Birding in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is truly one of the best birding destinations in the world. From the beautiful highlands of the Simien Mountains National Park, Bale Mountains National Park to the birding scrublands of Awash National Park, there’s so much on offer.
Ethiopia, ‘the Roof of Africa’, offers a unique topography offering highly varied vegetation types from juniper forests to arid savanna lands up to one of the most hostile place on earth, the Danakil Desert of the Dallol Depression. The country is an absolutely unique and spectacular birding destination. It is one of Africa’s most beautiful countries, boasting some of the continent’s highest mountains and plateaus, exciting escarpments, Great Rift Valley lakes, and volcanos. Descending from the highlands to deep valleys far below can seem like entering a completely different world, all within the same day!
Ethiopia has 19 endemic and many near-endemic bird species, which make it a particularly important destination for world birders. Many of these species occur in the unique Afro-alpine moorlands, where one can expect to find Spot-breasted Lapwing, Blue-winged Goose, Rouget’s Rail, and Ankober Serin, as well as the only known sub-Saharan breeding populations of Golden Eagle, Red-billed Chough, and Ruddy Shelduck. Forest and forest patches support further key bird species such as Abyssinian Woodpecker, Abyssinian Catbird, White-backed Black Tit, and, best of all, Ruspoli’s Turaco. The Acacia savanna in the south of the country hosts desirable species such as White-tailed Swallow, Stresemann’s Bushcrow, and Salvadori’s Seedeater. Birding in the escarpment to the north of Addis Ababa can produce more top birds, such as Rüppell’s Black Chat, Erlanger’s Lark, White-billed Starling, and Wattled Ibis.Le us book your bird watching tour today.