ETHIOPIA 2013

Every year in Ethiopia is different and can bring surprises. This year it was exceptionally wet which, although impacted birding in the Goba area, didn’t prevent us from seeing all of the key species. On the other hand however, high levels of water in the lakes helped us to see nine White-backed Ducks, Southern Pochard and Maccoa Duck, which we don’t see every year. We also were lucky to see several special birds including Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Tiny Cisticola, Black-bellied Bustard, Lesser Jacana and four Secretarybirds (two in both Yabello and Awash). Despite the difficult weather conditions, we saw record numbers of Simeon Wolves with seven in one day. Surprisingly for a normally solitary animal, we saw packs of three one day and four the next day. We also recorded unusually high numbers of Abyssinian Crimsonwings (including around 40 along the road in Harenna Forest in mixed flocks with Yellow-bellied Waxbills) and Somali Coursers (22 in Yabello) plus exceptional view of three (not just one!) Prince Ruspoli's Turacos. We again added a few new species to Birdfinders cumulative Ethiopia list: Eurasian Thick-knee, Pied Wheatear vittata, Southern Citril and Black Scrub-robin. With the 2014 tour already more than half full, we recommend that you book early for this exciting tour, which we have run for the past eight years.

Blue-winged Goose	African Pygmy-goose
African Black Duck	Clapperton's Francolin
Saddle-billed Stork
Secretarybird	Eastern Chanting-goshawk
Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk	Arabian Bustard
Kori Bustard and Northern Carmine Bee-eater	Rouget's Rail
Black-winged Lapwing	Spot-breasted Lapwing
Lesser Jacana	Somali Courser
Rameron Pigeon	Lemon Dove
White-cheeked Turaco	Prince Ruspoli's Turaco
Cape Eagle-owl	Abyssinian Owl
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Madagascar Bee-eater	Northern Carmine Bee-eater
Abyssinian Scimitar-bill	Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Von Der Decken's Hornbill	Hemprich's Hornbill
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill	Banded Barbet
Black-billed Barbet	Abyssinian Woodpecker
Bearded Woodpecker	Black-winged Lovebird
Yellow-fronted Parrot	Grey-headed Batis
Red-naped Bushshrike	Ethiopian Boubou
Somali Fiscal	Dark-headed Oriole (meneliki)
African Black-headed Oriole	Stresemann's Bush-crow
Thick-billed Raven	Liben Lark
Foxy Lark	Somali Short-toed Lark
Short-tailed Lark	Ashy Cisticola
Ethiopian Cisticola	Tiny Cisticola
Yellow-bellied Eremomola	Abyssinian Catbird
White-rumped Babbler	Abyssinian Slaty-flycatcher
Sombre Chat	Abyssinian Wheatear
Bristle-crowned Starling	Mariqua Sunbird
Abyssinian Longclaw	White-backed Black-tit
Somali Bunting	Southern Citril
Salvadori's Serin	Steel-blue Whydah
Straw-tailed Whydah	Gelada Baboon
Ethiopian Wolf
Bale Mountains
Awash