Ethiopia - Central Birds & Wildlife (Relaxed) 2026

25 Jan 2026 - 07 Feb 2026 (14 days)

USD6,695 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Nigel Redman

Tour price (Per person): USD6,695 * GBP5,344 * EUR6,426 * AUD10,294

Single Supplement: USD430 * GBP343 * EUR413 * AUD661

Can be linked with: Ethiopia - Lalibela Extension 2026

Our 14-day relaxed Ethiopia birding tour covers the central birding circuit of this unique country. We explore the massive Rift Valley lakes teeming with birds, moss-draped montane forests supporting a wide selection of endemics, the high Bale Mountains home to the critically endangered Ethiopian Wolf, the impressive Jemma Valley and Awash National Park, a Mecca for game and bird watching in Ethiopia (home to an incredible six species of bustard!). Key Ethiopian bird species we will seek include Spot-breasted Lapwing, Blue-winged Goose, Rouget’s Rail, Wattled Ibis, Ankober Serin, Yellow-fronted Parrot, White-backed Black Tit and Abyssinian Woodpecker.


Top Birds

White-cheeked Turaco; Spot-breasted Lapwing; Blue-winged Goose; Rouget’s Rail; Wattled Ibis; Ankober Serin; Yellow-fronted Parrot; Black-winged Lovebird; Erkel's & Harwood's Francolins; White-backed Black Tit; Abyssinian Woodpecker; Gillett's & Blanford's Larks; Tacazze & Beautiful Sunbirds; Arabian & Hartlaub's Bustards; White-billed Starling; White-collared Pigeon; Black Crowned Crane; Moorland Chat; Abyssinian Ground Thrush; Abyssinian Catbird; Abyssinian Crimsonwing; African Citril; Thick-billed Raven; Little Rock Thrush; Sombre Rock Chat; Blackstart; Black-headed Lapwing; Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse; Yellow-breasted Barbet; Ethiopian Siskin; Hemprich’s Hornbill; Rüppell’s Black Chat; White-winged Cliff Chat; Red-billed Pytilia.

Top Mammals

Ethiopian Wolf; Gelada, Olive & Hamadryas Baboons; Mountain Nyala; Giant Mole Rat; Serval; Salt's Dik-dik; Gerenuk; Lesser Kudu; Beisa Oryx; Soemmering's Gazelle

Habitats Covered

montane forest, Afro-alpine moorland, Acacia savanna, Rift Valley lakes

Expected Climate

temperate in highlands, hot and dry in lowlands

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

our Relaxed series of tours are designed to focus on having an enjoyable holiday with a bird and wildlife focus. Where possible; we have reduced or removed long drives, single night stays and poor/rustic accommodation. We have also sought to reduce or remove difficult hikes, narrow/muddy trails and otherwise oppressive environmental conditions. Early starts and night birding are mostly optional, and we will not spend much time searching for difficult and/or skulking species. These tours are not suitable for hardcore birders and listers, or dedicated photographers.

Accommodation

comfortable to basic hotels

Ease of Birding

not challenging

Other Attractions

spectacular montane scenery, interesting ancient farming methods

Photographic Opportunities

excellent

What our clients say about us

Gregory de Klerk
LF, Ethiopia 2018

Greg de Klerk is an excellent leader. What I admired most about Greg was his willingness and patience to take the time and "teach" the group shorebird and wading bird identification. Throughout the tour, he would take the time and repeat the details to anyone who asked, or seemed to be unclear on the details.

Julian Parsons
RL - Ethiopia 2024

Julian was a wonderful leader, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and attentive to our needs. The local guide, was also excellent and worked particularly hard when we had to change accommodation at short notice. The cultural guide was very knowledgeable and shared both his knowledge and his experience of Orthodox Christianity with us in a very helpful manner. We saw a lot of birds and a good variety of mammals. In addition the food was very interesting and the coffee outstanding.

Gregory de Klerk
PT, Ethiopia 2019

Greg de Klerk did a very good job managing the tour, was personable and was highly effective at bird spotting & identification.

David Hoddinott
GS, Ethiopia 2023

"As expected, the accommodations and infrastructure in Ethiopia had their challenges. We find that as we are aging these challenges become more difficult. So our plan for the future is to do trips with higher end lodges, good sanitation and well paved roads. This is no reflection on Rockjumpers just the reality of our now being in our 70's. Time to do some easier trips! Our leader, David Hoddinott, was outstanding. His enthusiasm for the birds of Ethiopia was contagious, his knowledge incredible and his ability to handle all the logistics shows that he is a seasoned leader. Thank you to the entire team at Rockjumpers for another incredible trip. "

Gregory de Klerk
AW, Ethiopia 2018

The guide, Greg de Klerk, did a good job. He was well informed regarding the participants and tried hard to accommodate everyone's needs. He made a good effort to inform us daily as to what birds we might see, which was very helpful.

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