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
Star-spotted Nightjar - Ethiopia tour 2014 by Nick Bray
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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