Ethiopia Tour Report 2014

28th November - 14th December 2014

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
Either for rarity value, excellent views or simply a group favourite.  

Somali Ostrich Abdim’s Stork African Pygmy Goose Lammergeier Secretarybird Verreaux’s Eagle Martial Eagle Crowned Eagle Vulturine Guineafowl Harwood’s Francolin Moorland Francolin Rouget’s Rail Wattled Crane Arabian Bustard Hartlaub’s Bustard Heuglin’s Courser Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse African White-winged Dove Yellow-fronted Parrot Ruspoli’s Turaco Abyssinian Owl Northern White-faced Owl Cape Eagle Owl

Northern White-faced Owl Cape Eagle Owl Star-spotted Nightjar Half-collared Kingfisher Narina Trogon Northern Carmine Bee-eater Yellow-breasted Barbet Scaly-throated Honeyguide Sidamo Lark White-tailed Swallow Abyssinian Longclaw Abyssinian Ground-Thrush Bare-eyed Thrush Abyssinian Wheatear African Spotted Creeper Nile Valley Sunbird Steppe Grey Shrike Grey-headed Bush-Shrike Abyssinian Oriole Stresemann’s Bushcrow Red-naped Bush-shrike Golden-breasted Starling Spotted Hyena

SUMMARY

Ethiopia is a magical birding destination with a huge number of potential birds & we recorded 469 species and 34 endemics during our journey. We began at Debre Libanos and the Jemma Valley with Harwood’s Francolin, Abyssinian Wheatear and some Yellow-rumped Seedeaters. Moving south we visited some of the African Rift Valley lakes that were literally teeming with birds and had some incredible close views, with Spotted Creeper being one of our best finds. The scenic Bale Mountains were superb with Cape Eagle Owl, Abyssinian and African Wood Owls, Moorland Francolin and many close Rouget’s Rails being our favourites. Heading further south we visited the Liben Plain where Sidamo Lark was found quickly before getting to the far south at Yabello. Several parties of the extremely localised Stresemann’s Bushcrow were found along with many other great birds. We then returned north to wonderful Bishangari Lodge and ended our time at Awash where we were treated to a very close Arabian Bustard with a  Northern Carmine Bee-eater riding on its back that provided an outstanding finale to a wonderful tour. 


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