Searching for a 12-Day Ethiopian Birding Tour?
Embark on a 12-day birding adventure across Ethiopia’s diverse eco-systems with our specialized tour.
Starting in Addis Ababa, journey through renowned birding hot-spots like Awash National Park and Bale Mountains.
Encounter an array of endemic and migratory bird species in habitats ranging from wetlands to highlands.
Ideal for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts, this Ethiopia tour offers an unparalleled opportunity to witness Ethiopia’s rich avian diversity.
12-Day Ethiopian Birding Tour Highlights
- Day 1. Addis Ababa – Awash National Park
- Day 2. Awash National Park
- Day 3. Awash National Park – Lake Langano
- Day 4. AbyattaShala Lakes National Park
- Day 5. Langano – Bale Mountains National Park
- Day 6. Bale Mountains National Park
- Day 7. Bale Mountains N.P – Negele Borena
- Day 8. Negele Borena
- Day 9. Negele – Yabelo
- Day 10. Yabelo Area
- Day 11. Yabelo – Awassa
- Day 12. Awassa – Addis Ababa
Detailed 12-Day Ethiopian Birding Tour Itinerary
Day 1. Addis Ababa – Awash National Park
After landing at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, take a car to Awash National Park.
Both native and migratory species of the dry country find refuge in the progressively drier terrain.
Once you arrive at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, take a car to the Awash National Park.
In the progressively drier terrain, both migratory and native species of the dry country take refuge.
The uncommon Sombre Chat, Blue Rock-Thrush and Common Nightingale and Yellow-breasted Barbet are among the various birds observed.
Overnight Hotel.
Day 2. Awash National Park
After spending the early day bird-watching in Awash National Park, travel 60 kilometers from Awash town to the Alledeghi Plains.
This is a good place to see various larks, sandgrouse, bustards, etc.
Overnight Doho Lodge.
Day 3. Awash National Park – Lake Langano
Make stops at Lake Ziway and the Awash River for birdwatching en route to Lake Langano.
Impressive numbers of spot species can be seen here, including the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Yellow-Billed storks, African pygmy Goose, Northern Black Tit, African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, Fish Eagles, Little Weaver, Collared Pratincole, White elicans, Black-billed Woodhoopoe and common and crowned cranes.
Overnight Hara Langano Lodge.
Day 4. AbyattaShala Lakes National Park
Today, we will explore the lake shores and the surrounding woodlands to see numerous species of Palaearctic waders, the rare Clapperton’s Francolin, the Northern Shoveler, Somali Ostrich, Dark Chanting-Goshawk, massive flocks of Lesser and Greater Flamingo, Southern Pochard, Gray Kestrel, Little Bee-eater, the magnificent Black Scimitar-bill, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Great Black-headed Gulls and other numerous species of terns and gulls, African Thrush, Buff-bellied Warbler, Pied and Mourning Wheatear, Red-billed Oxpecker, Bank Swallow, African Pipit, Isabelline, Little Rock-Thrush, Ruppell’s Glossy-Starling, and Red-faced Crombec Red-billed Firefinch, Northern Grosbeak-Canary, and Beautiful Sunbird.
Overnight Hara langano Lodge.
Day 5. Langano – Bale Mountains National Park
Travel from Langano to the Bale Mountains National Park, which is Africa’s top bird-watching destination according to the African Bird Club’s ranking.
Here are more than 300 bird species, of which six are unique to Ethiopia.
Reach the park headquarters early enough to enjoy a leisurely hike where you may be able to see two of the area’s Menelik’s Bushbuck, endemic mammals, and Mountain Nyala.
This locality is home to numerous bird species, including Abyssinian Long Claw, Blue-Winged Goose, Ibis, Black-Headed Siskin, Wattled, Spot-Breasted Lapwing and many more.
Overnight WabeShabale Hotel.
Day 6. Bale Mountains National Park
Proceed to explore Bale Mountains National Park and venture deeper into the interior by car.
Observe birds of prey like the Chestnut-naped Francolin, the endemic White-backed Black-Tit, the vocal Abyssinian Catbird, the sly Abyssinia Ground-thrush, endemic and distinctive Simensis Ground-thrush.
If we’re lucky, we might spot a Red-breasted Wheatear, Thekla Lark, Cape Eagle-Lapwing, or two of the critically endangered Wattled Cranes in the wet grasslands.Seek for the endangered Ethiopian Red Wolf on the Senetti Plateau, the largest continuous area of its altitude in Africa.
Overnight WabeShabale Hotel.
Day 7. Bale Mountains N.P – Negele Borena
Make numerous birdwatching stops on the way to Negelle.
Search for the magnificent Golden-breasted Starling and the Turaco.
Additionally, we plan to search the Negele Plains for the Somali Short-toed Lark, the endemic Sidamo Lark, and perhaps Heuglin’s Bustard.
Overnight Hotel.
Day 8. Negele Borena
If you haven’t already seen the Degodi Lark, spend the morning looking for it. Along with Scaly Chatterer, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Chestnut-headed and Sparrow-lark, we’ll also look for the highly sought-after sightings in the area, White-winged Dove and Juba Weaver.
Seek out the Sidamo Lark, an elusive bird that, similar to numerous Ethiopian endemics,only lives in a quite limited locality.
Overnight Hotel.
Day 9. Negele – Yabelo
Go by car to Yabello. Look for the native Stresemann’s Bushcrow and White-tailed Swallow.
You should see clusters of bushcrows among the prickly shrubs and the Swallow moving through the chimneys made by termites.
Spend the day exploring the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve.
Other kinds to see are the African Pygmy Falcon, Martial Eagle, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Secretary Bird and Somalian Ostrich, Kori Bustard, vulturineGuineafowl, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Star-spotted Nightjar, Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar, Short-tailed Lark, Northern Grey Tit, Shelley’s and White-crowned Starlings, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Red and Yellow Barbet, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rufous-crowned Roller, Taita Fiscal, Grey-headed Silverbill, Black-capped Social Weaver, Abyssinian Grosbeak Canary, and Somali Golden-breasted Bunting. Additional options include the African Bare-eyed Thrush, Somali Courser, and Coqui Francolin, Little Tawny Pipit, Pringle’s Puffback, Fawn-colored Lark, and Little Spotted Woodpecker, the Burchell’s Zebra, Aardvark, Grant’s Gazelle, and Thompson’s Gazelle are among the mammals that call the park home.
Overnight Hotel.
Day 10. Yabelo Area
Keep going birdwatching in the Yabello region.
See birds that you might not have seen on the first day, such as the Garganey pintail, White-tailed swallow, Corsar, and Degodi lark.
Overnight Hotel.
Day 11. Yabelo – Awassa
Travel by car to Hawassa. While traveling, we saw a variety of animals, including the Malachite Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Ibis, Spur-winged Goose, Black and White Egrets, Swallows, African Pygmy Goose and Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill.
Overnight Hotel.
Day 12. Awassa – Addis Ababa
Make your way back to Addis Ababa, stopping en route if you’d like.
Savor a farewell meal at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant in Addis Ababa, where musicians and dancers from several of the nation’s ethnic groups will perform.
Proceed to the airport in order to depart internationally.
End of the tour.
