Bird Watching

Ethiopia’s Rift Valley lakes, highland massift, lowlands and semi-deserts provide the varried terrain to support an amazing variety of Birds. The country’s position and terrain has enabled the evolution of many birds of the region into unique forms and species. Ethiopia boasts 857 bird species, of the world 9,500 species 10% of the world bird species lives and found in Ethiopia, of which 30 are considered Endemic.

Bird Watching is your life time ticket to the theater of the Nature. So bird watching can be organized at different places as per the request of the client.

Abiyyata and Shalla Park

It was created primarily for its aquatic bird life, particularly those that feed and breed on lakes Abijatta and Shalla in Large numbers. The park compresses the two lakes, the isthmus between them and a thin strip of land along the shorelines of each. Developments have been limited to a number of tracks on land, and the construction of seven outposts. While attention is focused on the water birds the land area does contain a reasonable amount of other wildlife.

 

Lake Abijatta
Fresh water flows into it trough the small Horakello stream. The steam mouth is a source of relatively fresh water, much frequented by water birds for drinking and bathing. The Lake is surrounded by gentle, grass covered slopes and acacia woodlands.

 

Lake Shalla
By contrast surrounded as it is by steep, black cliffs and peaks that reflect in its waters, is the deepest lake of the Rift valley 260meters (853 feet). It is exceptionally beautiful, with shores that give a scent of mystery with their hot sulphurous springs that bubble up and flow into the lake.

There are over 400 bird species recorded here almost half the number recorded for the whole country. Although the islands in Lake Shalla are a real birds paradise, the birds fly to Lake Abijatta to feed. Abijatta itself is very alkaline but shallow, so flamingoes can be seen scattered over most of its surface, and especially along the windward edge where their algal food source concentrates. You can approach quite closely, but beware of treacherous deep and mud if the lake is low. Large numbers of flamingos gather here, together with great white pelicans and a wide variety of other water birds.
Besides of the rich Bird life, some mammals can be spotted at the Lake Abijatta-Shalla National Park, especially Grant's gazelle, Oribi warthog and the golden Jackal.

 

Hot springs: The headquarters houses a small museum which gives an excellent idea of the wealth of bird life in the park. A further track leads on from dole to the shores of Lake Shalla where hot steam mud and water bubble to the earth's surface. Revered locally for their medicinal properties the hot springs have a sense of primeval myustery about them, especially in the cooler early mornings. They are relics of the massive volcanic activity that has formed this amazing country and landscape.

 

Awash Park

The birds of Awash Park are numerous; over 450 species are recorded for the park: (The check list is available at the museum at park Head quarters). They range from the great ostrich frequently and easily observed and the less common secretary bird and Abyssinian ground hornbill to the flashes of brilliant pink which are the carmine bee eaters, and the Abyssinian roller with turquoise and purple wings. And turaco, go away birds, birds of prey, and birds of the savannah.

In Awash National Park Camping is far out the best alternative camping sites are located on the edge of the river above the falls, Large spreading trees provide not only shade but also they shelter a wonderful collection of birds.

 

Omo Park

Located in the south-west on the west bank of Omo River, 870km south west of Addis Ababa covering an area of approx 4,068sq km
Wildlife found in this park include buffalo, elephant, giraffe, cheetah, lion, leopard, zebra, kudu, hartebeest, oryx, Anubis baboon and many other animals over 306 species of birds can be seen.