NORTHERN TANZANIA TOUR REPORT 2025

1 - 15 April 2025

Nik Borrow

This incredible tour through the ‘lark plains’ at Engikaret, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater,  the seemingly endless grasslands of the Serengeti, and finally Arusha National Park surely has to be the ultimate wildlife travel experience out of anywhere in Africa if not indeed the whole world! The journey is simply one of those ‘must-do’ pilgrimages that all ecotourists should make at least once in their lifetimes. Our visit was in the wet season and this year there was plenty of rain! However, it didn’t impinge on our birding and perhaps even enhanced it. There was lush vegetation and high grass everywhere (good for breeding weavers, bishops and whydahs) and waterlogged land so game viewing was sometimes not so easy. During just fourteen days in the field, we managed to record colourful endemics such as Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Fischer’s and Yellow-collared Lovebirds, Beesley’s Lark, Ashy Starling, Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill and regional specialties such as Taveta and Rufous-tailed Weavers, the little-known and recently split Maasai Apalis and the elusive Grey-crested Helmetshrike. To add to the bonanza of birds there was a wealth of mammals with cats featuring prominently during our game drives and we also gained a remarkable insight into the workings of this huge and virtually untouched ecosystem. Under the panoramic skies and across the expansive plains of the Ngorongoro and Serengeti, we were able to witness one of the greatest concentrations of large mammals on earth. After all the wildlife documentaries that have been made on the area the first-time visitor feels a sort of familiarity with the place but no widescreen television or Imax cinema can ever recreate or replace the amazing jaw-dropping and absolutely astonishing experience of actually being there! The sheer spectacle of being surrounded by me-you-ing gnus and hee-hawing zebras combined with the obvious pleasures of a rich and vibrant avifauna, makes this tour a marvellous and deeply moving experience. Despite the huge number of tourists passing through the region it is still possible in this enormous space to escape the gaggles of vehicles that gather around sleepy lions, stealthy cheetahs or secretive leopards and set out in order to discover one’s own wonders. It is indeed exhilarating to head off into the wide blue yonder in search of the next wildlife encounter travelling over huge tracts of country where one never sees another car or human being apart from perhaps the occasional Maasai warrior or cowherd draped in vivid red and striding purposefully across the apparently infinite landscape.

Our adventure began near Arusha at a lodge overlooking Lake Duluti. Those of us that arrived early were able to participate in some relaxed birding in the beautiful gardens that surround the lodge or take a hike around the lake itself where regional endemic Taveta Golden Weavers were nesting, Grey-olive Greenbuls were seen whilst colourful Rüppell’s Robin-Chats kept to the shadows but entertained us with its beautiful song full of mimicry.

A morning visit to the plains at Engikaret gave us the exceedingly rare, endemic Beesley’s Lark gaining some prolonged views of this seriously threatened bird and we also found Foxy, Short-tailed and Red-capped Larks. Sightings of Southern Grosbeak Canary and Scaly Chatterer were a bit of a bonus and even mammals such as Eastern White-bearded Wildebeest and Eastern Thomson’s Gazelles were both present. A Little Rock Thrush was seen en route to Tarangire, a National Park dominated by its enormous Baobabs, impressive gatherings of African Elephants and endemic Ashy Starlings and Yellow-collared Lovebirds and near-endemic Rufous-tailed Weaver. We also managed our best views of Leopard in this park. A night drive produced Northern Lesser Galago, Serval, Slender-tailed Nightjars and a number of Three-banded and Bronze-winged Coursers.

Sadly, this year we were unable to drive right through Lake Manyara National Park due to rising water levels and a river that had burst its banks. However, we still found colourful Southern Red, Black and Yellow-crowned Bishops all in breeding dress in nearby rice fields where Dwarf Bittern and Highland Rush Warbler were also present and managed to access the southern sector of the park to see spectacular Purple-crested Turacos. At the end of the day, we climbed up the wall of the Great Rift Valley for an overnight stay before continuing into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where fortunately, the weather was clear for tremendous views of the crater and we managed to scope our first Black Rhino from the crater rim! In the forests that cloak the slopes we found Brown-headed Apalis and on the high grasslands we watched displaying Jackson’s Widowbirds and glittering Malachite and Golden-winged Sunbirds.

Our day in the phenomenal Ngorongoro Crater which because of all the rain was greatly flooded thus provided a spectacular flamingo experience and enabled views of African Rail. Five Black Rhinos were seen and included a rather close sighting of one particular individual. The unassuming Lynes’s Cisticola was found on the crater rim and in the forests, we scored with near-endemic Mbulu White-eye and a pair of pretty Abyssinian Crimsonwing.

Our time in the Serengeti was divided between stays at Ndutu and the Seronera area in the heart the Serengeti where enormous numbers of Serengeti White-bearded Wildebeest and Plains Zebra were grazing. We did well for cats generally and had multiple encounters with plenty of Lions as well as a distant Leopard and 8 Cheetahs! We also scored well with the bird specialties and found Maasai (recently split from Karamoja) Apalis, a family of Grey-crested Helmetshrikes, Athi Short-toed, Melodious and White-tailed Larks and endemic Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill and Fischer’s Lovebirds.

Returning via the fascinating museum at Oldupai Gorge we ultimately visited Arusha National Park where we found the near-endemic Broad-ringed White-eye, Sentinel Lark and mouth-watering species such as Hartlaub’s Turaco. Other noteworthy species seen during the tour included Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl, Montane Nightjar, Nyanza Swift, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Yellow-throated and Black-faced Sandgrouse, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Chestnut-banded Plover, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Red-and-yellow, Emin’s (sometimes split from D’Arnaud’s) and Usambiro Barbets, Moustached Tinkerbird, Spot-flanked Barbet, Brown-breasted Barbet, Eastern Grey Woodpecker, Greater Kestrel, Amur Falcon, Red-bellied Parrot, Black-fronted Bushshrike (heard only), Long-tailed and Taita Fiscals, Red-throated Tit, Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Black-headed Mountain Greenbul, Olive-headed (sometimes split as Stripe-faced) and Placid Greenbuls,  Trilling and Hunter’s Cisticolas, Bar-throated Apalis, Black-headed Apalis, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey Wren-Warbler, Banded Parisoma, Pale White-eye, Rufous Chatterer, Black-lored and Northern Pied Babblers, Hildebrandt’s and Kenrick’s Starlings, Bare-eyed Thrush, Silverbird, ‘Schalow’s’ Abyssinian Wheatear, Tacazze, Eastern Double-collared and Gorgeous Sunbirds, Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow, Chestnut, Kenya and Swahili Sparrows, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Speke’s and Golden-backed Weavers, Grey-headed Silverbill, Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, Steel-blue and Straw-tailed Whydahs, Pangani Longclaw, Southern Citril and Reichenow’s Seedeater.

The tour started at an extremely comfortable lodge overlooking the picturesque Lake Duluti, a small crater lake that nestles between the cultivation, busy towns and the peak of Mount Meru. Early arrivals were able to explore the garden and the lake itself where Trumpeter Hornbill, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Golden-tailed Woodpecker and for some exquisite Red-throated Twinspots were seen. At night both African Wood Owl and Garnett’s Greater (or Small-eared) Galago frequented the garden.

After a welcome night’s sleep, we departed early the next day and set out straight after breakfast boarding our sturdy Landcruisers with their open top roof hatches. Travelling north out of Arusha, we gradually descending lower and lower until we reached our first destination near the small settlement of Engikaret on the Lariboro Plains that is home to the incredibly rare endemic Beesley’s Lark. One wonders how long this taxon will survive as perhaps only c.62 of these birds are thought to survive and sadly, despite evidence that supports the validity of the species (IOC have split it) this taxon is not currently recognised as such by BirdLife International and others.

The plains were green with recent rain and Fawn-coloured (sometimes split as Foxy) Larks were in full song. Our Maasai guides were waiting for us out on the vast open plain and it wasn’t long before they led us into the area where at least 4 Beesley’s Larks were seen easily. They were easy to follow and everyone had great views of this endangered bird. Following this great success, we were free to look for a series of other larks the most common of which appeared to be the Red-capped Larks but with some searching we also found Short-tailed Lark and our first Fischer’s Sparrow-Larks. During our meanderings across the plains there were also other things to see; large numbers of Chestnut-bellied and Yellow-throated Sandgrouse were seen flying over and coming down to land, perky Capped Wheatears were common and some distant game dotted around proved to be Eastern White-bearded Wildebeest and Eastern Thomson’s Gazelles.

The morning was advancing rapidly and we decided to spend some time birding the thorn scrub bordering the plains and this decision turned up a wealth of species. Typical acacia scrub species were seen such as White-bellied Go-away-bird, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Red-fronted Prinia, Banded Parisoma, Bare-eyed Thrush, White-browed Scrub Robin, African Grey Flycatcher and Gorgeous Sunbird. An Upcher’s Warbler and a pair of Scaly Chatterers here was a great bonus.

It had been a highly successful morning but now we retraced our steps back towards Arusha stopping for numerous ‘Schalow’s’ Abyssinian Wheatears, colourful White-fronted Bee-eaters and a male Little Rock Thrush before continuing towards our next destination, Tarangire National Park.

At the entrance gate our first endemic Yellow-collared Lovebirds were spotted but there was much disturbance at this normally birdy spot due to recent construction work so we didn’t linger for long. As time was pressing, we drove directly to our superb lodge with its ‘awesome view’ overlooking the Tarangire River just in time for a roosting African Scops Owl and some relaxed birding with sundowners, surrounded by endemic Ashy Starlings before settling into our ‘tents’ which were more like huts made out of canvas for a two nights stay.

The Tarangire ecosystem covers an area of approximately 20,000 square kilometres and comprises Baobab and Acacia woodland, Commiphora bushland and open grassland dotted with Real Fan Palms (Hyphaene petersiana) with swamps dominating the southern section. We opted for a full day drive that took us through open savanna and then followed the Tarangire River southwards to Silale Swamp where we enjoyed a pleasant picnic lunch overlooking the vast swamp.

As we set out for the day our first Common Ostrich were seen letting us know that we were truly in ‘Safari Land’ Africa! Crested Francolins and both Red-necked and Yellow-necked Spurfowl were easy to see by the roadsides, showy ‘Black-faced’ Bare-faced Go-away-birds were seen and other goodies included spectacular Grey Crowned Cranes, Saddle-billed Stork and our first Secretarybirds. We did well for raptors generally with a selection of vultures, Long-crested Eagle, Eastern Chanting Goshawk, some high-flying Amur Falcons and for a lucky few a juvenile Little Sparrowhawk. Pearl-spotted Owlets showed well, some Southern Ground Hornbills were seen, Meyer’s and Red-bellied Parrots were often seen as they screeched by, Magpie Shrikes and tail-waggling Long-tailed Shrikes were common and Flappet Larks and Northern Pied Babblers were also often encountered. The regional endemic Red-throated Tit put in its first appearance and the endemic form of D’Arnaud’s Barbet which is sometimes considered a separate species ‘Emin’s or Black-capped Barbet’ was seen incredibly well. At Silale Swamp Long-toed Lapwings, Black Coucals and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters were plentiful and two African Crakes were flushed!

The park is a wonderful place for observing African Savanna Elephants and we enjoyed some great encounters although after recent heavy rains the vegetation was high and the Tarangire River which runs through the park wasn’t quite the magnetic draw that it often is in the dry season. Other mammals included tail-twitching Impala, shaggy-coated Ellipsen Waterbuck, towering stately ‘Maasai’ Giraffes and tiny little ‘Thomas’s’ Kirk’s Dik-diks.

At night Tarangire Safari Lodge was fortunately still offering game drives. It turned out to be an absolutely mega experience with close encounters with Serval as well as Northern Lesser Galago and Bat-eared Fox. The nightbirds excelled with wonderful repeated views of Slender-tailed Nightjar and Three-banded Courser and no less than ten Bronze-winged Coursers.

The following morning it was time to continue our journey which took us out of Tarangire and towards Lake Manyara National Park. Sadly, this year the road conditions were such that we were unable to drive right through the park and were limited to the southern section only but we stopped first at some extensive rice fields where a Dwarf Bittern was scoped and fantastic breeding plumaged Golden-backed Weaver, Southern Red and Yellow-crowned Bishops and Fan-tailed and White-winged Widowbirds were busy in the rice fields all fluffed up and buzzing around in great excitement whilst angry rice growers yelled at them trying to keep the numerous birds out of the crops. A displaying Highland Rush Warbler showed pretty well and along the way we found our first breeding plumaged Black Bishops of the colourful race friederichseni.

Entering by the west gate of Lake Manyara National Park, we birded the attractive acacia woodlands that cover the base of the cliffs of the wall of the Great Rift Valley. Our attempts were almost thwarted by an elephant that had decided to push a tree down across the road and was there happily munching on the spoils of its plunder. Happily, it didn’t linger too long and our drivers were able to hack obstructing branches away so that we could go further into the park where after a little effort, we ultimately enjoyed great views of the intensely coloured Purple-crested Turaco.

These forests are the haunt of ‘tree-climbing’ Lions although we did not manage to find them this time round. Instead, noisy Eastern Nicators sang from the thickets and White-bellied Tit and our first Usambiro Barbets were seen.

The park itself stretches for 50 kilometres along the edge of the imposing Rift Valley escarpment. The lake was once a famous haunt of large numbers of flamingos and other waterbirds. However, for the past several years in common with other lakes in the East African Rift Valley water levels have been rising and this has now covered and killed much of the low-lying woodland that surrounded the lake. The once famous ‘hot springs’ and ‘hippo pools’ are both underwater and it was also clear that the quality of the water wasn’t favourable to birdlife for there were hardly any waterbirds along the shores. At the end of the day, we retraced our steps back out of the park only to find a truck stuck in a gully blocking the road. It seemed for a while that we were going to be spending the night in the cars but our fearless drivers were not going to be defeated and after some digging and winching (yes, we got stuck as well!) we managed to get round the hapless vehicle and we were on our way again. It had been a tough day for our drivers! Somewhat later than anticipated we drove up the wall of the Great Rift Valley to our comfortable lodge perched on the edge of the escarpment itself which at night produced noisy Thick-tailed Greater Galagos in the garden.

We woke the following morning to fantastic views somewhat marred by the dull grey weather conditions over the Rift Valley towards Lake Manyara. It was a slow birding start on a rather damp morning but it certainly brightened up when a pair of Verreaux’s Eagles and an Ayres’s Hawk Eagle sailed over.

After a hearty breakfast we continued onwards, ever onwards to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area entering by the Lodoare Gate where we managed to lure Brown Parisoma, Grey-capped Warbler and Brown-headed Apalis into view and continued up along the winding road through montane forest eventually reaching a viewpoint on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Low cloud obscured our view but miraculously it cleared and the first word on everyone’s lips was a synchronised “WOW!” because for all of the media familiarity that one might feel for the crater, actually seeing it for the first time is simply awe inspiring! Stretching out down below us was the vast caldera itself, over 16 kilometres across, and even at that great distance we could make out Black (or Browse) Rhinoceros, elephants, buffalos and numerous Serengeti White-bearded Wildebeest wandering across the grasslands!

The weather closed in again while we ate a picnic lunch but once again it cleared and afterwards we went on to explore the open grasslands that surround the crater and although they seemed to be a little overgrazed these days, we soon found Hunter’s Cisticola, striking Red-cowled Widowbirds and the desirable Jackson’s Widowbird in breeding plumage. Driving further we were on the lookout for stands of flowering Leonotis (or ‘Lion’s Paw’) normally favoured by sunbirds. The lovely Malachite Sunbird was holding territory and eventually one stand of flowers was busy with small numbers of the much-wanted Golden-winged Sunbird.

Our attractive lodge was idyllically situated overlooking the crater. We settled into our rooms and as dusk fell, we enjoyed great views of a Montane Nightjar.

The next morning, we were up early but were met with low cloud that hugged the crater rim. It wasn’t a very auspicious start to the day but in the gloom we still managed to find a rather damp Lynes’s Cisticola which is named after the respected Rear-Admiral Hubert Lynes who was responsible for sorting out the taxonomy of this confusing group of warblers in a supplement to The Ibis way back in 1930. Despite the poor visibility we headed straight for the ‘Descent Road’ and embarked on the steep and narrow road down into the crater which was a breath-taking experience as we managed to drive below the rain clouds to find the sun poking shafts of light through from the other side of the crater! Having reached the wide expanse of flat open grassland that spread over the floor of the crater we were even more aware of the space involved, as recognisable animals gradually diminished in size to dots that were scattered as far as the eye could see. Driving over a network of tracks that criss-crossed the caldera floor we were accompanied by good numbers of Pectoral-patch Cisticolas making their little buzzing calls in display flight and we also discovered stunning Rosy-throated Longclaws and dowdy Anteater Chats with flashing white wings. The shallow lake in the crater is called Lake Magadi which held an abundance of water this year and was deeply bordered with numerous wing-flapping, grunting Lesser Flamingos, many Greater Flamingos and a small variety of waterfowl included Blue-billed Teal and the pretty pink-billed Cape Teal.

Big birds were a feature of the day with glorious Grey Crowned Cranes and stately Kori Bustards striding across the plains but of course, our day was also about the mammals and we succeeded in finding no less than five Black Rhinos including one that was quite close to one of the tracks. As a large portion of the crater bottom appeared to be a marsh it was perhaps no surprise that Little Rush and Lesser Swamp Warblers were found and African Rails were noisy and several were seen.

Some very large solitary bull African Elephants were feeding around the plains as well as family groups and there were large numbers of game and in particular Serengeti White-bearded Wildebeest, Serengeti Thomson’s Gazelles, numbers of Grant’s Gazelles and Common Eland. Somewhat dishevelled African (or Cape) Buffalos were common but kept their distance. There were also somewhat menacing Spotted Hyaenas and our first Lions.

After heavy rain overnight, the next morning, we woke to fine weather which had provoked a swarm of winged termites that birds were feasting on. We spent our time birding the forested lodge grounds and our productive search yielded a fine Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, the near-endemic Mbulu White-eye, colourful Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, Bar-throated Apalis, Tacazze and Eastern Double-collared Sunbirds, Thick-billed Seedeater and a super pair of Abyssinian Crimsonwing to name but a few.

It was time to leave the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and approaching the lonely entrance to the Serengeti the short grass plains beyond offered us our first glimpse of the great migration as there was a huge line of wildebeest with many more dotted over the sea of grass as far as the eye could see.

There are perhaps over 1.5 million wildebeest in the Serengeti and almost all of them flood into the southeast corner of the ecosystem between January and April when the heavy long rains arrive and although we were witnessing just a fraction of them, it was still absolutely awe-inspiring. The name is derived from the word “Serengit” in the Maa language, which means “Endless Plains” and we certainly experienced this incredible feeling of space as we journeyed on.

At Naabi Hills we ate our picnic lunch in the company of pink-headed Mwanza Flat-headed Agamas and tame Black-lored Babblers and Red-headed Weavers but we didn’t linger too long because we had a long way to go as our route took us through the picturesque Gol Kopjes. Having driven through the broad swathe of game the plains further north were pretty much devoid of mammals although this is where we spotted our first two cheetahs and of course more lions. Driving onwards across the grasslands on the black cotton soil, we were paying special attention to larks because in the past few years it had been discovered and now finally proven that not all of the population of White-tailed Larks are indeed that species and many appear to be Melodious Lark, a species previously only known from central Zimbabwe and South Africa! We found Athi Short-toed Lark fairly quickly but no larks were singing anywhere and flushed birds were difficult to identify. Eventually we came across a little pocket of what we could identify as White-tailed Lark and then it was onwards, ever onwards! Flocks of migrant Lesser Kestrels were moving through and a few resident Greater Kestrels were seen. It was a somewhat rushed journey but it was essential that we had to get to our lovely accommodation for the start of a three nights stay in the heart of the Serengeti by closing time at seven o’clock. We were in good time and made it safely.

The next day we headed straight out in the fresh morning air and fortuitously quickly found one of the very special birds of the Serengeti, the localised Grey-crested Helmetshrike. This scarce species is restricted to a small area stretching from northern Tanzania up into southern Kenya where it is particularly localised and also appears to hybridise there with White Helmetshrike thus perhaps making the future of this characterful bird doubtful. We enjoyed excellent views of this characterful species and couldn’t believe our luck that we had found it so quickly. A little further on a pair of endemic Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill posed nicely for us which left us with one more special bird to see so it seemed fitting to continue to an area of Whistling Thorn (Vachellia drepanolobium) where we discovered a pair of the highly localised Maasai Apalis recently split from Karamoja Apalis. This species is strictly linked with stands of this particular thorn tree and didn’t give itself up too easily at first but after some persistent effort ultimately allowed decent views.

Lunchtime at the Seronera picnic area allowed opportunities to see and photograph some common birds which included some pretty Grey-headed Silverbills. It is also a good place to pick up news of where something good might be and in this case, it was a Leopard so we got back in our vehicles and headed out to the area where it had last been seen. We indeed found the animal sprawled out along the branches of a spreading acacia but unfortunately it was quite distant so we resumed lark-quest and headed back towards our lodge taking in a very fine male Hartlaub’s Bustard along the way. Some more White-tailed Larks were seen but still no sign of the missing Melodious and it still seemed like most of the larks were silent, presumably having already bred, and the grasslands very empty.

With most of our targets already seen we had a full day to search for the errant lark and we decided to return to the previous day’s leopard spot in the hope (which sadly turned out to be in vain) that it might be rediscovered. However, today was the day that we had a simply incredible experience with a large pride of lions which may have contained as many as 20 animals of all ages and were quite active, the pride being dominated by a mating pair that enlivened the proceedings. After having enjoyed this spectacle, we were even more pleased to finally connect with a few Melodious Larks which were suitably secretive as they dived into cover but also chose to sing, thus confirming the identification. Two more Servals were another highlight of the day. Both seen for close and prolonged views. To cement our Melodious Lark sighting, the following day we saw another well as we left the Serengeti, returning to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where we spent our next three nights at the charming Ndutu Safari Lodge.

We had two full days to explore the Ndutu area and here we could partake in some exciting off-road driving excursions during our stay in search of cats and more for here one isn’t limited to simply driving along the tracks but can also take off into the wide blue yonder creating a great sense of adventure. Our explorations took us out over the endless plains, through acacia woodlands and around the two lakes; Ndutu and Masek that lie on the border of the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where and Kittlitz’s and Chestnut-banded Plovers were seen.

There were even more Lions in the Ndutu area and we were entertained by two wonderful Cheetahs which were clearly interested in hunting but the line of game was just that little bit too far away. The following day we saw three more individuals and then on the next day we found our fourth Serval of the tour and a sneaky African Wildcat too.

Numbers of endemic Fischer’s Lovebirds were perhaps a little on the low side but we found some colourful groups and also enjoyed great views of the endemic Grey-breasted Spurfowl which was common and offered numerous viewing opportunities. Pretty little Harlequin Quails were flushed from the exceedingly wet short grass plains and some were actually seen at rest.

Secretarybird was a much-wanted species during this tour and Ndutu probably gave us our best encounters with this strange raptor with pairs watched hunting and at their nests on top of acacias. By this stage of the tour, we had seen most of the new bird species likely so our time at Ndutu enabled us to improve on views and photographs but a few new ones were seen including Rufous Chatterer and Spotted Eagle-Owl.

Leaving Ndutu we paid a visit to Oldupai Gorge (named after the wild sisal Sansevieria ehrenbergii that grows there), site of many important hominid discoveries by the Leakey family and now home to a fascinating museum to visit and learn a number of things about the “cradle of mankind”. Outside we found Southern Grosbeak Canary and also Pale White-eye. Back at our hotel overlooking Lake Duluti we all managed views of the handsome Brown-breasted Barbet.

Our final day was spent in Arusha National Park that encompasses the volcanic slopes of Mount Meru, an impressive peak reaching some 4566m (14,979ft). It was a damp morning after overnight rain and we found near-endemic Taveta Golden Weavers by the gate. Entering the park, we headed inwards and upwards to the forest where we spent all of the morning. Initially all was quiet and as was to be expected, the dark, dripping forest did not reveal its secrets easily. We saw Scaly Spurfowl and Mountain Wagtail on the road and Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, African Goshawk and Kenrick’s Starlings before climbing higher to the Ngurdoto Crater rim, where shaggy-coated Guereza Colobus gathered leaves in the treetops. Some superb Hartlaub’s Turacos popped into view and the near-endemic Broad-ringed White-eye was seen well and other successes included many White-eared Barbets, Olive-headed (aka Stripe-faced) and Placid Greenbuls, Black-headed Apalis and Olive Sunbird.

In the afternoon we headed down to the surprisingly empty Momela lakes where Brown-hooded Kingfisher and Moustached Grass Warbler, Short-winged Cisticola, African Firefinch, Long-billed Pipit and  Southern Citril were found as well as the recently split Sentinel Lark.

The day was over and there was nothing else to do but baton down the hatches and head back carrying home with us a myriad of marvellous experiences both on numerous memory cards but better still in our own internal memories! There are over 1.5 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras in the Serengeti and almost all of them flood into the southeast corner of the ecosystem between January and April when the heavy long rains arrive and their calves and foals are born and numbers swell considerably and it felt that we must have seen a fair number of them! It had been a stunning fortnight packed full of amazing wildlife encounters and the amount of time spent at each location had actually helped us feel a part of the Ngorongoro and Serengeti rather than just visitors. Our talented driver/guides had manoeuvred the cars over all manner of difficult terrain and without their driving skills we might never have had the marvellous views of the wildlife that we had enjoyed on this tour. The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater is home to one of the greatest wildlife scenarios on this planet and we were privileged to have witnessed it for ourselves.

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR

Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g., it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follow Gill, F., Donsker, D., & Rasmussen, P.(Eds). 2025. IOC World Bird List (v15.1).

BIRDS
Common Ostrich  Struthio camelus
White-faced Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna viduata
Fulvous Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna bicolor
Spur-winged Goose  Plectropterus gambensis
Knob-billed Duck  Sarkidiornis melanotos
Egyptian Goose  Alopochen aegyptiaca
Blue-billed Teal  Spatula hottentota
Cape Teal  Anas capensis
Red-billed Teal (R-b Duck)  Anas erythrorhyncha
Southern Pochard  Netta erythrophthalma
Helmeted Guineafowl  Numida meleagris
Crested Francolin  Ortygornis sephaena
Coqui Francolin  Campocolinus coqui
Common Quail  Coturnix coturnix
Harlequin Quail  Coturnix delegorguei
Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis hildebrandti
Scaly Spurfowl  Pternistis squamatus
Yellow-necked Spurfowl  Pternistis leucoscepus
Grey-breasted Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis rufopictus
Red-necked Spurfowl  Pternistis afer
Montane Nightjar ◊  Caprimulgus poliocephalus
Slender-tailed Nightjar  Caprimulgus clarus
Scarce Swift  Schoutedenapus myoptilus
Mottled Spinetail (Mottled-throated S)  Telacanthura ussheri
African Palm Swift  Cypsiurus parvus
Mottled Swift  Tachymarptis aequatorialis
Common Swift (Eurasian S)  Apus apus
Nyanza Swift ◊  Apus niansae
African Black Swift  Apus barbatus
Little Swift  Apus affinis
Horus Swift  Apus horus
White-rumped Swift  Apus caffer
Bare-faced Go-away-bird (Black-f G-a-b)  Crinifer [personatus] leopoldi
White-bellied Go-away-bird  Crinifer leucogaster
Purple-crested Turaco (Violet-crested T)  Gallirex porphyreolophus
Schalow’s Turaco  Tauraco schalowi
Hartlaub’s Turaco ◊  Tauraco hartlaubi
Kori Bustard  Ardeotis kori
White-bellied Bustard (Northern W-b B)  Eupodotis senegalensis
Buff-crested Bustard  Lophotis gindiana
Black-bellied Bustard  Lissotis melanogaster
Hartlaub’s Bustard ◊  Lissotis hartlaubii
White-browed Coucal  Centropus superciliosus
Black Coucal  Centropus grillii
Great Spotted Cuckoo  Clamator glandarius
Jacobin Cuckoo (Black-and-white C)  Clamator jacobinus
Diederik Cuckoo (Didric C)  Chrysococcyx caprius
Klaas’s Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx klaas
African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus
Black Cuckoo  Cuculus clamosus
Red-chested Cuckoo  Cuculus solitarius
African Cuckoo  Cuculus gularis
Common Cuckoo (Eurasian C)  Cuculus canorus
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse  Pterocles exustus
Yellow-throated Sandgrouse ◊  Pterocles gutturalis
Black-faced Sandgrouse ◊  Pterocles decoratus
Rock Dove (introduced)  Columba livia
Speckled Pigeon  Columba guinea
African Olive Pigeon (Rameron P)  Columba arquatrix
Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon ◊  Columba delegorguei
Dusky Turtle Dove  Streptopelia lugens
Mourning Collared Dove (African M D)  Streptopelia decipiens
Red-eyed Dove  Streptopelia semitorquata
Ring-necked Dove  Streptopelia capicola
Laughing Dove  Spilopelia senegalensis
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove  Turtur chalcospilos
Tambourine Dove  Turtur tympanistria
Namaqua Dove  Oena capensis
African Green Pigeon  Treron calvus
African Rail (A Water R)  Rallus caerulescens
African Crake  Crecopsis egregia
Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus
Red-knobbed Coot (Crested C)  Fulica cristata
Black Crake  Zapornia flavirostra
Grey Crowned Crane  Balearica regulorum
Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis
Greater Flamingo  Phoenicopterus roseus
Lesser Flamingo  Phoeniconaias minor
Spotted Thick-knee  Burhinus capensis
Water Thick-knee  Burhinus vermiculatus
Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus
Pied Avocet  Recurvirostra avosetta
Common Ringed Plover  Charadrius hiaticula
Three-banded Plover  Charadrius tricollaris
Long-toed Lapwing (L-t Plover)  Vanellus crassirostris
Blacksmith Lapwing (B Plover)  Vanellus armatus
Spur-winged Lapwing (S-w Plover)  Vanellus spinosus
Black-winged Lapwing (B-w Plover)  Vanellus melanopterus
Crowned Lapwing (C Plover)  Vanellus coronatus
Kittlitz’s Plover  Anarhynchus pecuarius
Chestnut-banded Plover ◊  Anarhynchus pallidus
African Jacana  Actophilornis africanus
Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos
Marsh Sandpiper  Tringa stagnatilis
Wood Sandpiper  Tringa glareola
Common Greenshank  Tringa nebularia
Ruff  Calidris pugnax
Curlew Sandpiper  Calidris ferruginea
Little Stint  Calidris minuta
Double-banded Courser (Two-b C)  Rhinoptilus africanus
Bronze-winged Courser ◊ (Violet-tipped C)  Rhinoptilus chalcopterus
Three-banded Courser (Heuglin’s C)  Rhinoptilus cinctus
Temminck’s Courser  Cursorius temminckii
Collared Pratincole  Glareola pratincola
Gull-billed Tern  Gelochelidon nilotica
Whiskered Tern  Chlidonias hybrida
White-winged Tern (W-w Black T)  Chlidonias leucopterus
Grey-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
African Openbill (A O-billed Stork)  Anastomus lamelligerus
Marabou Stork  Leptoptilos crumenifer
Yellow-billed Stork  Mycteria ibis
Saddle-billed Stork  Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Abdim’s Stork  Ciconia abdimii  Non-leader
White Stork  Ciconia ciconia
Reed Cormorant (Long-tailed C)  Microcarbo africanus
White-breasted Cormorant  Phalacrocorax lucidus
African Sacred Ibis  Threskiornis aethiopicus
Hadada Ibis  Bostrychia hagedash
Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus
African Spoonbill  Platalea alba
Dwarf Bittern ◊  Botaurus sturmii
Little Bittern  Botaurus minutus
Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax
Little Egret  Egretta garzetta
Striated Heron (Green-backed H)  Butorides striata
Squacco Heron  Ardeola ralloides
Great Egret (Western G E)  Ardea [alba] melanorhynchos
Yellow-billed Egret  Ardea brachyrhyncha
Western Cattle Egret  Ardea ibis
Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea
Black-headed Heron  Ardea melanocephala
Goliath Heron  Ardea goliath
Hamerkop  Scopus umbretta
Great White Pelican  Pelecanus onocrotalus
Pink-backed Pelican  Pelecanus rufescens
Secretarybird  Sagittarius serpentarius
Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus
African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene)  Polyboroides typus
Palm-nut Vulture  Gypohierax angolensis
European Honey Buzzard (Eurasian H B)  Pernis apivorus
White-backed Vulture (African W-b V)  Gyps africanus
Rüppell’s Vulture (R’s Griffon V)  Gyps rueppelli
White-headed Vulture  Trigonoceps occipitalis
Lappet-faced Vulture  Torgos tracheliotos
Black-chested Snake Eagle  Circaetus pectoralis
Brown Snake Eagle  Circaetus cinereus
Bateleur  Terathopius ecaudatus
Martial Eagle  Polemaetus bellicosus
Long-crested Eagle  Lophaetus occipitalis
Wahlberg’s Eagle  Hieraaetus wahlbergi
Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle  Hieraaetus ayresii
Booted Eagle  Hieraaetus pennatus
Tawny Eagle  Aquila rapax
Verreaux’s Eagle (Black E)  Aquila verreauxii
African Hawk-Eagle  Aquila spilogaster
Gabar Goshawk  Micronisus gabar
Dark Chanting Goshawk  Melierax metabates
Eastern Chanting Goshawk (E Pale C G)  Melierax poliopterus
African Goshawk  Aerospiza tachiro
Shikra  Tachyspiza badia  Non-leader
Little Sparrowhawk  Tachyspiza minulla
Ovambo Sparrowhawk (Ovampo S)  Accipiter ovampensis
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk  Accipiter rufiventris
Black Sparrowhawk (Great S)  Astur melanoleucus  Non-leader
Western Marsh Harrier (Eurasian M H)  Circus aeruginosus
African Marsh Harrier  Circus ranivorus
Montagu’s Harrier  Circus pygargus
Yellow-billed Kite  Milvus aegyptius
African Fish Eagle  Icthyophaga vocifer
Common Buzzard (Steppe Buzzard)  Buteo [buteo] vulpinus
Augur Buzzard  Buteo augur
Western Barn Owl  Tyto alba  Non-leader
Pearl-spotted Owlet  Glaucidium perlatum
African Scops Owl  Otus senegalensis
Spotted Eagle-Owl  Bubo africanus
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl  Ketupa lactea
African Wood Owl  Strix woodfordii
Speckled Mousebird  Colius striatus
Blue-naped Mousebird  Urocolius macrourus
African Hoopoe  Upupa africana
Green Wood Hoopoe  Phoeniculus purpureus
Common Scimitarbill  Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
Abyssinian Scimitarbill ◊  Rhinopomastus minor
Southern Ground Hornbill  Bucorvus leadbeateri
Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill ◊ (Ruaha R-b H)  Tockus ruahae
Northern Red-billed Hornbill ◊  Tockus erythrorhynchus
Von der Decken’s Hornbill ◊  Tockus deckeni
Crowned Hornbill  Lophoceros alboterminatus
African Grey Hornbill  Lophoceros nasutus
Trumpeter Hornbill  Bycanistes bucinator
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill  Bycanistes brevis
Purple Roller (Rufous-crowned R)  Coracias naevius
Lilac-breasted Roller  Coracias caudatus
European Roller (Eurasian R)  Coracias garrulus
Grey-headed Kingfisher (Chestnut-bellied K)  Halcyon leucocephala
Brown-hooded Kingfisher  Halcyon albiventris
Striped Kingfisher  Halcyon chelicuti
Woodland Kingfisher  Halcyon senegalensis
Malachite Kingfisher  Corythornis cristatus
Giant Kingfisher  Megaceryle maxima. Non-leader
Pied Kingfisher  Ceryle rudis
Little Bee-eater  Merops pusillus
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater ◊  Merops oreobates
White-fronted Bee-eater  Merops bullockoides
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater  Merops persicus
European Bee-eater (Eurasian B-e)  Merops apiaster
Red-and-yellow Barbet ◊  Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
D’Arnaud’s Barbet ◊ (Emin’s B)  Trachyphonus [darnaudii] emini
Usambiro Barbet ◊  Trachyphonus usambiro
White-eared Barbet  Stactolaema leucotis
Moustached Tinkerbird ◊ (M Green T)  Pogoniulus leucomystax
Northern Red-fronted Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus uropygialis
Red-fronted Barbet  Tricholaema diademata
Spot-flanked Barbet ◊  Tricholaema lacrymosa
Brown-breasted Barbet ◊  Pogonornis melanopterus
Lesser Honeyguide  Indicator minor
Greater Honeyguide (Black-throated H)  Indicator indicator
Nubian Woodpecker  Campethera nubica
Golden-tailed Woodpecker  Campethera abingoni
Bearded Woodpecker  Chloropicus namaquus
Cardinal Woodpecker  Dendropicos fuscescens
Eastern Grey Woodpecker ◊  Dendropicos spodocephalus
Pygmy Falcon  Polihierax semitorquatus
Lesser Kestrel  Falco naumanni
Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus
Greater Kestrel ◊ (White-eyed K)  Falco rupicoloides
Grey Kestrel  Falco ardosiaceus
Red-necked Falcon  Falco chicquera
Amur Falcon ◊ (Eastern Red-footed F)  Falco amurensis
Eurasian Hobby  Falco subbuteo
Lanner Falcon  Falco biarmicus
Meyer’s Parrot (Brown P)  Poicephalus meyeri
Red-bellied Parrot ◊ (African Orange-bellied P)  Poicephalus rufiventris
Fischer’s Lovebird ◊  Agapornis fischeri
Yellow-collared Lovebird ◊  Agapornis personatus
Chinspot Batis  Batis molitor
Pygmy Batis  Batis perkeo
Black-throated Wattle-eye  Platysteira peltata  Non-leader
Grey-headed Bushshrike  Malaconotus blanchoti
Black-fronted Bushshrike ◊  Chlorophoneus nigrifrons  Heard only
Orange-breasted Bushshrike (Sulphur-b B)  Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus
Rosy-patched Bushshrike*  Telophorus cruentus
Brown-crowned Tchagra  Tchagra australis
Black-backed Puffback  Dryoscopus cubla
Slate-colored Boubou  Laniarius funebris
Tropical Boubou  Laniarius major
Brubru  Nilaus afer
Grey-crested Helmetshrike ◊  Prionops poliolophus
Grey Cuckooshrike  Ceblepyris caesius
Black Cuckooshrike  Campephaga flava
Black-headed Oriole (African B-H O, Eastern B-h O)  Oriolus larvatus
Fork-tailed Drongo (Common D)  Dicrurus adsimilis
African Paradise Flycatcher  Terpsiphone viridis
Northern White-crowned Shrike  Eurocephalus ruppelli
Magpie Shrike  Lanius melanoleucus
Long-tailed Fiscal ◊  Lanius cabanisi
Grey-backed Fiscal  Lanius excubitoroides
Taita Fiscal ◊  Lanius dorsalis
Northern Fiscal  Lanius humeralis
Lesser Grey Shrike  Lanius minor
Red-backed Shrike  Lanius collurio
Red-tailed Shrike (Rufous-tailed, Turkestan S)  Lanius phoenicuroides
House Crow (introduced)  Corvus splendens
Cape Crow (C Rook, Black C)  Corvus capensis
Pied Crow  Corvus albus
White-necked Raven (W-naped R)  Corvus albicollis
White-bellied Tit  Melaniparus albiventris
Red-throated Tit ◊  Melaniparus fringillinus
Eastern Nicator  Nicator gularis  Heard only
Beesley’s Lark ◊ (Pygmy Spike-heeled L)  Chersomanes beesleyi
Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark ◊  Eremopterix leucopareia
Fawn-colored Lark ◊ (Foxy L)  Calendulauda [africanoides] alopex
Melodious Lark ◊  Mirafra cheniana
White-tailed Lark ◊  Mirafra albicauda
Flappet Lark  Amirafra rufocinnamomea
Rufous-naped Lark ◊  Corypha africana
Sentinel Lark ◊  Corypha athi
Short-tailed Lark ◊  Spizocorys fremantlii
Red-capped Lark  Calandrella cinerea
Athi Short-toed Lark ◊  Alaudala athensis
Yellow-bellied Greenbul  Chlorocichla flaviventris
Black-headed Mountain Greenbul ◊  Arizelocichla nigriceps
Olive-headed Greenbul ◊ (Stripe-faced G)  Arizelocichla striifacies
Little Greenbul  Eurillas virens  Non-leader
Grey-olive Greenbul ◊  Phyllastrephus cerviniventris
Placid Greenbul ◊  Phyllastrephus placidus
Dark-capped Bulbul  Pycnonotus tricolor
Black Saw-wing (Blue S)  Psalidoprocne [pristoptera] holomelas
Banded Martin  Neophedina cincta
Brown-throated Martin (Plain M)  Riparia paludicola
Sand Martin (Common S M, Bank Swallow)  Riparia riparia
Red-throated Rock Martin  Ptyonoprogne rufigula
Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica
Wire-tailed Swallow  Hirundo smithii
Western House Martin  Delichon urbicum
African Red-rumped Swallow  Cecropis melanocrissus
Lesser Striped Swallow  Cecropis abyssinica
Red-breasted Swallow (Rufous-chested S)  Cecropis semirufa
Mosque Swallow  Cecropis senegalensis
Moustached Grass Warbler (African M W)  Melocichla mentalis
Northern Crombec (Eastern C) Sylvietta brachyura
Red-faced Crombec  Sylvietta whytii
Willow Warbler  Phylloscopus trochilus
Lesser Swamp Warbler  Acrocephalus gracilirostris
Sedge Warbler  Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Common Reed Warbler (African R W)  Acrocephalus [scirpaceus] cinnamomeus
African Yellow Warbler (Dark-capped Y W)  Iduna natalensis  Non-leader
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler  Iduna pallida
Upcher’s Warbler  Hippolais languida
Cinnamon Bracken Warbler  Bradypterus cinnamomeus
Little Rush Warbler  Bradypterus baboecala
Highland Rush Warbler ◊  Bradypterus centralis
Red-faced Cisticola  Cisticola erythrops
Singing Cisticola  Cisticola cantans
Trilling Cisticola ◊  Cisticola woosnami
Hunter’s Cisticola ◊  Cisticola hunteri
Rattling Cisticola  Cisticola chiniana
Lynes’s Cisticola ◊  Cisticola distinctus
Winding Cisticola  Cisticola marginatus
Croaking Cisticola  Cisticola natalensis
Short-winged Cisticola (Siffling C)  Cisticola brachypterus
Zitting Cisticola  Cisticola juncidis
Desert Cisticola  Cisticola aridulus
Pectoral-patch Cisticola  Cisticola brunnescens
Tawny-flanked Prinia  Prinia subflava
Red-fronted Prinia  Prinia rufifrons
Buff-bellied Warbler  Phyllolais pulchella
Bar-throated Apalis ◊  Apalis thoracica
Yellow-breasted Apalis  Apalis flavida
Black-headed Apalis ◊  Apalis melanocephala
Maasai Apalis ◊  Apalis stronachi
Brown-headed Apalis ◊  Apalis alticola
Grey-capped Warbler ◊  Eminia lepida
Grey-backed Camaroptera  Camaroptera brevicaudata
Grey Wren-Warbler ◊  Calamonastes simplex
Yellow-bellied Eremomela  Eremomela icteropygialis
Garden Warbler  Sylvia borin  Non-leader
Banded Parisoma ◊  Curruca boehmi
Brown Parisoma  Curruca lugens
Common Whitethroat  Curruca communis
Pale White-eye ◊ (P Scrub W-e)  Zosterops flavilateralis
Mbulu White-eye ◊  Zosterops mbuluensis
Broad-ringed White-eye ◊  Zosterops eurycricotus
Rufous Chatterer ◊  Argya rubiginosa
Scaly Chatterer ◊  Argya aylmeri
Arrow-marked Babbler  Turdoides jardineii
Black-lored Babbler ◊  Turdoides sharpei
Northern Pied Babbler ◊  Turdoides hypoleuca
Wattled Starling  Creatophora cinerea
Greater Blue-eared Starling  Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Rüppell’s Starling  Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Superb Starling  Lamprotornis superbus
Hildebrandt’s Starling ◊  Lamprotornis hildebrandti
Ashy Starling ◊  Lamprotornis unicolor
Violet-backed Starling  Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
Red-winged Starling  Onychognathus morio
Kenrick’s Starling ◊  Poeoptera kenricki
Yellow-billed Oxpecker  Buphagus africanus
Red-billed Oxpecker  Buphagus erythrorynchus
Abyssinian Thrush (Mountain or Northern Olive T)  Turdus abyssinicus
Bare-eyed Thrush ◊ (African B-e T)  Turdus tephronotus
White-browed Scrub Robin  Cercotrichas leucophrys
Ashy Flycatcher  Fraseria caerulescens
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher  Melaenornis fischeri
Southern Black Flycatcher  Melaenornis pammelaina
Silverbird ◊  Empidornis semipartitus
African Grey Flycatcher  Bradornis microrhynchus
African Dusky Flycatcher  Muscicapa adusta
Spotted Flycatcher  Muscicapa striata
White-browed Robin-Chat  Cossypha heuglini
Rüppell’s Robin-Chat ◊  Cossypha semirufa
Spotted Palm Thrush (S Morning T)  Cichladusa guttata
Cape Robin-Chat  Dessonornis caffer
Little Rock Thrush  Monticola rufocinereus
Common Rock Thrush (Rufous-tailed R T)  Monticola saxatilis
Whinchat  Saxicola rubetra
African Stonechat  Saxicola torquatus
Mocking Cliff Chat  Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
Anteater Chat (Northern A C)  Myrmecocichla aethiops
Northern Wheatear  Oenanthe oenanthe
Capped Wheatear  Oenanthe pileata
Abyssinian Wheatear ◊ (Schalow’s W)  Oenanthe [lugubris] schalowi
Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird (Kenya V-b S)  Anthreptes orientalis
Collared Sunbird  Hedydipna collaris
Olive Sunbird  Cyanomitra olivacea
Amethyst Sunbird  Chalcomitra amethystina
Scarlet-chested Sunbird  Chalcomitra senegalensis
Tacazze Sunbird ◊  Nectarinia tacazze
Bronze Sunbird (Bronze S)  Nectarinia kilimensis
Malachite Sunbird  Nectarinia famosa
Golden-winged Sunbird ◊  Drepanorhynchus reichenowi
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird ◊  Cinnyris mediocris
Gorgeous Sunbird ◊  Cinnyris melanogastrus
Marico Sunbird (Mariqua S)  Cinnyris mariquensis
Variable Sunbird  Cinnyris venustus
Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow ◊ (Y-s Petronia)  Gymnoris pyrgita
Chestnut Sparrow ◊  Passer eminibey
Kenya Sparrow ◊ (Rufous S)  Passer rufocinctus
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow  Passer griseus
Swahili Sparrow ◊  Passer suahelicus
House Sparrow (introduced)  Passer domesticus
Red-billed Buffalo Weaver  Bubalornis niger
White-headed Buffalo Weaver  Dinemellia dinemelli
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver  Plocepasser mahali
Rufous-tailed Weaver ◊  Histurgops ruficauda
Grey-capped Social Weaver ◊ (Grey-headed S W)  Pseudonigrita arnaudi
Speckle-fronted Weaver  Sporopipes frontalis
Thick-billed Weaver (Grosbeak-W)  Amblyospiza albifrons
Baglafecht Weaver  Ploceus baglafecht
Spectacled Weaver  Ploceus ocularis
Black-necked Weaver  Ploceus nigricollis
Taveta Weaver ◊ (T Golden W)  Ploceus castaneiceps
Lesser Masked Weaver  Ploceus intermedius
Vitelline Masked Weaver  Ploceus vitellinus
Speke’s Weaver ◊  Ploceus spekei
Village Weaver ◊ (Layard’s W)  Ploceus cucullatus
Golden-backed Weaver ◊  Ploceus jacksoni
Chestnut Weaver  Ploceus rubiginosus
Red-headed Weaver  Anaplectes rubriceps
Cardinal Quelea  Quelea cardinalis. Non-leader
Red-billed Quelea  Quelea quelea
Yellow-crowned Bishop  Euplectes afer
Black Bishop  Euplectes gierowii
Black-winged Red Bishop  Euplectes hordeaceus
Southern Red Bishop  Euplectes orix
Yellow Bishop  Euplectes capensis
Fan-tailed Widowbird (Red-shouldered W)  Euplectes axillaris
White-winged Widowbird  Euplectes albonotatus
Red-cowled Widowbird (R-naped W)  Euplectes laticauda
Jackson’s Widowbird ◊  Euplectes jacksoni
Grey-headed Silverbill ◊  Spermestes griseicapilla
Bronze Mannikin  Spermestes cucullata
Black-and-white Mannikin (Red-backed M)  Spermestes [bicolor] nigriceps
Abyssinian Crimsonwing ◊  Cryptospiza salvadorii
Grey-headed Nigrita (G-h Negrofinch)  Nigrita canicapillus
Black-faced Waxbill  Brunhilda erythronotos
Common Waxbill  Estrilda astrild
Crimson-rumped Waxbill  Estrilda rhodopyga
Quailfinch  Ortygospiza atricollis
Cut-throat Finch  Amadina fasciata
Purple Grenadier  Granatina ianthinogaster
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu  Uraeginthus bengalus
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu ◊  Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
Green-winged Pytilia  Pytilia melba
Red-throated Twinspot ◊  Hypargos niveoguttatus  Non-leader
Red-billed Firefinch  Lagonosticta senegala
African Firefinch  Lagonosticta rubricata
Village Indigobird (Red-billed Firefinch I)  Vidua chalybeata
Pin-tailed Whydah  Vidua macroura
Steel-blue Whydah ◊  Vidua hypocherina
Straw-tailed Whydah ◊  Vidua fischeri
Long-tailed Paradise Whydah (Eastern P W)  Vidua paradisaea
Western Yellow Wagtail (Grey-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] thunbergi
Western Yellow Wagtail (Blue-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] flava
Western Yellow Wagtail (Yellow-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] lutea
Mountain Wagtail  Motacilla clara
African Pied Wagtail  Motacilla aguimp
Yellow-throated Longclaw  Macronyx croceus
Pangani Longclaw ◊  Macronyx aurantiigula
Rosy-throated Longclaw (R-breasted L)  Macronyx ameliae
African Pipit (Grassland P)  Anthus cinnamomeus
Long-billed Pipit  Anthus similis
Plain-backed Pipit  Anthus leucophrys
Tree Pipit  Anthus trivialis
Red-throated Pipit  Anthus cervinus  Heard only Non-leader
Southern Citril ◊ (East African C)  Crithagra hyposticta
Reichenow’s Seedeater ◊ (Kenya Yellow-rumped S)  Crithagra reichenowi
White-bellied Canary  Crithagra dorsostriata
Southern Grosbeak-Canary ◊  Crithagra buchanani
Thick-billed Seedeater  Crithagra burtoni
Streaky Seedeater  Crithagra striolata
Yellow-crowned Canary  Serinus flavivertex
Golden-breasted Bunting (African G-b B)  Emberiza flaviventris

MAMMALS
Bush Hyrax (Bush H)  Heterohyrax brucei
Rock Hyrax (Black-necked R H)  Procavia capensis
African Savanna Elephant  Loxodonta africana
Cheetah  Acinonyx jubatus
African Wildcat  Felis lybica
Serval  Leptailurus serval
Lion  Panthera leo
Leopard  Panthera pardus
Common Genet (Small-spotted G)  Genetta genetta
Spotted Hyena  Crocuta crocuta
Common Dwarf Mongoose  Helogale parvula
Common Slender Mongoose  Herpestes sanguineus
White-tailed Mongoose  Ichneumia albicauda
Banded Mongoose  Mungos mungo
African Golden Wolf  Canis lupaster
Black-backed Jackal  Lupulella mesomelas
Bat-eared Fox  Otocyon megalotis
Plains Zebra (Common Z)  Equus quagga
Black Rhinoceros (Browse R)  Diceros bicornis
Common Warthog  Phacochoerus africanus
Maasai Giraffe  Giraffa tippelskirchi
Impala (Common I)  Aepyceros melampus
Hartebeest (Coke’s H, Kongoni)  Alcelaphus [buselaphus] cokii
Harvey’s Duiker  Cephalophus harveyi
Blue Wildebeest (Serengeti White-bearded W)  Connochaetes taurinus
Blue Wildebeest (Eastern White-bearded W)  Connochaetes albojubatus
Tsessebe (topi) (Serengeti Topi)  Damaliscus [lunatus] jimela
Eastern Thomson’s Gazelle  Eudorcas [t.] thomsonii
Serengeti Thomson’s Gazelle  Eudorcas [thomsonii] nasalis
Waterbuck (Defassa W)  Kobus [ellipsiprymnus] defassa
Waterbuck (Ellipsen W)  Kobus [ellipsiprymnus] ellipsiprymnus
Kirk’s Dik-dik (Thomas’s D-d)  Madoqua [kirkii] thomasi
Cavendish’s Dik-dik  Madoqua cavendishi
Grant’s Gazelle  Nanger granti
Steenbok (Steinbuck)  Raphicerus campestris
Suni  Neotragus moschatus
Bohor Reedbuck  Redunca redunca
Cape Buffalo (African B)  Syncerus caffer
Common Eland  Tragelaphus oryx
Common Bushbuck  Tragelaphus scriptus
Common Hippopotamus  Hippopotamus amphibius
Yellow-winged False-vampire (Y-w Bat)  Lavia frons
Minor Epauletted Fruit Bat  Epomophorus minor
Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bat  Epomophorus wahlbergi
Mauritian Tomb Bat  Taphozous mauritianus
Northern Lesser Galago (Senegal G)  Galago senegalensis
Thick-tailed Greater Galago (G G)  Otolemur crassicaudatus
Garnett’s Greater Galago (Small-eared G G)  Otolemur garnettii
Blue Monkey (Sykes’s M)  Cercopithecus [mitis] albogularis
Vervet Monkey (Savanna M)  Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Guereza (Eastern Black-and-white Colobus)  Colobus guereza
Olive Baboon  Papio anubis
African Savanna Hare  Lepus victoriae
Ochre Bush Squirrel (Huet’s B S)  Paraxerus ochraceus
Unstriped Ground Squirrel  Xerus rutilus
African Grass Rat  Arvicanthis niloticus
Loring’s Thallomys (L’s Acacia Rat)  Thallomys loringi