19 Jul Trip Report – Wild Tanzania: Endemics Birding Tour, 15th-22nd June 2024
Wild Tanzania: Endemics Birding Tour
Tour Leader: Issac Kilusu
Guests: World listers Simon Peile and Geoffrey Debeer
Day 1: July 15, 2024 – Mererani Maasai Steppes, Shambarai Swamp, and Ngaresero Lodge Forest
Our Wild Tanzania: Endemics Birding Tour began with an early start from Arusha. By 6:30 AM, we had picked up Simon and Geoffrey from Tulia Hotel and Boutique. We stocked up on lunch boxes and ample water, knowing the hot conditions awaiting us in the Mererani area.
Our first target bird came quickly on Fun Retreat Road – a colony of about 20 Rufous-tailed Weavers nesting near the road, a key species for Geoffrey. We also noted Kenya Sparrow, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Pied Crow, and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. A Long-tailed Fiscal, another target species for both Simon and Geoffrey, was spotted shortly after.
Moving onto the East African Bypass, we searched for Southern Citril. Our second stop, near a stream, proved fruitful with 4 Southern Citrils sunning themselves. We also observed White-eared Barbets and heard Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-backed Puffback, and Reichenow’s Seedeater. By this point, our morning list had grown to 40 species.
At Mererani, we added several new birds, including a single Yellow-collared Lovebird (a target species), Northern Red-billed Hornbill, and Northern White-crowned Shrikes. The base of Kudu Hills provided excellent birding. Using a Pearl-spotted Owlet call, we attracted various species including Hunter’s Sunbirds, Eastern Violet-backed Sunbirds, and Green-winged Pytilias. A Golden-breasted Starling near the road was a stunning sight.
Deeper in the acacia scrub, we successfully located one of our key target species – a group of 8 Scaly Chatterers, which responded well to playback. As the heat increased, we paused for lunch, adding Northern Brownbul, Black-throated Barbet, and Red-bellied Parrot to our growing list.
The afternoon took us to Shambarai Swamp, an important wetland teeming with birdlife. Here, we successfully located our target Grey-headed Silverbills among a diverse array of species including Pin-tailed, Eastern Paradise, and Straw-tailed Whydahs. By the end of our time at the swamp, we had recorded an impressive 76 species for the day.
We concluded our first day at Ngaresero Forest Lodge, where we had brief but satisfying views of the Grey Olive Greenbul, another target species. Although we missed the Brown-breasted Barbet, it was still an incredibly productive start to our tour.
The varied habitats we visited on this first day, from acacia scrub to wetlands, showcased the rich biodiversity of Tanzania and set a promising tone for the rest of the tour.
Day 2: July 16, 2024 – Kisangara Acacia Scrub and South Pare Mountains
We began our second day with another early start, departing our hotel at 6:30 AM. Our first stop was at Mabatini, en route to Kili Golf, where we successfully located one of our target species – the Brown-breasted Barbet. We were treated to excellent views of 6 individuals sitting close together in a fruiting quinine tree. A short birding session in this area added another 29 species to our morning list.
Before leaving Arusha for northeastern Tanzania, we made two more stops. The first was at a secret spot for Taveta Weaver, but unfortunately, we found the reeds had been cleared, leaving only a few Grosbeak Weavers. Our second stop, past USA River town along the Kili Flora Road, proved more productive. Here, we successfully located another target species, the Grey Olive Greenbul, with 5 birds responding to playback. We also added Black-throated Wattle-eye and a male Peter’s Twinspot to our trip list.
A four-hour drive brought us to our next birding location – Kisangara Acacia Scrub. Our targets here were the Red-throated Tit and Southern Grosbeak-Canary, both of which we had missed in the Mererani Maasai Steppes. Initially, we struggled to find new species, but a stroke of inspiration led us to search among euphorbia trees in a rocky area. This strategy paid off spectacularly, providing us with unforgettable, close-up views of the Southern Grosbeak-Canary. Although we missed the Red-throated Tit, we still recorded 30 different species in this area before heading to Johnson’s Villa for a late lunch.
After a short rest, we set off for the South Pare Mountains at 3:00 PM. Our primary target here was the South Pare White-eye. We arrived at the known site by 4:00 PM and began our search. While waiting for the white-eyes to appear, we successfully located the paarensis race of Bar-throated Apalis and spotted another target species, the Usambara Double-collared Sunbird, on white angel’s trumpet flowers.
As evening approached, we positioned ourselves along the road where the South Pare White-eyes are known to cross during their evening roost flight. Initially, we heard white-eyes calling from nearby pigeon wood trees, but these turned out to be Pale White-eyes. Simon believed he briefly glimpsed a bird with a grey belly, potentially our target species. As dusk fell, we observed a flurry of activity in a nearby fig tree, where we finally caught brief views of South Pare White-eyes as they made their unusual crossing of the road.
Although the views weren’t as satisfying as we’d hoped, we had successfully located this endemic species, capping off another productive day of our tour. We returned to our hotel in time for dinner, eagerly anticipating what the next day would bring.
Day 3: July 17, 2024 – Kisiwani Road and Mkomazi National Park
We departed Johnson’s Villa early with our picnic lunches, arriving at our first birding stop along Kisiwani Road, just outside Mkomazi National Park, by 6:45 AM. Our primary targets here were the Eastern Black-headed Batis and Tiny Cisticola, with hopes of also spotting the Red-throated Tit and Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl. We successfully located both the cisticola and the batis, though the spurfowl and tit eluded us. By the end of this productive morning session, we had registered an impressive 58 species.
At 10:30 AM, we arrived at the Mkomazi National Park gate. The parking lot provided a few new additions to our trip list before we set off to explore the park. As we drove along Dindira Drive, we were surprised to find that much of the park had recently been burned. Bird activity was noticeably reduced, with Long-tailed Fiscals being the most prevalent species.
Continuing towards Babu’s Camp, we added several raptors to our list. A highlight was flushing two Pangani Longclaws near the road – a target species that we continued to encounter frequently throughout the day.
For lunch, we stopped at a picnic site overlooking a waterhole. This vantage point offered excellent views of various mammals coming to drink, including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, kongoni, impalas, and eland. We also observed Tawny Eagles and several waterbird species.
After lunch, we explored the area around the waterhole, where we spotted two Red-winged Larks, another of our target species. Our search for the elusive Golden Pipit near Babu’s Camp was unsuccessful, but Geoffrey’s sharp eyes spotted a Hartlaub’s Bustard hiding in tall grass – yet another target species for our list.
As we continued towards the rhino sanctuary, we observed four Golden-breasted Starlings in flight and heard Scrub Robins and Black-throated Barbets calling. We also added a lone Red-winged Lark and a group of White-crested Helmet-shrikes to our day’s sightings.
With daylight waning, we made a final attempt for the Golden Pipit along the airstrip road, but only encountered large flocks of Northern Red-billed Hornbills, queleas, Red-billed Buffalo Weavers, and Northern White-crowned Shrikes. Our last notable sighting of the day was flushing two Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, a target species, though unfortunately our guests missed seeing them.
We exited the park around 6:00 PM, concluding another successful day of our tour. Despite the challenges posed by the recent fires in the park, we managed to locate several of our target species and observe a wide variety of both birds and mammals. We returned to our hotel, looking forward to what the next day would bring.
Day 4 & 5: July 18-19, 2024 – Magamba Forest, West Usambara Mountains
We set out early for Magamba Forest, stopping briefly at Mombo junction before ascending to Lushoto town and our accommodation for the next two nights, Muller’s Mountain Lodge. After a quick lunch, we spent half an hour birding the lodge gardens, recording Usambara Double-collared, Amethyst, Variable, and Collared Sunbirds, along with Stripe-faced Greenbul, Red-winged Starling, and Dark-capped Bulbul.
Our afternoon was spent on the challenging Kigulu Hakwewa trail, which offers stunning views of the Usambara Mountains. Although we missed a calling Fülleborn’s Boubou, we encountered several target species including Red-capped Forest Warbler, African Hill Babbler, and White-chested Alethe. The elusive Spot-throat, a prime target for Simon and the only bird family he hadn’t yet seen, proved challenging. Despite hearing many calls, we only managed brief, unsatisfactory views.
As dusk fell, we were treated to the sight of two African Wood Owls in the lodge parking area, a perfect end to an exciting day.
We began the next day early at the Old Saw Mill trail, where misty conditions and light rain didn’t dampen our spirits. Our perseverance was immediately rewarded with a sighting of an Usambara Thrush foraging on the ground – an excellent start to the day.
Although we missed the Red-faced Crimsonwing among a flock of Yellow-bellied Waxbills, we later had excellent views of six individuals. We also heard Usambara Akalat calling but couldn’t locate it visually. Our journey towards Shume in search of Usambara Weaver was unsuccessful, as was our attempt to call out Evergreen Forest Warblers.
A brief session of “bundi bashing” (off-trail exploration) yielded another target species – a Bar-tailed Trogon perched motionless on a branch. However, we missed the Oriole Finch, and increasing rain forced us back to the lodge for lunch.
Despite continuing light showers in the afternoon, we attempted the Kwesimu trail but found it unusually quiet. With everyone thoroughly soaked, we returned to the lodge earlier than planned.
The Spot-throat remained our most-wanted target, and we resolved to make one final attempt the following morning before departing for the East Usambara Mountains.
Throughout our time in the West Usambara Mountains, we encountered several endemic and near-endemic species, highlighting the unique biodiversity of this area. Despite some challenging weather and elusive birds, the magnificent scenery and successful sightings made for two memorable days of our tour.
Day 6-8: July 20-22, 2024 – Amani Nature Reserve, East Usambara Mountains
Our final morning in the West Usambaras began with an unexpected bonus – a calling Moustached Tinkerbird in the lodge garden, which we managed to see well after some playback. We then made one last attempt for the elusive Spot-throat at Kwesimu trail. After several near-misses, our persistence paid off spectacularly when we finally obtained excellent views of this much-sought-after species. This was a particular triumph for Simon, being the last bird family he needed to see. We also flushed two Oriole Finches on our way back to the vehicle.
A four-hour drive brought us to Muheza, where we quickly located our target Coastal Cisticola. After lunch at Zigi lowland forest, we birded a mixed species flock, adding Usambara Hyliota, Little Yellow Flycatcher, and Green-headed Oriole to our list. Despite hearing several Fischer’s Greenbuls and Tanzania Illadopsis, we couldn’t get visual confirmation.
We ended the day at Amani Forest Camp, where we added another target species – five Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbirds – while walking to our rooms.
The next morning on Day 7, we devoted our time searching for our remaining sunbird targets – Amani and Banded Green Sunbirds. After some initial disappointment, we found a “magic tree” (a Nandi Flame) teeming with sunbirds. Here, we saw Purple-banded, Variable, Collared, Olive, Uluguru Violet-backed, Banded Green, and female Amani Sunbirds. Simon held out for a male Amani Sunbird and better views of the Banded Green, both of which we eventually achieved at different locations.
We then explored Kwamkoro tea estate, including a new forest patch called Kihuhwi. While we missed our target Dapple-throat, we did add Montane Tiny Greenbul and Sharpe’s Akalat to our list. After lunch, we searched for Zanzibar Boubou, Kretschmer’s Longbill, and Long-billed Forest Warbler. Our day concluded with a return to the lowland forest, where we heard but didn’t see Illadopsis, Fischer’s Greenbul, and Green Tinkerbird.
On our final morning, we had a productive hour of birding in the lowland forest. Simon spotted a Mombasa Woodpecker, a personal milestone as it brought him to 60% of the world’s woodpecker species. We also had excellent views of two Usambara Hyliotas, providing a satisfying conclusion to our time in the Usambaras.
On our journey back to Arusha, we made two stops searching for Zanzibar Red Bishop. While we missed this target, we added Black-winged Bishop, Yellow Bishop, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Purple Heron, and African Pipit to our trip list.
We arrived back in Arusha at 7:30 PM, concluding our Wild Tanzania: Endemics Birding Tour. Despite some challenging moments and a few missed targets, the tour was a resounding success. We recorded an impressive number of species (305 in total), including many endemics and near-endemics, and enjoyed some truly spectacular sightings. The tour showcased the incredible avian diversity of Tanzania, from the Maasai steppes to the Usambara mountains, leaving us with unforgettable memories and a deep appreciation for this remarkable country’s birdlife.
Total number of species observed:
305
eBird link
https://ebird.org/tripreport/252169
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