Birding Tour in Ethiopia

Travel and Tour Ethiopia - Blue sky Ethiopia tour offers great Ethiopia holidays, Honeymoons & private tours to all over Ethiopia. We offer complementary Hotel and Travel Service like car rent , airport shuttle service which are fully customizable.

Ethiopia’s proximity to the equator and great habitat diversity means it has one of the richest avifauna in Africa. Taking in to account birds that were first recorded in Ethiopia after 1971, or have only been described since then, a total count of around 850 birds is a realist estimate. It is quite possible that further species awaits discovery in the little-known forests of the south and west, or elsewhere- a new and presumably endemic species of nightjar was discovered as recently as 1992 in the very accessible Nech sar national Park. About 40% of Ethiopian tourism comes from bird watchers and this nevertheless underscores the growing popularity of the pastime, as well as Ethiopia’s significance as a birding destination.
One major reason for Ethiopia’s high profile among bird watchers is the large number of species that are endemic or near endemic- in Africa, comparable only to South Africa and Tanzania. Another is that, while the total species count is not as high as some other African countries, it is probably easier to amass a trip list of 400 species over a normal length holiday in Ethiopia than it is in any African country. While many ornithological itineraries will depend greatly on available time, level of interest, and budget, Ethiopia does boast a defined birding itinerary which, with minor variations, is followed by most organized tours. Unlike the standard ‘historic circuit’, this itinerary is focused on areas south of Addis Ababa, which is however most of the more localized endemics are to be found, and it can only be covered thoroughly in a private vehicle.
The usual Southern circuit includes areas of the Rift valley, such as Menagesha forest, Gefersa reservoir, Zeway, Abiyata-Shalla, Awassa and Wondo genet; bale Highlights including Dolo Mena; Negele Borena; Yabello and the surrounding; Nech Sar and Awash national Park. On the whole, northern Ethiopia is of less interest to birders than the South, though any bird watcher hoping to see all of Ethiopia’s endemics would need to undertake two specific trips north; the first trip in to Ankober and Aliyu Amba and the second to the Jemma Valley. For more of this visit tour programs. Blue sky Ethiopia tours organizes a ready made and tailor made package tours for ornithologist or any one interested in birding. For more information and itinerary detail please contact us.