12-Day Bird-watching Tour in Southern Tanzania

Dar Es Salaam is where the 12-day Southern Tanzanian Birding Safari begins and ends.

You will bird several locations, including the formidable Ruaha National Park, the Mikumi National Park, the Udzungwa Mountains, the Kilombero Valley, and Nyerere National Park, to spot a variety of birds, including the Pale-billed hornbill, Dickinson’s kestrel, the Violet-crested turaco, the Plovers, the Kingfishers, the Sunbirds, the Bee-eaters, and the Egrets.

As of August 2019, Tanzania is among the greatest places to go bird-watching, with an estimated 11114 species of avifauna, 30 of which are endemic, 44 accidental, and 4 human-introduced.

With over 10% of the world’s avifauna represented, this amount is the third highest in Africa.

12-Day Tanzania Birding Safari Highlights

Day 1: Dar es Salaam to Selous Game Reserve
Day 2: Full day game drive Selous Game Reserve
Day 3: Nature walk & Birding Selous Game Reserve
Day 4: Transfer from Selous to Mikumi National Park
Day 5: Bird Miombo woodlands and then Mikumi National Park
Day 6: Full day birding in Mikumi National Park
Day 7: Transfer from Mikumi to Udzungwa National Park
Day 8: Bird the Kilombero Valley Endemics
Day 9: Udzungwa to Ruaha National Park
Day 10: Big game viewing, Photography and birding Ruaha National Park
Day 11: Adventure Ruaha National Park
Day 12: Transfer from Ruaha National Park to Dar Es Salaam

Detailed 12-Day Tanzania Birding Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Dar es Salaam to Selous Game Reserve

After a brief introduction and drive to the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania, you will meet your birding guide and head to Rufiji River Lodge, which is situated on the banks of the magnificent Rufiji River. You will then arrive in time for a late lunch.

After lunch, unwind and embark on a thrilling riverboat trip where you can see crocodiles and hippos, among other wildlife. During your boat trip on the Rufiji River, you may frequently spot kingfishers, yellow-billed storks, lapwings, and vibrant bee-eaters.

Skimmers are always flying over the water, and you can also spot fish eagles and palm-nut vultures high in the trees.

Day 2: Full day game drive Selous Game Reserve

After eating breakfast early in the morning, go on a full day game drive in the Selous Game Reserve in search of animals such greater kudu, lion, waterbuck, southern reedbuck, and bushbuck.

Your driver guide will serve your packed lunch and choose the ideal spot with shade and water close by so you can see many animals coming in for a drink!

A number of birds can also be seen in the Selous Game Reserve today, including the African wattled lapwing, African spoonbill, Pel’s fishing owl, Spur-winged lapwing, White-fronted bee-eater, and Common White-headed vulture.

After spending the entire day exploring, head to the camp to watch the sunset.

Day 3: Nature walk & Birding Selous Game Reserve

Get up early and, with the assistance of an armed ranger, embark on a guided nature walk through the jungle and along the riverbank to learn about the wildlife and plants found in the game reserve.

After breakfast, return to the camp and continue your game drive and birdwatching experience in the park. You’ll want to look for birds like the Pel’s fishing owl, Böhm’s bee-eater, African skimmer, Pearl-spotted owlet, Thick-billed cuckoo, Broad-billed roller, White-headed lapwing, White-backed vulture, African skimmers, yellow-bellied bulbul, green-capped eremomela, African skimmers, Layard’s black-headed weavers, broad-billed roller, grey-hooded kingfisher, and white-fronted plover.

Waders, wattle-eyed flycatchers, spotted-flanked barbet, red-throated twin spot, brown-headed parrot, mosque swallow, brown-breasted barbet, freckled nightjars, palm-nut vulture, purple-banded sunbird, Mangrove kingfishers, green-billed coucal, Arnot’s chat, long-tailed fiscal, Livingstone’s flycatcher, red-winged warbler, Boehm’s bee-eater, black cuckoo-shrike, Sterling’s barred warbler, green-capped eremomela, red-faced Crombec, red-billed helmetshrike, white helmet-shrikes, grey Penduline-tit, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Brown-necked parrot, Black-winged stilt, Palm-nut vulture, Dickinson’s kestrel, Racket-tailed roller, Yellow-billed stork, Carmine bee-eater White-backed night heron, the Rock pratincole in Selous Game Reserve.

Day 4: Transfer from Selous to Mikumi National Park

After a leisurely breakfast, depart for Mikumi National Park, traversing the Selous Game Reserve from the east to the west, passing through Morogoro and Mikumi. There are various plains and hills in Mikumi.

The park is a component of the renowned Miombo Woodlands as well. There will be a chance for you to observe a variety of unique and uncommon wildlife that isn’t found anywhere else in Tanzania.

Along the way, you can take spontaneous breaks to stretch and observe birds, and you’ll arrive at Tan-Swiss Lodge in time for supper and the night.

Day 5: Bird Miombo woodlands and then Mikumi National Park

After breakfast, go on a guided birdwatching tour through the Miombo Woodlands to look for species such as Shelley’s Sunbird, Miombo Rock Thrush, Miombo Grey Tit, and Stierling’s Woodpecker.

Later in the afternoon, leave Miombo Woodlands and drive into Mikumi National Park to search for birds. Notable species include the Malachite kingfisher, African hawk eagle, African grey hornbill, African openbill, Cardinal woodpecker, Green wood-hoopoe, Long-tailed fiscal, Mariqua sunbird, Pale batis, Pale-billed hornbill, Red-billed oxpecker, Shelley’s sunbird, Southern ground hornbill, Purple-crested turaco, and Yellow-throated longclaw.

After dinner, make your way back to your camp for the night.

Day 6: Full day birding in Mikumi National Park

After breakfast, visit Mikumi National Park for a game drive or bird-watching excursion to find a list of the park’s bird species, such as Common Ostrich, Pale-faced Knob-billed Duck, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose, Helmeted Guineafowl, Crested Guineafowl, Coqui Francolin, Harlequin Quail, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Scaly Francolin, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Little Grebe, Red-necked Francolin, Yellow-necked Francolin, Mourning Doves: Ring-necked, Red-eyed, and Collared Dove laughed.

The wood doves with emerald and blue spots, tamarind and namaqua spots, The Green-Pigeon of Africa Livingstone’s Turaco, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Buff-crested Bustard, Black-bellied Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Turaco with a purple crown, Black-winged Kite, African Harrier-Hawk, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Pied Cuckoo, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Dideric Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, African Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Gray Go-away-bird, White-bellied Go-away-bird, White-browed Coucal, Black Coucal, Green Malkoha, A variety of vultures, including the palm-nut, Egyptian, European honey-buzzard, African Cuckoo-Hawk, White-headed, Lappet-faced, Hooded, and White-backed varieties, Bateleur’s Griffon, Rüppell’s Wahlberg’s Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Brown Snake-Eagle, Fasciated Snake-Eagle, Crowned Eagle, Martial Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Dark Chanting-Goshawk, Eastern Chanting-Goshawk, Gabar Goshawk, Pallid Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, African Goshawk, Shikra, Little Sparrowhawk, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Black Goshawk, Black Kite, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, African Marsh-Harrier, Common Buzzard, Augur Buzzard, African Fish-Eagle, The Malachite Kingfisher, Gray-headed Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Gray Hornbill, Pale-billed Hornbill, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, and others.

Day 7: Transfer from Mikumi to Udzungwa National Park

After breakfast, head south into the Udzungwa and Kilombero flood plains for an unforgettable afternoon of bird watching. Look for endemic species of birds found in the Kilombero flood plains, such as the dappled throated mountain robin, Iringa akalat, Kilombero weaver, and Melodius cisticola.

Day 8: Bird the Kilombero Valley Endemics

After breakfast, embark on a walking or hiking tour of the East Udzungwa forest to observe the endemic forest birds, such as the Kilombero Weaver, Kilombero Cisticola, and White-tailed Cisticola, as well as the endemic primates, including the near-endemic Rungwecebus kipunji and the Udzungwa red colobus Procolobus gordonorum and Sanje mangabey Cercocebus, and the Udzungwa red colobus Procolobus gordonorum.

Day 9: Udzungwa to Ruaha National Park

After breakfast, depart for a lengthy drive through Mikumi and Iringa Towns, stopping along the way to see wildlife and birds, before arriving at the Great Ruaha National Park in Udzungwas. Ruaha National Park is home to about 574 different bird species, making bird-watching there both highly engaging and enjoyable.

The wet season is usually the best time to go bird watching, with migrating birds visible from November through April.

Day 10: Big game viewing, Photography and birding Ruaha National Park

Enjoy breakfast before heading to Ruaha National Park for some fascinating large game viewing, photography, and bird-watching. African fish eagle, Ashy starling, Black-bellied bustard, Collared palm-thrush, Crested barbet, Eleonora’s falcon, Emerald-spotted wood dove, Goliath heron, Long-crested eagle, Namaqua dove, Southern ground hornbill, Tanzanian red-billed hornbill, White-bellied go-away bird, and Yellow-collared lovebird are a few of the bird species seen in Ruaha National Park.

The most common large animals that you could see on this day are crocodiles, roan and sable antelope, Greater and Lesser Kudu, Grants gazelles, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, hippos, lions, leopards, and wild dogs.

After retiring, return to the lodge you reserved for dinner and the night.

Day 11: Adventure Ruaha National Park

After breakfast, visit Ruaha National Park to go on another game drive and bird watching excursion in an attempt to see the animals and birds that were missed the day before.

You may observe birds like the ashy starling, the crested barbet, and the yellow-collared lovebird. Collared palm-thrush, the common red-billed hornbill from Tanzania, Black-bellied bustard, Crested barbet, African fish eagle, Giant kingfisher, White-browed coucal, The common Bateleur, Emerald-spotted wood dove, Goliath heron, Eleonora’s falcon, Long-crested eagle, Namaqua dove, Southern ground hornbill, White-bellied go-away bird, Yellow-collared lovebird, and a host of other noteworthy birds are also worth mentioning.

Day 12: Transfer from Ruaha National Park to Dar Es Salaam

After breakfast, check out of the park and begin your lengthy trip via Dar es Salaam city to Julius Nyerere International Airport, capping out your 12-day birding safari in southern Tanzania with many unforgettable experiences.

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