Although South America, with the most species, is the “bird” continent, Africa has been coined the “birding” continent. Nowhere else are birds as prolific, outrageously colorful and easy to observe. The East African nations of Kenya and Tanzania are the epitome of “birdiness”, each boasting a bird list of over a thousand species! These quintessential African destinations also provide the ultimate safari and big-game experience. There exists nowhere else on the planet such an incredible volume and diversity of large animals.
Our Kenya and Tanzania Birds and Big Game safaris are designed to maximize both the big game experience and birding by selecting the very best and most accessible destinations in these two vast lands. In Tanzania, we visit the legendary Ngorongoro Crater and endless plains of the Serengeti. Our excursion to these, the most famous game reserves in the world, is timed for the annual wildebeest migration. We can expect to find tens of thousands of these and other animals in the parks. The Crater itself teems with big game and supports the highest density of large predators on the planet. We will also visit Tarangire, home to a huge diversity and volume of animals attracted to its perennial rivers. In Kenya, we explore key reserves offering a variety of habitats from the game-filled Amboseli lying in the shadows of Kilimanjaro, the mountain forests of Mt Kenya, fantastic Shaba in the dry Samburu region and Lake Nakuru that glows pink with millions of flamingos.
With a maximum size of six expertly-guided participants, our small groups score up to 500 bird species, enjoy unparalleled African mammal and cultural experiences and spend time at some truly incredible lodges. It’s no wonder that this is one of our most popular tours, and for private groups of family or friends, we cannot give it a higher recommendation.
Some of the special birds we expect to see include the beautiful Golden-winged Sunbird, the gaudy Vulturine Guineafowl, fabulous Golden-breasted Starling, Bar-tailed Trogon and Fischer’s Lovebird. If this is your first visit to Africa, you will be delighted by a plethora of typical African birds; Ostrich, Hamerkop, Secretary bird, Bateleur, horn bills, woodhoopoes, weavers and wax bills. Our Kenya Mega-Birding Tour offers twenty-six days of non-stop birding as we thoroughly explore this famous birding country. Our 2007 tour smashed all records with an amazing 817 bird species recorded and an incredible diversity of large mammals and other wildlife. Not only is this tour planned to obtain a huge list of mouth-watering species but also Kenya’s most sought-after endemics and rarities.
Our tour kicks off with an exploration of the lush Shimba Hills and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Here we seek out some of the rarest birds in Africa, including the diminutive Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit and the rare Clarke’s Weaver. Next we travel through both Tsavo West and East reserves, offering excellent game viewing and a huge bird list. A visit to the isolated Taita Hills in search of the critically endangered Taita Thrush, Taita Apalis and Taita White-eye is memorable.
We search Mount Kenya’s forest clad slopes for such avian gems as Jackson’s Francolin, Abbott’s Starling and Abyssinian Crimsonwing. We enter the true arid zone at Samburu-Shaba where a wealth of new dry-country specials occur; possible highlights include Somali Courser and the nomadic Williams’s and Friedmann’s Larks. Traveling next to the dry woodlands of the beautiful Lake Baringo, we will search for new birds including Jackson’s Hornbill, Red-naped Bushshrike and Somali Sparrow. The famous west Kenyan forest of Kakamega will add a West African element to our tour as we tick off such forest gems as Blue-headed Bee-eater, Turner’s Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye and Great Blue Turaco. After exploring the papyrus swamps and moist woodlands along Lake Victoria, we enter the plains to visit the grand Masaai Mara. Besides birds, we will enjoy unrivaled game watching (sightings of large predators and teeming game can be expected), superb scenery, wonderful lodges and tented camps, friendly tribal people and a well-planned tour.
Our Tanzania Mega-Birding Tour has been specifically designed to target all of Tanzania’s endemic bird species, including such megas as Udzungwa Forest Partridge, Rufous-winged Sunbird and the endangered Uluguru Bushshrike. Our 26-day adventure begins on the beautiful island of Pemba where we will search out the local endemics. Thereafter we launch our assault on the numerous Eastern Arc Mountain endemics.
Our journey will take us into the remote reaches of the incredibly scenic Udzungwa, Uluguru, Ukaguru and Usambara Mountains where a number of exceedingly range-restricted species are found, and we hope to encounter the scarce Usambara Eagle-Owl, gorgeous Winifred’s Warbler, Loveridge’s and Banded Sunbird, Usambara Weaver, Long-billed and Red-capped Forest Warbler, Usambara Akalat and secretive Spot-throat, amongst many others. Our exploration continues with a visit to the Kilombero Swamps for three newly discovered species, Kilombero and White-tailed Cisticola and Kilombero Weaver, before making our way into the dry Acacia woodlands and game-filled plains of northern Tanzania. Here we will seek out the rare Beesley’s Lark in the rain shadow of the great Mt. Kilimanjaro and visit the famous northern game reserves for gems that include Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Ashy Starling and Yellow-collared Lovebird.
Tour details:
Kenya and Tanzania - Birds and Big Game I: 8-24 May (17 days)
Kenya and Tanzania - Birds and Big Game II: 12-28 May (17 days)
Kenya and Tanzania - Birds and Big Game III: 4-20 August (17 days).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Birds and Big Game I and II: US $4675 per person, no single supplement
Birds and Big Game III: US $5775 per person, US $800 single supplement.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Kenya
Tanzania
Birdwatching
Wildlife Viewing
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