Unforgettable Tanzania Birding Safaris: Premier Bird Watching Tours
Searching for the best birding safari Tanzania has to offer? We are happy to organize for you an amazing birding safari in Tanzania. Bird watching in Tanzania offers incredible joy and a chance to deepen your understanding of avian life. When you book a bird watching safari in Tanzania, you get to venture into the wilderness in search of various bird species, and the thrill of adventure unfolds.
During your Tanzania birding safaris, you'll have the opportunity to encounter some of Africa's rarest bird species. Often overlooked by many travelers, birding is one of the most rewarding travel experiences, and Africa boasts some of the world's finest birding opportunities. See some of our Tanzania birding safari packages below.
Tanzania is home to a multitude of East African endemic bird species, including those found in the Miombo (south-central African) region.
In addition to birding, travelers have the chance to observe a diverse array of wildlife species, including Africa’s renowned “Big Five” animals: lions, leopards, buffalos, and elephants.
Tanzania also offers access to some of the continent’s most iconic locations, such as the great rift valley lake teeming with flamingos, Serengeti National Park with its thriving populations of big cats and the annual wildebeest migration spectacle, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the world’s tallest mountains, among others.
Conservation & Birding Safaris in Tanzania
The European Bee-eater in Tanzania
In a dedicated effort to preserve nature, Tanzania has set aside approximately 30% of its land area, equivalent to about 975,000 square kilometers.
It has earned recognition as one of the world’s four significant birding destinations, boasting biodiversity hotspots characterized by unique bird, reptile, and mammal species, particularly within the African lowland forests where numerous bird species thrive in the treetops.
Birding opportunities abound in various locations, including the renowned Eastern Arc Mountains, the coastal forests of East Africa, the Serengeti ecosystem, Mahale Mountains, the southern highlands, Pemba Islands, the Kilombero river valley, and more.
With an impressive tally of approximately 1,134 recorded bird species and continuous discoveries, Tanzania’s bird-life continues to captivate enthusiasts.
Among the bird species you may encounter are kingfishers, ostriches, storks, superb starlings, waterfowl, fish eagles, flamingos, hornbills, lilac-breasted rollers, and crowned cranes.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area alone boasts over 500 distinct bird species, while the Serengeti region is home to three Tanzanian endemics.
Birding can be enjoyed year-round, with the optimal months being from June to August and December to February, coinciding with bird migration periods in search of mates and sustenance.
Adequate birding attire is essential, given that activities often take place in forests or wetlands.
It’s advisable to bring a quality camera for photography, binoculars, mosquito repellent, and other essentials.
Whether you are a solo birder, a researcher, a family, or a group of friends, Tanzania offers world-class accommodations spanning from luxury to budget options, along with various transportation choices.
Depending on your preferences and budget, we can organize a birding safari in Tanzania, where your ultimate adventure awaits.
Tanzania’s natural landscapes, including forests, lakes, mountains, and scenic terrains, provide ideal settings for birding activities, guided by knowledgeable experts who will impart valuable birding insights and explanations to enhance your experience.
Why Go Birding in Tanzania
The Lilac Breasted Roller
Tanzania is renowned for being an excellent destination for wildlife watching, but it’s also a birding paradise, hosting numerous bird species.
There are so many reasons to go birding in Tanzania and below are some of them.
Abundant Bird-life
One of the reasons why tourists should consider birding in Tanzania is the country’s abundance of bird-life.
Tanzania is a birder’s paradise with over 1000 bird species recorded.
Of these, 800 species are resident, approximately 200 are seasonal immigrant birds, and 43 species are near-endemics to Tanzania.
Tanzania Bird Species
Tanzania boasts 1,155 confirmed bird species, with 29 of these being endemic to the country, and 4 introduced by humans.
Bird enthusiasts can encounter a wide variety of species during birding tours, including common ostrich, golden-breasted bunting, Somali bunting, oriole finch, yellow-fronted canary, white-bellied canary, black-throated canary, cape wagtail, mountain wagtail, tree pipit, yellow-throated longclaw, pangani longclaw, plain-backed pipit, house sparrow, yellow-throated bush sparrow, northern gray-headed sparrow, parrot-billed sparrow, chestnut sparrow, pin-tailed whydah, green indigo bird, village indigo bird, straw-tailed whydah, broad-tailed paradise whydah, bronze manikin, grey-headed silverbill, yellow-billed waxbill, Abyssinian crimson wing, java sparrow, black-tailed waxbill, white-collared olive back, speckle-fronted weaver, rufous-tailed weaver, yellow-billed duck, red-billed duck, tufted back, southern pochard, cape teal, African pygmy goose, helmeted Guinea fowl, Vulturine Guinea fowl, Shelley’s francolin, blue quail, scaly francolin, ring-necked francolin, greater flamingo, lesser flamingo, little grebe, eared grebe, yellow-throated sandgrouse, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, Kori bustard, Hartlaub’s bustard, white-bellied bustard, great blue turaco, bare-faced go-away bird, purple-crested turaco, black coucal, Senegal coucal, pied cuckoo, klaa’s cuckoo, dusky long-tailed cuckoo, African emerald cuckoo, common cuckoo, sombre nightjar, standard-winged nightjar, square-tailed nightjar, slender-tailed nightjar, bat-like spine-tail, African swift, white-rumped swift, African palm swift, Nyanza swift, Alpine swift, scarce swift, white-spotted flufftail, chestnut-headed flufftail, African rail, red-knobbed rail, African swamphen, black crake, spotted crake, African finfoot, gray-crowned crane, white-winged tern, sooty tern, white-tailed tropic bird, African openbill, marabou stork, great white pelican, southern giant petrel, masked booby, and secretary bird, among others.
Endemic Bird Species in Tanzania
Tanzania, located in East Africa has a diverse rich birdlife of over 1,000 different species of birds inclusive of over 30 endemic species that can only be found in different regions of the country.
Some of the near-endemic bird species in Tanzania include; Eastern Crested Guinea fowl, Sokoke Scops-owl, Sokoke pipit, Usambiro barbet, Dark batis, Short-tailed batis, Gray-chested helmetshrike, Zanzibar boubou, Red-throated tit, Long-billed tailor bird, African tailor bird, Mbulu white-eye, Tanzanian Illadopsis, Swahili sparrow, Northern pied-babbler, Kenrick’s starling, Abbott’s starling, Hildebrandt’s starling, Amani sunbird, Tsavo sunbird, Rufous-tailed weaver, Tanganyika masked-weaver, Jackson’s weaver, Brown headed apalis, Swahili sparrow, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Rubeho Forest-partridge, Rubeho warbler, South Pare White-eye, White-lined Barbet, Winifred’s Warbler, Emin’s Barbet, Fischer’s Lovebird, Grey-breasted Francolin, Grey-breasted Illadopsis among others.
Non-Endemic Bird Species in Tanzania
Tanzania is an important birding destination to bird lovers with over 1,000 different bird species and of these species, over 800 bird species are non-endemic. This means they are not exclusive to Tanzania and can be found elsewhere.
The non-endemic bird species in Tanzania
Eurasian bee-eater, European roller, Black kite, Common sandpiper, Yellow wagtail, Pied avocet, European swallow, African sacred ibis, African openbill stork, Little stint, Long tailed fiscal, White-headed mouse bird, Secretary bird, Pale-billed hornbill, Marsh tchagra, Board-tailed paradise whydah, Golden breasted starling, Green tinkerbird, Bar-tailed trogon, Green-headed oriel, Hartlaub’s turaco, Brown necked parrot, Chestnut-fronted helmet shrike, Pink-backed pelicans, Grey crowned crane, Saddle billed stork, Yellow billed stork, Silvery cheeked hornbill, Pied kingfisher, Malachite kingfisher, Giant kingfisher, African Pitta, Marabou stork, Open-billed stork, African Gray flycatcher, Rufuos-tailed weaver, Pink-breasted Lark, Vulturine Guineafowl, Eastern yellow-billed hornbill, Ostriches, Kori bustard, Ground hornbill, Helmeted guineafowl, Greater flamingos, Lesser flamingos, Grey herons, Goliath herons, White egrets, Black-headed herons, Cattle egrets, African Spoonbill, Hadada ibis, Sacred ibis, African skimmers, White-backed vulture, Palmnut vulture, African Jacana, African darter, Common cormorants, Common Bulbul, Spur winged goose, Egyptian goose, Black-winged stilt, Long crested eagle, African fish eagle, Verreoux’s eagle, Auger buzzard, Black kite, Pied crows, Verreaux’s eagle owl, Pearl-spotted owl, Ross’s turaco, Yellow-billed oxpeckers, Superb starlings, African pied-wagtail, Grey-backed fiscal, Blue-napped mousebirds, Narina trogon, Little bee-eater, to mention but a few including many other species like woodpeckers, honeyguides, barbets, warblers, swifts, swallows, waxbills, sunbirds, white-eyes, ducks, parrots, tits cuckoos, falcons, hoopoes, hawks, kites, larks, flycatchers and more.
Plan your birding safari to Tanzania for a chance to see these different bird species anytime of the year with the best time being during the wet season November through to May.
Birding Destinations in Tanzania
The Mangrove Kingfisher in Bagamoyo, Tanzania
Below are some of the best birding destinations in Tanzania.
1. Birding Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is located in the northeastern part of Tanzania, covering an area of 137 square kilometers.
This annual migration involves 1.3 million wildebeests, 300,000 zebras, Grant’s gazelles, and other antelopes migrating to the neighboring Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
Besides the migration, the park offers excellent wildlife watching experiences and is also a great destination for birding.
Serengeti National Park is home to 702 bird species, including two introduced species and 19 globally threatened species.
Examples of birds found in Serengeti include common ostrich, southern pochard, African black duck, common quail, greater flamingo, little grebe, speckled pigeon, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, European nightjar, scarce swift, Alpine swift, common swift, klaa’s cuckoo, purple swamp hen, Kori bustard, white-bellied go-away bird, great white pelican, little egret, African sacred ibis, long-tailed cormorant, and African darter, among others.
A mini-migration also takes place at Lake Manyara National Park during the dry season.
It’s one of the best places for seeing water birds in Tanzania, with 603 species of birds recorded.
Bird species at the park include bare-eyed thrush, Abyssinian wheatear, common rock thrush, white-browed robin-chat, African dusky flycatcher, Fischer’s starling, yellow-billed oxpecker, broad-ringed white-eye, common white-throat, common bulbul, barn swallow, olive tree warbler, ashy cisticola, red-faced crombec, flappet lark, cinnamon-breasted bunting, oriole finch, African pipit, pin-tailed whydah, African golden weaver, variable sunbird, and fork-tailed drongo, among others.
4. Birding Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park, located west of Iringa town, was one of Tanzania’s earliest national parks protected for conservation.
It boasts prolific wildlife and is less crowded than other national parks in the country.
Ruaha National Park is home to 497 bird species, making it an excellent destination for bird enthusiasts.
Some of the bird species you can spot in Ruaha include red-billed duck, helmeted guinea fowl, little grebe, wattle lapwing, common ringed plover, African jacana, African snipe, wood sandpiper, three-banded courser, African openbill, great cormorant, hamerkop, white-backed night heron, black-winged kite, crowned eagle, common buzzard, pearl-spotted owlet, speckled mouse bird, southern ground hornbill, malachite kingfisher, lilac-breasted roller, and greater honey guide, among others.
5. Birding Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the world’s largest intact caldera, boasting the highest concentration of wildlife on Earth.
It is also known for Olduvai Gorge, referred to as the “cradle of mankind,” where early human fossils have been found, aiding in the understanding of human evolution.
Packing List for Birding in Tanzania
Going birding is not like going on game drives.
Tourists will often get out of the car and do some birding at the lake-shores, forests, and various locations to look out for birds.
Birding is usually done early in the morning or late in the evening.
Some of the things you need to pack while going for a Tanzania birding safari include:
A camera
Binoculars
Torch
Headlamp
A pair of walking shoes
A field notebook
A pen
A field guide
A scope and tripod
A voice recorder
Appropriate clothing
A waterproof day bag
A water bottle
A charger
Batteries
Toiletries
Energy-giving snacks, and many other essential items you may need.
Best Time for Birding in Tanzania
Birding in Tanzania can be done all year round, but the very best time for birding is November to April when migratory birds from Europe and North Africa are present in most birding destinations.
During this period, resident birds are also breeding and nesting.
If you’re interested in combining your birding safari with wildlife watching, then you can visit from December to February, which favors both birding and wildlife watching.
The Tanzania National Bird
The Grey-crowned Crane – Tanzania’s National Bird
The national bird of Tanzania is the grey-crowned crane, also known as the African crowned crane, golden crested crane, East African crowned crane, and African crane.
The crowned crane can weigh up to 3.5 kilograms with a wingspan of 2 meters and stands at 1 meter tall.
Its head has a crown of golden feathers, its wings contain several colors though predominantly white, its bill is short and grey in color, and it has long black legs.
Males are slightly larger than females.
The grey crowned crane is found in East and South Africa.
They have breeding displays of bowing, jumping, and dancing, with dancing being part of courtship.
Cranes are mostly omnivores.
The IUCN listed grey crowned cranes as vulnerable in 2012, with about 77,000 crested cranes left in the world.
Grey crowned crane eggs are incubated by both sexes for about 28 to 31 days, and as soon as chicks hatch, they can run and fledge in 56 to 100 days.
One interesting fact about grey cranes is that they gather in large numbers in a kind of wedding ceremony when two chicks are being “married off.”
The newlyweds dance for the group together before flying off to start a new life.
Add-ons to your Birding Trips in Tanzania
Birding in Tanzania can be done in all the country’s national parks, but the above are designated national parks where visitors have a better chance of spotting more birds than in other areas.
A Tanzania birding trip is also more successful when you have a well-experienced and knowledgeable guide, which will make your trip more memorable.
The best time for birding in Tanzania is from November to April when migratory birds from North Africa and Europe are present in the parks, while other resident birds are also breeding.
Tanzania Birding trips can also always be combined with wildlife trips in Tanzania, as most birding areas in the country are in national parks, offering tourists the bonus of wildlife viewing while birding.
Essential Tanzania Birding Tips that you should follow
The Helmeted Guineafowl, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
There are some birding tricks and tips that all birders should practice or know while birding, including:
Pre-focus your binoculars: Sometimes, when you hear a bird but don’t see it, keep your binoculars where you hear the sound from. In case the bird comes out of its hiding, you will see it properly.
Listen: Birds are often heard before being seen, so always listen and fix your eyes on the area the sound is coming from. You are more likely to see a bird.
Phishing: Phishing is a certain sound made using the mouth to attract birds. This sound mimics scolding calls of small birds when threatened by a predator, which attracts larger birds to investigate.
Use apps to confirm sounds: Sometimes, people might not be sure of the bird sound, so they use app sounds to confirm which bird is calling. However, this should be played quietly enough for the bird not to hear.
Take time observing flying birds: Keep your eyes on the bird until it disappears, as flight styles can also be crucial for identification.
Notice plumage patterns: Observe markings on a bird like eyes, color, brows, stripes, patches, wing bars, distinct patterns, and many other characteristics.
Don’t look away: Once you spot a bird, keep your eyes on it even while moving your binoculars, as sometimes you might look away and lose focus.
Practice using binoculars: While out for a walk and not particularly looking for birds, you can practice using your binoculars by learning to focus on small things, even if it’s not a bird.
Notice edge habitats: Different bird species prefer different habitat types like lakes, forests, shrubs, and many others, making it easier to observe a bird.
Mornings and evenings: Birds are active most of the day, but they are more active early in the mornings and evenings, which are the best times to go birding.
Time of the year and weather matters: Depending on the weather, birds might stay stagnant in one place during heavy rains and intense sunshine. Birds also migrate during specific months of the year.
Other Tanzania Safari Types
Wildlife Safaris in Tanzania
There are various Tanzania safari types that you can book to make your holiday unique.
