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Tanzania is a country located in East Africa. To the north it borders Kenya, to the south Lake Malawi and Mozambique, to the west lake Tanganiyka and Uganda and to the east its shores ride on the Indian Ocean. It's a vast unspoiled wilderness and has the second largest lake in the world; Lake Victoria (a freshwater lake, home to 400 species), and one of the seven summits, Mount Kilimanjaro, and is the best place in the world for wilderness viewing at Arusha, Serengeti, Norongoro Crater, Tarangire and Manyara National Parks. The geography is diverse leading to various climates. Although in the tropics, the higher areas are reasonably cool. Because it straddles the equator there are just two seasons - wet and dry. Tanzania's variety of species of birds, over 1000, vary in each location due to the nation's geographic diversity. From mountain forest to tropical coast, every conceivable altitude range: deserts, open savannah grassland, lowland forest, bush and scrub, lakes and mudflats. The National Parks have open savannah grassland, bush and scrub with large rivers running through them. Top species include: Secretary Bird, numerous vultures, eagles and hawks, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Gabon Nightjar, Lilac-breasted Roller, Ground Hornbill, Red-throated Tit, Sooty Chat, and a wide variety of larks, pipits and widowbirds. The thick riverine forest bordering the Mara and Talek rivers, hold African Finfoot, Livingstone's & Ross's Turaco, Giant Kingfisher, Blue Flycatcher, Double-toothed Barbet and the rare Pel's Fishing Owl. The alkaline Lake Natron is also located near the National Parks; feeding ground for over one million [exceptionally two million] Lesser Flamingo. Greater flamingo are also found, in far smaller numbers. Mt. Kilimanjaro has three vegetation zones: Rain forest, Alpine Forest, and Moorland, making for species diversity. |
12 Top Birding Locations in Tanzania
1. Serengeti National Park 2. Noronogoro Crater 3. Arusha National Park 4. Ruaha National Park 5. Rubondo Island National Park 6. Lake Victoria 7. Lake Natron 8. Lake Eyasi 9. Lake Manyara 10. Lake Tanganyika 11. Usambara Mountains 12. Mt. KilimanjaroLake Victoria
Satellite ViewHome to over 400 species that can be seen in just a couple of days. White and pink-backed pelican, cormorant and long tailed cormorant, little bittern, goliath, purple and squacco heron, little, yellow-billed and great-white egrets, hammerkop, yellow-billed stork, sacred ibis, African spoonbill, fish eagle, black crake, Allen's and purple gallinules, jacana and pied and malachite kingfishers are all resident. For the Lake Victoria experience you do not need a formal safari as you can arrange to visit Mwanza and stay right on the lake.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Satellite ViewHighland species include several extremely uncommon birds such as Green Ibis, Rufous Sparrowhawk, Mountain Buzzard, Crowned Eagle, Jackson's Francolin, Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-fronted Parrot, Hartlaub's Turaco, Scarce Swift, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Montane Oriole, Alpine Chat, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Sharpe's Longclaw, Slender-billed Chestnut-winged Starling and 13 species of sunbirds; including the Northern Double-collared, Golden-winged, Tacazze, Green-headed and Scarlet-tufted Malachite.
Denise Bennett
Ujamaa Travel - your connection to native guides, places to stay and artisans worldwide.
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Number of bird species: 1113
Number of endemics: 23
Grey-breasted Spurfowl Pternistis rufopictus Udzungwa Forest Partridge Xenoperdix udzungwensis Pemba Scops Owl Otus pembaensis Nduk Eagle-Owl Bubo vosseleri Pemba Green-Pigeon Treron pembaensis Uhehe Fiscal Lanius marwitzi Uluguru Bushshrike Malaconotus alius Reichenow's Batis Batis reichenowi Usambara Akalat Sheppardia montana Iringa Akalat Sheppardia lowei Uluguru Mountain Greenbul Andropadus neumanni Green-throated Greenbul Andropadus chlorigula Northern Mountain Greenbul Andropadus fusciceps Pemba White-eye Zosterops vaughani Mrs Moreau's Warbler Bathmocercus winifredae Banded Sunbird Anthreptes rubritorques Loveridge's Sunbird Nectarinia loveridgei Moreau's Sunbird Nectarinia moreaui Rufous-winged Sunbird Nectarinia rufipennis Rufous-tailed Weaver Histurgops ruficauda Kilombero Weaver Ploceus burnieri Usambara Weaver Ploceus nicolli Kipengere Seedeater Serinus melanochrous
Grey-breasted Spurfowl Pternistis rufopictus Udzungwa Forest Partridge Xenoperdix udzungwensis Pemba Scops Owl Otus pembaensis Nduk Eagle-Owl Bubo vosseleri Pemba Green-Pigeon Treron pembaensis Uhehe Fiscal Lanius marwitzi Uluguru Bushshrike Malaconotus alius Reichenow's Batis Batis reichenowi Usambara Akalat Sheppardia montana Iringa Akalat Sheppardia lowei Uluguru Mountain Greenbul Andropadus neumanni Green-throated Greenbul Andropadus chlorigula Northern Mountain Greenbul Andropadus fusciceps Pemba White-eye Zosterops vaughani Mrs Moreau's Warbler Bathmocercus winifredae Banded Sunbird Anthreptes rubritorques Loveridge's Sunbird Nectarinia loveridgei Moreau's Sunbird Nectarinia moreaui Rufous-winged Sunbird Nectarinia rufipennis Rufous-tailed Weaver Histurgops ruficauda Kilombero Weaver Ploceus burnieri Usambara Weaver Ploceus nicolli Kipengere Seedeater Serinus melanochrous
A Wildlife Survey of the East Usambara and Ukaguru Mountains, Tanzania
The Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, Butterflies, Fishes and Mammals Edited by TD Evans and GQA Anderson Series: BIRDLIFE STUDY REPORTS 53 106 pages, line illus, tabs, figs, maps. BirdLife International Distributed by NHBS 1992ISBN: 50233
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania
Dale Zimmerman, Don Turner, David Pearson, Ian Willis and Douglas Pratt Series: CHRISTOPHER HELM IDENTIFICATION GUIDE SERIES 740 pages, 124 colour plates, line drawings, 1,000 maps. Christopher Helm 1996ISBN: 0713639687
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Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi Terry Stevenson and John Fanshawe Series: HELM FIELD GUIDES 604 pages, 287 col plates, distrib maps. Christopher HelmISBN: 0713673478
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Field Guide to the Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania
Dale A Zimmerman, Donald A Turner and David J Pearson 576 pages, 124 col plates, line illus, 800 distrib maps. Christopher Helm 2005 re-printISBN: 0713675500
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Important Bird Areas in Tanzania
Elizabeth Baker and Neil Baker 303 pages, line illus, tabs, maps. RSPB Distributed by NHBS 2002ISBN: 9987558046
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Newman's Birds of Southern Africa
Kenneth Newman Paperback - 510 pages ( 1 January, 1999) Southern Book PublishersISBN: 1868127575
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Photographic Guide to Birds of Prey of Southern, Central and East Africa
David Allan, Peter Hayman (Illustrator) Paperback - 144 pages ( 1 November, 1996) New Holland Publishers (UK)ISBN: 1853689033
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The Bird Song of Kenya and Tanzania CD
An Introductory Aid to Identification John Hammick Mandarin Productions 2002ISBN: 140136
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African Bird Club
WebsiteTanzania has Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, some of the best areas for watching game in the world, friendly people and a good tourist infrastructure. It also has a bird list of over 1,000 species which includes a host of endemic and near endemics so there is something of interest for all birdwatchers in Tanzania...
Tanzanian Tourist Board
WebsiteTanzania has some world famous natural attractions. They include Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti National Park , and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Less famous attractions but which are worth a visit are parks in the western and southern parts of the country, such as the Selous Game Reserve. However, access to these parks may be difficult, expensive, or both, and accommodation tends to be limited, if you are not camping.
Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania
WebsiteP0 Box 70919, Dar es Salaam. +255 51 112496 wcst@africaonline.co.tz
Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania Arusha Branch
WebsiteThe Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania's mission is to work towards the conservation of the flora, fauna, and environment of Tanzania for the benefit of mankind. The Society was founded in 1988 and is Tanzania's only national conservation organization. WCST's Arusha Branch was revived in 2002 after about eight years of dormancy. The Branch was revived in order to revitalize WCST's efforts to achieve its mission in the northern part of the country and to respond to pressing conservation issues in the region as perceived by a growing number of past and present WCST members.
Biodiversity Hotspots
WebsiteThe Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests hotspot stretches along most of the eastern coast of Tanzania and into extreme southeastern Kenya. The hotspot extends more than 400 kilometers inland across Tanzania toward Lake Nyasa...
IBAs
WebsiteTanzania is a very important country ornithologically. It has one of the largest species lists of any African country, over 1,000 of which over 800 species are resident and nearly 200 are regular migrants. 56 species are of global conservation concern of which 21 are endemic to Tanzania and a further 43 species occur in only one or two other countries...
Rubondo Island National Park
WebsiteSatellite View
Description of the park and its attractions including fauna...
Selous Game Reserve
WebsiteSatellite View
The rich birdlife includes knob-billed duck Sarkidiornis melanotos, southern ground hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri and bateleur eagle Terathopius ecaudatus...
Serengeti National Park
WebsiteSatellite View
Over 350 recorded bird species include 34 species of raptors, six vultures, kori bustard Choriotis kori, ostrich Struthio camelus and lesser flamingo Phoenicopterus minor (LR); and several with a comparatively restricted distribution such as rufous-tailed weaver Histurgops ruficauda...
Tarangire National Park
WebsiteSatellite View
The water holes are the feeding ground of the saddle-bill stork. This is a distinguished looking bird with black head, neck, wing coverts and tail, white body and bright red bill banded in black with a yellow saddle. Saddle-bills are to be seen either alone or in pairs, feeding on fish, frogs and small mammals. They move with a slow deliberate gait, but strike quickly if they see suitable prey...
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2001 [November] - Henrik Gustafsson
ReportThis trip was a part of my teacher-training program and not a pure birding trip. My time in Tanzania began with three weeks of work in a secondary school in Marangu. After this, I went on a four-day safari visiting Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara...
2003 - Simon Plat, Bernard Oosterbaan & Willem Oosterbaan
Report2003 [August] - Remco Hofland & Rob Bouwman
ReportOur driver Sammy knew a lot about the wildlife, looked after our safety, acted as interpreter when necessary and was an enthusiastic birder. He knew Masai Mara like the back of his hand and thanks to him we saw, for example, Black Rhino in Nairobi NP; Cheetah and Silverbird at Masai Mara; and Jackson`s Widowbird near Mt Kenya...
2004 [December] - David B Collinge
Report2004 [September] - Tropical Birding
ReportAs usual, northern Tanzania was an extravaganza of birding set against the wildest and some of the most unique of Africa’s backdrops, Arusha NP, Mkomazi, the Usambara Mountains, Pemba Island, the expansive Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. As a wilderness experience, the mammals of northern Tanzania are hard to beat. Amongst the mammal highlights were 3 Cheetah on a kill, two leopard, as well as omnipresent lion prides and many species of ungulates amongst the 52 mammal species encountered! The birding yielded 480 species...
2006 [June] - Tom Jordan
ReportA series of diaries...
2006 [June] -David Shackelford
ReportFrom exploring the high rainforest mountains of Mount Kenya to crossing the windswept plains of the Serengeti we were able to enjoy one of the finest African wildlife safaris of our lives. Beginning at a lodge near the banks of the Usa River we were greeted by the calls of Sykes’s Monkeys piercing the air, found nesting Taveta Golden Weavers in the lodge grounds and located the localized Brown-breasted Barbet preening in the warm sunshine...
2007 [December] - Nik Borrow
ReportThis reformatted tour embraced spiky East African thorn-bush, dry plains, floodplains, miombo woodland and of course those havens of biodiversity and endemism; the Eastern Arc Mountains and remote Pemba Island. The aim of this trip was to try and see some of the most difficult Tanzanian endemic birds whilst suffering as little discomfort and hardship as possible...
2007 [January] - Jan Vermeulen
Report...The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home of Ngorongoro Crater, regarded as the 8th wonder of the world. Mention the name "Ngorongoro Crater" to any nature lover who has been there, he will have no fine words to describe this "Africa's Garden of Eden". In short, it is breath-taking in its beauty. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of earth’s most amazing natural wonders. The Ngorongoro Crater, which is 16 km wide and 600 m deep, is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world. Lush forests clad the crater rim where the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge is situated, overlooking the grasslands and lakes of the Crater below...
2007 [July] - Glen Valentine
ReportOur adventure through the magnificent Northern sector of Tanzania took us through forested hills where gaudy Turacos and handsome Blue Monkey’s bound through the forest canopy to dry wastelands where Coursers and Gazelles roam the endless plains that is the Serengeti....
2009 [June] - David Hoddinott
ReportOur trip total of 578 species in 26 days reflects the immense birding potential of Tanzania. Whilst the focus of the tour was certainly the rich assemblage of Eastern Arc Mountain endemics and East African specialties, we did not neglect the interesting diversity of mammals...
2010 [April] - Chuck Bell
ReportWe arrived in Arusha, Tanzania late in the evening to begin a "Megafari" designed and led by Tropical Birding's Keith Barnes...
2010 [April] - Keith Barnes
ReportThis was the first leg of the Megafari – a true trip of a lifetime for most of the participants. Our Tanzania leg ended up being the most successful Northern Tanzania trip we had ever run, netting an incredible 426 bird species in only 11 days...
This section sponsored by:
African Servalcat Safaris & Tours
Tour OperatorOur Wealth of experience stands behind our firm commitment to duly offer the best and finest breathtaking Wildlife Safaris & Tours Kenya, Lodge Safaris Kenya, Camping Safaris Kenya, Wildlife Safaris & Tours Tanzania, Lodge Safaris Tanzania,Camping Safaris Tanzania, Beach Safaris and Holidays in East Africa Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Chumbe Islands...
Aim 4 Africa
Tour OperatorExperience the thrill of an African Safari by visiting the world renown national parks such as Serengeti, Selous, Manyara, Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater...
Birding & Beyond Safaris
Tour OperatorWe invite you to read through our web-pages in order to be able to come up with the actual desired Holiday of your lifetime. We always have one more lifer for you...
Birding Pal
InformationLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
Birdman - James Wolstencroft
Tour OperatorJames Wolstencroft has become known as the birdman of Arusha. His first east african safari was in 1976 although he didn't settle in Tanzania until 2005; bringing Elsie, his wife, and their two sons...
East African Safari & Touring Co
Tour OperatorEast African Safari & Touring Co Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, Selous, Tarangire, Lake Manyara - evocative names that, for most people, define the safari experience as surely as the wildlife that inhabits them. If your previous travel experience was with the Discovery Channel or if you have tried safaris elsewhere, but believe there is still more to experience, Tanzania offers unparalleled game-viewing across as diverse a range of habitats and eco-systems as exist on the continent of Mother Africa. The wealth of options available within the major Tanzanian parks defies comparison with anywhere else on the continent or, indeed, the planet.
EuroAfricaBirding
Tour OperatorEuroAfricaBirding is the brainchild of Greg Holland. A birder, wildlife guide, naturalist, photographer and wildlife artist...
Fish Eagle Safaris
Tour OperatorSmall groups, small camps and finely honed, leisurely itineraries result in an Africa safari which adds up to more than just looking at game...
Hoopoe Safaris
Tour OperatorMost probably it will be images of Tanzania and surrounding East Africa. Perhaps the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, or vast plains teeming with wild animals co-existing with the colourful Maasi herdsmen in the Serengeti and the lush valleys of the Maasi Mara.
Kipepeo Tours
Tour OperatorBirding tours from this generalist Tanzanian tour company...
Malaika Tours
Tour OperatorThe aim of our company is to promote nature, wildlife and cultures first and foremost in Tanzania. Malaika is the Swahili word for angel. We can not take you to heaven, but we can promise you some heavenly experiences...
Natural High Tanzania
Tour OperatorWe specialise in tailor-made African safaris to Tanzania, East Africa. This site contains in-depth information on all game parks in Tanzania, the best Safari Camps and Lodges and the different types of safari available...
Nature's Wonderland Safaris
Tour OperatorWe proudly present a selection of exciting Birding safaris, Wildlife safaris, Adventure tours and Camping safaris through the Eastern part of Africa ranging from 4 - 37 days, many of which can be combined with a relaxing interlude on the coast...
Rockjumper
Tour OperatorUsually combined with Kenya...
Speedway Safaris
Tour OperatorSpeedway Safaris is a tour and travel company based in Uganda specialising in organising trips to National Parks, gorilla tracking, hotel bookings, chimpanzee trekking, mountaineering excursions, birding trips, adventure travels, sightseeing expeditions, car hire, community tours, guided nature walks plus vacation and customized tours in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. Speedway Safaris offers tour itineraries from 2 up to 20 days exploring Uganda's beautiful landscape and vegetation...
Tanzania Adventure
Tour OperatorTanzania Adventure - we offer tailor made private Safaris in East Africa for the discerned traveller, Kilimanjaro climbs and Zanzibar holidays...
Tropical Birding
Tour OperatorWe are an innovative and rapidly-growing company offering superb birding tours to many tropical destinations throughout the world. One of the things that sets us apart is our commitment to protecting the same birds that we love to show our clients. We are running several tours in conjuction with BirdLife International where we will donate half, or in a few cases ALL of the profits to bird conservation!
Ziara Safaris
Tour OperatorOx-peckers clinging to swaying giraffe, buffalo weaver flitting between thorny acacia, lappet-faced vulture circling and searching for a lion’s abandoned kill, great white pelican wading aside a grunting hippo, flamingo gathering in their thousands, and a multitude of starling, bee-eater, sunbird, hornbill, plover, weaver and hundreds of other varieties – this is what awaits the discerning safari-goer / bird enthusiast who chooses this extra-special tour...
Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
AccommodationIt is difficult to imagine a more spectacular setting for Lake Manyara Serena Lodge - on the edge of the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment, overlooking the Great Rift Valley and the stunning Manyara soda lake. Tree-climbing lions are but one lure.
Wag Hill Lodge
AccommodationWag Hill, an ecofriendly Lodge, offers the ultimate in privacy and seclusion, providing an opportunity to relax, unwind, fish and explore one of the last indigenous environments on the shores of Lake Victoria, Tanzania. Wag Hill Lodge is situated on 17.3 hectares of protected indigenous forest and is dedicated to fostering the natural environment of Lake Victoria. Wag Hill Lodge is a paradise for bird lovers as the protected indigenous flora attracts many species of birds. There is an abundance of egrets, pied kingfishers, grey-headed kingfishers, malachite kingfishers, ibises, cormorants, storks, bulbuls, sunbirds, wagtails, shrikes, monarchs, flycatchers and the majestic fish eagle, to name but a few.
Birding Tanzania
BlogReports, reflections and resources of an independent birder living in Tanzania...
Birdman BLOG - James Wolstencroft
WebsiteJames Wolstencroft has become known as the birdman of Arusha. His first east african safari was in 1976 although he didn't settle in Tanzania until 2005; bringing Elsie, his wife, and their two sons. James is a lifelong naturalist and very keen birder, whose enthusiasm for all forms of wildlife, has encouraged an interest in many others, some of whom have become avid birders...
Birds of Tanzania
WebsiteSitings, Lists, Birding areas and more...
Birds of Tanzania: a working checklist
WebsiteDuring 1993 the ornithological sub-committee of the East African Natural History Society embarked on a revision of the Birds of East Africa (Britton 1980). As an initial step a revised checklist was required for the East African avifauna. BirdLife International had adopted the latest world list of birds (Sibley and Monroe 1990) for it`s Important Bird Areas programme.
Gombe National Park Bird Checklist
WebsiteAn annotated list of the birds of Gombe National Park, Tanzania.
Tanzanian Birds
WebsiteTanzanian Birds Images with links to Distribution Maps & Calls - This site may be searched from an alphabetical list of common names, by taxonomic order or by typing the common or scientific name in the search box. On many of the species pages there is a link to the Tanzania Bird Atlas distribution map for that species, courtesy of Neil and Liz Baker. There are also links to bird calls at the Macaulay Library at the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology...
Uluguru Mountains
WebsiteThe Uluguru Mountains in eastern Tanzania are one of the most important mountains in Africa for the conservation of biological diversity. They are also the source of the water supply for the largest city in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, which has between 3 and 4 million people. In addition to these global and national values they are also home to over 100,000 people in the Luguru tribe who prefer to live on the mountains because of the favourable climate which allows them to grow crops through much of the year, including fruits and temperate vegetables which they can export to the townspeople of the lowlands.
Photographer - Martin Goodey
GallerySome excellent photographs of birds in Tanzania...
Photographer - Ron Eggert
GalleryA website for bird and animal lovers with photos and photo stories from Kenya and Tanzania. See also: http://www.birdingafrica.net
Photographer - Ross Warner
GalleryWatch a slide-show of excellent photographs...
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This site was last updated on Monday, 30th January 2012.
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