ETHIOPIA TOUR REPORT 2022

14 November - 4 December 2022

by Mark Beaman

Ethiopia is one of those countries that anyone who seriously considers themselves a birder must visit. With all the Ethiopian endemics combined with the many additional endemics and specialities restricted to the ‘Horn of Africa’, it is right up there vying with South Africa and Namibia as the No.1 avian specialities hotspot in all of Africa! Our 2022 tour was a great success, recording an impressive 535 species including all the endemics and numerous near-endemics and range-restricted specialities. The only thing that interfered, and only a little, was the closure of the Negele area owing to some ethnic strife, so we missed two or three species found only in Somalia and adjacent southeast Ethiopia as a result, but we made up for this by having more time elsewhere and getting some ‘tough-to-find’ extra birds. With 48 species recorded during the tour, Ethiopia is also a fantastic venue for mammals, a number of which can be seen nowhere else!

We started off the tour with the usual crawl out of Addis Ababa, but this was to be our only heavy traffic until we returned to city at the end of the main tour. Our first drive took us through typical highland Ethiopian scenery to the town of Debre Birhan, with impromptu stops along the way for our first endemic Blue-headed Geese, White-collared Pigeons and Thick-billed Ravens (wow they are impressive!) and restricted-range Fan-tailed Ravens and Swainson’s Sparrows, plus an unexpected White-headed Vulture among a gathering of Bearded, Hooded, Rüppell’s and Lappet-faced. In the afternoon we visited Gemessa Gedal, also known as ‘Menelik’s Window’ (so-named after Ethiopia’s greatest ruler). As soon as one arrives one can see the validity of the name as there is a spectacular slot in the escarpment at this point with a drop of some 3000 metres (10,000 feet) down to the desert plains of Afar that lie far, far below. Our first Geladas put in an appearance, although here it is not like in Simien where they allow a very close approach. Soon the local farmers were chasing them down the cliffs! New endemics included Wattled Ibis, White-billed Starling, Ethiopian Siskin, Brown-rumped Seedeater and the rather unobtrusive little Ankober Serin (which we eventually got close enough to photograph thanks to the help of the local lads). A pair of Lanners put on a fantastic show for us, diving after White-collared Pigeons right in front of us, Moorland Chats were quite fearless and Cinnamon Bracken Warblers called from the low bushes. The geographically-isolated simensis form of the predominantly southern African Groundscraper Thrush was admired and indeed this endemic form is already being split by some authorities as Ethiopian Thrush. We finished off the day in some farmland where goodies included the endemic Erckel’s Spurfowl, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Yellow-shouldered Widowbird and a very unexpected Red-necked Falcon, the latter a rarity in Ethiopia that put on quite a hunting display.

We were most definitely ‘up with the lark’ (or, rather, long before any larks were about!) for our visit to the Jemaa Valley. The journey was made longer than usual as the dirt road was ‘under reconstruction’ which in Ethiopia is a euphemism for an unusually bumpy road waiting and waiting to be tarred. Not long after dawn we reached the spectacular escarpment high above the Jemaa River, a tributary of the Blue Nile, and were soon descending into Harwood’s Spurfowl territory. This highly localized endemic is not an easy bird to find, but the Jemaa is one of the best places for it and we were soon watching one that came gradually closer and closer until it gave great photo opportunities. Our first endemic Black-winged Lovebirds and restricted-range Hemprich’s Hornbills also put in an appearance. Descending further we encountered the endemic White-winged Cliff Chats and Rüppell’s Black Chats, the restricted-range Abyssinian Wheatear and the localized Fox Kestrel before reaching the river. The traditional site for Red-winged Pytilia, almost always a tricky bird, failed to turn any up and the new road construction had obliterated the long-productive site for Foxy Cisticola, so we were going to have to look in another area for these two specialities. We did find such endemics and near-endemics as Ethiopian Bee-eater, Ethiopian Boubou, Heuglin’s White-eye and Yellow-rumped Seedeater, as well as Sahel Bush Sparrow and Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, and both Half-collared and African Pygmy Kingfishers gave extraordinary close views. The highland steppe above the Jemaa also proved productive, turning up the restricted-range Red-breasted Wheatear and Erlanger’s Lark (the latter now lumped with Blanford’s Lark) as well as our first Black Stork.

From the central highlands of Ethiopia it was all downhill, quite literally, as we dropped down into the desert country of the southern part of Afar state. The people changed as well as the habitat, the highland Amhara farmers giving way to the nomadic Afars with their distinctive hairstyles and large herds of cattle and goats. We soon got used to seeing their strange, boat-like houses with grass roofs, often topped off with a modern plastic tarpaulin to keep any rain out. Our first stop on the long descent was at Melka Gebdu. By this time the highland trees had already given way to acacias and we soon located our two prime targets, the endemic Yellow-throated Seedeater and the hard-to-come-by Yellow-breasted Barbet (hard to come by as the rest of its range is in countries where birders fear to tread!). We also came across our first endemic Banded Barbet, first restricted-range Rüppell’s Weavers and first Isabelline Shrike of the tour. After encountering our first Hamadryas (or Sacred) Baboons, we finished off the day exploring the surroundings of our lodge where highlights included Greater Spotted, Booted and Wahlberg’s Eagles (the first of these moving between two wetlands), Upcher’s and Eastern Olivaceous Warblers and Nile Valley and Shining Sunbirds, not to mention some very sweet little Salt’s Dikdiks. At dusk some Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse appeared, although none settled at the drinking spot we had opted to ‘stake out’, and afterwards we encountered many Slender-tailed Nightjars although not the much rarer Star-spotted Nightjar.

The next morning we set out early for Ali Deghe–Asebot National Park, an extensive area of grasslands, finding some African Collared Doves along the way. Mammals were quite conspicuous in the park and included Beisa Oryx, Soemmering’s Gazelle, the long-necked Northern Gerenuk, Common Warthog and African Golden Wolf. Poaching from vehicles is obviously a problem in the park or at least its surroundings as all the antelopes and warthogs made a fast escape whenever we approached. Ali Deghe is, however, a great place for birding and is famous for its healthy population of the fast-declining Arabian Bustard. We saw a good number, although none of the gorgeous Northern Carmine Bee-eaters came and perched on their backs. We had to make do with one riding a Somali Ostrich, one of five we encountered during our visit. Both resident and migrant raptors were a conspicuous feature, including Black-chested Snake Eagle, plenty of Lesser Kestrels and both Pallid and Montagu’s Harriers. The restricted-range Somali Fiscal was common and we came across our first Gillett’s Lark and some Chestnut-headed and Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks among the more numerous Singing Bush Larks and Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Larks. Our first Rosy-patched Bushshrike proved popular and we also encountered our first gigantic Abyssinian Ground Hornbills.

Afterwards, it was time to explore another area where the thickets and acacias held Grey-headed Batis and Somali Bulbul while persistence paid off with a fine Black Scrub Robin. A small wetland turned up a Greater Painted-snipe as well as the more usual suspects. During the afternoon we explored Awash National Park where Kori, Buff-crested and White-bellied Bustards, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and more Gillett’s Larks were the highlights.

Before leaving Awash we successfully checked out the lava desert for the rare, range-restricted Sombre Rock Chat which was heavily outnumbered by Blackstarts. We also came across Striolated Bunting and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. The rest of our day was focused on several wetland sites as we headed for Lake Langano in the Great Rift Valley. We were fortunate with the sometimes elusive but ever-beautiful Black Crowned Crane, nine of which were encountered during the day, including a pair with three ginger chicks. Most of the waterbirds were widespread species but that did not make the large numbers of pelicans, storks, geese, ducks, shorebirds and others any the less impressive. Two Southern Pochards were an unexpected bonus.

The surroundings of Lake Langano are excellent for birding and we had a most enjoyable early morning watching a noisy flock of endemic Yellow-fronted Parrots, discovering a roosting Plain Nightjar, being entertained by the antics of some near-endemic Black-billed Wood Hoopoes and White-rumped Babblers and admiring the very localized Red-throated Wryneck. African Olive Pigeon and Bruce’s Green Pigeon were further highlights.

Once inside an area of forest the birding became slower, but still very productive with Scaly Spurfowl, beautiful, near-endemic White-cheeked Turacos bounding along the branches, huge Silvery-cheeked Hornbills noisy flapping by, gorgeous Narina’s Trogons and secretive Rüppell’s and Red-capped Robin-Chats. Other notable species included the endemic Ethiopian Oriole and restricted-range Eastern Grey Woodpecker. A Scaly-throated Honeyguide came right above us in response to a recording, Scaly Spurfowl performed, Lemon Doves cooed from low perches and both Abyssinian Ground Thrush and some Green Twinspots lived up to their reputation for shyness.

Elsewhere at Langano, we visited a couple of lodges where we added a nice pair of Greyish Eagle-Owls and some smart Little Rock Thrushes. After that, it was time to ‘head for the hills’ and we were soon on our way towards the famous Bale Mountains. The scenery along the winding highway was spectacular and once we reached the edge of the Bale Mountains National Park we stopped in an area of grassland where we found the rather localized endemic Abyssinian Longclaw as well as the endemic Ethiopian Cisticola. Mammals were conspicuous and included the impressive endemic Mountain Nyala or Gedemsa as well as Bohor Reedbucks and Olive Baboons that had clearly received too much food from passing humans!

The next day we headed east to Sof Omar, named after a famous cave system on the Gestro (or Weib) River where the Muslim saint Sof Omar Ahmed took refuge in the 11th century. As we travelled eastwards on the bumpy minor road the wheatlands of the Bale uplands gave way to small farms and pastures among the acacia woodlands of the foothills. Almost as soon as we arrived we saw a Brown-tailed Rock Chats, the first of a number of these range-restricted specialities we were to turn up. The endemic Salvadori’s Seedeater is one of Ethiopia’s scarcest endemics, so we were not hopeful of rapid success, but that too fell to our dedicated team after very little effort! Other goodies included Acacia Tit and White-crowned and Bristle-crowned Starlings, while Somali Crows seem to have invaded the towns on the northeastern flanks of the Bale.

During the afternoon we enjoyed a radical change of scenery as we searched some beautiful juniper and Hagenia forest inside Bale Mountains National Park. Our prime target here was the rare and range-restricted Abyssinian (Long-eared) Owl and our local guide finally turned one up after putting in a great deal of effort on our behalf. What a beautiful owl! (OK, I admit it, I LOVE owls…!). With the ‘big one’ in the bag we could relax and enjoy the endemic Abyssinian Woodpeckers, White-backed Black Tits, Abyssinian Slaty Flycatchers and Abyssinian Catbirds, not to mention Brown Woodland Warblers and the endemic Menelik’s Bushbuck, and even have time to watch African Black Ducks at close range and an unexpected perched Black Sparrowhawk. The localized Mountain Buzzard was a good sighting but amazingly we were to find three more in the Harenna Forest the next day!

Birding the high-altitude ascent road up onto the Sanetti Plateau in the eastern Bale Mountains is always one of the big highlights of an Ethiopian birding tour. We passed through the park gate as soon as it opened and we were soon enjoying the antics of the endemic Rouget’s Rails by the roadside. Soon enough the near-endemic Chestnut-naped Spurfowl appeared, as did the Bale form of the Brown Parisoma,. Although the latter soon made its escape unlike the very tame spurfowl.

Up on the wild plateau itself we had our first encounter with the endemic Moorland Francolin, although not everyone scored so we would have to keep trying. Ruddy Shelduck, Red-billed Chough and Golden Eagle are all at their only non-Palearctic breeding area in Ethiopia and wintering Steppe Eagles from the Eurasian steppe were a common sight. We particularly enjoyed a magical encounter with two fairly tolerant Wattled Cranes, a fast disappearing species throughout its shrinking range, and a couple of flocks of endemic Spot-breasted Lapwings.

Everyone who visits the Bale wants to see the endemic but Endangered Ethiopian Wolf, so we were thrilled when the first individuals appeared and even more excited to encounter no fewer than 11 over the course of the morning, including several that came really close as they hunted the ubiquitous Blick’s Grass Rats. A favourite prey item is the much larger (and aptly-named) Big-headed Mole Rat and we enjoyed watching them digging out their burrows, one even emerging in its entirety, which is not a common sight. Another mammal characteristic of the high Bale is the Ethiopian Highland (or Starck’s) Hare and our lead driver spotted one that had crouched right in front of the car to avoid the attentions of an approaching wolf.

A short visit to the upper section of the Harenna Forest produced an African Emerald Cuckoo and a couple of Abyssinian Ground Thrushes, plus some Guerezas (or (Eastern Black-and-white Colobus monkeys) and a roadside Bushpig. Then it was time for a successful second search for Moorland Francolin before a hot shower and dinner beckoned.

After a short session successfully luring in Montane Nightjar and then trying and failing to find a roosting Cape Eagle-Owl at our first site, we headed off to the second and here we scored big time. It took a bit of searching for, but with the help of a couple of local youths, who climbed down the cliffs to locate the owl, we were soon enjoying awesome scope views of this huge predator.

Once we returned to the Great Rift Valley we made a detour to Senkele National Park. Not much turned up from a bird perspective, although we did find Purple Roller, but the park is most famous as the last stronghold of the impressive endemic Swayne’s Hartebeest. We found lots of these impressive creatures and we also encountered some Sudan Ouribis, although they were so small they almost vanished in grass that barely went above the knees on the hartebeest!

The next morning we explored habitats beside Lake Awassa (or Hawassa) one of the most bird-rich of the Rift Valley lakes. An initial stop to try and find Clapperton’s Francolin was wildly successful with a male so intent on driving off its rival that it ran right up to us. Next up was the star bird of Awassa, African Spotted Creeper, which we had displaying right in front of us! Everything was going perfectly, and then we reached the lake itself and found the water level phenomenally high, with all the reedbeds drowned! So, no African Pygmy Geese or Allen’s Gallinules this time and not even a Goliath Heron, just hordes of African Jacanas and pleasant waterside species like Blue-headed Coucal, Lesser Swamp Warbler and Thick-billed Weaver.

As we headed south towards the far-off Kenya borderlands we came across a flock of 20 Abdim’s Storks and 2 White Storks along the way, while a stop at Lake Chamo turned up that missing Goliath Heron and more surprisingly five Black Herons. A group of Northern Masked Weavers was a ‘write-in’ on the Birdquest Ethiopia checklist.

Now we had reached Ethiopia’s ‘Deep South’, just north of the Kenya border, and here the avifauna was radically different from further north.

Our first stop was at the Sarite (or Sarite) Plain which lies to the west of Yabelo. Here, the sometimes elusive Masked Lark was unusually easy to find on this occasion and indeed we counted no fewer than 25 in total! Other good birds of restricted range included hordes of strikingly-plumaged Vulturine Guineafowl, Shelley’s Starling and Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver (after quite a search). We also had a marvellous encounter with an adult Martial Eagle that had just killed a Helmeted Guineafowl. We watched the latter crouched on its prey (at very close range from our vehicles) as the survivors cackled in alarm. Mammals here were also special, with close encounters with the beautifully-marked Grevy’s Zebra, a number of restricted-range Desert Warthogs (we were to see more further to the east) and Bright’s Gazelles.

Around Yabelo we found such restricted-range species as Foxy Lark, Tiny Cisticola, Dodson’s Bulbul, the smart Pale White-eye, Scaly Chatterer, Bare-eyed Thrush and Northern Grosbeak-Canary, as well as the first of many endemic White-tailed Swallows, a species that nests in the tall, pointed red termite mounds that are a feature of southernmost Ethiopia.

Very high on every visitor’s wants list for Ethiopia is the beautiful Ruspoli’s Turaco. Poor old Prince Ruspoli, an Italian explorer and collector, was killed by an elephant not long after ‘discovering’ this turaco for science and its whereabouts remained a mystery for around a century. Fortunately, a number of areas are now known to hold this iconic species and we visited one of them from our base at Yabelo. No sooner had we arrived at the forest and got out of the 4x4s, there they were! Five turacos bounding from branch to branch, flapping and gliding between trees and doing those amazing turaco growls!

Such a rapid success gave us extra time to bird elsewhere and we were soon watching a female House Sparrow collecting nesting material at a village with a male not far away, while more usual species included the restricted-range Shelley’s Sparrow and many perky Grey-capped and Black-capped Sparrow-Weavers. Some stops in thick bush produced really good views of the uncommon Pringle’s Puffback, the gorgeous Golden-breasted Starling and our first Pygmy Falcon, as well as Lesser Kudu.

Nearer to Yabelo the thornbush turned up a fine pair of Three-banded (or Heuglin’s) Coursers, as well as the beautiful, restricted-range Red-naped Bushshrike, the similarly localized Pale Prinia,

The next morning we were out very early to drive close to the Kenya border. Our stop along the way for the endemic Black-fronted Francolin proved frustrating, with only flight views, so we vowed to return. Red-tailed Shrikes and an unexpected Brown-tailed Rock Chat cheered us up and soon we were descending the spectacular escarpment to the desert plain that stretches into Kenya, punctuated only by some isolated hills.

It was slow going on a very rocky track but eventually, we reached the plain, a mixture of Acacia and Commiphora bush and open grassland, and started to encounter new birds. Pride of place among these went to the smart but rather unobtrusive Somali Bee-eater, the rather pipit-like Pink-breasted Lark and the tiny Yellow-vented Eremomela and Red-fronted Prinia. A brief encounter with a Tsavo Sunbird proved frustrating and we could not find any rare Heuglin’s Bustards among the Kori, White-bellied and Buff-crested Bustards. On the edge of the plain, a few Parrot-billed Sparrows were present, but they clearly interbreed with Swainson’s Sparrows as we found intergrades in the nearby hill country.

Heading back to the escarpment, and having successfully avoided some rain squalls moving over the desert, all was going well until we rounded a bend and saw a river of water approaching! Yes it was a flash flood from far away rain that had fallen in the hills earlier in the day. After struggling through a couple of flooded sections of the track we could not safely go further and had no choice but to wait several hours for the waters to subside. They eventually did go down, almost as rapidly as they rose, but we had quite an ‘adventure’ getting the vehicles out of the mud that had been left behind. By the time we were back on the tar it was too late to return to Yabelo and we overnighted in a small hotel that was (mercifully) a lot better than we had anticipated!

After a way more successful encounter with Black-fronted Francolins in the morning (and sightings of Northern Kudu and Ethiopian Klipspringer) it was off to another plain, this time dry underfoot, where we found lots of Short-tailed Larks and some Somali Short-toed Larks and both Boran and Ashy Cisticolas. All birds of restricted distributions.

By the end of our time in the south, we were down to the usual birding scenario – seeking out those harder-to-find specialities that had eluded all or most of us to date. So it was that we finally all had good views of Black-faced Sandgrouse (in flight and at a drinking pool) and the restricted-range Somali Crombec, while a breakfast stop produced a Tawny Eagle almost catching a Günther’s Didkdik, but Three-streaked Tchagra just kept on skulking and just giving us glimpses. Likewise, a dusk attempt for Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar, previously heard only apart from one flushed by the lead car, turned up only yet another heard bird. So it goes when you run out of time, but we had done truly well in the south. The greatest highlight of our final morning was surely the group of mobbing Stresemann’s Bushcrows on that termite mound, going crazy while we all snapped away. We had already seen plenty of these very special endemics, but that last encounter really was the icing on the cake of our visit to the far south.

It was a long haul from southern Ethiopia to the Gibe Gorge. The Gibe River is another tributary of the Blue Nile and here we finally connected with the restricted-range Foxy Cisticola and managed to hear but not see a near-endemic Red-billed Pytilia. We had fantastic close views of Four-banded Sandgrouse and, at the other end of the size range, the near-endemic Abyssinian Waxbill as well as African and Bar-breasted Firefinches. Scouring the river produced no fewer than 27 lovely Black Crowned Cranes and 93 Abdim’s Storks but we found no trace of the Egyptian Plover that had been seen the week before. Gibe just does not have much suitable habitat for this charismatic species and so visits are fleeting. Other notable birds included two write-ins for the Birdquest Ethiopia checklist, Bluethroat and Orange-breasted (or Zebra) Waxbill, as well as Abyssinian White-eye and Exclamatory Paradise Whydah (including males in full and extraordinary plumage). Our visit was rounded off by the grumpy Hippos and Nile Crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks.

Now all that remained of the main tour was to put up with the Addis traffic as we made our way to our hotel.

The ‘extensioners’ first had to fly northwards to the ancient city of Gondar, situated not far from Lake Tana the source of the Blue Nile. From there we made our way northwards to the famous Simien Mountains National Park. We stopped along the way at a first viewpoint over the awesome Simien scenery (so very different from Bale) and managed to find some wintering Eurasian Crag Martins and resident Blue Saw-wings.

Our late afternoon was spent among a huge herd of 150 Geladas inside the park. These Gelads live unmolested lives, so they have no fear of humans and we were able to get right into the middle of the herd and move slowly with them as they grazed their way across the landscape. By keeping low and moving slowly it was possible to get right up to the mothers and babies, and often very close to the huge adult males. These monkeys are not baboons but instead the last representatives of a lineage of grass-eating simians that were once more widespread and diverse in Africa. It was a magical experience that none of us will ever forget.

The next morning we drove further into the park to the Chenek area. Here the scenery was even more awesome, with towering cliffs and slopes and a huge drop from where we were down to the Amhara lowlands far below. Truly this has to be one of the most spectacular places in all of Africa, if not the most spectacular of all. Before we reached Chenek we came across a good number of Slender-billed Starlings feeding alongside sunbirds on the orange and yellow Kniphofia flowers. Bearded Vultures and Thick-billed and Fan-tailed Ravens were common in this magical place, often coming close to inspect us (especially those very naughty Thick-billed Ravens that were so fussy about what bits of the picnic breakfast they liked!). Further up the mountains we finally found a big male Abyssinian (or Walia) Ibex amidst a wild landscape punctuated by Giant Lobelias. The veritable ‘Roof of Africa’.

From the Simien, we returned to Gondar where we had an appointment with the Royal Palaces of the Abyssinian emperors. Not only are the palaces hugely impressive but the grounds hold noisy Hemprich’s Hornbills and other birds that perch all over the ruins. Afterwards, we moved on to the beautiful Debre Birhan Selassie church where the ceiling is covered in angel faces and the walls with murals depicting St George and the Dragon and lots of Biblical scenes. It was fascinating to see the very different iconography of the Ethiopian Church which is much closer to the Coptic Church of Egypt than anything in European Christianity. We rounded off a great day with an African Wood Owl outside our hotel.

So it was that we came to our final day in Ethiopia. In complete contrast to Simien, this time we headed down and down to the plains towards Ethiopia’s border with Sudan. A traffic hold up at a checkpost lost us an hour, but after that, we had a fast journey on a good tarred road to our chosen area, a small river valley with thick fringing vegetation. And there they were, not long after we arrived, a noisy and inquisitive pair of near-endemic White-headed Babblers. They put on a great show for us before we moved on to other things, including a gorgeous Black-headed Gonolek, a pair of African Green Bee-eaters, a Lizard Buzzard, a group of Green Wood Hoopoes and, best of all, a colony of very approachable Red-throated Bee-eaters. What a brilliant end to a fantastic journey through one of Africa’s birdiest destinations!

BIRD/MAMMAL OF THE MAIN TOUR

1st: Stresemann’s Bushcrow

2nd: (Prince) Ruspoli’s Turaco

3rd: Ethiopian Wolf

4th =: Rouget’s Rail and African Spotted Creeper

BIRD/MAMMAL OF THE EXTENSION

1st: Gelada

2nd: White-headed Babbler

3rd: Red-throated Bee-eater

4th: Abyssinian or Walia Ibex

5th=: African Wood Owl and Thick-billed Raven

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED

BIRDS

Somali Ostrich ◊  Struthio molybdophanes

White-faced Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna viduata

Fulvous Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna bicolor

Spur-winged Goose  Plectropterus gambensis

Knob-billed Duck  Sarkidiornis melanotos

Blue-winged Goose ◊  Cyanochen cyanoptera

Egyptian Goose  Alopochen aegyptiaca

Ruddy Shelduck  Tadorna ferruginea

Garganey  Spatula querquedula

Blue-billed Teal (or Hottentot Teal)  Spatula hottentota

Northern Shoveler  Spatula clypeata

African Black Duck  Anas sparsa

Yellow-billed Duck  Anas undulata

Red-billed Teal (or Red-billed Duck)  Anas erythrorhyncha

Southern Pochard  Netta erythrophthalma

Helmeted Guineafowl  Numida meleagris

Vulturine Guineafowl ◊  Acryllium vulturinum

Crested Francolin  Ortygornis sephaena

Moorland Francolin ◊ (or Montane Francolin)  Scleroptila psilolaema

Chestnut-naped Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis castaneicollis

Black-fronted Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis atrifrons

Erckel’s Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis erckelii

Scaly Spurfowl  Pternistis squamatus

Clapperton’s Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis clappertoni

Harwood’s Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis harwoodi

Yellow-necked Spurfowl  Pternistis leucoscepus

Donaldson Smith’s Nightjar ◊  Caprimulgus donaldsoni

Montane Nightjar ◊ (or Abyssinian Nightjar)  Caprimulgus poliocephalus

Plain Nightjar ◊  Caprimulgus inornatus

Freckled Nightjar  Caprimulgus tristigma   heard-only

Slender-tailed Nightjar  Caprimulgus clarus

African Palm Swift  Cypsiurus parvus

Mottled Swift  Tachymarptis aequatorialis

Nyanza Swift  Apus niansae

Little Swift  Apus affinis

Horus Swift  Apus horus

Bare-faced Go-away-bird ◊ [Brown-faced Go-away-bird]  Crinifer [personatus] personatus

White-bellied Go-away-bird  Crinifer leucogaster

Eastern Plantain-eater  Crinifer zonurus

Ruspoli’s Turaco ◊  Menelikornis ruspolii

White-cheeked Turaco ◊  Menelikornis leucotis

Arabian Bustard ◊  Ardeotis arabs

Kori Bustard  Ardeotis kori

White-bellied Bustard  Eupodotis senegalensis

Buff-crested Bustard  Lophotis gindiana

Blue-headed Coucal  Centropus monachus

White-browed Coucal  Centropus superciliosus

Jacobin Cuckoo (or Black-and-white Cuckoo)  Clamator jacobinus

Diederik Cuckoo (or Didric Cuckoo)  Chrysococcyx caprius

Klaas’s Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx klaas

African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus

Common Cuckoo (or Eurasian Cuckoo)  Cuculus canorus

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse  Pterocles exustus

Black-faced Sandgrouse  Pterocles decoratus

Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse  Pterocles lichtensteinii

Four-banded Sandgrouse  Pterocles quadricinctus

Rock Dove (introduced)  Columba livia

Speckled Pigeon  Columba guinea

White-collared Pigeon ◊  Columba albitorques

African Olive Pigeon (Rameron Pigeon)  Columba arquatrix

Lemon Dove (Cinnamon Dove)  Columba larvata

Dusky Turtle Dove  Streptopelia lugens

African Collared Dove ◊  Streptopelia roseogrisea

Mourning Collared Dove (or African Mourning Dove)  Streptopelia decipiens

Red-eyed Dove  Streptopelia semitorquata

Ring-necked Dove  Streptopelia capicola

Vinaceous Dove  Streptopelia vinacea

Laughing Dove  Spilopelia senegalensis

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove  Turtur chalcospilos

Black-billed Wood Dove  Turtur abyssinicus

Blue-spotted Wood Dove  Turtur afer

Tambourine Dove  Turtur tympanistria

Namaqua Dove  Oena capensis

Bruce’s Green Pigeon  Treron waalia

Rouget’s Rail ◊  Rougetius rougetii

Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus

Red-knobbed Coot (or Crested Coot)  Fulica cristata

Black Crake  Zapornia flavirostra

Black Crowned Crane  Balearica pavonina

Wattled Crane ◊  Grus carunculata

Common Crane  Grus grus

Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis

Black-necked Grebe  Podiceps nigricollis

Greater Flamingo  Phoenicopterus roseus

Senegal Thick-knee  Burhinus senegalensis

Spotted Thick-knee  Burhinus capensis

Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus

Pied Avocet  Recurvirostra avosetta

Spur-winged Lapwing  Vanellus spinosus

Black-headed Lapwing  Vanellus tectus

Black-winged Lapwing  Vanellus melanopterus

Crowned Lapwing  Vanellus coronatus

African Wattled Lapwing  Vanellus senegallus

Spot-breasted Lapwing ◊  Vanellus melanocephalus

Common Ringed Plover  Charadrius hiaticula

Kittlitz’s Plover  Charadrius pecuarius

Three-banded Plover  Charadrius tricollaris

Greater Painted-snipe  Rostratula benghalensis

African Jacana  Actophilornis africanus

Black-tailed Godwit  Limosa limosa

Ruff  Calidris pugnax

Curlew Sandpiper  Calidris ferruginea

Temminck’s Stint  Calidris temminckii

Little Stint  Calidris minuta

African Snipe  Gallinago nigripennis

Common Snipe  Gallinago gallinago

Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper  Tringa ochropus

Common Redshank  Tringa totanus

Marsh Sandpiper  Tringa stagnatilis

Wood Sandpiper  Tringa glareola

Common Greenshank  Tringa nebularia

Somali Courser ◊  Cursorius somalensis

Three-banded Courser (or Heuglin’s Courser)  Rhinoptilus cinctus

Black-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Grey-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus

Lesser Black-backed Gull [Baltic Gull]  Larus [fuscus] fuscus

Gull-billed Tern  Gelochelidon nilotica

Whiskered Tern  Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Tern  Chlidonias leucopterus

Yellow-billed Stork  Mycteria ibis

Black Stork  Ciconia nigra

Abdim’s Stork  Ciconia abdimii

Woolly-necked Stork  Ciconia episcopus

White Stork  Ciconia ciconia

Marabou Stork  Leptoptilos crumenifer

African Darter  Anhinga rufa

Reed Cormorant (or Long-tailed Cormorant)  Microcarbo africanus

White-breasted Cormorant  Phalacrocorax lucidus

African Sacred Ibis  Threskiornis aethiopicus

Hadada Ibis  Bostrychia hagedash

Wattled Ibis ◊  Bostrychia carunculata

Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus

African Spoonbill  Platalea alba

Striated Heron (or Green-backed Heron)  Butorides striata

Squacco Heron  Ardeola ralloides

Western Cattle Egret  Bubulcus ibis

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea

Black-headed Heron  Ardea melanocephala

Goliath Heron  Ardea goliath

Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea

Great Egret  Ardea alba

Intermediate Egret [Yellow-billed Egret]  Ardea [intermedia] brachyrhyncha

Black Heron (or Black Egret)  Egretta ardesiaca

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta

Hamerkop  Scopus umbretta

Great White Pelican  Pelecanus onocrotalus

Pink-backed Pelican  Pelecanus rufescens

Secretarybird  Sagittarius serpentarius

Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus

African Harrier-Hawk  Polyboroides typus

Bearded Vulture (or Lammergeier)  Gypaetus barbatus

Egyptian Vulture  Neophron percnopterus

Hooded Vulture  Necrosyrtes monachus

White-backed Vulture  Gyps africanus

Rüppell’s Vulture  Gyps rueppelli

White-headed Vulture  Trigonoceps occipitalis

Lappet-faced Vulture  Torgos tracheliotos

Short-toed Snake Eagle  Circaetus gallicus

Black-chested Snake Eagle  Circaetus pectoralis

Brown Snake Eagle  Circaetus cinereus

Western Banded Snake Eagle  Circaetus cinerascens

Bateleur  Terathopius ecaudatus

Crowned Eagle  Stephanoaetus coronatus

Martial Eagle  Polemaetus bellicosus

Long-crested Eagle  Lophaetus occipitalis

Greater Spotted Eagle  Clanga clanga

Wahlberg’s Eagle  Hieraaetus wahlbergi

Booted Eagle  Hieraaetus pennatus

Tawny Eagle  Aquila rapax

Steppe Eagle  Aquila nipalensis

Golden Eagle  Aquila chrysaetos

Verreaux’s Eagle (or Black Eagle)  Aquila verreauxii

African Hawk-Eagle  Aquila spilogaster

Lizard Buzzard  Kaupifalco monogrammicus

Gabar Goshawk  Micronisus gabar

Dark Chanting Goshawk  Melierax metabates

Eastern Chanting Goshawk  Melierax poliopterus

Shikra  Accipiter badius

Eurasian Sparrowhawk  Accipiter nisus

Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk (or Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk)  Accipiter rufiventris

Black Sparrowhawk (or Great Sparrowhawk)  Accipiter melanoleucus

Western Marsh Harrier (or Eurasian Marsh Harrier)  Circus aeruginosus

Pallid Harrier  Circus macrourus

Montagu’s Harrier  Circus pygargus

Black Kite  Milvus migrans

Yellow-billed Kite  Milvus aegyptius

African Fish Eagle  Haliaeetus vocifer

Common Buzzard [Steppe Buzzard]  Buteo [buteo] vulpinus

Mountain Buzzard ◊  Buteo oreophilus

Augur Buzzard  Buteo augur

Pearl-spotted Owlet  Glaucidium perlatum

African Scops Owl  Otus senegalensis   heard-only

Abyssinian Owl ◊ (or African Long-eared Owl)  Asio abyssinicus

Cape Eagle-Owl ◊  Bubo capensis

Greyish Eagle-Owl  Bubo cinerascens

Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl  Bubo lacteus   heard-only

African Wood Owl  Strix woodfordii

Speckled Mousebird  Colius striatus

Blue-naped Mousebird  Urocolius macrourus

Narina Trogon  Apaloderma narina

Eurasian Hoopoe  Upupa epops

Eurasian Hoopoe [Central African Hoopoe]  Upupa [epops] senegalensis

Green Wood Hoopoe  Phoeniculus purpureus

Black-billed Wood Hoopoe ◊  Phoeniculus somaliensis

Black Scimitarbill  Rhinopomastus aterrimus

Abyssinian Scimitarbill  Rhinopomastus minor

Abyssinian Ground Hornbill  Bucorvus abyssinicus

Northern Red-billed Hornbill  Tockus erythrorhynchus

Von Der Decken’s Hornbill  Tockus deckeni

Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill  Tockus flavirostris

Hemprich’s Hornbill ◊  Lophoceros hemprichii

African Grey Hornbill  Lophoceros nasutus

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill  Bycanistes brevis

Purple Roller (or Rufous-crowned Roller)  Coracias naevius

Lilac-breasted Roller  Coracias caudatus

Abyssinian Roller  Coracias abyssinicus

European Roller (or Eurasian Roller)  Coracias garrulus

Broad-billed Roller  Eurystomus glaucurus

Grey-headed Kingfisher  Halcyon leucocephala

Striped Kingfisher  Halcyon chelicuti

Woodland Kingfisher  Halcyon senegalensis

African Pygmy Kingfisher  Ispidina picta

Malachite Kingfisher  Corythornis cristatus

Half-collared Kingfisher  Alcedo semitorquata

Giant Kingfisher  Megaceryle maxima

Pied Kingfisher  Ceryle rudis

Little Bee-eater  Merops pusillus

Ethiopian Bee-eater ◊  Merops lafresnayii

Red-throated Bee-eater  Merops bulocki

Somali Bee-eater ◊  Merops revoilii

African Green Bee-eater ◊  Merops viridissimus

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater  Merops persicus  2 at Lake Beseka but 5 more distant birds were either this species or the more frequently observed Olive Bee-eater M. superciliosus.

Northern Carmine Bee-eater  Merops nubicus

Red-fronted Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus pusillus

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Red-fronted Barbet  Tricholaema diademata

Black-throated Barbet  Tricholaema melanocephala

Banded Barbet ◊  Lybius undatus

Black-billed Barbet  Lybius guifsobalito

Double-toothed Barbet  Lybius bidentatus

Red-and-yellow Barbet  Trachyphonus erythrocephalus

Yellow-breasted Barbet ◊  Trachyphonus margaritatus

D’arnaud’s Barbet  Trachyphonus darnaudii

Lesser Honeyguide  Indicator minor

Scaly-throated Honeyguide  Indicator variegatus

Greater Honeyguide  Indicator indicator

Red-throated Wryneck  Jynx ruficollis

Nubian Woodpecker  Campethera nubica

Bearded Woodpecker  Chloropicus namaquus

Abyssinian Woodpecker ◊ (or Golden-backed Woodpecker)  Dendropicos abyssinicus

Cardinal Woodpecker  Dendropicos fuscescens

Eastern Grey Woodpecker ◊  Dendropicos spodocephalus

Pygmy Falcon  Polihierax semitorquatus

Lesser Kestrel  Falco naumanni

Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus

Greater Kestrel  Falco rupicoloides

Fox Kestrel ◊  Falco alopex

Grey Kestrel  Falco ardosiaceus

Red-necked Falcon  Falco chiquera

Eleonora’s Falcon  Falco eleonorae

Eurasian Hobby  Falco subbuteo

Lanner Falcon  Falco biarmicus

Peregrine Falcon  Falco peregrinus

Yellow-fronted Parrot ◊  Poicephalus flavifrons

Red-bellied Parrot (or African Orange-bellied Parrot)  Poicephalus rufiventris

Rose-ringed Parakeet  Psittacula krameri

Black-winged Lovebird ◊  Agapornis taranta

Grey-headed Batis ◊  Batis orientalis

Western Black-headed Batis  Batis erlangeri

Pygmy Batis  Batis perkeo

Brown-throated Wattle-eye (or Common Wattle-eye)  Platysteira cyanea

Grey-headed Bushshrike  Malaconotus blanchoti

Orange-breasted Bushshrike (or Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike)  Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus

Rosy-patched Bushshrike ◊  Telophorus cruentus

Three-streaked Tchagra ◊  Tchagra jamesi

Black-crowned Tchagra (or Black-headed Tchagra)  Tchagra senegalus

Northern Puffback  Dryoscopus gambensis

Pringle’s Puffback ◊  Dryoscopus pringlii

Slate-colored Boubou  Laniarius funebris

Red-naped Bushshrike ◊  Laniarius ruficeps

Ethiopian Boubou ◊  Laniarius aethiopicus

Black-headed Gonolek  Laniarius erythrogaster

Brubru  Nilaus afer

White-crested Helmetshrike  Prionops plumatus

Northern White-crowned Shrike  Eurocephalus ruppelli

Red-backed Shrike  Lanius collurio

Isabelline Shrike (or Daurian Shrike)  Lanius isabellinus

Red-tailed Shrike (or Turkestan Shrike)  Lanius phoenicuroides

Great Grey Shrike [Steppe Grey Shrike]  Lanius [excubitor] pallidirostris

Grey-backed Fiscal  Lanius excubitoroides

Taita Fiscal ◊  Lanius dorsalis

Somali Fiscal ◊  Lanius somalicus

Northern Fiscal  Lanius humeralis

Woodchat Shrike  Lanius senator

Black-headed Oriole (Eastern Black-headed Oriole)  Oriolus larvatus

Ethiopian Oriole ◊ (or Abyssinian Oriole)  Oriolus monacha

Eurasian Golden Oriole  Oriolus oriolus

Glossy-backed Drongo  Dicrurus divaricatus

African Paradise Flycatcher  Terpsiphone viridis

Stresemann’s Bushcrow ◊  Zavattariornis stresemanni

Red-billed Chough  Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Cape Crow (or Cape Rook)  Corvus capensis

Pied Crow  Corvus albus

Somali Crow ◊ (or Dwarf Raven)  Corvus edithae

Fan-tailed Raven ◊  Corvus rhipidurus

Thick-billed Raven ◊  Corvus crassirostris

White-winged Black Tit  Melaniparus leucomelas

White-backed Black Tit ◊  Melaniparus leuconotus

Acacia Tit (or Northern Grey Tit)  Melaniparus thruppi

Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit  Anthoscopus musculus

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark  Eremopterix nigriceps

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark  Eremopterix leucotis

Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark ◊  Eremopterix signatus

Pink-breasted Lark ◊  Calendulauda poecilosterna

Foxy Lark ◊  Calendulauda alopex

Singing Bush Lark  Mirafra cantillans

Gillett’s Lark ◊  Mirafra gilletti

Short-tailed Lark ◊  Spizocorys fremantlii

Masked Lark ◊  Spizocorys personata

Thekla’s Lark  Galerida theklae

Blanford’s Lark ◊ [Erlanger’s Lark]  Calandrella [blanfordi] erlangeri   Erlanger’s Lark is endemic to Ethiopia/Eritrea

Somali Short-toed Lark  Calandrella somalica

Northern Brownbul  Phyllastrephus strepitans

Common Bulbul  Pycnonotus barbatus

Dodson’s Bulbul ◊  Pycnonotus dodsoni

Somali Bulbul ◊  Pycnonotus somaliensis

Dark-capped Bulbul  Pycnonotus tricolor

Black Saw-wing ◊ [Blue Saw-wing]  Psalidoprocne [pristoptera] pristoptera

Sand Martin  Riparia riparia

Brown-throated Martin (or Plain Martin)  Riparia paludicola

Eurasian Crag Martin  Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Rock Martin (or African Rock Martin)  Ptyonoprogne fuligula

White-tailed Swallow ◊  Hirundo megaensis

Wire-tailed Swallow  Hirundo smithii

Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica

Red-chested Swallow  Hirundo lucida

Ethiopian Swallow  Hirundo aethiopica

Common House Martin  Delichon urbicum

Mosque Swallow  Cecropis senegalensis

Lesser Striped Swallow  Cecropis abyssinica

Red-rumped Swallow  Cecropis daurica

Northern Crombec  Sylvietta brachyura

Red-faced Crombec  Sylvietta whytii

Somali Crombec ◊  Sylvietta isabellina

Willow Warbler  Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus collybita

Brown Woodland Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus umbrovirens

Lesser Swamp Warbler  Acrocephalus gracilirostris

Sedge Warbler  Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler  Iduna pallida

Upcher’s Warbler  Hippolais languida

Cinnamon Bracken Warbler  Bradypterus cinnamomeus

Red-faced Cisticola  Cisticola erythrops

Rattling Cisticola  Cisticola chiniana

Boran Cisticola ◊  Cisticola bodessa

Ashy Cisticola  Cisticola cinereolus

Ethiopian Cisticola ◊  Cisticola lugubris

Tiny Cisticola  Cisticola nana

Foxy Cisticola ◊  Cisticola troglodytes

Desert Cisticola  Cisticola aridulus

Pectoral-patch Cisticola  Cisticola brunnescens   heard-only

Tawny-flanked Prinia  Prinia subflava

Pale Prinia ◊  Prinia somalica

Red-fronted Prinia  Prinia rufifrons

Buff-bellied Warbler  Phyllolais pulchella

Brown-tailed Apalis  Apalis flavocincta

Grey-backed Camaroptera  Camaroptera brevicaudata

Grey Wren-Warbler  Calamonastes simplex

Yellow-bellied Eremomela  Eremomela icteropygialis

Yellow-vented Eremomela ◊  Eremomela flavicrissalis

Eurasian Blackcap  Sylvia atricapilla

Garden Warbler  Sylvia borin

Abyssinian Catbird ◊  Sylvia galinieri

African Hill Babbler (or Abyssinian Hill Babbler)  Sylvia abyssinica

Barred Warbler  Curruca nisoria

Banded Parisoma  Curruca boehmi

Lesser Whitethroat  Curruca curruca

Brown Parisoma  Curruca lugens

Common Whitethroat  Curruca communis

Abyssinian White-eye ◊  Zosterops abyssinicus

Pale White-eye ◊ (or Pale Scrub White-eye)  Zosterops flavilateralis

Heuglin’s White-eye ◊  Zosterops poliogastrus

Rufous Chatterer  Argya rubiginosa

Scaly Chatterer ◊  Argya aylmeri

White-rumped Babbler ◊  Turdoides leucopygia

White-headed Babbler ◊  Turdoides leucocephala

African Spotted Creeper ◊  Salpornis salvadori

Wattled Starling  Creatophora cinerea

Greater Blue-eared Starling  Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Lesser Blue-eared Starling  Lamprotornis chloropterus

Rüppell’s Starling (or Rüppell’s Long-tailed Starling)  Lamprotornis purpuroptera

Golden-breasted Starling ◊  Lamprotornis regius

Superb Starling  Lamprotornis superbus

Shelley’s Starling ◊  Lamprotornis shelleyi

White-crowned Starling ◊  Lamprotornis albicapillus

Violet-backed Starling  Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

Red-winged Starling  Onychognathus morio

Slender-billed Starling  Onychognathus tenuirostris

Bristle-crowned Starling ◊  Onychognathus salvadorii

White-billed Starling ◊  Onychognathus albirostris

Red-billed Oxpecker  Buphagus erythrorynchus

Abyssinian Ground Thrush ◊  Geokichla piaggiae

Groundscraper Thrush ◊ [Ethiopian Thrush]  Turdus [litsitsirupa] simensis  The endemic form in Ethiopia (and Eritrea), simensis, has recently been shown to differ in genetics, plumage and vocalizations from the forms in southern Africa and is now being split by some authorities under the name Ethiopian Thrush.

African Thrush  Turdus pelios

Abyssinian Thrush (or Mountain Thrush)  Turdus abyssinicus

Bare-eyed Thrush ◊  Turdus tephronotus

Black Scrub Robin ◊  Cercotrichas podobe

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin  Cercotrichas galactotes

White-browed Scrub Robin  Cercotrichas leucophrys

Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher ◊  Melaenornis chocolatinus

Northern Black Flycatcher  Melaenornis edolioides

African Grey Flycatcher  Melaenornis microrhynchus

Spotted Flycatcher  Muscicapa striata

African Dusky Flycatcher  Muscicapa adusta

Rüppell’s Robin-Chat  Cossypha semirufa

White-browed Robin-Chat  Cossypha heuglini

Red-capped Robin-Chat  Cossypha natalensis

Spotted Palm Thrush (or Spotted Morning Thrush)  Cichladusa guttata

Bluethroat  Luscinia svecica

Common Nightingale  Luscinia megarhynchos

Common Redstart  Phoenicurus phoenicurus

White-winged Cliff Chat ◊  Monticola semirufus

Common Rock Thrush (or Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush)  Monticola saxatilis

Little Rock Thrush ◊  Monticola rufocinereus

Whinchat  Saxicola rubetra

African Stonechat  Saxicola torquatus

Moorland Chat (or Alpine Chat, Hill Chat)  Pinarochroa sordida

Mocking Cliff Chat (or Cliff Chat)  Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris

Rüppell’s Black Chat ◊  Myrmecocichla melaena

Northern Wheatear  Oenanthe oenanthe

Red-breasted Wheatear ◊  Oenanthe bottae

Isabelline Wheatear  Oenanthe isabellina

Eastern Black-eared Wheatear  Oenanthe melanoleuca

Pied Wheatear  Oenanthe pleschanka

White-fronted Black Chat  Oenanthe albifrons

Blackstart  Oenanthe melanura

Familiar Chat (or Red-tailed Chat)  Oenanthe familiaris

Brown-tailed Rock Chat ◊  Oenanthe scotocerca

Sombre Rock Chat ◊  Oenanthe dubia

Abyssinian Wheatear ◊ (or Abyssinian Black Wheatear)  Oenanthe lugubris

Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird  Anthreptes orientalis

Nile Valley Sunbird ◊  Hedydipna metallica

Scarlet-chested Sunbird  Chalcomitra senegalensis

Hunter’s Sunbird  Chalcomitra hunteri

Tacazze Sunbird  Nectarinia tacazze

Beautiful Sunbird  Cinnyris pulchellus

Marico Sunbird (or Mariqua Sunbird)  Cinnyris mariquensis

Tsavo Sunbird ◊  Cinnyris tsavoensis

Shining Sunbird ◊  Cinnyris habessinicus

Variable Sunbird (or Yellow-bellied Sunbird)  Cinnyris venustus

Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow (or Yellow-spotted Petronia)  Gymnoris pyrgita

Sahel Bush Sparrow (or Bush Petronia)  Gymnoris dentata

Chestnut Sparrow  Passer eminibey

Shelley’s Sparrow ◊ (or Shelley’s Rufous S)  Passer shelleyi

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow  Passer griseus

Swainson’s Sparrow ◊  Passer swainsonii

Parrot-billed Sparrow ◊  Passer gongonensis

House Sparrow (self-introduced)  Passer domesticus

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver  Bubalornis niger

White-headed Buffalo Weaver  Dinemellia dinemelli

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver  Plocepasser mahali

Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver  Plocepasser superciliosus

Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver ◊  Plocepasser donaldsoni

Grey-capped Social Weaver (or Grey-headed Social Weaver)  Pseudonigrita arnaudi

Black-capped Social Weaver  Pseudonigrita cabanisi

Speckle-fronted Weaver  Sporopipes frontalis

Thick-billed Weaver (or Grosbeak Weaver)  Amblyospiza albifrons

Baglafecht Weaver  Ploceus baglafecht

Little Weaver  Ploceus luteolus

Spectacled Weaver  Ploceus ocularis

Rüppell’s Weaver ◊  Ploceus galbula

Northern Masked Weaver  Ploceus taeniopterus

Lesser Masked Weaver  Ploceus intermedius

Vitelline Masked Weaver  Ploceus vitellinus

Speke’s Weaver  Ploceus spekei

Village Weaver (or Black-headed Weaver)  Ploceus cucullatus

Red-headed Weaver  Anaplectes rubriceps

Red-billed Quelea  Quelea quelea

Black-winged Red Bishop  Euplectes hordeaceus

Northern Red Bishop  Euplectes franciscanus

Yellow Bishop  Euplectes capensis

Fan-tailed Widowbird  Euplectes axillaris

Yellow-mantled Widowbird [Yellow-shouldered Widowbird]  Euplectes [macroura] macrocercus

Bronze Mannikin  Spermestes cucullata

Black-and-white Mannikin  Spermestes bicolor

African Silverbill  Euodice cantans

Yellow-bellied Waxbill (or East African Swee)  Coccopygia quartinia

Green Twinspot (or Green-backed Twinspot)  Mandingoa nitidula

Black-cheeked Waxbill  Brunhilda charmosyna

Abyssinian Waxbill ◊  Estrilda ochrogaster

Common Waxbill  Estrilda astrild

Crimson-rumped Waxbill  Estrilda rhodopyga

Cut-throat Finch  Amadina fasciata

Orange-breasted Waxbill (or Zebra Waxbill)  Amandava subflava

Purple Grenadier  Granatina ianthinogaster

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu  Uraeginthus bengalus

Green-winged Pytilia (or Melba Finch)  Pytilia melba

Red-billed Pytilia ◊ (or Ethiopian Pytilia)  Pytilia lineata   heard-only

Red-billed Firefinch  Lagonosticta senegala

African Firefinch (or Blue-billed Firefinch)  Lagonosticta rubricata

Bar-breasted Firefinch  Lagonosticta rufopicta

Village Indigobird  Vidua chalybeata

Pin-tailed Whydah  Vidua macroura

Straw-tailed Whydah  Vidua fischeri

Long-tailed Paradise Whydah (or Eastern Paradise Whydah)  Vidua paradisaea

Exclamatory Paradise Whydah  Vidua interjecta

Western Yellow Wagtail [Blue-headed Wagtail]  Motacilla [flava] flava

Western Yellow Wagtail [Black-headed Wagtail]  Motacilla [flava] feldegg

Western Yellow Wagtail [Grey-headed Wagtail]  Motacilla [flava] thunbergi

Grey Wagtail  Motacilla cinerea

Mountain Wagtail  Motacilla clara

White Wagtail  Motacilla alba

African Pied Wagtail  Motacilla aguimp

Abyssinian Longclaw ◊  Macronyx flavicollis

African Pipit (or Grassland Pipit)  Anthus cinnamomeus

Tawny Pipit  Anthus campestris

Long-billed Pipit  Anthus similis

Plain-backed Pipit  Anthus leucophrys

Tree Pipit  Anthus trivialis

Red-throated Pipit  Anthus cervinus

African Citril ◊  Crithagra citrinelloides

Yellow-rumped Seedeater ◊ (or White-throated Seedeater)  Crithagra xanthopygia

Reichenow’s Seedeater (or Kenya Yellow-rumped Seedeater)  Crithagra reichenowi

Yellow-throated Seedeater  Crithagra flavigula

Salvadori’s Seedeater ◊ (or Salvadori’s Serin)  Crithagra xantholaema

Yellow-fronted Canary  Crithagra mozambica

White-bellied Canary  Crithagra dorsostriata

Ankober Serin ◊  Crithagra ankoberensis

Northern Grosbeak-Canary ◊  Crithagra donaldsoni

Brown-rumped Seedeater ◊  Crithagra tristriata

Streaky Seedeater  Crithagra striolata

Yellow-crowned Canary  Serinus flavivertex

Ethiopian Siskin ◊ (or Black-headed Siskin)  Serinus nigriceps

Striolated Bunting (or Striated Bunting)  Emberiza striolata

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting (or Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting)  Emberiza tahapisi

Somali Bunting (or Somali Golden-breasted Bunting)  Emberiza poliopleura

MAMMALS

Yellow-spotted Hyrax (or Bush Hyrax, Bruce’s Rock Hyrax)  Heterohyrax brucei

Common Rock Hyrax  Procavia capensis

African Wildcat  Felis lybica

Large-spotted Genet (or Blotched Genet)  Genetta maculata  One seen by some at Bishoftu.

Spotted Hyaena  Crocuta crocuta

Common Dwarf Mongoose  Helogale parvula

Egyptian Mongoose  Herpestes ichneumon

Slender Mongoose (or Common Slender Mongoose)  Herpestes sanguineus

White-tailed Mongoose  Ichneumia albicauda

African Golden Wolf  Canis lupaster

Black-backed Jackal  Canis mesomelas

Ethiopian Wolf (or Simien Fox)  Canis simensis

Grevy’s Zebra  Equus grevyi

Desert Warthog  Phacochoerus aethiopicus

Common Warthog  Phacochoerus africanus

Bushpig  Potamochoerus larvatus

Swayne’s Hartebeeste  Alcelaphus swaynei

Abyssinian Ibex (or Walia Ibex)  Capra walie

Northern Gerenuk  Litocranius walleri

Günther’s Dikdik  Madoqua guentheri

Salt’s Dikdik  Madoqua saltiana

Bright’s Gazelle  Nanger granti

Soemmerring’s Gazelle  Nanger soemmerringii

Ethiopian Klipspringer  Oreotragus oreotragus

Beisa Oryx  Oryx beisa

Sudan Oribi  Ourebia ourebi

Bohor Reedbuck  Redunca redunca

Common Duiker (or Bush Duiker)  Sylvicapra grimmia

Mountain Nyala (or Gedemsa)  Tragelaphus buxtoni

Lesser Kudu  Tragelaphus imberbis

Menelik’s Bushbuck  Tragelaphus meneliki

Northern Kudu (or Greater Kudu)  Tragelaphus strepsiceros

Hippopotamus  Hippopotamus amphibius

Ethiopian Epauletted Fruit Bat  Epomophorus labiatus

Grivet (Savanna Monkey)  Chlorocebus aethiops

Vervet  Chlorocebus pygerythrus

Guereza (Eastern Black-and-white Colobus)  Colobus guereza

Olive Baboon  Papio anubis

Hamadryas Baboon (or Sacred Baboon)  Papio hamadryas

Gelada Baboon  Theropithecus gelada

Ethiopian Hare (or Ethiopian Scrub Hare)  Lepus fagani

Abyssinian Hare  Lepus habessinicus

Ethiopian Highland Hare (or Starck’s Hare)  Lepus starcki

Gambian Sun Squirrel  Heliosciurus gambianus

Unstriped Ground Squirrel  Xerus rutilus

Big-headed Mole Rat (or Giant Root Rat)  Tachyoryctes macrocephalus

Blick’s Grass Rat  Arvicanthis blicki

Somali Grass Rat  Arvicanthis neumanni