Birding Tanzania: the endemics, and where to find them

The numbers

Tanzania’s list runs past 1,100 species. Around thirty are endemic, concentrated in two places: the Eastern Arc Mountains, a chain of ancient forested massifs running from the Usambaras to Udzungwa, and the dry central plateau around Tarangire and the rift lakes.

The Eastern Arc forests are older than the Amazon in their current form, which is why so much in them is found nowhere else. They are also, for most safari itineraries, completely off route — which is the trade-off any Tanzanian birding trip has to make.

The endemics worth planning around

• Udzungwa forest partridge — described in 1991, known only from two forest blocks.
• Usambara eagle-owl — restricted to the East Usambaras, rarely seen.
• Pemba scops owl, Pemba green pigeon, Pemba white-eye, Pemba sunbird — four endemics on one small island north of Zanzibar.
• Ashy starling — Tarangire and the central plateau, easy and reliable.
• Rufous-tailed weaver — northern Tanzania only, common around Tarangire.
• Grey-breasted spurfowl — Serengeti endemic, seen on almost every drive.
• Beesley’s lark — one of Africa’s rarest birds, a tiny population on the Ardai plains near Arusha.

Sites, in order of accessibility

Tarangire and Lake Manyara are on the standard northern circuit and hold three northern-Tanzania specials plus enormous waterbird numbers on the lake. Arusha National Park adds montane forest species within an hour of town.

Lake Natron in the north and Lake Eyasi to the south are the flamingo and dry-country sites. Natron is the only regular breeding ground for East Africa’s lesser flamingos, and the numbers in a good year run to hundreds of thousands.

The Usambaras and Udzungwa require a dedicated leg — a day’s drive from Arusha or from Dar es Salaam, and two or three nights each to be worth doing. This is where a birding trip separates from a safari.