Tanzania
Tanzania contains some of Africa's most spectacular landscapes, from the Indian Ocean coast and Zanzibar to the Great Rift Valley and vast interior savannas. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, rises to 5,895 metres, with montane forests and alpine habitats. The north includes the volcanic Ngorongoro Highlands and Serengeti plains, while western Tanzania reaches the deep lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Southern and central regions contain extensive miombo woodland, and the Eastern Arc Mountains preserve isolated blocks of ancient, exceptionally diverse forest. Climate varies from humid coastal and montane areas to seasonally dry savanna.
Overview
Tanzania is one of Africa's richest birding destinations, combining more than 1,000 species with outstanding wildlife tourism. The Serengeti–Ngorongoro ecosystem offers superb open-country birding alongside large mammals, with bustards, secretarybirds, vultures and raptors. The isolated Eastern Arc Mountains are especially important for endemics, including Udzungwa Forest Partridge, Uluguru Bushshrike and Usambara Weaver. Northern specialties include Grey-breasted Spurfowl and Fischer's Lovebird, while extensive miombo woodlands support a distinctive southern African assemblage. Rift Valley lakes attract flamingos and other waterbirds, and the coast and Zanzibar add mangrove, shorebird and seabird habitats. Tanzania has an extensive network of parks, lodges and specialist guides, making birding relatively well established. However, distances are considerable and park fees can make comprehensive trips expensive; remote endemic-rich mountain forests often require dedicated guides and hiking.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus | 35.3% | 33.2% | 32.8% | 32.9% | 33.8% | 38.1% | 33.9% | 33.0% | 33.6% | 35.2% | 35.4% | 40.8% | 41.3% |
| Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola | 25.6% | 24.2% | 26.2% | 26.3% | 30.8% | 30.1% | 29.7% | 26.5% | 23.1% | 22.1% | 22.4% | 23.1% | 22.4% |
| Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus | 23.7% | 23.7% | 28.6% | 25.0% | 28.4% | 22.5% | 25.0% | 22.9% | 22.9% | 20.7% | 21.0% | 22.8% | 20.8% |
| Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus | 23.5% | 23.0% | 24.2% | 24.1% | 26.7% | 26.3% | 23.6% | 20.5% | 21.0% | 21.1% | 21.3% | 24.6% | 25.6% |
| Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis | 19.8% | 18.3% | 17.7% | 17.7% | 20.6% | 21.4% | 20.7% | 21.8% | 20.1% | 18.8% | 19.8% | 20.3% | 20.0% |
| Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus | 19.7% | 19.5% | 21.0% | 19.1% | 20.3% | 18.7% | 21.9% | 21.7% | 20.6% | 18.7% | 18.7% | 18.2% | 18.5% |
| Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris | 17.9% | 21.1% | 22.1% | 19.0% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 15.7% | 15.4% | 15.7% | 16.2% | 16.7% | 19.3% | 19.5% |
| Green-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura | 17.3% | 17.0% | 18.2% | 20.5% | 23.3% | 22.5% | 16.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% | 11.2% | 13.1% | 18.6% | 20.8% |
| Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata | 17.3% | 16.2% | 17.4% | 16.2% | 17.8% | 20.3% | 19.0% | 17.8% | 17.1% | 15.2% | 14.5% | 16.7% | 18.8% |
| Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus | 17.2% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.2% | 17.3% | 19.4% | 17.7% | 17.5% | 18.9% | 19.8% | 19.3% | 17.4% | 18.6% |