Bird Watching Tour

Bird Watching Tour Itinerary

Ethiopia is a land of hugely varied habitats and, as such, is home to a truly amazing variety of wonderful birdlife. It is all around you, wherever you go! Visit the huge expanse of Lake Tana with its reed beds and stands of papyrus. Move on to the lofty Simien mountains with its rare communities of birdlife. Head back to open fields and wooded copses to see quite different and alluring species. And all in the company of local experts who can make sure your experience is amazing.

Ethiopia is an extraordinary country for watching birds. It is a country of amazing scenery and a wonderful diversity of habitats. There are over 30 endemic species of birds in Ethiopia, as well as many other species that are specifically native to East Africa. This is a country that should not be missed for anyone interested in avian fauna.

Endemic species include:

• Thick – Billed Raven
• Wattled Ibis
• The Black – Winged Love Bird
• White Collared Pigeon

Link Ethiopia has many friends who are experts on the birdlife in that country. We are one of the most experienced organisations working and travelling there, and we have connections to expert guides in many of the key areas of the country where birdlife is resplendent. They are sharp-eyed and hugely knowledgeable and can give you experiences which could not be achieved without their expert aid.

Our Director, Chris Grant, will be very happy to discuss an itinerary with any group of people who might be interested in a tour which focuses on the birdlife of Ethiopia and will be happy to plan individually and adapt such a tour to take into account the interests and focuses of the guests concerned, whether in dramatic mountainous areas, lush lakeland habitats, or rolling open countryside situations.

He is happy to consider tours of any length and any diversity. No set pricing structure can be quoted here, but suffice it to say that you will receive more value for your money than with any other tour company – and that is guaranteed! A sum similar to the other tours that we run at Link Ethiopia should be used as a ball-park figure for consideration. Have a look at the Northern Tour and Southern Tour to get a fairly good estimate for what the costs might be.

And be sure to remember – while you are pursuing your hobby in the most incredible surroundings and among wonderfully welcoming people, you will at the same time be supporting children’s education in Ethiopia with a very generous donation that is already part of the overall cost. We call that Responsible and Caring Tourism! Get in touch with our Director chris[at]linkethiopia.org to discuss your interest.

For historical and cultural information regarding some the locations mentioned within this itinerary please visit: www.linkethiopia.org/guide-to-ethiopia/

Below is an example itinerary that we have prepared, taking in some of the best that the North and South have to offer. But remember – this is only an example and Chris is very happy to discuss longer trips, different destinations and other details of our Bird Watching tours.

Day 1: Travel To Ethiopia: Evening flight to Addis Ababa. (To the right is our tour route, starting at Addis Ababa and finishing back at Abbis Ababa, touring the significant birding areas in the North & South)
Day 2: To Addis Ababa Arrive in the third highest capital city in the world and check into the Ras Hotel, a friendly and welcoming centrally-situated lodging. A morning spent relaxing and acclimatising followed by an afternoon visit to the Natural History Museum which boasts a large collection of Ethiopia’s bird species. A second visit, to the National Museum, introduces us to Ethiopian culture and its diverse ways of life.
Day 3: To the crater Lakes of Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) A morning introductory lecture by an expert in Ethiopia’s birdlife is followed by lunch at the Taitu Hotel, the oldest hotel in Ethiopia. In the afternoon we travel by road to Bishoftu,  an hour or so South of Addis, where five amazing crater lakes provide the first of our official birdwatching experiences.
Day 4: Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) After a relaxing night’s sleep, we further explore the crater lakes and spend some focused time with binoculars and cameras. The surrounding countryside also provides a variety of birding experiences. Late afternoon takes us back to Addis Ababa to prepare for our early morning flight to Bahir Dar in the north of the country.
Day 5: To Bahir Dar After checking into our hotel base on the banks of the huge Lake Tana, we walk around the lake to experience the general habitat and to get our bearings. In the afternoon we go out onto the Lake to visit the wooded promontory of Zege. Climbing up through the coffee plantation to visit the amazing monastery with its extraordinary wealth of colourful wall-paintings, our eyes will still be out for yet more varied birdlife. Our return across the lake takes as close to the source of the Nile and the plantations of papyrus along its edges.
Day 6: The Tissisat Falls Our vehicle takes us out into the Ethiopian countryside and to the sleepy village of Tis Abay. We walk with our local guide out onto the hillside, across the ancient Portuguese bridge and on to the impressive waterfalls of Tissisat (“smoking water” in Amharic). Our walk leads us through open grasslands and past fields of t’ef and other local crops before a short boat trip takes us across the Nile and back to the village and our transport back to our hotel.
Day 7: To Gondar After a relaxing morning and another chance to take in the hugely varied lakeside birdlife, all around us in the flowers and the huge ancient trees overhead in our hotel gardens, we set off in our vehicle to travel north to Gondar. The first part of our trip crosses the hugely fertile lands outside Bahir Dar, then we rise up over the considerable mountain landscape that eventually drops us down again on our approach to Gondar, once the capital of Ethiopia.
Day 8: Gondar The morning sees us walking up out of the town to visit the iconic church of Debre Birhan Selassie, hidden amid mature trees overlooking the town. The birdlife in the church compound alone is worth the walk, but the church and its amazing paintings will stay in your memory for ever after. After lunch, we visit the unexpected Castle Compound in the centre of the town, dating from the early 17th century. And if we are hungry for more birdlife at this stage, a short stroll in amost any direction out of town bring us into the beautiful and verdant countryside which is never far away.
Day 9: To Jenda A very special day! Our vehicle takes us deep into the heart of the Ethiopian countryside for a unique visit to a small village community called Jenda, far from the nearest proper road. Our journey there crosses natural landscapes as well as intensely cultivated fields where birds are never out of sight. Picnic lunch is shared with our hosts, followed by the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. We take some small gifts to thank them for their hospitality before we are guests of honour at their very simple school, built on the site of one of the last battles of the Italian occupation in 1941. A return to Gondar for a quiet evening of eating and relaxing.
Day 10: The Simien Mountains A bird-watching visit to Ethiopia could not be done without at least one day in the vast Simien Mountain range. Far from civilisation, these mountains are home to the endemic birds and mammals which coexist with the few scattered human communities who live in this beautiful but challenging environment. Our local guide knows all there is to know about his homeland and will make sure he shows you the vast Lammergeier as it wheels overhead.
Day 11: Back to Addis A relatively short flight takes us back to Addis Ababa and our base of the central Ras Hotel. A visit to the souvenir shops of the Churchill Road and perhaps the silver and local art shops of the Piassa will engage our time before we go for our final celebratory dinner.
Day 12: To Heathrow Time to fly home!