16 Days Bird Watching in Tanzania

Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport and transfer to Arusha (2 hours drive)

Our office staff / driver will meet you at Kilimanjaro Airport. He will drive you to your hotel for check-in at Arusha town while waiting for bird watching in the next day. Overnight at Mount Meru Hotel Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner.

Day 2: Arusha – Tarangire National Park (3 hours drive)

Transfer to Tarangire National Park after your morning breakfast, it is known for high population of Elephants as well other wild animals. The park is bisected by river Tarangire which provides water for wild animals as well as a habitat for many species of birds. The afternoon is spent for bird watching at Tarangire National Park where you will encounter bird species like Common Rock Thrush, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Common White Throat, Banded Parisona, Ostrich, Pink-breasted lark, Rufous-tailed weaver, Slate-coloured boubou, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Vulturine guineafowl and Yellow-collared lovebird. Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 3: Tarangire National Park – Lake Manyara National Park (3 hours drive)

Our guide will lead you into the park after your breakfast for bird watching. This will be the whole day encounter of different bird species and if you have not seen your favorite bird species, feel free to tell your bird watching guide please. In the process expect to see bird species like Yellow bill, Trumpeter Hornbill, White-billed Saw-wing, Green-winged Pytilia, and Purple Granedier, African grey flycatcher, Ashy starling, Bare-faced go-away bird, Donaldson-Smith’s nightjar, Great white pelican, Mouse-coloured penduline tit, Northern pied babbler and Northern white-crowned shrike. Later in the evening you will be driven to Lake Manyara National Park which is known for its tree climbing lions, Soda Ash Lake and its flamingos. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 4: Bird watching at Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast you will be guided into the jungle to look for your favorite species and if you have not seen your favorite species, please tell it to your birding guide. So in this process you will encounter very many birding species among which they include Abdim’s stork, African fish eagle, African grey hornbill, African hawk eagle, African jacana, African spoonbill, Baglafecht weaver, Comb duck, Crowned eagle, Great white pelican, Greater flamingo, Grey crowned crane, Hamerkop, Hottentot teal, Lesser flamingo, Little stint, Pied avocet, Pied kingfisher, Pink-backed pelican, and Sacred ibis. Overnight at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 5: Lake Manyara National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area (3 hours drive)

Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation area after your morning breakfast. It is located northern part of Tanzania and south-east of Serengeti, famous for huge numbers of wild animals that inhabit savannah in Craters especially the big 5 (Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino). The highlands, forests and craters of Ngorongoro conservation area acts as a home of over 500 bird species. In the afternoon you be led into the forest to see some of the bird species among which they include African spoonbill, Augur buzzard, Capped wheatear, Eastern double-collared sunbird, Egyptian vulture, Fan-tailed widowbird, Greater flamingo, Hartlaub’s turaco, Hildebrandt’s francolin, Hildebrandt’s starling, Jackson’s widowbird, Common ostrich, Hildebrandt’s francolin, Fulvous whistling duck, Greater flamingo, and Dusky turtle dove and Kenya rufous sparrow. Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 6: Bird watching at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Wake up with a cup of coffee in the morning ready for bird watching. Thereafter your birding guide will lead you into Ngorongoro Conservation Area to spot for you various bird species among which they include Kori bustard, Livingstone’s turaco, Namaqua dove, Northern anteater chat, Red-and-yellow barbet, Rosy-throated longclaw, Rufous-tailed weaver, Scarlet-chested sunbird, Schalow’s wheatear, Speke’s weaver, Verreaux’s eagle, White-eyed slaty flycatcher, Red-billed Hornbill,Von der Dicken’s Hornbill, Red-fronted Barbet, White-headed Barbet and Golden-tailed Woodpecker. Overnight at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 7: Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Lake Ndutu, Serengeti National Park (3 hours drive)

Leaving early, you will be driven to Serengeti National Park while watching birds on your way to the park, it’s famous for the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra looking for pasture, the herds move to north from their breeding grounds in the southern plains. After lunch, will be great time for your first bird watching at this place and you should expect to see species like Black-headed Gonolek, Fischer’s lovebird, Green-backed woodpecker, Grey-backed fiscal, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Hildebrandt’s starling, Red-capped robin-chat, Rosy-throated Long Claw, and Common Rock Thrush. Overnight at Ndutu Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Bird watching at Lake Ndutu, Serengeti National Park

The birding guide will lead you for the whole day bird watching to explore the greater Serengeti National Park in the southern part not only on the shores of Lake Ndutu but also on the bird species on the savannah. So on this wonderful day expect to encounter species like Schalow’s Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, Martial Eagle, Rock Pigeon OvamboSparrowhawk, Mourning Collared-Dove , Red-chested Cuckoo, Harlequin Quail, Helmeted Guineafowl, Yellow-necked Francolin, Red-billed Duck, Hottentot Teal, Egyptian Goose, Common Ostrich,  Speckled Pigeon and Brown Parrot among other bird species. Overnight at Ndutu Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Bird watching at Seronera, Serengeti National Park

Drive to seronera, Serengeti National Park for the whole day bird watching. This is one of the interesting places to see various species of birds among which they include; Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Fischer’s Lovebird, Green Wing Macaw Parro, and Northern Oriole, Rufous-tailed weaver, Rüppell’s vulture, Southern ground hornbill, Schalow’s turaco, Silverbird, Usambiro barbet, Verreaux’s eagle, Yellow-throated sandgrouse. Overnight at Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Seronera, Serengeti National Park – Arusha (6 hours drive)

Wake up in the morning for breakfast ready to leave for your transfer to Arusha town. You will spot various bird species on your way to Arusha via Ngorongoro Conservation Area and you will be helped by your birding guide. You will arrive at Arusha in afternoon so the evening will be for resting at your hotel. Overnight at Mount Meru Hotel Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 11: Arusha – West Usambaras Mountain (6 hours drive)

Leave for Usambaras Mountain located in the north eastern part of Tanzania in Lushoto district. The west part is known for its cliffs, forests and rivers which support the lives of various species of birds and among which include White-rumped Swift, Temminck’s Courser, Long-tailed Cormorant, Hamerkop, Little Bittern, Gray Heron, Little Egret, Striated Heron, Hadada Ibis, Shikra, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Augur Buzzard, African Pygmy-Kingfisher, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Crested Barbet, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Cardinal Woodpecker, Pied Crow, Red-rumped Swallow, Mosque Swallow, Terrestrial Brownbul, Willow Warbler, African Reed Warbler, African Tailorbird, Bar-throated Apalis, Coastal Cisticola, Scaly Chatterer, Cape Robin-Chat, Usambara Akalat and Mocking Cliff-Chat. Overnight at Lushoto Executive Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 12: Bird watching at West Usambaras Mountain

After breakfast you will be taken for another round of bird watching on the mountain. So you expect to see bird species like Red-winged Starling, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Gray Wagtail, Striped Pipit, Spot-throat, Northern Gray-headed Sparrow, Grosbeak Weaver, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, African Firefinch, Bronze Mannikin, Pin-tailed Whydah and Magpie Mannikin. Overnight at Lushoto Executive Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 13: Bird watching at East Usambaras Mountain

You will drive to the eastern part of the mountain for another bird watching.  Note that the East Usambara is closer to the coast, receives more rainfall, and is significantly smaller than the west. It is known of having rivers and forest which support the living of very many bird species among which include Delegorgue’s Pigeon, Lemon Dove, African Green-Pigeon, Fischer’s Turaco, Red-chested Cuckoo, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Mottled Spinetail, Common Sandpiper, Striated Heron, Olive Ibis, African Harrier-Hawk, European Honey-buzzard, Verreaux’s Eagle, Little Sparrowhawk, Mountain Buzzard, Usambara Eagle-Owl, Narina Trogon, Trumpeter Hornbill, Half-collared Kingfisher, White-eared Barbet, Green-backed Honeyguide, African Broadbill, hestnut-fronted Helmetshrike, and Gray Cuckooshrike. Overnight at Amani Forest Camp Emau Hill Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 14: East Usambaras Mountain – Mkomazi National Park (5 hours drive)

Drive to Mkomazi National Park which is located in the northern Tanzania on the Kenyan border. This park is not commonly visited and that is the reason why you should visit this park because all animals act in a natural way. It being a forest, the park harbors various species of birds for example the Bare-eyed thrush, Black-bellied sunbird, Eastern chanting goshawk, Friedmann’s lark, Hunter’s sunbird, Kori bustard, Martial eagle, Mouse-coloured penduline tit, Ostrich, Pink-breasted lark, Pringle’s puffback and Red-bellied parrot. Overnight at Mambo Viewpoint Eco Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 15: Bird watching at Mkomazi National Park

Wake up in the morning ready for your breakfast and watching birds right away from your lodge. On this day you will see species like Red-fronted warbler, Rosy-patched bush-shrike, Scaly chatterer, Secretary bird, Shelley’s starling, Somali crombec, Southern ground hornbill, Three-streaked tchagra, Violet wood-hoopoe, Vulturine guineafowl and White-headed mousebird. Overnight at Mambo Viewpoint Eco Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 16: Mkomazi National Park – Kilimanjaro Airport (7 hours drive)

This day is dedicated for your transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport after your breakfast for your flight back home.

End of service.

• Transportation by a 4 x 4 Station wagon.
• Driver guide.
• Specialized birding guide.
• Birding watching fees.
• Park entrance fees.
• Accommodation and meals as per the Itinerary.
• Wildlife viewing.
• Enroute lunches.
• Ranger guide fees.
• Airport transfers.
• 1 bottle of water per day while on the safari.

The package to exclude:

Expenses of personal nature like: drinks, domestic flight, International flight from and back home, laundry, tips, telephone, cigars, etc.