Our 11 day birding safari is a careful drafted itinerary that takes you to the most famous and quintessential birding spots and forest reserves. Among of the many birds that will target on this tour are grey wren warbler, Usambara Hyliota, Beasley’s lark, Usambara eagle owl, Red-fronted Barbet, Amani sunbird, Usambara Akalati, Capped Wheatear, South Pare White-eye, Black-capped Social-Weaver just to mention a few.
Early morning pick-up from your hotel in Arusha then will take a short drive (about an hour) to Lark plains in north-west of Arusha for dry country birds. Some of Birds on our target are the endemic Beasley’s lark and other dry county specials such as Short-tailed Lark, Athi Short-toed Lark, Red-capped Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Fischer’s Sparrow-lark, Taita Fiscal, Capped Wheatear, and other migrants’ birds. Later, will do birding around Maasai Bomas area for the Red-throated Tit, Red-fronted Barbet, Northern Crombec, Pygmy Batis, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Grey Wren-Warbler, and other nice birds. Evening, will drive back to your hotel in Arusha for overnight.
Early breakfast before we take a short drive to Arusha Np (about 40 minutes) looking for the endemic such as Broad-ringed or montane white-eye and the restricted range endemic Taveta Golden Weaver and other nice birds such as White-starred Robin, Bar-tailed Trogon, African Moustached Warbler, Hurtlaubs Turaco and many more. Afternoon will have a short break at the Picnic site for your well packed lunches before we proceed with birding around momela lakes. Late evening will drive back to your hotel in Arusha for overnight.
Early morning drive to Mererani, then our birding will begin from Mererani to Maasai Somali Biome. We will be birding along the road- southern side of Tanzanite mining. Nice birding. Birds on target are Grey-headed Silverbill, Tsavo Sunbird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Pink-breasted Lark, White-headed Mousebird, Golden-breasted Starling, Black-capped Social Weaver, Northern Crombec, Black-throated Barbet, Scaly Chatterer, Pygmy Batis, Mouse-Colloured Penduline-Tit, Pringle’s Puffbuck, and many more. In the evening drive back to Arusha.
This day we will start driving towards the South Pare Mountains for the Endemic South Pare White-eye and the Bar-throated Apalis race (Pareensis). Other good birds we will see around are the Usambara Double-collared Sunbird Endemic as well. Black-headed Apalis, African Yellow Warbler, Placid Greenbul, Shelley’s Greenbul, Stripe-faced Greenbul, Moustached Tinkerbird, Hartlaub´s Turaco, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon and many more. Late on drive to your hotel at small town of Same – close to Mkomazi Npational park.
Morning birding outside Mkomanzi National Park looking for Black-bellied Sunbird, Eastern Black-headed Batis, and many more, and then drive to Lushoto/ West Usambara Mountains.
Targets up there are Usambara Akalat, Usambara Wever, Usambara Thrush, Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird, Spot-throat, Montane Tiny Greenbul, White-chested Alethe, Red-capped Forest Warbler, Füllebon’s Boubou, Forest Batis, and many more.
After your well-prepared breakfast, we will take short drive to Magamba forest / West Usambara mountains for a full day birding.
Today, we will be looking for the same targets, same birds.
We will leave hotel with our well packed lunches on hand. Early evening we will drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
This morning, we will bird in Magamba if needed and drive to the East Usambara Mountains/Amani. Targets are Coastal Cisticola, Green Tinkerbird, Eastern Golden Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, Plain-backed Sunbird, Usambara Hyliota, Little Yellow Flycatcher, Fischer´s Greenbul, Little Greenbul, Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike, Lowland Tiny Greenbul, Eastern Nicator, Pale Batis, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, Tanzania Illadopsis, Cabanis´s Bunting, Southern Citril, Red-backed Mannikin, Purple-banded Sunbird, Amani Sunbird, Banded Green Sunbird, Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird, Kenrick´s Starling, Mosque Swallow, Shelley´s Greenbul, Green-headed Oriole, East Coast Boubou, Green Barbet, Usambara Eagle-Owl, Southern-banded Snake Eagle, Grey Cuckooshrike, Fischer´s Turaco and other nice birds.
This morning, after breakfast, we will drive to the tea plantation – known as Kwamkoro – looking for the endemic Long-billed Forest Warbler, Sharpe´s Akalat, Kretschmer´s Longbill, and other amazing birds. Later on drive back to Amani Rest House for hot dinner and overnight.
Full day in the East Usambara Mountains, going down to the Lowland Ziggy forest looking for the tough Usambara Hyliota, Mombasa wood-packer and many more. In the afternoon will drive back to the rest house for hot lunch, relax a bit before we go out for evening birding around botanical gardens.
Morning birding around Amani before we check-out and drive to small town of Same – close to Mkomazi national park. We will have a couple stops along the way sampling some bushes for dry country birds. Afternoon, will check-in at your hotel for hot dinner, relax a bit before we go around looking for the birds.
Early check -out and drive back to Arusha via Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir for a few aquatic birds that we might see over that area such as African Skimmer, Curlew Sandpiper, Gorgeous Sunbird and many more. Late afternoon, will drive to Kilimanjaro International airport OR to Arusha and drop of at your preferred hotel.
