Birding itinerary for North, East, South and Pemba
Tanzania contains at least over 40 endemics birds many of which are rare or endangered and new discoveries continue to be with no less than seven endemic species having been found here since 1981, (four are probably already/or still to be officially described). During this tour you will visit some superb areas that are very much off-the beaten tracks including Lark Plains in Arusha, Tarangire National Park, Ruaha National park, the eastern arc mountains, Kilombero flood plain and the small Pemba Island. The trip will not be a camping trip in the remote areas, but you will be in Lodges, Tented camps, Motels/Hotels, with all the Facilities. In the eastern arc mountains your four wheel drive vehicle will only be able to get you so far to a point where it cannot go further (get off the vehicle are walk). This will somehow hinder you to go deeper into the forest where some of the target species are found. Normally in this mountains needs camping which in this tour there is no wildness/forest camping (may be next birding tripJ). Walking Efforts: The walks in Ulugurus and Udzungwas Mountains are strenuous (for participants who will do a one to two hours walk/hike) therefore need to have a relatively high level of physical fitness. Elsewhere the walks are mostly easy to Moderate; most days will be worm or hot, dry and sunny but overcast conditions are fairly frequent and there may well be some rain. At higher altitudes temperatures are cool to warm; it may even feel cold at night.
EAST USAMBARA: Long-billed tailorbird, Amani sunbird, Banded green sunbird, Uluguru violet backed sunbird, Plain backed sunbird, Kretschmer’s long- bill, Usambara hyliota, White chested Alethe, Orange ground thrush, Olive thrush, Usambara eagle owl, Cabanis’s bunting, Fischer’s turaco , Green headed Oriole, Sharpe’s Akalat
WEST USAMBARA. Usambara weaver, Usambara nightjar ,Red-capped forest warbler, Spot throat, Usambara double collared sunbird, Red-faced crimsonwing, Mountain greenbul, Shelley’s greenbul, Hartlaub’s turaco, Bar tailed trogon, Forest batis, Tiny greenbul, Usambara akalat.
ULUGURUS AND UDZUNGWA TARGETS: Bertram’s Weaver ,Tanzania Seedeater ,Rufous-winged Sunbird, Loveridge’s Sunbird, Moreau’s Sunbird, Rubeho Akalat, Iringa Akalat , Churring Cisticola , White-winged Apalis, Masked Apalis, Chapin’s Apalis, Brown-headed Apalis, Mrs. Moreau’s Warbler, Uluguru Bushshrike, Dark Batis, Udzungwa Partridge, Blue Quail.
Day to day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania.
Pick up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) time (TBA) and transferred to lodge, if and only if all members arrive together there might be an evening birding activity around the lodge. Dinner and overnight at
Day 2: Arusha town to Lark plains.
After breakfast, we drive around the looming Mt. Meru to the lark plains. These grasslands are home to the last 200+- Beesley’s Larks on Earth, and we will search for this critically endangered Tanzanian endemic. The plains are lined by Drepanolobium whistling thorn trees, while hills offer a scrubby habitat that can deliver Red-fronted and White-headed Barbets, Red-throated Tit, eremomelas, four other Lark species and crombecs. The thicket habitat and riparian strips offer many great birds. Early arrival to the lodge, Dinner and overnight at
Days 3: Arusha to Tarangire national park.
Breakfast. From Arusha we head to Tarangire with picnic box, where we shall enjoy some of northern Tanzania’s finest birding. The low baobab-clad plains and fever-tree groves support many cool species including three Tanzanian endemics: Ashy Starling, Yellow-collared Lovebird, and Rufous-tailed Weaver. Late arrival at the lodge, Dinner and overnight at
Day 4: Arusha to Same, Birding at Nyumba ya Mungu Reservoir
After Breakfast, pack up and depart to Same. We will make a little detour to some very nice habitat just short of Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir. Species to be expected here includes Rufous and Scaly Chatterer, Pringle´s Puffback, Southern Grosbeak Canary, Yellow-necked Weaver, Pygmy Batis, Somali Bunting, Pink-breasted Lark, Abyssinian White-eye, Red-fronted Warbler + many more. 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 Sunbird, Red-and-yellow, Black-throated and D`Arnaud´s Barbets, Grey Wren-Warbler, Fischer´s Starling, Straw-tailed Whydah + many more. Dinner and overnight at
Day 5: Same to West Usambaras
Breakfast, Drive to the south Pare road birding en-route at stops near the road for some 500 meter site, We will see plenty of other birds as well. This offers a great diversity of birds. We will enjoy a picnic lunch en-route to West Usambaras. We will arrive at the West Usambara in the evening, hopefully with time for some late birding at the Mkuze forest reserve, prior to arrival at Muller’s mountain lodge. New introductions might be Forest Batis, and more. Dinner and overnight at
Day 6: West Usambaras (highlands) Full day
The West Usambara Mountains, (Magamba Forest) supporting good stands of forest support a species on it that is found nowhere else in the world, the Usambara Akalat; it is also home to the very localized Usambara Weaver. Other rare forest gems we shall be looking for include Oriole Finch, Spot-throat Modulatrix, Usambara (Mountain) Greenbul, Fulleborn’s Boubou, Red-capped Tailorbird and many others. Overnights in the quaint Muller’s lodge which offers great birding with homemade meals and colonial atmosphere accommodation. Dinner and overnight at
Day 7: West to East Usambaras-Amani Nature Reserve (lowlands)
This day we make our way to the northern extension of the ancient eastern arc mountains. Although these mountains are geographically very close to the West Usambaras, the avifauna is dramatically different hinting of an age when Asia and Africa were joined. These mountains are an incredibly exciting birding destination. The lowland coastal forests at Kambai and the Sigi section of the Amani reserve supports a plethora of exciting forest birds including the magical Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike, Red-tailed Ant-thrush and the stunning Green-headed Oriole, and many other on our list target birds for the day. Arrival Dinner and overnight at
Days 8: East Usambaras Amani Nature Reserve (highlands): Full day birding.
On this day we shall be concentrating on the magical high altitude avifauna of the eastern arc mountains. This ancient arc of crystalline mountains is jam-packed with real specials such as the Forest and Pale Batis, Banded Green, Amani and Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbirds, Green Barbet, Fischer’s Turaco, Black and white- Flycatcher, White-breasted Alethe and the bizarre and exceptionally rare Long Billed Forest warbler (Tailorbird), Meals and overnight at
You will be driving back to arusha and overnight on the way.
The extinction to the Southern and Eastern part of Tanzania.
Day 9: East Usambaras to Morogoro town
After breakfast depart with picnic box, full day birding enroute, you drive towards the Wami Bridge for Bohm’s Bee-eater, on the main Tanga- Chalinze Highway then on to Morogoro where you will have a few good birding spots on the way. Meals and overnight at,
Day 10 & 11: Morogoro:
Today will be an early morning start as we leave the town of Morogoro for the high forests of the Ulugurus Mountain. We will depart with four wheel drive vehicles in search for our target species, note that we are not going for a serious hiking up the mountain or camping but we are only doing a day trip birding there will be partial walking in search for Uluguru Bush shrike, Angola Swallow, Bertram’s Weaver. The forest edge and bush will also provide us with some superb birds and we are likely to encounter Southern Citril, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, and Bar-throated Apalis amongst others. Dinner and overnight at
Day 12: Ulugurus Mountain to Mikumi National Park,
This day we make our way to Mikumi with birding en route, we will keep a look out for raptors, the sought-after Pale-billed Hornbill, White-crested Helmetshrike, Zanzibar, Black-winged and Yellow Bishops and White-winged Widowbird with orange shoulder patches of the distinctive subspecies eques. This is mainly a travel day and we plan to arrive in Mikumi in the early evening for an Evening birding and game drives. Dinner and overnight at
Day 13: Mikumi National Park (on the Kilosa road) to West Udzungwa forest,
We have a half day to explore this fabulous reserve on the Kilosa road for some numerous broad-leafed and miombo, specialties including Brown-necked Parrot, African Barred Owlet, Böhm’s Spinetail, Racket-tailed Roller, Pale-billed Hornbill, elusive Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Cinnamon-breasted Tit, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Green-capped Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Miombo Blue-eared Starling, Kurrichane Thrush Bearded Scrub Robin, Arnot’s Chat, Pale Flycatcher, Shelley’s Sunbird (the subspecies that occurs here may be split) Other species we may see in the park include Crested Barbet, Brown-backed Honeybird, Red-throated Wryneck, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Croaking Cisticola, Neddicky and Yellow-bellied Eremomela. Dinner and overnight at
Day 14: West Udzungwa Mountains.
A full day in the West Udzungwa Mountains another exciting location, the Kilombero River floodplain, this lovely area has become famous as recently as 1986 when a survey team located three new species to science, namely: White-tailed Cisticola, Kilombero Cisticola and Kilombero Weaver. These species are confined to the floodplain area of the Kilombero River. Dinner and overnight at
Day 15: West to East Udzungwa Mountains.
Today we will depart early on the long drive to the East Udzungwas. We will again have chance to search for Uhehe Fiscal and Kipengere Seedeater on the way out. Travelling north, we pass through a wonderful Baobab Forest and stretch our legs and enjoy some open country birding. Species we may encounter here include impressive endemic Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill. We should arrive in the afternoon for a rest and overnight at the
Day 16: East Udzungwa – Udzungwa Scarp forest,
Full day birding and a partial hiking in the Uluti forest scarp, The mornings are generally the most productive for birding and you will attempt to track down some of the serious skulkers that inhabit these forests such as the rare Dappled Mountain Robin, Iringa and Sharpe’s Akalats, White-chested Alethe, Spot-throat and Swynnerton’s Robin, Rufous winged sunbird etc …. Other great birds include a number of flock-associated species such as White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Grey Cuckoo shrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, Yellow-rumped Tinker bird, Shelley’s and Yellow-streaked Greenbuls and Black-headed Apalis.
Day 17: Iringa Sunset Lodge to Kisolanza Highlands.
Breakfast, This is the souththern highland of Tanzania, it provides easy access to ruaha National Park, and there will be highways stops for some other highlands species such as Jackson widowbird, Kurichane Thrush, Whyte’s Barbet, Miombo Wren-Warbler, Fulleborn’s Longclaw, Reichard’s Seedeater, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Miombo double Sunbird, Jackson Widowbird, Locust Finch, Miombo rock thrush and many more .. Dinner and overnight at
Day 18: Kisolanza Highlands to Ruaha National Park:
After breakfast, depart with picnic box, full day birding enroute, while you drive towards Ruaha National Park, this is an easy day as you will be carefully looking for the (Ruaha) southern highlands specialties among others you will be looking for the Ruaha Chat, Ruaha Hornbill, Variable Indigobird, Rufous Bush Chat, Reichard’s Seedeater, Cabanis’s Bunting, Miombo Sunbird, Coppery-tailed Coucal. Dinner and overnight
Day 19: Ruaha National Park,
Full day inside Ruaha national park, you will enjoy birding + game drives inside this park, with all meals and Overnight at Ruaha River Lodge
Day 20: Ruaha to Pemba Island:
Pemba, one of the legendary Spice Islands, is laden with cloves, which are spread out on the streets throughout the island. The friendly people and laid-back culture encapsulate what Zanzibar must have been like before tourists overran it. Pm birding around the lodge shores. On the seashore possible species include the spectacular Crab Plover as well as Sooty Gull, Saunder’s, Gull- billed and Lesser Crested Terns and waders. Dinner and overnight at
Day 21: Ngezi Forest Reserve Full day birding activity.
We shall head to the exciting Ngezi Forest Reserve to look for the island’s other endemic birds tiny Pemba Scops Owl, Pemba Sunbird, Pemba White-eye and Pemba Green Pigeon, and may be one of the introduced species (Java sparrow) and other interesting species. At a mere 14km2, Ngezi Forest Reserve is the largest remaining forest patch on the island. Meals and overnight at,
Day 22: Depart the hotel , drive to Pemba Airport.
This day you will drive to Pemba airport and connect with your scheduled domestic flight to Pemba- Dar-Kilimanjaro, upon arrival you will connect with your Outbound International flight back home.
*Thank you*
