Ornithopia tours
Birding itineraries
Birding in Ethiopia can be an exquisite experience. This is not only because the large proportion in the endemics but the ease of approaching even difficult species.
Offered below are a sample of itineraries for birding trips provided to show you the possibilities of what can be done in Ethiopia. It is possible to customise a trip plan according to your preferences at your request. You will notice that Addis Ababa is the starting point for all types of excursions and trips. This is for obvious reasons as the Capital offers best place to meet clients and also because the city has a lot in terms of offering good birding especially to the newcomer.
Excursions lasting between 1- 3 days are an excellent way of introducing a newcomer to the country and also a useful way to use limited time . Addis and its surroundings offer good birding where one can tick off at least 15 endemics in a day! Some endemics like the Abyssinian Woodpecker and Yellow-fronted Parrot will obviously need more effort but in general if you are tight for time, even a short day trip can be productive. These itineraries are especially good for birders that are on transit or have come to Addis on a conference or meeting and want a day out in the fresh air and nature.
Day trip
Drive to either Menagesha Forest with an excursion to Gefersa Reservoir OR Visit Suluta plains and Debre Libanos Monastery
Two days/one night - three days/two nights trips
Here we have the option of two whole days. A combined trip in the highlands (Entoto, Sululta, Mengagesha, Gefersa Reservoir, Debre Libanos, Debre Birhan, Ankober) and lowlands (Jema Valley, Melka Jebdhu, Gibe Valley, or Debre Zeit lakes) will give us a good complement of birds in a short time.
Sample itineraries
(2 days/1 night)
1. Day one - travel to Debre Libanos via Sululta plains Night in D/Libanos
2. Day two - Whole day in Jema Valley. Return to Addis Ababa in the late afternoon.
(3 days/2 nights)
1. Day one - travel to Debre Libanos via Sululta plains. Night in D/Libanos.
2. Day two - Jema Valley. Night in Debre Birhan
3. Day three - Spend most of the day in Ankober and Melka Jebdhu returning to Addis in the early evening.
Longer trips can range anything between 10 to 20 days with more serious birding. This is an opportunity to see diverse habitat with complementary birds. The following is an example of a 10 days/9 nights itinerary.
Day 1: Addis Ababa. Arrival (depending on your time of arrival we can plan a half day excursion near Addis).
Day 2 : Debre Libanos (highland plateau, cliffs and dry evergreen forest)
highlights include wattled ibis , blue-winged goose, banded barbet, white-cheeked turaco, white-billed starling, ruppell's black chat, spot-breasted plover?, abyssinian slaty-flycatcher, black-winged lovebird, white-collared pigeon, ethiopian oriole, white-winged cliff chat, thick-billed raven, botta's wheatear, ethiopian stone-chat?, tackazee sunbird, brown-rumped seedeater, pink-breasted dove and lammergeyer. Ovenight at a lodge in DL or drive back to Addis Ababa.
Day 3 and Day 4: Awash National Park (lowland acacia woodlands & grasslands)
Bird highlights include Hartulaub's Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Kori Bustard, Arabian Bustard, Madagascar Bee-eater, Senegal Thicknee, Sobmbre Chat, White-winged Scrub-robin, Pale Prinia, rosy-patched shrike, Southern Shrike, Somali Fiscal, Taita Fiscal, Secretary Bird? and White-browed Coucal. Hornbill spp include red-billed, yellow-billed and grey. Overnight at Genet Hotel in Awash town or Awash Falls Lodge in the park.
Day 5 & 6: Wondogenet (highland broadleaved forest)
Bird highlights include spotted creeper, grey cuckoo shrike, abyssinian woodpecker, banded barbet, ethiopian oriole, yellow-fronted parrot, half-collared kingfisher, Abyssinian ground thrush, crowned eagle, lesser honey guide?, silvery-cheeked hornbill and narina trogon. Overnight at Wabe Shebelle Resort hotel.
Day 7, 8 and 9: Bale Mountains National Park (moorlands, highland forests and grasslands)
Bale will provide excellent views of rouget’s rail, wattled ibis, blue-winged goose, ruddy-sheld duck, verreaux’s eagle, golden eagle, steppe eagle, bale parisoma, white-winged black tit, chestnut-naped francolin, moorland francolin and Abyssinian catbird. One of the most memorable sightings is of the rarest canid in the world, the Ethiopian Wolf on Sanetti Plateau. Overnight at Goba’s Wabe Shebelle Hotel.
Day 10: Awassa. (Freshwater lake and surrounding woodlands)
Awassa is excellent for its wetland birds including the pygmy goose. Beyond this the woodlands provide good birding for spotted creeper, black-winged lovebird, silvery cheeked hornbill, violet backed starling, Senegal thicknee, african fish eagle, pygmy kingfisher, red- breasted wryneck, black crake and red-faced cisticola. Overnight at Wabe Shebelle Hotel #1.
Day 11 & 12: Lake Langano and L Abijatta (Freshwater/Alkaline wetlands, acacia woodlands)
Beyond the water and wetland birds, the woodlands adjoining the lakes are excellent for Nubian woodpecker, bearded woodpecker, grey woodpecker, red-fronted tinker bird, black-billed barbets, banded barbet, bare-faced go-away bird, white-bellied go-away-bird, northern crombec, red-faced crombec, orange-bellied parrot, black-cheeked waxbill, verreaux’s eagle owl, von der decken’s hornbill, hemprich’s hornbill, mocking chat and slate-coloured boubou.
Day 13. Addis Ababa. Stop over at Lake Zway and drive to Addis. Departure.