Endemic Birding Ethiopia

Addis-Debre Libanos-Lemi Scheduled flight from Home to Addis Ababa, and on arrival we will stop in Addis for coffee and breakfast, Flocks of Hooded Vultures and Black Kites will be wheeling overhead and we should see Dusky Turtle-dove and the endemic White-collared Pigeon. Dazzling Tacazze Sunbirds, Baglafecht Weavers and Streaky Seedeaters. After breakfast this morning, we will cross the Sululta Plains. These high-altitude plateau grasslands provide superb birding, despite intensive cultivation. Resident birds we may find here include Secretary Bird, White-backed Vulture, African Hobby, Erckel's Francolin, Red-chested Swallow, Cape Crow, Pectoral-patch Cisticola and African Quailfinch. Suddenly, the seemingly endless plain dramatically drops off into the Blue Nile drainage system. Perched on the edge of the gorge is Debre Libanos Monastery, one of Ethiopia's most sacred Christian sites. We will concentrate our search here for Rüppell’s Vulture, Verreaux's Eagle, African Hawk-eagle, Augur Buzzard (dark-morph birds are commonly seen here), Lanner Falcon, Nyanza Swift, Hemprich Hornbill, the three endemics: Rüppell's Chat, White-winged Cliff-chat and White-billed Starling, Mocking Cliff-chat, Yellow-rumped Serin and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Another speciality of this area is the Lion-headed Baboon. Proceed to Lemi for the overnight.  Overnight stay at Local Hotel, Lemi.

Lemi-Debre Birhan-Ankober Among many other things today we go to dizzying heights to the Ankober Escarpment for a spectacularly localized bird, the endemic and vulnerable Ankober Serin. The scenery here is a lot more spectacular than our main target bird, which some people just call a “little brown job”, while others are kinder and call it a “subtly beautiful bird” – but whichever way you look at it, the bird is unlikely to dazzle you, but it certainly takes you to marvelously beautiful mountains overlooking distant valleys. We could find other birds as well, like Verreaux’s Eagle or Bearded Vulture.   Overnight stay at Getva Hotel or similar, Debre Birhan.

We will drive through some of Ethiopia’s most remote country, if the road is good after gathering current information, to get to Awash National Park, birding the amazing Afar Plains, where a rich diversity of birds hopefully will make their appearance. We could see Abdim’s Stork, Yellow-necked Francolin, Kori Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing (arguably the most spectacular plover species), Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Red-bellied Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Olive Bee-eater, Abyssinian Roller, Black-billed Wood Hoopoe, Abyssinian and Black Scimitar Bills, various Hornbill species including Abyssinian Ground and Von-der-Decken’s, Black-throated and Yellow-breasted Barbets, Greater Honeyguide, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Grey Wren-Warbler, Grey-headed Batis, Slate-colored Boubou, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Chestnut Weaver, and White-crested Helmetshrike, among many others. In the late afternoon we will arrive at Awash National Park.    Overnight stay at Awash Falls Lodge, Awash NP.