Up Coming Tours, 2016/2017
TANZANIA
March Tanzania Birding Safari
May Tanzania Birding Safari
June Tanzania Birding Safari
October Tanzania Birding Safari
December Tanzania Birding Safari
Tanzania boasts a large number of unusual and endemic bird species, and a list which nearly equals that of neighboring Kenya. We shall visit the famous northern parks, as well as areas of endemism, which include the Usambara, Udzungwa and Uluguru Mountains, and the Kilombero floodplain, where several new species have been discovered in the last twenty years.We begin with a daytime flight to Arusha, where we settle in to our hotel.
After a little local birding, we set off to Arusha National Park, where we should find several bird species, including Taveta Golden Weaver, Crowned Eagle, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Retz’s Red-billed Shrike and Brown-breasted Barbet.We next carry out a circuit of the famous northern game parks. These are famous for their high densities of large mammals, including healthy populations of Lion, Cheetah, Elephant and Black Rhino, as well as several gazelles and others.
Birdlife is also profuse; from the endemic Grey-breas! ted Spurfowl, Fischer’s and Yellow-collared Lovebirds, Rufous-tailed Weaver and Ashy Starling; to Ground Hornbill, Ostrich, Usambiro and Crested Barbets, Schalow’s Turaco, Magpie Shrike, Rosy-breasted Longclaw, and numerous Larks and Cisticolas. Lake Manyara is also home to thousands of Lesser Flamingo. After skirting the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, we reach the Usambara Mountains.
These mountains are bedecked with numerous plantations, but the areas of extant forest hold several endemics, and rare species. These include; Sharpe’s and Usambara Akalats, Spot-throat, Usambara Eagle Owl, Kretschmer’s Longbill, Red-capped Forest Warbler, Usambara Weaver, and Banded Green Sunbird Following from here, we will visit the Uluguru and Udzungwa Mountains.
Here, we find the newly discovered Rufous-winged Sunbird and Udzungwa Forest Partridge, along with numerous other endemics and rarities, including Loveridge’s Sunbird, Uluguru Bush-shrike, Mrs. Moreau’s Warbler, Bertram’s Weaver, Swynnerton’s Robin, Chapin’s Apalis.Whilst in the area, we will take the opportunity of visiting the Kilombero floodplains, near Ifakara, where three endemics were recently discovered, Kilombero Weaver, and Kilombero and Melodious Cisticolas.
We will also visit Mikumi National Park, where we hope to see Boehm’s and Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters, Racket-tailed Roller, Pale-billed Hornbill and Miombo Rock Thrush, and Hunting Dog is a possibility. Finally, we head to Dar-es-Salaam, where we should add a few shore and seabirds to our list before we have to head home.
Please note that:
*** Each day will begin with either an optional bird walk in the hotel grounds at 0630, followed by an 0700 or 0730 breakfast, or, where an early breakfast is indicated, this is at 0630, and we hope to get moving by 0700 – 0730. In most forest areas, we will opt for the early breakfast, and hope to start birding by 0730, as prior to this, the birds don’t move much, as it is dark in the understorey. Daylight hours are 0630 – 1900, and for safety reasons, we try to avoid driving after dark wherever possible.
***Accommodations are generally very good, with attached bathrooms, but there are shared facilities in some of the forest areas and the south, where accommodation is clean and comfortable, and generally the best available in the location.
***Exact times of arrival and departure usually depend upon how good birding is before departure from an area. We will endeavor to take lunch between 1300 and 1400, which will often be a packed lunchbox, although again, this will! vary with location, as it is always better to take lunch with birding around.
***In the evening, the meal will usually be at about 1930-2000, and the tour leader will run through a log of the day’s birds either before or after this for those who are interested.
Also available on private/ anytime departure for individuals,families and groups with private guiding.