14 Days North Tanzania Bird watching Safari

14 Days Bird watching Safari takes you to the North of Tanzania to bird several destinations such as Arusha national park, Tarangire, National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Speke Bay around lake Victoria to spot several bird species like; Black-headed gonolek, Fischer’s lovebird, Green-backed woodpecker, Grey-backed fiscal, Grey-breasted spurfowl, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Hildebrandt’s starling, Red-capped robin-chat, Rufous-tailed weaver, Rüppell’s vulture, Southern ground hornbill, Schalow’s turaco, Silverbird, Usambiro barbet, Verreaux’s eagle, Yellow-throated sandgrouse among others.

Tanzania is a great ornithological destination with a total of 1114 bird species recorded as of August 2019. 30 bird species are endemic, 44 are accidental, and four have been introduced by humans. Tanzania takes the 3^rd position in Africa to host the highest number of birds hence representing more than 10% of the global avifauna.

14 Days North Tanzania Bird watching Safari can be booked throughout the year however the best season for this tour is during November through April. During this period, Tanzania hosts a large number of European and north African migratory birds and it is also a nesting time for resident species. Spotting birds in their breeding plumage is very easy during this season.

14 Days North Tanzania Bird watching Safari highlight

• Day 1: Transfer to bird Arusha National Park
• Day 2: Full day Game drive / Birding in Arusha National Park
• Day 3: Transfer to Tarangire National Park
• Day 4: Full day birding in Tarangire National Park
• Day 5: Transfer to Kirurumu Manyara Lodge
• Day 6: Bird Lake Manyara National Park
• Day 7: Transfer from Manyara to Karatu – Gibbs Farm
• Day 8: Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater
• Day 9: Bird Ngorongoro Crater
• Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti National Park
• Day 11: Bird Serengeti National Park
• Day 12: Transfer to Speke Bay
• Day 13: Bird watching at Lake Victoria
• Day 14: Speke Bay to Arusha

Day 1: Transfer to bird Arusha National Park

Meet and greet your birding guide for a quick briefing about 14 Days North Tanzania Bird watching Safari and later drive to Arusha National Park with picnic lunch for full day big game viewing and birding tour. The park offers a spectacular bird watching opportunity; hosting approximately 575 migrant and resident bird species including the little grebes, eagles, spur winged goose, pochards, geese, red shark, hammer kop, woodpecker, herons, secretary bird, gray parrot among others. Later in the evening drive back to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight at Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge

Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner

Day 2: Full day Game drive / Birding in Arusha National Park

Have an early morning breakfast and leave the lodge at 0600hrs to Lark Plain with picnic lunch for full day walking safari and bird watching trip in Arusha national park in search for birds like African fish eagle, Hartlaub’s turaco, Little grebe, African olive pigeon, Peregrine falcon, Red-fronted parrot, Augur buzzard, Bar-tailed trogon, Bearded vulture, Black saw-wing, Egyptian goose, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Tawny eagle, Great crested grebe, Narina trogon, Scaly francolin, Silvery-cheeked hornbill, Southern pochard, Verreaux’s eagle among others. You will also encounter a number animals including the elephant, hyena, buffalo, giraffe, hippopotamus, baboon, zebra, and a wide range of antelopes. Retire and drive to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Transfer to Tarangire National Park

Have breakfast and transfer from Arusha national park to Tarangire national park for big game and bird watching trip. Tarangire hosts over 500 bird species; making it a great bird watching site. The Ashy starling, Red bellied parrot, Red and yellow barbet, Speckle-fronted weaver and Tawny eagle are the common birds in Tarangire national park. Dinner and overnight at Osupuko Tarangire Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Full day birding in Tarangire National Park

After breakfast, head to the park for full day big game viewing and bird watching in search for birds like; African grey flycatcher, Ashy starling, Bare-faced go-away bird, Donaldson-Smith’s nightjar, Vulturine guineafowl, Great white pelican, Rufous-tailed weaver, Mouse-coloured penduline tit, Northern pied babbler, Northern white-crowned shrike, Ostrich, Pink-breasted lark, Slate-coloured boubou, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Yellow-collared lovebird among others. You will also meet several wildlife including the Elephant, Hippo, Giraffe, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Lion, Hyena, fringe-eared oryx and peculiar, long-necked gerenuk, Big pythons among others. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at Osupuko Tarangire Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Transfer to Kirurumu Manyara Lodge

After breakfast drive to Lake Manyara for bird watching, arriving late afternoon for lunch at the camp. In the evening, you will do bird around the camp in search for birds like White faced whistling duck, Helmeted guineafowl Pheasants, knob-billed duck, Egyptian fowls, Yellow- necked Francolin, Grouse and Scaly Francolin, Greater and Lesser Flamingo among others. Dinner and overnight at Kirurumu Manyara Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6: Bird Lake Manyara National Park

Have breakfast and set off for a full day big game and birdwatching in Lake Manyara National Park to look out for birds like; Abdim’s stork, African fish eagle, African grey hornbill, African hawk eagle, African jacana, Grey crowned crane, Hamerkop, African spoonbill, Baglafecht weaver, Greater flamingo, Pink-backed pelican, Sacred ibis, Comb duck, Crowned eagle, Great white pelican, Hottentot teal, Lesser flamingo, Little stint, Pied avocet, Southern ground hornbill, Spur-winged goose, Pied kingfisher, Saddle-billed stork, Silvery-cheeked hornbill, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Yellow-billed stork among others. You may see animals such as Elephant, Giraffe, Hippo, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest among others on this day. Dinner and overnight at Kirurumu Manyara Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Transfer from Manyara to Karatu – Gibbs Farm

Have breakfast and leave for Gibbs Farm; arriving in the afternoon for hot lunch. After set off for guided walk in the forest up to Elephant Caves and waterfalls. Gibbs Farm is home to over 200 species of birds like African Hill Babbler, Arrow-marked Babbler, Moustached Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, European Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Malachite Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, Green-headed Sunbird, Common Bulbul, Gray-olive Greenbul, African Cuckoo, Bar-throated Apalis, Black-headed Apalis, Brown-headed Apalis, Gray-capped Warbler, Green-backed Camaroptera, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Hunter’s Cisticola, Rattling Cisticola, Red-faced Cisticola, Tawny-”anked Prinia, Winding Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Black-backed Puffback, Black-crowned Tchagra, lack-fronted Bushshrike, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Tropical Boubou, Baglafecht Weaver, Black-necked Weaver, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Grosbeak Weaver, Holub’s Golden-Weaver, Lesser Masked-Weaver, Red-billed Quelea, Red-collared Widowbird, Red-headed Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Speke’s Weaver, Village Weaver, Black Bishop, Yellow Bishop among others. Dinner and overnight at Gibb’s Farm

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Karatu to Ngorongoro Crater

Have breakfast and drive to Ngorongoro arriving in afternoon for hot lunch at Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp. Later descend to the crater floor for crater tour to look for birds like ostrich, lesser flamingoes, cape wigeon, white and abdim’s storks among others. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9: Bird Ngorongoro Crater

After breakfast descend to the crater floor for full day crater tour in search for birds like; African spoonbill, Augur buzzard, Capped wheatear, Greater flamingo, Eastern double-collared sunbird, Egyptian vulture, Fan-tailed widowbird, Hartlaub’s turaco, dove, Hildebrandt’s francolin, Hildebrandt’s starling, Jackson’s widowbird, Scarlet-chested sunbird, Schalow’s wheatear, Kenya rufous sparrow, Northern anteater chat, Kori bustard, Livingstone’s turaco, Namaqua Red-and-yellow barbet, Rufous-tailed weaver, Rosy-throated longclaw, Speke’s weaver, Verreaux’s eagle, White-eyed slaty flycatcher among others. You will also see several wildlife in Ngorongoro crater including Elephant, Wildebeest, Black Rhino, Hippo, Buffalo, Zebra, Lion, Cheetah, Hyena etc. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Tortilis Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti National Park

After breakfast drive to Serengeti via Olduvai Gorge site for game viewing and birding to look for over 500 bird species such as Ostriches, Secretary birds on the grasslands, Kori bustard, the Black Eagles above the Lobo hills, larks, fiches and raptors among others. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Tortilis Camp.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11: Bird Serengeti National Park

After breakfast set off for a full day game drive / bird watching trip in Serengeti National Park to look for birds like; the grey throated spurfowl, grey-crested helmet shrike, red throated tit, Schalow’s wheatear, rufous-tailed weaver, Schalow’s turaco among others. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Tortilis Camp.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 12: Transfer to Speke Bay

After breakfast, transfer from Serengeti national park to Speke Bay with game drive en route to see several animals like elephants, Zebras, Giraffes, Wildebeests, lions among other. Speke Bay is an inlet located on the southeastern shore of Lake Victoria in western Tanzania. This journey to Speke bay is about 15 minutes driving west from Grumeti Game Reserve on the western side of the Serengeti national park. Look for the following birds at Speke Bay in southeastern shore of Lake Victoria; Black-headed Gonolek, African Openbill, Marsh Tchagra, and Swamp Flycatcher near the lake and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Slender-billed Weaver, Red-chested Sunbird, and Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl and both Eurasian and Square-tailed Nightjars around. Dinner and overnight at Speke Bay Lodge.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 13: Bird watching at Lake Victoria

After breakfast, go for canoeing activity at the shore of Lake Victoria in search for more birds like Pink backed pelican, sacred ibis, Purple swamphen, Grey headed Gull, Allen’s gallinule, African water rail, African jacana, Lesser jacana, Egyptian goose, Squacco heron, White-faced whistling duck, long-tailed cormorant, Grey crowned crane, African Marsh Harrier, White-winged tern and black crake among others. In the afternoon return for lunch, and later go for evening bird walk around lodge’s 100 hectares of savanna to look for birds like swamp flycatcher, northern brown- throated weaver, yellow- backed weaver, red- chested sunbird, black-headed gonolek and blue-headed coucal. Dinner and overnight at Speke Bay Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 14: Speke Bay to Arusha

After breakfast drive back to Arusha with picnic lunch with various activities en route to end your 14 Days North Tanzania Bird watching Safari with lots of memories.

Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch

14 Days North Tanzania Bird watching Safari includes;

• Park fees
• All activities
• All accommodation
• A professional driver/guide
• All transportation
• All Taxes/VAT
• Meals As specified in the day-by-day section
• Drinking water

14 Days North Tanzania Bird watching Safari excludes;

• International flights
• Airport pick up
• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
• Tips
• Personal items like Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.
• Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees