13-Day Ethiopia Birdwatching Tour with Endemics and Bale Mountains

Arrival at Bole International Airport.

Awaze Tours meets all guests arriving at the airport regardless of arrival time. For morning flight arrivals, you may begin your tour after checking into your hotel. For afternoon arrivals, explore Addis Ababa on a city tour. Overnight at Damat Hotel.

Continue birding in Awash National Park and proceed to the Alledeghi Plains, about 70 kilometers from Awash Park. This is a good area to spot different bustards, larks, sandgrouse, and other species.

Overnight at Kuriftu Falls Lodge.

Drive to Lake Langano with birding stops at Koka Dam, the Awash River, and Lake Ziway. Spot species such as the African Pygmy Goose, Black-billed Woodhoopoe, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Northern Black Tit, Little Weaver, Yellow-billed Storks, Collared Pratincole, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, White Pelicans, Fish Eagles, and crowned and common cranes, which are seen here in impressive numbers.

Overnight at a lodge.

Continue birding around Lake Langano and Abiyata-Shalla National Park. Over 300 species can be seen around Lake Abiyata, such as Yellow Wagtails, ibis, cormorants, pelicans, ducks, egrets, herons, flamingos, storks, swallows, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, rollers, wheatear, African Marsh Harrier, and more.

Overnight at a lodge.

Drive from Langano to Bale Mountains National Park, rated by the African Bird Club as the number 4 birding destination in Africa. Over 300 species of birds live here, and six are endemic to Ethiopia. Arrive at the park headquarters in the afternoon in time for a leisurely hike, with the possibility of spotting two endemic mammals that frequent the area: Menelik's Bushbuck and the Mountain Nyala.

Birds in this area include the Blue-Winged Goose, Spot-breasted Lapwing, Abyssinian Long Claw, Wattled Ibis, Black-Headed Siskin, Rouget's Rail, and numerous other species.

Overnight at a hotel.

Continue exploring Bale Mountains National Park and drive further into the interior. Spot birds such as Chestnut-naped Francolin, Ground Thrush of the distinctive endemic species Simensis, the secretive Abyssinia Ground-thrush, the vocal Abyssinian Catbird, and the endemic White-backed Black-Tit.

If you are very fortunate, you will see a pair of the endangered Wattled Crane in the moist grasslands or spot a Cape Eagle-Lapwing, Thekla Lark, Red-breasted Wheatear, and Moorland Chats. On the Senetti Plateau, the largest continuous area of its altitude in Africa, look for the endemic and rare Ethiopian Red Wolf.

Overnight at a hotel.

Continue birding in the Bale Mountains.

Overnight at a hotel.

Drive to Dila with a birding stop en route.

Overnight at a hotel.

Drive to Yabello. Search for the endemic White-tailed Swallow and Stresemann's Bushcrow. You should spot the swallow threading its way through the termite chimneys and groups of bushcrows in the thorn bushes.

For the entire day, explore the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve. Species to look for include Somalian Ostrich, Secretary Bird, Ruppell's Griffon Vulture, Martial Eagle, Grasshopper Buzzard, African Pygmy Falcon, Vulturine Guineafowl, Kori Bustard, Donaldson-Smith's Nightjar, Star-spotted Nightjar, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rufous-crowned Roller, D'Arnaud's Barbet, Red and Yellow Barbet, Short-tailed Lark, Northern Grey Tit, Shelley's and White-crowned Starlings, Abyssinian Grosbeak Canary, Somali Sparrow, Black-capped Social Weaver, Grey-headed Silverbill, Taita Fiscal, and Somali Golden-breasted Bunting.

Other possibilities include Coqui Francolin, Somali Courser, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Little Spotted Woodpecker, Pringle's Puffback, Little Tawny Pipit, and Fawn-coloured Lark. Mammals that inhabit the park include Burchell's Zebra, Aardvark, Grant's Gazelle, Thompson's Gazelle, and Lesser-spotted Genet.

Overnight at a hotel.

Continue birding in the Yabello area. See Degodi Lark, Bushcrow, White-tailed Swallow, courser, Garganey, pintail, and others you might not have seen on the first day.

Overnight at a hotel.

Continue birding at this fantastic birding site.

Overnight at a hotel.

Drive to Hawassa. En route, spot numerous species such as Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Rouget's Rail, Marabou Stork, black and white egrets, African Pygmy Goose, Spur-winged Goose, swallows, ibis, African Fish Eagle, Woodland Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, and more.

Overnight at a hotel. Optional.

Return to Addis Ababa with an optional stop at Lake Ziway. In Addis Ababa, enjoy a farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing some of the country's many ethnic groups.

Later, you will have your farewell dinner and transfer to the airport for late-night departure, or an additional hotel night can be booked upon request.

Overnight at a hotel.