Birding Tour Ethiopia: Complete Abyssinia

Ethiopia: Complete Abyssinia
March 2024/2025

Our birding tour to Ethiopia, “the Roof of Africa”, is an absolutely unique and spectacular birding experience. Ethiopia is one of Africa’s most scenically beautiful countries, boasting some of the continent’s highest mountains and plateaus (but also contains a depression that reaches slightly below sea level), impressive escarpments, Great Rift Valley lakes and volcanoes, and highly varied vegetation from juniper forests to arid savanna dotted with monstrous red termite mounds. Descending from the highlands to the deep valleys far below can seem like entering a completely different world, all within the same day – it is such an amazingly varied country.

The stunning and near-endemic White-cheeked Turaco should be seen on this trip.

Our Ethiopia birding tours visit Ethiopia’s unique mountain topography situated in the middle of the “Horn of Africa” which is not just stunningly scenic but has also produces an impressive number of endemic birds (about 20 species) found in no other country. This is in addition to a lot of near-endemic bird species that are most easily found in Ethiopia – especially since other countries in north-east Africa are currently considered unsafe to visit. The list of Ethiopian endemics includes the spectacular Ruspoli’s Turaco, the striking, bizarre, and taxonomically puzzling Stresemann’s Bushcrow, and Archer’s (Liben, Sidamo) Lark, which is sadly considered the next bird likely to probably go extinct in Africa.

On this Ethiopian birding tour, we will target all of the Ethiopian bird endemics as well as a number of Horn of Africa endemics, which are also found in some of Ethiopia’s neighboring countries. Ethiopia is also one of the best places to see birds such as Arabian Bustard, with luck having Northern Carmine Bee-eaters riding on their backs. Ethiopia’s birds are generally easy to find, and in addition to the plethora of endemics it is not too difficult to end up with an impressive bird list of around 500 species after a two-and-a-half-week trip to this country.

Ethiopian Wolf — the world’s rarest canid should be seen on the Sanetti Plateau.

Ethiopia of course also boasts such fabulous mammals as Ethiopian Wolf, some awesome primates including Gelada and Hamadryas Baboons, the regal-looking Beisa Oryx, rare Grevy’s Zebra, and many others. The country also has a spectacularly rich and ancient history, and all in all is a wonderful country to travel in.

If you would like to further extend your time in this fascinating country, you can join our short Lalibela Cultural Extension, where we visit one of Ethiopia’s most sacred places. Here, we will spend time enjoying the impressive monolithic rock churches carved out of the basalt bedrock and acquiring a better understanding the area’s rich history and culture. We will of course be on the lookout for any interesting birds too.

Itinerary (19 days/18 nights)

Day 1. Addis Ababa 

Our 19-day Ethiopia birding tour starts in the fascinating high-altitude city of Addis Ababa, which has a population of about four million people. Here we can already find many of Ethiopia’s more common endemics and near-endemics, such as the oddly proportioned Thick-billed Raven, White-collared Pigeon, Banded Barbet, Wattled Ibis, Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher, Black-winged Lovebird, Brown-rumped Seedeater, and others. In the evening we will enjoy our first traditional Ethiopian meal and might even find a Montane Nightjar in the hotel grounds.

Overnight: Ghion Hotel, Addis Ababa

Look at that bill! The near-endemic Thick-billed Raven is normally encountered on this tour.

Day 2. Birding the Jemma River

Today we will have a very early pre-dawn start and head north to the Jemma Valley where we will enter a truly different world. We will aim to arrive on the edge of the valley to look for some of Ethiopia’s localized endemics and near-endemics, such as Harwood’s and Erckel’s Spurfowls, Rüppell’s Black Chat and others. We then descend from dizzying heights to the Jemma River far down below us and enter an arid land, where we look for a very different suite of birds compared to those of the central Ethiopian highlands. Here, we will look for species such as Speckle-fronted Weaver, Fox Kestrel, Foxy and Short-winged Cisticolas, Abyssinian Wheatear, Senegal Thick-knee, Black-billed Barbet, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and many others characteristic of East Africa’s arid areas. Later in the day we will head back out of the impressive Jemma Valley and make our way back into the highlands, this time to Debre Birhan, where we are based for the night.

Overnight: Getva Hotel, Debre Birhan

The near-endemic Rüppell’s Black Chat is fairly common in rocky areas.

Day 3. Searching the escarpment for Ankober Serin

Among many other things today, we will reach impressive heights at the Gemassa Gedel and Ankober escarpments to search for an extremely localized bird, the endemic and Vulnerable (BirdLife International) Ankober Serin which was described to science as recently as 1976. Although our main target species is unlikely to dazzle you, it can however be described as ‘subtly beautiful’ and the scenery here is simply spectacular, with beautiful mountains overlooking distant valleys. Other avian targets to look out for in the area include White-billed Starling, Blanford’s Lark, Abyssinian Longclaw, Ethiopian Siskin, and large impressive predators like Verreaux’s Eagle or Bearded Vulture. We also hope to find our first Geladas (nicknamed “bleeding-heart monkeys”); these ferocious-looking but vegetarian baboons have huge vocabularies and a complex social system.

We then continue towards Ankober where we will continue birding the highlands and escarpment, where we might encounter Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Somali Crow, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Nyanza and Mottled Swifts, Rüppell’s Black and Moorland Chats, White-rumped Babbler, Abyssinian and Rusty-breasted Wheatears, Yellow-crowned Canary, and many other exciting species.

Overnight: Ankober Palace Lodge, Ankober

Day 4. Transfer to Awash National Park, birding Melka Ghebdu en route

We will descend the escarpment today and likely have our breakfast stop in Melka Ghebdu, a dry river bed where the Ethiopian endemic Yellow-throated Seedeater occurs. We will concentrate on the seedeater but may also find White-bellied Go-away-bird, Abyssinian Roller, Common Rock Thrush, White-throated Robin, Beautiful Sunbird, Sahel Bush Sparrow, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, and many other dry-country species.

The beautiful Abyssinian Roller should be seen in the Awash area.

From here, we will drive through some of Ethiopia’s most remote country, to get to Awash National Park. If the road is good, after gathering up-to-date information, we will bird the amazing Afar Plains, where a rich diversity of birds will likely make an appearance. We could see Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Kori Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Red-bellied Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Olive Bee-eater, Abyssinian Roller, Black-billed Wood Hoopoe, Abyssinian and Black Scimitarbills, various hornbill species including Abyssinian Ground and Von der Decken’s Hornbills, Black-throated and Yellow-breasted Barbets, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Grey Wren-Warbler, Grey-headed Batis, Slate-colored Boubou, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Chestnut Weaver, and White-crested Helmetshrike, among many others. In the late afternoon we will arrive in the Doho area.

Overnight: Doho Lodge, Awash

Day 5. Birding Awash National Park

Awash is one of Ethiopia’s premier national parks, which has a rich diversity of birds as well as mammals. We’ll look for Scissor-tailed Kite, a host of bustards including Arabian, Buff-crested, Hartlaub’s, Black-bellied, and White-bellied Bustards, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, and many more. During our time here we also hope to find Somali Ostrich, African Collared Dove, Horsfield’s Bush Lark, Gillett’s Lark, Chestnut-backed and Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Larks, Boran and Ashy Cisticolas, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Pale and African Grey Flycatchers, Mouse-colored Penduline Tit, four of Africa’s most lovely sunbirds, namely Eastern Violet-backed, Nile Valley, Beautiful, and Shining Sunbirds, Somali Fiscal, Woodchat Shrike, Northern Masked Weaver, Cut-throat Finch, and many others. At this time of year we might also enjoy migrant Common Whitethroat and White-throated Robin. As always, raptor-watching will be spectacular – we can easily find 40+ species on our two-and-a-half-week tour, and many of these are in Awash National Park.

Beisa Oryx can be seen in Awash National Park.

In the evening we will do a night drive, where we hope to find several nightjar and owl species, including Star-spotted, Slender-tailed, Plain, and Nubian Nightjars and perhaps Greyish Eagle-Owl and Northern White-faced Owl.

Overnight: Doho Lodge, Awash

Day 6. Birding Awash National Park and the Ali Dege Plains

Today we drive to the swelteringly hot Ali Dege Plains, where we should have some fantastic bird and mammal sightings. On the plains we may come across Arabian and Kori Bustards, Somali Ostrich, and Secretarybird, with large numbers of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse in the area too. We’ll keep a lookout for raptors, including Scissor-tailed Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Grasshopper and Long-legged Buzzards, as well as migrant eagles. Larger mammals to look out for here include Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx, Soemmerring’s Gazelle, African Golden Wolf, and perhaps the strange Gerenuk. In the surrounding bush we will search for African Collared Dove, Isabelline Shrike, Rosy-patched Bushshrike and many others.

Overnight: Doho Lodge, Awash

Somali Ostrich on the Ali Dege Plains

Day 7. Birding the Great Rift Valley lakes

After some final Awash birding, today we drive to Lake Langano, where we will spend the next two nights. We will bird this and other lakes, among them the beautiful Lake Ziway, and wetland sites of the Great Rift Valley, looking for Black Crowned Crane, Collared Pratincole, African Snipe and several other shorebird species, various tern species including Gull-billed Tern, Lesser and African Jacanas, Fulvous Whistling Duck, African Pygmy Goose, Western Marsh Harrier, and many others. Other highlights today might include Greater Spotted Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Clapperton’s Spurfowl, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Buff-bellied Warbler, Blackstart, Western Black-headed and Pygmy Batises, the striking Masked Shrike, Green-winged Pytilia, and Red-fronted Prinia, as well as many others.

Overnight: Sabana Beach Resort or similar, Langano

Day 8. Birding around Lake Langano and the Bishangary area

Some of the species we might find today are Black-winged Lovebird, Banded and Red-fronted Barbets, Little Weaver, and Little Rock Thrush. The rocky escarpment above the hotel holds Ethiopian Bee-eater, Mocking Cliff Chat, Abyssinian Wheatear, Fan-tailed Raven, and groups of cute Rock Hyrax. Alternatively, a walk in the adjacent dry acacia woodland might yield Black-billed Wood Hoopoe, Bearded Woodpecker, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Boran Cisticola, Buff-bellied Warbler, Mouse-colored Penduline Tit, White-winged Black Tit, White-rumped Babbler, Grey-headed Batis, and Rüppell’s Weaver. Later on we may visit the grounds of another hotel for roosting Slender-tailed Nightjar and Verreaux’s and Greyish Eagle-Owls, as well as Clapperton’s Spurfowl.

Cheerful Black-winged Lovebirds may be seen in the Langano area.

During the afternoon we plan to visit the forest around Bishangari on the southeastern shore of the lake. The acacia woodland along the road could produce Western Banded Snake Eagle, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, and Red-throated Wryneck, among others. The remnant patch of natural forest at Bishangari Lodge is home to several endemic and special birds, including Scaly Spurfowl, Lemon Dove, Narina Trogon, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Parrot, White-cheeked Turaco, Abyssinian Woodpecker, and Ethiopian Oriole. Noisy groups of Grey-backed Fiscals inhabit the more open areas, and Guereza can be found in tall fig trees.

Overnight: Sabana Beach Resort or similar, Langano

Abyssinian Woodpecker can at times take a bit of effort to find.

Day 9: Birding Lake Buyo

We will leave Langano early in the morning and head towards the town of Halaba Kulito. We will then drive around 25km north of Halaba Kulito to Lake Buyo to target Wattled Crane, this lake being one of Ethiopia’s most reliable sites for this most-wanted and gigantic crane species. At Lake Buyo it is also possible to find Black Crowned Crane, a host of water birds and many Palearctic migrants too.

Overnight: Sera Lodge, Halaba Kulito

Day 10. Transfer to Wondo Genet 

After further birding around the various lakes we drive up the eastern escarpment of the Rift Valley to the hot springs of Wondo Genet. On our way to Wondo Genet, we may encounter White-winged Black Tit, Grey-backed Fiscal, and migrant Common Nightingale. In a forest patch near to Wondo Genet itself we look for awesome forest and woodland birds such as Yellow-fronted Parrot, Banded Barbet, Black-winged Lovebird, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Ethiopian Boubou, Brown Woodland Warbler, Narina Trogon, and Scaly-throated Honeyguide. Also in this area we might find the massive Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, dainty Mountain Wagtail, and the beautiful Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike.

Overnight: Wabi Shebele Hotel, Wondo Genet

Day 11. Birding Bale Mountains National Park

This morning we drive to Dinsho, the gateway to the fabled Bale Mountains, which reaches an altitude of around 14,000 feet (4,500 meters). Here we spend the next two days birding varied habitats for such sought-after species as Abyssinian Owl, Cape (Mackinder’s) Eagle-Owl (the largest of three subspecies), African Wood Owl, Wattled Ibis, Chestnut-naped Spurfowl, Moorland Francolin, Wattled Crane, Red-billed Chough, White-backed Black Tit, Abyssinian Catbird, African Emerald Cuckoo, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, and, with luck, Golden Eagle, as well as a long list of other birds. Interesting mammals here include Mountain Nyala, Klipspringer, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, and others. The days in this area are also a botanical treat, with vegetation ranging from Hagenia-dominated forest to giant Erica woods to high-altitude moorlands, sometimes with fabulous giant lobelias. In the adjacent Harenna Forest it might be possible to spot some star birds like Brown Parisoma, Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, African Emerald Cuckoo, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Rüppell’s and White-browed Robin-Chats, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, and Slender-billed Starling, or even a flock of migrating European Bee-eaters.

Overnight: Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel, Goba, or Bale Mountain Lodge

Day 12. Drive to the Sanetti Plateau

As we leave Goba we soon reach nice stands of Juniper-Hagenia forest that are home to the endemic Abyssinian Woodpecker, White-backed Black Tit, Abyssinian Catbird, and Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher, plus Abyssinian Ground Thrush. Driving further, stands of Hypericum trees host the endemic griseiventris subspecies of Brown Parisoma. Moorland Francolin, Chestnut-naped Spurfowl, and Cinnamon Bracken Warbler frequent dense shrubbery, while Ethiopian Cisticola prefers the more open areas.

Blue-winged Goose is yet another Ethiopian endemic we should see on this tour.

Soon we will be driving on Africa’s highest road, passing close to the summit of Ethiopia’s second highest mountain. Here on the Sanetti Plateau, an island of tundra in the tropics, the habitat is classified as “Afro-alpine moorland”, characterized by a fascinating range of unique plants, including giant lobelias, which tower like monolithic giants over the rich tussock grasslands, and extensive cushions of yellow everlasting flowers. The grasslands are estimated to support an incredible biomass of 8,800 pounds (3,990 kilograms) of rodents per hectare! This obviously attracts a rich array of raptors, and we should see Steppe and Golden Eagles, Augur Buzzard, and the elegant Pallid Harrier circling over this verdant floral sea. They share this abundant food source with the plateau’s most celebrated resident, the Ethiopian Wolf, crowned with the unenviable title of “the world’s rarest canid”. Watching these vibrantly colored animals exhibiting their hunting prowess while pouncing on Giant Mole Rats is surely among Africa’s greatest wildlife experiences.

The plateau also holds the only Afrotropical breeding populations of Ruddy Shelduck, Golden Eagle, and Red-billed Chough. We will also search for Black Stork, Wattled Ibis, Rouget’s Rail (particularly common and confiding here), the endemic Blue-winged Goose, Spot-breasted Lapwing, Wattled Crane, Thekla’s Lark, migratory flocks of Red-throated Pipit, Abyssinian Longclaw, Rusty-breasted Wheatear, the dumpy Moorland Chat, and flocks of the endemic Ethiopian Siskin.

Overnight: Goba Wabe Shebelle Hotel, Goba, or Bale Mountain Lodge

Spot-breasted Lapwing, another target we will search for on the Sanetti Plateau.

Day 13. Birding the Genale Valley

Today we head south for the Negele area through the interesting, dry Genale Valley. Negele is one of Ethiopia’s great endemic hotspots, and this entire area is brimming with great birds. Among many, many others we could enjoy Brown Snake Eagle, Northern Brownbul, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Upcher’s Warbler, Red-capped Robin-Chat, and Golden-breasted, Superb, Shelley’s, and Violet-backed Starlings. The bird of the day (and perhaps of the trip) is likely to be Ruspoli’s Turaco which we will look for along the Genale River – a true Ethiopian megabird.

Overnight: Maereg Guest House, Negele

Day 14. Birding the Negele area and the Liben Plains

Today we will spend a full day in the Negele area seeking endemics and dry-land birds. Our main target here is the Critically Endangered (BirdLife International) Archer’s Lark, with not many more than 100 individuals left; this species is also known as Liben Lark. We will search for it in the Liben Plains, close to Negele. This and the surrounding area should hopefully also yield a vast number of other desirable species such as Foxy Lark, Somali Short-toed Lark, White-crowned Starling, Shelley’s Sparrow, Reichenow’s Seedeater, the incredibly localized Ethiopian endemic White-tailed Swallow, the handsome Bare-eyed Thrush, Spotted Palm Thrush, Pale Prinia, and Boran Cisticola. Interesting ground birds like Temminck’s Courser, White-bellied Bustard, and Black-faced Sandgrouse might also be encountered.

Overnight: Maereg Guest House, Negele

White-bellied Bustard will be searched for in the Liben Plains.

Day 15. Transfer to Yabello

Today will be a long transfer to Yabello while roadside birding should be good and will provide several pleasant stops. We are expecting to add new birds to our burgeoning list, such as Gabar Goshawk, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, and Grey Kestrel, as well as Pearl-spotted Owlet, Black-throated Barbet, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, and Nubian Woodpecker. To many people today may be the highlight of the tour, when we first encounter Stresemann’s Bushcrow. This characterful species might be related to Middle Eastern/Central Asian ground jays, although its taxonomy is puzzling, and it might not even be a corvid at all. Of course, there are a host of other awesome birds to find as well, and this area keeps us as busy as ever. Among others, we might encounter Banded Parisoma, Scaly Chatterer, Acacia Tit, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Hunter’s Sunbird, the striking Magpie Starling, Juba Weaver, White-bellied Canary, Golden-breasted Bunting, the beautifully colored Purple Grenadier, and Grey-capped as well as Black-capped Social Weavers. Time permitting, we will also go on a short night drive.

Overnight: Yabello Motel, Yabello

The taxonomically confusing Stresemann’s Bushcrow (photo Anne Walker).

Day 16. Birding the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary

We’ll have the full day in bushcrow country – but we’ll also look for tons of other birds, such as Somali Courser, Somali Fiscal, Taita Fiscal, Short-tailed Lark, and Red-naped Bushshrike, and also for many less range-restricted species like Speke’s Weaver, Black-faced Waxbill, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Eurasian Hobby, Black Cuckoo, and Steel-blue and Straw-tailed Whydahs. We will also head to an area to look for the localized endemic Salvadori’s Seedeater. As always throughout this epic tour, we should stumble across a plethora of Eurasian migrants, which could include warblers, buntings, and many others. Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary also contains the improbably long-necked Gerenuk, an antelope that feeds high up in trees and bushes while standing on its hind legs. A night drive might yield yet another mammalian treat, the Somali Bushbaby.

Overnight: Yabello Motel, Yabello

Day 17. Yabello to Awassa

We drive to Awassa on the beautiful lake of the same name, where we visit the fascinating Awassa fish market – here an incredible plethora of Hamerkop, Marabou Stork, and Great White Pelican, as well as various gulls and terns and a multitude of others feed on the scraps within meters of people. On the lake we may find our second pelican species, Pink-backed Pelican, and migrant Lesser Black-backed Gulls. We also look for woodland birds here, such as both Eurasian and Red-throated Wrynecks, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Blue-headed Coucal, Red-faced Cisticola, Red-headed Weaver, the beautiful white form of African Paradise Flycatcher, Northern White-faced Owl, and others.

Overnight: United Africa Hotel, Awassa

Day 18. Birding Gibe Gorge

Today is our final full day of Ethiopian birding and we drive to Gibe Gorge with an early departure. This is a beautifully scenic area, which hosts some fabulous and sought-after birds, including Red-billed Pytilia, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Vinaceous Dove, Western Black-headed Batis, Bar-breasted Firefinch, and Fawn-breasted Waxbill.

Overnight: Yejoka Hotel, Welkite

Day 19. Transfer to Addis Ababa airport, departure

Our flight leaves Addis Ababa later in the day. We will bird or relax in the hotel grounds at Welkite, going straight to the airport from there. If you are joining us on our Lalibela Cultural Extension, we will spend the night in Addis Ababa before flying out to Lalibela the following morning.

Overnight: Not included (unless you are continuing on extension)

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides, and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling

Complete Ethiopia Trip Report

20 MARCH – 09 APRIL 2017

By Vincent Ward

The attractive Abyssinian Woodpecker.

Ethiopia is a legendary African birding destination, with a unique diversity of habitats in addition to its wealth of bird and mammal species. Of the 28 target endemics we saw 26, including the sought-after Ruspoli’s Turaco, Stresemann’s Bushcrow, and White-winged Collared Dove. The smaller and harder-to-find endemic canaries (my personal favorites) were seen, the highlights being White-rumped,Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated and Salvadori’s Seedeaters. Despite the drier than usual conditions we managed a respectable 463 species in three weeks.

Day 1, 20 March 2017. Addis Ababa

The first stop on our three-week birding itinerary was the gardens of the Ghion Hotel. The standout highlights included Tacazze Sunbird, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Yellow-crowned Canary, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Brown Parisoma, and Black Sparrowhawk. Also seen were the lovely, endemic Black-winged Lovebird and Brown-rumped Seedeater.

Next we headed to the grasslands near Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. This unassuming patch of grassland is home to several highland endemics: Rouget’s Rail, Thick-billed Raven, White-collared Pigeon, and Wattled Ibis. Other specials seen included Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, Lanner Falcon, Red-throated Pipit, Stout Cisticola, and Grey-backed Fiscal.

Wattled Ibis.

Gerfersa Reservoir was visited in the drizzly afternoon. The waterbody itself held waterfowl  like African Black and Yellow-billed Ducks, Northern Pintail, and Northern Shoveler. The grassy fringes attracted Black-winged Lapwing, Augur Buzzard, White-collared Pigeon, Red-breasted Wheatear, Groundscraper Thrush, Ethiopian Siskin, and Blue-winged Goose.

Day 2, 21 March 2017. Sululta plain and Debre Libanos

We left the sprawl of Addis Ababa behind us as we headed to the Sululta plain. The plain was particularly dry, but we located the target endemic species of Erlanger’s Lark, Blue-winged Goose, Rouget’s Rail,Abyssinian Longclaw, and Ethiopian Cisticola. The plain also held Thekla Lark and four species of Wheatear: Red-breasted, Pied, Northern, and Isabelline.

The highland streams on the drive to Debre Libanos were home to a variety of migrant waders and waterfowl, such as Spotted Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, and Northern Shoveler.

The grounds of our overnight stop, the Ethio-German Park Hotel, had a troop of several dozen Gelada Baboons. The hotel looked out over the spectacular Blue Nile valley, and we watched as several Vultures, including Rüppell’s, Griffon, and Bearded, soared at eye level.

In the afternoon we birded the grounds of the local monastery. The slopes above the church held a long list of sought-after specials: Rüppell’s Black Chat, Banded Barbet, Eastern Grey Woodpecker,Ethiopian Oriole, White-rumped Babbler, White-cheeked Turaco, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, White-backed Black Tit, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, and Abyssinian Ground Thrush.

Day 3, 22 March 2017. Jemma Valley

We arrived at the rim of the monumental Jemma Valley at dawn and met up with the local “francolin” spotters. They took us to a clearing below some vegetated scree slopes, and we waited for the prized flocks of Harwood’s and Erckel’s Francolins to appear. After a short wait we were rewarded with stunning views of these usually secretive birds. The cliff tops above us were good roosting sites for White-billed Starlings.

Further towards the valley floor we had great views of Bush Petronia, Fox Kestrel, Dark Chanting Goshawk, and Abyssinian Wheatear.

We had lunch at the river on the valley bottom. A wide variety of seedeaters came to drink in the midday heat. Malachite, Pied, and Giant Kingfishers and Senegal Thick-knee were also seen along the river’s course.

Day 4, 23 March 2017. Ankober Escarpment

Early morning birding in the Ethio-German Park Hotel and around the Portuguese Bridge gave us great views of Abyssinian Woodpecker, a species we had dipped at Debre Libanos.

The long drive to Debre Birhan took us along the rim of the Jemma Valley, past endless teff fields and isolated highland streams. The landscape delivered a variety of wheatears and the highland specials we had come to know in the past days. A few patches of eucalyptus trees delivered views of migrant warblers and Brown Parisoma.

In the afternoon we drove to the fabled Ankober Escarpment. Despite the help of the knowledgeable local guides and because of the very poor weather we failed to locate the eponymous serin. The cliffs did, however, have its characteristic large troops of Geladas.

Day 5, 24 March 2017. Melka Ghebdu

We descended the Ankober plateau down into the Melka Ghebdu area. The drop in elevation had an associated noticeable change in temperature and vegetation.

Once down in the shade of the riverside acacias we watched a wide variety of birds coming to drink or feed in the riparian scrub. The top species included Nubian Woodpecker and Black-billed and Yellow-breasted Barbets. The star, however, was the highly range-restricted, endemic Yellow-throated Seedeater, several of which came to drink in the heat of the day.

After a day of hot, dusty birding we ascended the plateau again to overnight at the Ankober Palace Lodge, built on the site of the former palace of Emperor Menelik II. The grounds held three species of “red-winged” Starlings: Red-winged, Slender-billed, and White-billed.

Day 6, 25 March 2017. Awash and Ali Dege Plains

The morning started with a distant calling Cape Eagle-Owl and a spectacular sunrise over the Rift Valley. Early morning birding around the lodge delivered several Abyssinian Catbirds, among other species.

The Melka Ghebdu area delivered a spectacular Sombre Rock Chat. We navigated the maze of roads associated with the new highway (currently under construction) and onto the hot Danakil Desert.

The savanna of Ali Dege Wildlife Reserve delivered the star bird of the day, Arabian Bustard, along with Singing Bush Lark, Somali Ostrich, Black-chested Snake Eagle, and Dark Chanting Goshawk. The mammals were equally exciting, and we saw, among others, Beisa Oryx, Soemmerring’s Gazelle, Gerenuk, Side-striped Jackal, and Grevy’s Zebra.

Arabian Bustard.

The volcanic hot springs at Doho Lodge (our stop for the night) attracted a variety of waterbirds as well as an abundance of aerial species (swallows and swifts) drinking on the wing.

Day 7, 26 March 2017. Awash National Park

We started our day with breakfast overlooking the hot springs before driving out to Awash National Park.

The only stop was to chase the beautiful Nile Valley Sunbird. A patch of acacias just outside of the hot springs lodge held several confiding, singing males, chasing their prospective mates.

The drive into the park delivered such specials as Scissor-tailed Kite, Arabian and Grey-headed Bush-shrike and Buff-crested Bustard. We slowly birded our way through the acacia thickets and grassland to the Awash Falls Lodge with its stunning view of the Awash River and its three waterfalls.

The lodge grounds held such specials as Beautiful and Nile Valley Sunbird and Northern Crombec.

Day 8, 27 March 2017. Awash National Park

In the early morning we headed into the acacia woodlands of the Awash National Park. The cool weather made for some great birding and “mammaling”. The following raptors were seen: Gabar Goshawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk, and Pygmy Falcon. Other species included Somali and Northern Fiscals, Nile Valley Sunbird, Arabian and Kori Bustards, Nubian Woodpecker, Gillett’s Lark, Ashy Cisticola, and Somali Bunting.

The mammals for the day included Lesser Kudu, Salt’s Dik-dik, Soemmerring’s Gazelle, Olive and Hamadryas Baboons, Beisa Oryx, Crested Porcupine, Bat-eared Fox, and Golden Jackal.

We ended a very busy day of birding with drinks overlooking the Awash Falls.

Day 9, 28 March 2017. Great Rift Valley

After some early birding at Awash Falls Lodge we drove to Lake Basaka. After a lot of searching we found Sombre Rock Chat, and its lookalike, Blackstart.

After a quick lunch we birded the shoreline of Lake Zway, which held a wide variety of waders, ducks, gulls, and terns.

The next stop was the western edge of Lake Langano. The grounds of the Wabe Shebelle Langano Resort Hotel had Greyish Eagle-Owl and Slender-tailed Nightjar.

The road to the eastern shoreline delivered Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, breeding Banded Barbet, Black-billed Wood Hoopoe, Nubian Woodpecker, Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-fronted Parrot, and Black-winged Lovebird. Our lodge grounds were equally rich in birds and also held a good variety of mammals: Common Duiker, Guereza, Ethiopian Genet, and Hippopotamus.

Day 10, 29 March 2017. Lake Langano and Bishangary forest

Before light we enjoyed a chorus of Slender-tailed Nightjars. The day started with breakfast on the shores of Lake Langano. We watched a huge variety of waterbirds feeding around local fishermen working in the shallows of the lake.

Then we headed to Bishangary forest, which delivered a long litany of some amazing birds: four species of barbets, Black-winged Lovebird, Black-headed and Abyssinian Orioles, Black and Red-shouldered Cuckooshrikes, Black-billed Wood Hoopoe, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Narina Trogon, Orange-breasted Bushshrike, Little Sparrowhawk, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and Silvery-cheeked Hornbill. Mammal species we saw while birding included Gambian Sun Squirrel, Common Duiker, and Olive Baboon.

In the afternoon we did some birding around the resort. Violet-backed Starling, Isabelline Wheatear, and Emerald-spotted and Blue-spotted Wood Doves were the highlights.

We ended the day with dinner at the lakeside, watching the local herd of Hippopotamus and a pair of swimming Nile Monitors.

Narina Trogon.

Day 11, 30 March 2017. Lake Langano to Wondo Genet

We had breakfast at the lakeside, with African Fish Eagles giving their iconic calls.

The drive to neighboring Lake Abiata gave views of Von der Decken’s Hornbill and Thomson’s Gazelles. At the lake itself there were thousands of Pied Avocets, Black-necked Grebes, Little Stints, and Greater and Lesser Flamingos.

We arrived in Wondo Genet at lunchtime. There was a pair of African Wood Owls in the hotel grounds, while the surrounding forest held specials such as Half-collared Kingfisher, Green-backed and Lesser Honeyguides, Black Sparrowhawk, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Black-headed Oriole, and Black-winged Lovebird.

Day 12, 31 March 2017. Wondo Genet to Goba

Our morning walk in the forest netted views of Yellow-fronted Parrot, Brown Parisoma, African Wood Owl, and White-headed Vulture.

We made several stops along the way to Goba to search for Red-chested Swallow, but only one possible individual was very briefly seen. One of these stops yielded Slender-billed Starling breeding under a road culvert.

The major stop along the way was for the Mackinder’s subspecies of Cape Eagle-Owl (sometimes treated as separate species). The largest of the recognized subspecies, it is an impressive bird.

Up in the Bale Mountains we had views of species not seen since leaving the Western Highlands: Rouget’s Rail, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, and Spot-breasted Lapwing.

At our accommodation in Goba we had our first Dark-capped Bulbul of the trip.

Day 13, 1 April 2017. Sof Omar Caves

The day started with the long drive to the Sof Omar Caves. The trees around the site held Bristle-crowned Starling as well as White-browed Coucal and Slate-colored Boubou. Further down the valley we found Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Northern White-crowned Shrike, Great Reed Warbler, and Pygmy Batis. After a long wait we finally had a brief view of our target for the day, Salvadori’s Seedeater. These birds flew off and joined a much larger group. We enjoyed fantastic views as a few birds came to sit above us. After lunch we started the drive back to Goba.

Day 14, 2 April 2017. Sanetti Plateau

The day started at the headquarters of the Bale Mountains National Park. The local ranger took us into the juniper forest and put us onto a magnificent Abyssinian Owl. On the walk back we were able to spot some of the local endemic mammal species, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, and Mountain Nyala.

Then we headed onto the high altitude Sanetti Plateau, where we had sightings of four Ethiopian Wolves. A female wolf approached our vehicle before pursuing and catching an endemic Ethiopian Narrow-headed Rat. The plateau’s lakes held members of the regionally isolated population of Ruddy Shelduck in addition to African Snipe, Blue-winged Goose, and Spot-breasted Lapwing. The plateau also held Red-billed Chough and Moorland Francolin.

The endemic and Endangered (IUCN) Ethiopian Wolf.

Day 15, 3 April 2017. Genale Valley

Today was the day we were targeting the very highly-prized Ruspoli’s Turaco.

We left the hotel early and headed over the Sanetti Plateau, seeing another five Ethiopian wolves along the way. A few stops in the lower mature forest yielded Yellow-bellied Waxbills, Whinchat, African Emerald Cuckoo, and Sharpe’s Starling. Scaly Francolin was seen along the road.

Once in the Genale Valley, we stopped at the first of several known sites of the turaco. It was frustratingly quiet with no fruiting trees to keep the birds around. The same scenario played out at the next few spots. It was all down to one last site on the far edge of the known range. And here the local guide got us onto a gorgeous pair of Ruspoli’s Turaco instantly! We were able to follow the birds as they fed through the canopy for an amazing 20 minutes. The species did not come without a price, though, namely a flat tire, but we finished the day with a huge sense of accomplishment.

Ruspoli’s Turaco (photo Oz Horine).

Day 16, 4 April 2017. Liben Plain

Today we set out to the Liben Plain, getting Somali Crow and White-crowned Starling along the way. The road-sided waterbodies held waterbirds, including Red-billed Teal and African Openbill. Ethiopian Swallows were seen roasting on the roadside telephone wires. The open areas had a number of Kori Bustards and Abdim’s Stork.

The plain itself held a large number of Somali Short-toed Larks and Plain-backed Pipits. After an hour of hard searching we also located a confiding pair of Sidamo Larks that allowed us within five meters of them.

In the afternoon we birded in transformed acacia woodlands/farmland with acacias. The list in this habitat included Straw-tailed Whydah, Temminck’s Courser, Buff-crested Bustard, Red-backed Shrike,Somali Crombec, Shelley’s Starling, Foxy Lark, Yellow-spotted Petronia, and Yellow-necked Spurfowl.

Day 17, 5 April 2017. Negele to Yabello

We had our first species for the day, Bristle-crowned Starling, at our breakfast stop in Negele. The day’s route took us from the flat Liben Plain up an escarpment of granite inselbergs with their associated woodlands, then down into savanna. There was an abundance of raptors along the way, from a large Martial Eagle being mobbed by an African Hawk-Eagle to the diminutive Pygmy Falcon. A brief stop along the muddy red Dawa River gave us the hard-to-find White-winged Dove and Juba Weaver. Further highlights along the drive included Vulturine Guineafowl, Golden-breasted Starling, Black-capped Social Weaver, and Purple Grenadier. The reptiles we saw included a massive cobra and a Nile Monitor, and the mammals Günther’s Dik-dik.

At sunset we headed out to look for night birds, getting within a meter of a Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar. But an approaching thunderstorm ended our nocturnal outing.

Day 18, 6 April 2017. Yabello

Our first species for the day was Speke’s Weaver breeding in a tree at a police checkpoint. We were soon joined by police officers, who were intrigued by what we were looking at!

The Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary held an abundance of interesting species. Our specials for the day included Dodson’s Bulbul, Short-tailed Lark, Somali Courser, Taita Fiscal, Spotted Palm Thrush, White-bellied and Northern Grosbeak Canaries, Red-naped Bushshrike, Yellow-breasted Apalis, and our final barbet species, Black-throated Barbet. Raptors included Bateleur, Shikra, and Eurasian Hobby. Undoubtedly, our two highlights were the very sought-after, endemic Stresemann’s Bushcrow and White-tailed Swallow. We finished the morning with a group of five Abyssinian Ground Hornbills.

Stresemann’s Bushcrow (photo Anne Walker).

In the afternoon we birded closer to Yabello. The local woodland held a variety of sunbirds and bushshrikes. The standout species were: Bare-eyed Thrush, Steel-blue Whydah, and Grey-headed Batis. At sunset we moved to a site that had Pearl-spotted Owlet.

Day 19, 7 April 2017. Awassa

We did very little birding today, as we had to slowly navigate the under-construction main highway north to Awassa. After a full day’s drive there was little time left to bird the United Africa Hotel grounds before sunset.

Day 20, 8 April 2017. Awassa to Welkite

The hotel grounds offered several specials, but few compared to the African Spotted Creepers actively feeding in the taller trees, which also held hundreds of Marabou Storks. Blue-headed Coucals hid in the lakeside vegetation, along with numerous migrant warblers. The lake held an abundance of waterbirds, such as African Pygmy Goose, Allen’s Gallinule, and Black Crake.

The legendary Awassa fish market was a hive of activity as hundreds of gulls, terns, and marabous competed for fish scraps. Ayres’s Hawk Eagle was seen soaring high above the throng of activity.

We then set out for Welkite, which involved an ascent out of the Rift Valley and up onto the Western Highlands.

Day 21, 9 April 2017. Gibe Gorge

We made an early start to drive to the Gibe Gorge. The morning started with birding along the northern side of the Omo River. The riverside vegetation held Black-and-White Mannikin and Abyssinian Waxbills feeding with other small seedeaters. Some of the larger trees held sunbathing Senegal Coucals. We then crossed over the road bridge and walked to the opposite bank. The walk delivered the regionally-endemic Yellow-rumped Seedeater and Northern Grey-headed Sparrow. While waiting for our target species we had sightings of Saker Falcon and several species of kingfisher. As it got warmer, seedeaters came down to drink in the cool pools along the shoreline. The most notable ones included Bar-breasted Firefinch, White-rumped Seedeater, and Exclamatory Paradise Whydah.

On the drive back to Addis Ababa we were treated to a large group of feeding vultures. There were six species in the flock: Griffon, Rüppell’s, White-backed, Lappet-faced, Hooded, and White-headed Vultures. Once back in Addis Ababa we had our final views of some of the highland species, such as Thick-billed Raven and White-collared Pigeon.

Thick-billed Raven.

Please see the downloadable PDF above with the full species lists included. This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.

‘Our birding trip to Ethiopia was fantastic. The country is so rich in history and interesting people and customs. The birding was great! Needless to say Dominic is an expert birder. He is a warm and gracious person and we all really enjoyed his company. Our Ethiopian driver and guide, Tesfaw,  was also very good. He was an experienced guide and driver. His contacts were good as were his day to day decisions. He kept our group on time and on schedule but was also flexible to our requests and needs.

We rate our trip excellent( A,10/10). Thank you for all your work in arranging the trip. We appreciate all your prompt correspondences. We certainly will be using Birding Ecotours in the future. We hope to meet you in person some day.’

Lauri and Steve