Bird watching in Tanzania — why this country is worth it even without the Big Five
A world most tourists miss
My father Jonas is passionate about the big mammals. I respect that — he knows every lion pride by name and can find a leopard where others see only bushes.
But I have found my own world. One that most tourists completely miss while waiting for a leopard.
The birds of Tanzania.
1,000+ species. In one country.
Tanzania officially has 1,112 registered bird species — more than all of Europe combined. And this is not a country full of sparrows and tits. We are talking about birds that look as if someone designed them in a dream.
The Purple Grenadier with its fiery red breast. The Southern Red Bishop that shoots like a flying fireball over the grass. The Secretary Bird that stamps snakes unconscious with its mechanical strike movements. The White-backed Vulture that soars 300 metres up without ever moving its wings.
Five birds you really must see
1. Flamingos in Lake Manyara
Thousands of flamingos colouring the shores of Lake Manyara pink. In the right season (December–April after rainfall) the lake is dotted with hundreds of thousands of them. One of the most surreal natural scenes in Tanzania.
2. The Lilac-breasted roller
This is the national bird of Kenya but is also present everywhere in Tanzania. Saffron yellow, turquoise, purple, lilac, orange — six colours in one bird. They like to sit on posts or dead branches along the road. Impossible to miss once you know what to look for.
3. The Secretary Bird
One of the strangest birds in Africa. One metre long, grey-feathered, with a crest of long feathers and eyes with long lashes. They like to walk in the Serengeti plains and catch snakes by stomping them unconscious. Prehistoric.
4. The Kori Bustard
The heaviest flying bird in Africa. Males weigh up to 19 kg. They walk slowly through the Serengeti plains as if they own them — and in a way they do.
5. Fish eagle over Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is a birding paradise. Fish eagles, spoonbills, sacred ibis, Marabou storks — a visit to Lake Manyara is sometimes more enjoyable for birdwatchers than the Serengeti.
The best parks for bird watching
**Lake Manyara** — absolute number one. The lake is surrounded by grassland, forests and swamps that each harbour their own bird community. The tree-climbing lions are famous, but for birds Manyara is the main prize.
**Ngorongoro Crater** — the crater has its own microclimate and therefore its own birds. Flamingos in the crater lake (Soda Lake), ostriches on the plain, vultures above the rim.
**Serengeti (Seronera)** — raptors in abundance. Where there is carrion, there are vultures. Where there are vultures, there are also eagles, lappet-faced vultures, lammergeiers. Nine species of vulture live in the Serengeti.
**Tarangire** — specifically for savannah birds. Yellow weaver birds build their complex nests en masse in the acacia trees. A tree full of weaver nests sounds like a busy school playground.
The best seasons for bird watching
**November–April** (wet season): best for birds. Migratory birds from Europe and Asia arrive in Tanzania — robins, storks, flycatchers. The total number of bird species in this season almost doubles.
**June–October** (dry season): better visibility. Less vegetation means you see more. Raptors are most active.
Equipment you need
Binoculars are a must. I recommend an 8×42 — good light, good view, not too heavy for a day of driving.
A Tanzania bird book. The standard work is "Birds of East Africa" by Stevenson & Fanshawe. Digitally there are apps like Merlin Bird ID (free, from Cornell).
Early up: birds are most active in the first two hours after sunrise. That sometimes means being in the car already at 6:00.
My personal moment
I was eight years old when my father first took me to Lake Manyara. He pointed to the flamingos. I counted them — hundreds, thousands. My father said: "There are more of them than people in our village."
I have never understood why people buy plane tickets to zoos.
Tanzania is the zoo. But without the cage.