Ethiopia Birding Tours
We provide Word-class Tailor-made Ethiopia Birding Tours
Ethiopia is truly one of the best birding destinations in the world. From the beautiful highlands of the Bale Mountains National Park to the birding scrublands of Awash National Park, there’s so much on offer.
Go through the exciting birding destinations below and then send us a request here. With your preferences in mind, we will then create an exciting itinerary for you. It’s as simple as that!
Join us one of our incredible Ethiopia Birding Tours 🇪🇹
Check out one of our typically requested Ethiopia Birding Tours below
Ethiopia Birding Tour
Day 1 – Sululta Plains & Debre Libanos
On your first day of the tour, we’ll head to the Sululta Plains just north of Addis Ababa. These high-altitude plateau grasslands provide fantastic birding, where we’ll likely see species such as the endangered White-backed Vulture, African Hobby, African Citril, Mountain Thrush, Tacazze Sunbird, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Secretarybird, Erckel’s Francolin, Red-chested Swallow, Cape Crow, Pectoral-patch Cisticola and African Quailfinch to name a few.
In the afternoon, we’ll be birding near Debre Libanos, an old monastery situated on a stunning mountain escarpment with some breath-taking views! Here we will likely find the Fan-tailed Raven, Stout Cisticola, Ethiopia Boubou, Variable Sunbird, Ruppell’s Robin-chat, Yellow-bellied Waxbill and three endemics White-winged Cliff-chat, Ruppell’s Black Chat and White-billed Starling. It’s also a good place to find Lammergeiers soaring above, and if we’re lucky a large troop of Gelada Baboons.
Day 2 & 3 – Jemma Valley & Melka Jebdu
On Day 2, we’ll be birding around the stunning Jemma River Valley. Here on the rocky valley rim, we will be looking for a number of species but the main agenda will be to find the elusive and well sought-after endemic Ankober Serin, occurring only along the spectacular Ankober escarpment. The next day we’ll be visiting Melka Jebdu to look for species such as Erckel’s Francolin, Crested Francolin, Speckled Pigeon, White-collared Pigeon, Dusky Turtle Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Eastern Plantain-eater, Abyssinian Nightjar, African Grey Hornbill, Yellow-breasted Barbet, Shining Sunbird to name a few!
In the afternoon, we’ll head back to Addis Ababa where this short, but very rewarding Ethiopia Birding Tour will come to end 🙂
*Greater Blue-eared Starling
*Gelada Baboon
Ethiopia’s Best Birding Locations
Below are a few of Ethiopia’s best birding locations. Here you can learn about each location and some of the bird species found in them.
Please let us know if you would like to include any of the birding locations below, or if you’re simply unsure, then leave it to us to create you an outstanding birding itinerary based on our expert knowledge 😊 🇪🇹
Awash National Park - Ethiopia Birding Tours
Come and join us on one of our incredible Ethiopia birdwatching tours at Awash National Park 😊
Ankober Birding Tour
Get in touch to go on our incredible Ethiopia Birdwatching Trips at Ankober 😊
Lake Tana & Blue Nile Falls
So, what are you waiting for? Get in contact to go on one of our Ethiopia Birding Trips at the beautiful Lake Tana 😊
Simien Mountains
However, one of the main reasons for a birder to visit would be a chance to see the well sought-after Lammergeyer. It’s the only bird in the world to almost exclusively feed on bone marrow, where it carries scavenged bones up to a great height and then drops them in order to break them open to get to the bonemarrow within.
The Simiens is also famous for its endemic mammal species – a dream for any wildlife enthusiast. Here is where you’ll find the rare and endangered Walia Ibex, huge herds of Gelada Baboon (Gelada Monkey) and the rarest canid in the world, the Ethiopian Wolf. Seeing any one of these is an exclusive and bucket-list experience.
Join us on a truly magical Ethiopia Birding Tour at the unique and endemic-rich Simien Mountains 🤠
Lake Langano & Abijatta-Shalla National Park
Just directly west to Lake Langano is the wonderful Abijatta-Shalla National Park. The park is an important ornithological site with a mixture of wetland, scrubland, woodland accounting to over 300 bird species. The incredible Lake Abijatta has vast congregations of Greater and Lesser Flamingos, which can be seen glimmering on the heat-risen horizon. It’s also not uncommon to see Tawny Eagles predating on the flamingo population – a truly thrilling experience for any birder.
Join us on one of our Ethiopia Birding Safaris at both Lake Langano & Abijatta-Shalla National Park 😊🦜
Lake Awasa & Wondo Genet
To the east of the Lake, is the lovely resort town of Wondo Genet, which is a well worth a visit to try and find some sought-after species such as the African Spotted Creeper, Scaly Francolin and African Hill Babbler among others.
Join us on an incredible Ethiopia Birding Trip at the wonderful Lake Awasa & Wondo Genet 😊
Lake Abaya & Lake Chamo
Negele & Arero Forest
Other birds of interest in the area are the Bare-eyed Thrush, Boran Cisticola, Tiny Cisticola, Salvadori’s Seedeater, Banded Parisoma, Liben Lark (very rare), Pygmy Batis, Somali Short-toed Lark, White-crowned Starling, Shelley’s Sparrow, Scaly Chatterer, Acacia Tit, Pringle’s Puffback and Bristle-crowned Starling to name a few! A well-worth visit for any birder visiting Ethiopia.
Join us on one of our Ethiopia birding tours at Negele & Arero Forest 😊
Bale Mountains National Park
It also holds an incredible amount of birdlife and was recently voted fourth on a list of the best birding sites by the African Bird Club. The park holds almost 300 bird species in total, 6 of which are endemic species. Highlights include: Spot-breasted Lapwing, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Abyssinian Longclaw, Abyssinian Catbird, Black-headed Siskin, Ethiopian Siskin, Abyssinian Owl, African Wood Owl, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Abyssinian Oriole and Abyssinian Crimsonwing to name a few!
Book with us today and contribute to Bird Conservation!
By booking with us you are not only going to be actively helping the fight towards ethical and sustainable tourism but also having the best possible birding tour imaginable. It's a win-win!
Book today and have the time of your life!