14 Days Tanzania Birding Safari Holiday

Our Tanzania adventure starts with a birding excursion to Arusha National Park. Arusha National Park is located close to the city of Arusha, the capital of the northern safari circuit in Tanzania, and is a complete contrast to birding anywhere else in the much drier surroundings. We will spend the day exploring the mosaic of forest and grassland habitats in search of the park specials which could include Scaly Francolin, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Narina Trogon, White-starred Robin, White-eared Barbet, Stripe-faced and Grey-olive Greenbuls, Red-throated Twinspot, Black-throated Wattle-eye, African Emerald Cuckoo, Red- winged and Violet-backed Starlings, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Pallid Honeyguide, Mountain Oriole, Mbulu White-eye, Red- backed Mannikin, shy Rüppell’s Robin- Chat, Green-backed Honeybird, Fan-tailed Grassbird, Moustached Grass Warbler and Bronzy Sunbird. Mammal highlights may include sightings of African Buffalo, Common Waterbuck, ‘Maasai’ Giraffe, Harvey’s Duiker, Spotted Hyena and Blue Beesley’s Lark by Adam Riley Monkey. Meals and Overnight at Mount Meru Game Lodge or Similar (FB)

After breakfast departure to Sinya across a landscape with spectacular views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro and plains populated by Maasai pastoralists with their herds of cattle, sheep and goats. We spend the day escorted by “Morani”, Maasai warriors in search of birds. The area also hosts some of the biggest elephants in East Africa. Interesting species include Maasai Ostrich, Kori bustard, Crowned plover, Crested francolin, Temminck’s courser, Heuglin’s Coutrser, White browed sparrow weaver, Fischer’s starling, Hildebrandt’s starling, Wattled starling, Rufous chatterer, Rosy patched shrike, Slate coloured boubou, White headed buffalo weaver, Black necked weaver, Spike heeled lark, Grey wren warbler, Banded Parisoma, Von der Decken’s hornbill, White bellied go away bird, Eastern pale chanting goshawk, African spoonbill, Glossy ibis, Blue-naped mouse bird. Return to Arusha in time for Dinner and Overnight at Mount Meru Game Lodge or Similar (FB)

We depart Arusha on an early morning transfer to Tarangire National Park. En route there are bound to be birding stops, especially in the drier Acacia woodland and scrubby areas. This roadside birding can often be very productive and may include sightings of Blue-naped Mousebird, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, White-bellied Go-away-bird, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird and Golden-backed Weaver. The Tarangire ecosystem is the third largest in Tanzania, sprawling over a vast 20,000 square km (over 7,700 sq miles).

Seasonally, the park supports the second largest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania, surpassed only by the Serengeti during peak migration! However, Tarangire is most famous for its huge numbers of African Elephant that congregate along the meandering Tarangire River. We will take our time to observe these massive pachyderms and will surely be amazed at their tender family interactions. Other mammals likely to be seen include the stately Waterbuck, Impala, comical Common Warthog and Giraffe. Night birding around our lodge can also be fruitful, and we will look for Slender-tailed and Freckled Nightjars as well as the diminutive African Scops Owl. Spend 2 Nights at Tarangire Sopa Lodge or Similar (FB)

After breakfast drive to Lake Manyara. The next two days will be spent visiting the Ground water forest and the Lake of the park by car and a walking safari on the Rift Valley Escarpment. Lake Manyara National Park lies at the foot of the Great Rift Valley and is only 330 square kms with most of its surface under water. The park’s interest lies in its diversity of habitats: Ground water forest, acacia woodland and the alkaline lake, and is famous for the climbing tree habits of its lions.

The park’s bird list covers 380 species. Interesting species: Dusky turtle dove, Palm nut vulture, Egyptian vulture, Spur winged plover, Madagascar pratincole, Chestnut banded plover, Purple crested Turaco, Taita fiscal, Southern black flycatcher, Silvery cheeked hornbill, Red bill hornbill, Grey hornbill, Ground hornbill, Crested guinea fowl, African fish eagle, Black winged stilt, African spoon bill, Egyptian goose. White pelican. Marabou stork. Spend 2 Nights at Kirurumu Manyara Lodge or Similar (FB)

After breakfast depart to the Highlands of Karatu near Ngorongoro Crater. After lunch bird walk at Gibbs Farm in Karatu, we head to Ngorongoro Crater Rim, Interesting species on the way include: Mountain greenbul, Paradise flycatcher, Dusky flycatcher, White eye slaty flycatcher, Cinnamon chested bee eater, Augur buzzard (white and dark morph), Black saw wing, Grey capped warbler, Black kite, Red knobed coot, Avocet, Black crown night heron, Anteater chat, Baglafecht weaver, Hunters cisticola, Red rumped swallow, Montane nightjar, Schalows Turaco, Scaly Francolin, Golden winged sunbird, Mountain yellow eye. Dinner and Overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.

After an early breakfast, we will descend 600m (1,970ft) to the Ngorongoro Crater floor itself. The crater is deluxe ‘Big Five’ territory and a photographer’s dream. Most of the animals are extremely relaxed and habituated to the presence of human admirers and the high crater walls, usually cloaked in a pure white frosting of clouds, make for Eastern Double-collared Sunbird by Adam Riley dramatic back-drops to animal photographs. In addition, the crater floor provides a mini-example of a complete African ecosystem with forests, lakes, grasslands, swamps and rivers. Between 25,000 and 30,000 large animals reside in the crater and great concentrations of Common Wildebeest and Plains Zebra are supplemented by smaller numbers of African Elephant (we hope to find some of the crater’s famous Tuskers), African Buffalo, the highly sought-after Black Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Common Eland and Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles.

The crater reputably boasts the world’s highest concentration of predators, and these include Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Serval, Bat-eared Fox, Spotted Hyena, African Golden Wolf (Golden Jackal) and Black-backed Jackal. The birding is equally rewarding and we can expect to find many of the picture-book species which make Africa so famous. Pink rafts of Greater and Lesser Flamingos on Lake Magadi, Common Ostrich striding over the grasslands, regal Kori Bustard (the world’s heaviest flying bird), the elegant Grey Crowned Crane and good numbers of raptors including the unique Secretary bird, Bateleur and Martial Eagle could all be found.

Amongst the many other species that we may encounter, we hope to see the uncommon Shelley’s Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Dusky Turtle Dove, White-headed Barbet, Pectoral-patch Cisticola, comical Anteater Chat, Black-crowned Tchagra, the striking Rosy-throated Longclaw, Fan-tailed Widowbird and the skittish Quailfinch, the latter probably more easily seen here than anywhere else! Return to the crater rim this afternoon for dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.

This morning we make our way to the world famous Serengeti National Park. En route we pass through an area which is home to the Maasai people. These tall, proud nomadic warriors are famous for their legendary prowess in battle and single-handed acts of bravery in fights with wild animals. Here, we have the opportunity for an optional (non-inclusive) excursion to a traditional Maasai village. A local guide will explain their unique culture as you watch the people busy about their daily chores. You will also be treated to a display of the famous Maasai dancing and will have unlimited photographic opportunities. Time dependent, we may stop at the famous Oldupai Gorge, so named after the wild Sisal plant that grows in the gorge.

As a result of massive geological activities over the eons, Oldupai provides a unique record of countless years of fossilized creatures and plants in a series of stratified rock-layers. Most famous of all discoveries, which revolutionized thinking on hominid evolution, have been those of Australopithecine hominid remains found by the Leakey family. After an introductory lecture we have time to explore the very informative museum at the site which exhibits replicas of the hominid fossils and extinct animals that used to inhabit the region, ranging from River Elephant and Giant Swine to Short-necked Giraffe! A bird walk around the site may yield a variety of arid-country species such as the vocal Slate-colored Boubou, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Rufous Chatterer, Kenya Sparrow, Vitelline Masked Weaver, White-bellied Canary, Southern Grosbeak-Canary and the beautiful Purple Grenadier. Thereafter, we continue our travels westward on the rutted dirt track across the vast, flat and seemingly endless Serengeti Plains, to Lazy Leopard by Clayton Burne spend three nights in one of the world’s most renowned game reserves. All meals and overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge.

Two full days at Serengeti National Park. Extending for an incredible 15,000km² (5,790 mi²), the Serengeti is one of the world’s largest natural sanctuaries. Despite the vast space, the numbers of game that we can expect to see is still astounding. The Serengeti, literally meaning “Endless Plain” in Maasai, consists mostly of grasslands interspersed with Acacia woodlands and rocky outcrops. There is little permanent water in the park and this fact, combined with a fairly regular rainfall pattern, has resulted in the world- famous Wildebeest migration, when up to two million large ungulates move between the Serengeti in Tanzania and Maasai Mara in Kenya. Our visit is timed so that we might bear witness to unbelievable numbers of wildebeest, zebra and antelope, an unrivalled and primeval wonder of the natural world! During our visit to the Serengeti we will explore the southern and central areas. Once again we have the chance of finding the full complement of African mega fauna.  All meals and overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge.

We have our last game drive this morning and after breakfast, you’ll check out of your accommodation and you will be transferred to Seronera Airstrip in the Serengeti for your flight back to Arusha. The one-hour flight takes us to Arusha, where we have dayrooms at a quiet hotel outside the city. There is time to rest, shower and prepare for flights home this evening. This marks the end of your Tanzania Wildlife Birding Safari Adventure (BLD).