17 Days Tanzania Bird Watching Safari

Our first birding day will be in the nearby Arusha National Park where we’ll sample some common African birds among different habitats from savanna, acacia woodlands, forest, and alkaline lakes. Ngurdoto Crater, Small and Big Momela Lakes offers a wide range of species that may include Lesser Flamingo, Maccoa Duck, Great Sparrowhawk, Mountain Buzzard, African Crowned Eagle, Narina Trogon, Silvery- cheeked Hornbill, White-eared Barbet, Forest Batis, Black-fronted Bush Shrike.

Mammals include African Buffalo, Waterbuck. Later in the late afternoon we will drive to Moshi

Overnight at a Park View Inn

We’ll drive to Mkomazi National Reserve with stops along the way and spend bigger part of our day in the reserve birding on the dry savanna country. Birds may include Tawny, Long-crested Eagle, Pygmy Falcon, African Orange-bellied Parrot, African & Red-chested Cuckoos, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, African Pygmy Kingfisher, African Hoopoe, African Grey, Von der Decken’s, Trumpeter & Red-billed Hornbills.

Overnight at Elephant Motel, Same

Spend early morning birding along villages hoping to find other species with possible Taveta Golden Weaver. Later heading up the West Usambara Mountains where we expect a few range restricted and localized species and some Tanzania endemics.

These may include Shelly’s, Mountain & Yellow-streaked Greenbuls, Usambara Ground Robin, Fülleborn’s Boubou, Black-fronted Bush Shrike, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Double Collared & Green Banded Sunbirds, Yellow-throated Woodland, Evergreen Forest & Red-capped Forest Warblers, Bar-throated & Black-headed Apalis’, Cabanis’ Bunting. At night we hope to locate the Usambara Nightjar.

Overnight at Muller's Mountain Lodge

We transfer to the eastern parts of the Usambaras. Hope to find the Usambara Eagle Owl, Uluguru Violet-backed & Purple-banded Sunbirds, among Half-collared Kingfisher, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, White-eared Barbet, Kurrichane Thrush, Kenrik’s Starling, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Fischer’s Turaco among many others.

Overnight at Amani Rest House

Drive west of Arusha to Tarangire National Park characterized by Acacia wooded savannahs. Superb birding and big game. Birds may include endemics Ashy Starling & Yellow-collared Lovebird. Secretary Bird, Tawny, African Fish & Martial Eagles, Pigmy Falcon, Lappet-faced & White-headed Vultures, Magpie Shrike.

Overnight at Tarangire Sopa Lodge

Morning gamedrive en-route Lake Manyara National Park huge concentrations of waterfowl including Lesser Flamingo, Spur-winged & Knob-billed Ducks. Later in the day heading for Ngorongoro Crater whose forest gallery may produce both Hartlaub’s & Shallow’s Turacos and the highland grassland with the Jackson’s Widowbird, Capped Wheatear, Montane White-eye.

Overnight at Lake Manyara Lodge

We’ll transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area for 2 nights and an en-route gamedrive to our lodge for lunch and later driving along the rim of the crater. We will also spend a day inside the Ngorongoro Crater with huge concentration of big mammals.

Overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge

We’ll transfer to Lake Ndutu area, a good site for one of the Tanzanian endemics Grey-breasted Spurfowl. Lunch and dinner at the lodge.

Overnight at Lake Ndutu Safari Lodge

After breakfast birding and big game drive en-route to Serengeti National Park and spending our next 3 nights in the park. The open plains filled with Wildebeest, Common Zebra, Topi, Kongoni, Impala, Grant’s and Thomson’s Gazelles are trailed along with the no less than species 5 vultures (African White-backed, Lappet-faced, White-headed Ruppell’s and Hooded) while other birds of prey may include Black-chested Snake, Martial, Bateleur, Long-crested Eagles, both Eastern and Pale Chanting Goshawk, , Magpie Shrike, Brown-crowned Tchagra.

Overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge

After breakfast birding en-route to Mwanza located on the shores of the Lake Victoria for the papyrus endemics and specialties such as Papyrus Canary & Gonolek, Swamp Flycatcher, Caruthers’s Cisticola and others.

Overnight at Speke’s Bay Resort.

Whole morning birding on the shore of the lake and after lunch we will transfer to the nearby Mwanza Airport for a local transfer flight to Arusha. Dinner and transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight.