Birdwatching in Tanzania
Tanzania is an excellent destination for birders. Besides Lake Manyara and Arusha National Parks which are famous for water birds and other savannah and forest species, all the game parks in Tanzania have an amazing array of birdlife including Eurasian migrants. The most interesting part is that the birdlife may vary from park to park depending on habitats providing a richer viewing experience to the birder. It may be useful to learn that over 1,130 different species of birds have been recorded in Tanzania – the largest number in Africa second only to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Below is a list of a few game parks and the number of bird species that have been recorded in each:
- Arusha National Park – over 400 bird species including water birds in Momella Lakes
- Lake Manyara National Park – over 400 bird species including water birds
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – over 550 bird species
- Tarangire National Park – over 550 bird species
- Serengeti National Park – over 400 bird species
- Mikumi National Park – over 400 bird species
- Selous Game Reserve – over 440 bird species
- Ruaha National Park – over 571 bird species
- Udzungwa Mountains – over 250 species mainly forest species
Top-rated Birding Destinations to see in Tanzania
Tanzania is an extensive, untouched wilderness with the second largest lake in the world; Lake Victoria – a freshwater lake home to 400 bird species, and one of the seven summits, Mount Kilimanjaro. It is also considered one of the best places for world wilderness viewing, including Arusha, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Manyara National Parks.
The National parks in Tanzania are made up of various landscapes including open savannah grassland, bush, and scrub with large rivers running through them. This means that these parks host an incredible array of birdlife including the Secretary Bird, numerous vultures, eagles and hawks, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Gabon Nightjar, Lilac-breasted Roller, Ground Hornbill, Red-throated Tit, Sooty Chat, and a wide variety of larks, pipits and widowbirds. The thick riverine forest bordering the Mara and Talek riversholdsd African Finfoot, Livingstone’s & Ross’s Turaco, Giant Kingfisher, Blue Flycatcher, Double-toothed Barb, et and the rare Pel’s Fishing O. At the same time aree the feeding ground for the largest concentration of Lesser Flamingo’s on the planet (being about 2 million) is found at Lake Natron.
Tanzania’s Top Birding Destinations
Arusha National Park
Rubondo Island National Park
Lake Victoria
Lake Natron
Lake Eyasi
Lake Tanganyika
Usambara Mountains
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Top Reads
If this is your first birdwatching trip to Tanzania, consider these articles as a starting point for selecting the best locations for your trip.
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This is a collection of everything we’ve written about birding in Tanzania. If there’s something we’ve missed or if you have a specific question about Tanzania birds, please contact us.
