TANZANIA - THE EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS

Our tour to this rarely visited corner of Tanzania is guaranteed to be an adventure, as we search for some of Africa's rarest and least-known birds. The Eastern Arc Mountains are well off the usual Tanzania safari route and this tour is aimed at finding as many endemics, rare and extremely localised species as possible. We travel from the South Pare Mountains, to West Usambara & East Usambara Mountains, up into the Uluguru Mountains and finish up with a visit to the Ukaguru Mountains. Very few birders ever reach this remote area but there are so many great birds present that it makes the camping worthwhile! However, out of 15 nights on the main tour we camp for less than half of that time but it all adds up to an adventure of a lifetime!

We begin by heading to Same and some great habitat near Nyumba ya Mungu Dam for species such as Scaly Chatterer, Pringle's Puffback and Pink-breasted Lark amongst many others. After that we will head for a small woodland just outside Mkomazi National Park, where we will hunt for species like Tsavo, Black-bellied and Hunter´s Sunbirds, Fischer´s Starling and others. Next up is the South Pare Mountains where we  look for the endemic South Pare White-eye and also Usambara Double-collared Sunbird before eventually reaching Magamba Forest in West Usambara. What a place this is! Here, we will search for species such as Usambara Akalat, Füllerborn´s Boubou, Usambara Thrush, Usambara Double-collared Sunbird, Montane Tiny (Usambara) Greenbul, Red-capped Forest Warbler and Usambara Weaver. It is also a very good area to find the much-wanted endemic Spot-throat as well before we reach the legendary Amani Forest in East Usambara Mountains. Here we will look for Fraser's (Usambara) Eagle-Owl, Mombassa Woodpecker, Kretschmer´s Longbill, Sharpe´s Akalat,  Short-tailed Batis, Usambara Hyliota, Long-billed Forest Warbler and Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird.  Moving on to the Uluguru Mountains we target Böhms Bee-eater, Uluguru Bushshrike, Livingstone's Turaco, Loveridge’s Sunbird, Bertram’s Weaver, Orange Ground-Thrush and plenty more. Moving to a different section of the Ulugurus we can find Winifred’s Warbler, Olive-flanked Gound-Robin, Uluguru Greenbul, Chapin’s and Dark Batis. Staying at the very nice Hondo Hondo Camp there's a shot at Pel's Fishing Owl, as well as Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Stierling’s Woodpecker, Collared Palm Thrush, Hofmann’s Sunbird, Pale Batis, Cinnamon-breasted Tit, Stierling’s Wren Warbler, Eastern Black-headed Batis and more. We will also search the Kilombero River for the recently described Kilombero Weaver, before heading up into the Ukaguru Mountains for Rubeho Akalat and Rubeho Warbler and then we drive to Dar-es-Salaam where the main tour concludes. Or you can continue to Pemba Island for another 4 endemics: Pemba Scops-Owl, Pemba Green Pigeon, Pemba White-eye and Pemba Sunbird. Plus chances of Dickinson's Kestrel and Mangrove Kingfisher. 

This is a different side to Africa than many other visiting birders have experienced, with secluded lodges, even more remote campsites, great food and some truly superb and rare birds. And it is only for a select group of 6 birders, making for a more personalised and productive tour!