
Comfort Basic to moderate comfort in local small hotes and guest houses.
Transport We travel by minibus or four wheel drive vehicle.
Group Size This depends on the specific tour. Please enquire.
Top birds Ethiopian endemics including Spot-breasted Lapwing, Rouget's Rail, Abyssinian Catbird, Stresemann's Bush Crow and Blue-winged Goose.
Top mammals Ethiopian Wolf, Gelada Baboon, Hamadryas Baboon, Olive/Anubis Baboon, Black-and-white Guereza Colobus, Blue monkey, Sykes Monkey, Root-rat (Tachyoryctes sp), Common (Golden) Jackal, Black-backed Jackal, Bat-eared Fox, White-tailed Mongoose, Spotted Hyaena, Ethiopian Rock Hyrax, Mountain Nyala, Beisa Oryx
Booking Your booking can be secured with a booking form and deposit of USD 400. You will receive confirmation and our tour information pack with practical information on what to expect and how to prepare for the tour. The balance is due 3 months before the tour. Email us about availability.


About Birding Africa

Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour company customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed holiday birders. We combine interests in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany and other natural history aspects and will guide you to Africa's and Madagascar's most diverse birding destinations. Our guides' knowledge of African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength and together we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations with the birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent.  We've even written two acclaimed guide books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best birds. Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and we are dedicated to making professional, best value trips filled with endemic species and unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997, we've run bird watching tours in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders, small birding groups and top international tour companies. We've run Conservation Tours in association with the African Bird Club and work with and consult for a number of other top international tour companies and the BBC Natural History Unit.

For feedback from our guests, please see our Client Comments. Please also browse our Latest News and Trip Reports.


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Black Harrier photograph courtesy of Keith Offord.
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[African Tailorbirding CC (CK2003/020710/23) trading as Birding Africa]
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