Tanzania has more than 1,100 bird species, including around 30 found nowhere else on earth. What makes it special for birders is the range of habitats packed into one country: open savannah, soda lakes, highland forest, papyrus swamp and the ancient rainforests of the Eastern Arc.
These are the twelve places we rate most highly for birding in Tanzania, what you can expect at each, and how they fit together on a trip.
1. Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is famous for the Great Migration, but it is just as good for birds. Open grassland, rocky kopjes and acacia woodland hold big, showy species that are easy to see from the vehicle.
It is also the place to find two Tanzanian endemics, the Grey-breasted Spurfowl and the Rufous-tailed Weaver, along with the near-endemic Fischer’s Lovebird.
Birds to look for: Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Fischer’s Lovebird.
More about Serengeti National Park →
2. Ngorongoro Crater
The crater floor mixes grassland, swamp and a soda lake that often holds flamingos, so a single game drive can produce a long list. Grey Crowned Cranes and Kori Bustards walk the open plains among the big game.
Up on the rim, the cool highland forest adds sunbirds and other montane species, so it pays to stop on the way in and out.
Birds to look for: Grey Crowned Crane, Kori Bustard, Lesser Flamingo, Golden-winged Sunbird, Tacazze Sunbird.
More about Ngorongoro Crater →
3. Arusha National Park
Less than an hour from Arusha town, this small park packs in montane forest on the slopes of Mount Meru, open glades and the shallow Momella Lakes. It is our first stop on almost every birding tour.
Forest birds such as Hartlaub’s Turaco and Bar-tailed Trogon are the highlights, with flamingos and waterbirds on the lakes.
Birds to look for: Hartlaub’s Turaco, Bar-tailed Trogon, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Lesser Flamingo, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater.
More about Arusha National Park →
4. Ruaha National Park
Ruaha, in southern Tanzania, sits where East and Southern African bird communities overlap, so you see species that are absent from the north. Baobab-studded hills and the Great Ruaha River make it a beautiful, uncrowded park.
It is the best place for the Tanzanian endemic Ruaha Red-billed Hornbill and the Ashy Starling.
Birds to look for: Ruaha Red-billed Hornbill, Ashy Starling, Yellow-collared Lovebird, Southern Ground Hornbill.
More about Ruaha National Park →
5. Rubondo Island National Park
A forested island in the south-west of Lake Victoria, Rubondo sees very few visitors. You explore on foot and by boat, with waterbirds along the shore and forest birds inside.
The island has one of the highest densities of African Fish Eagles anywhere, and it is also home to sitatunga and introduced chimpanzees.
Birds to look for: African Fish Eagle, Goliath Heron, Pied Kingfisher, African Openbill.
More about Rubondo Island National Park →
6. Lake Victoria
Africa’s largest lake brings western and papyrus species into reach that are hard to find elsewhere in Tanzania. The Speke Gulf is close to the Serengeti’s western corridor, so it is an easy addition to a northern trip.
Rocky islands and fishing villages attract gulls, cormorants and herons.
Birds to look for: Papyrus Gonolek, Swamp Flycatcher, Grey-headed Gull, Long-tailed Cormorant.
7. Lake Natron
This red soda lake below Ol Doinyo Lengai is the main breeding site for Lesser Flamingos in East Africa. The nesting grounds are off-limits, but large feeding flocks gather along the southern shore.
The hot, dry Rift Valley scrub around the lake adds dry-country birds and mammals such as gerenuk and oryx.
Birds to look for: Lesser Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, Chestnut-banded Plover, Pied Avocet.
8. Lake Eyasi
A seasonal soda lake south-west of the Ngorongoro highlands, Eyasi fills after the rains and draws flamingos, pelicans and storks. Palm groves and springs around the shore are good for smaller birds.
It is also home to the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers, and is an easy detour from Karatu.
Birds to look for: Greater Flamingo, Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Slate-coloured Boubou.
9. Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park squeezes groundwater forest, acacia woodland and an alkaline lake into a narrow strip below the Rift Valley escarpment. More than 400 bird species have been recorded here.
Pelicans, storks and flamingos gather on the lake, while the forest near the gate holds hornbills and other woodland birds.
Birds to look for: Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Lesser Flamingo, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill.
10. Lake Tanganyika
The world’s longest freshwater lake runs along Tanzania’s western border. The forests above it hold western species you will not see in the north, and boat trips on the clear water are a pleasure in themselves.
Most visitors combine the lake with chimpanzee trekking at Gombe or Mahale.
Birds to look for: Palm-nut Vulture, Ross’s Turaco, Crowned Hornbill, African Fish Eagle.
11. Usambara Mountains
Part of the ancient Eastern Arc, the Usambaras hold some of Tanzania’s rarest endemic birds. The birding is slow and the birds are shy, but this is where serious listers want to be.
We bird the high forest of the West Usambaras near Lushoto and the lower, richer forest at Amani in the East Usambaras.
Birds to look for: Usambara Akalat, Usambara Weaver, Usambara Eagle-owl, Long-billed Tailorbird.
More about Usambara Mountains →
12. Mount Kilimanjaro
You do not need to climb Africa’s highest mountain to enjoy its birds. The montane forest on the lower slopes can be explored on a day walk from the Marangu Gate, about two hours from Arusha.
Turacos and hornbills live in the forest, with sunbirds and ravens higher up on the heath.
Birds to look for: Hartlaub’s Turaco, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Abbott’s Starling, Scarlet-tufted Sunbird.
More about Mount Kilimanjaro →
How to combine them
Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti sit on the classic northern circuit and work well together on one trip. Lake Natron and Lake Eyasi are easy side trips from that route, and Kilimanjaro is close to Arusha.
For the endemics, add the Usambara Mountains. Ruaha, Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island and Lake Tanganyika are further away and usually mean a flight, so they suit longer trips or a second visit.
Timing matters too. Our month-by-month guide to the best time for birding in Tanzania explains when migrants arrive and when the forests are at their best, and our guide to Tanzania’s endemic birds covers the species most birders come for.
Plan your birding tour
Every trip we run is private and led by a specialist bird guide. Browse our Tanzania birding tours, or tell us which destinations interest you and we will put together a route that fits your dates.
