A Wild Tanzania Adventure

A recap of Spark Birding’s nature safari to witness “the greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth”

Our safari vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. At first glance, we saw the enormous flow of zebra and wildebeest herds grazing across the vast Serengeti plain. A lone vulture circled above, then another. Slowly, the camouflaged head of a lion rose slowly from the tall grass. The giant herd froze. The hunt was on. As the scene unfolded, it became clear that the circle of life was at play – the challenge to survive in a fragile and wild environment.

An African lion eyes the approaching herd.

On our trip to Tanzania, we were treated to a continual display of the incredible adaptations animals and plants need to make to exist in the wild. Our expert guides -- Peter Alden, Isaiah Siima, and Saleem Mganja – shared insights and totaled over 40 mammal species, 227 bird species, and 6 reptile species in the course of our adventure.

A Secretary Bird (Peter Alden's favorite bird) searches for small prey while an elephant grazes in the background.

The following photo gallery and list of wildlife observations capture some of this adventure. Spark Birding will be offering this trip again next year in early November. It's an ideal time to witness the migration and extraordinary bird diversity: 2026 Tanzania Wildlife Adventure

Peter Alden and our Tanzania guides compiled a comprehensive list of 40 mammal speciels, 227 bird species, and 6 reptile species, along with counts and the locations where they were observed (see below!).

PHOTO GALLERY

Dining tent, Land of Nature, Serengeti

Our group gathers for a photo outside the Lion's Paw Lodge at the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater

Spark Birding Tanzania Wildlife Report Nov 2025

compiled by Peter Alden, Isaiah Siima, and Saleem Mganja

Key to sites and parks:

Aru (Arusha NP), Dul (Lake Duluti), R (Roadsides), Tar (Tarangire NP), Man (Manyara NP), Ngo (Ngorongoro Crater), Old (Olduvai Gorge) and Ser (Serengeti NP). EUR (Eurasian breeder; migrant to winter here; not in my color handout)

Mammals: 40 species

Primates:

• Savanna (Olive) Baboon: Aru 150, Tar 300, Man 60, Ngo 140, Ser 80

• Blue Monkey: Aru 10, Man 5, Ngo 2

• Black-faced Vervet: Tar 35, Man 15, Ngo 4, Ser 10

• Black & White Colobus Monkey: Aru 6, Dul 3 (the Giant Skunk)

Hyraxes: Bush (Yellow-spotted) Hyrax: Tar 20

• Rock Hyrax: Ser 6 (near Klipspringers)

Elephants:

• African Elephant: Tar 550, Man 50, Ngo 1, Ser 50

  (more numbers and so trusting and great close encounters)

Rodents:

• Unstriped Ground-Squirrel: Tar 3

Lagomprphs:

• Cape Hare: Ser 2 (pre-dawn in road)

Even-toed Ungulates:

• Warthog: Aru 50, Tar 130, Ngo 155, Ser 30

• Hippopotamus: Ngo 160, Ser 270 (nice to see on foot last a.m.)

• (Maasai) Giraffe: Aru 2, Tar 50, Ser 40 (always impressive)

• Kirk’s Dik-dik: Aru 2, Tar 6, Ser 8 (the small ones)

• Klipspringer: Ser 10 (restricted to kopjes/rocks)

• Bushbuck: Aru 25, Dul 2, Ngo 4

• Eland: Tar 3, Ngo 33 (largest herd I’ve seen; before surprise lunch), Ser 10

• Ringtail/Common Waterbuck: Aru 30, Tar 105 (large gray mule-shaped neck)

• Defassa Waterbuck: Ser 3 (on way to airport)

• Bohor Reedbuck: Tar 14, Ser 4 (medium-size, short forward horns)

• Topi: Ser 130 (black and yellow legs)

• Coke’s Hartebeest: Tar 16, Ngo 5, Ser135

• White-bearded Wildebeest: Tar 600, Ngo 3000, Ser 10,000

• Impala (“Deer”): Tar 180, Ser 1000

• Grant’s Gazelle: Tar 2, Ngo 60, Ser 400 (larger, gray side stripe)

• Thomson’s Gazelle: Ngo 140, Ser 5100 (smaller, black side-stripe)

• African/Cape Buffalo: Aru 100, Tar 2000, Ngo 3500, Ser 2,200

Odd-toed Ungulates:

• Black Rhinoceros: Ngo 1 (below rim, distant)

• White Rhinoceros: Ngo 1 (intro from South Africa)

• Plains Zebra: Aru 55, Tar 1300, Ngo 2000, Ser 12,000

Carnivores:

• Black-backed Jackal: Ser 1 (surprisingly few)

• Golden Jackal: Ngo 2

• Large-spotted Genet: Ser 1 (at our camp one night)

• Slender Mongoose: Tar 3

• Banded Mongoose: Aru 20, Tar 33, Old 8 (great shows)

• Eastern Dwarf Mongoose: Tar 4, Ser 4

• Spotted Hyena: Ngo 5, Ser 10 (great view by road 1^st day in Ser; heard at night)

• Lion: Tar 5, Ngo 1 (close view), Ser 20 (watched mating, roared all night)

• Leopard: Tar 1, Ser 1 (thanks to Tom) (both on thick near horizontal limbs)

• Cheetah: Tar (spotted by Christy)

• Serval: Ngo 1 (spotted by Peter; rarely seen)

Birds: 227 species

Ostriches:

• Ostrich: Tar 30, Ngo 23, Ser 40 (one group w/5 spotted young’ins)

Grebes:

• Little Grebe: Aru 200, Ngo 10

Cormorants:

• Long-tailed Cormorant: Dul 6 (smaller, hooked beak)

• Great Cormorant: Dul 6 (larger, hooked beak)

Darters:

• “African” Darter: Dul 1 (pointed beak, related to Anhinga of U.S.)

Herons:

• Gray Heron: Dul 1, Tar 2, Ngo 2, Ser 1 (Like our Great Blue Heron)

• Black-headed Heron: Aru 1, Ngo 1, Ser 10

• Squacco “Pond” Heron: Tar 1 (flew up a river, brown back, white wings)

• Cattle Egret: Aru 2, Tar 16, Ngo 50

• Striated/Little Heron: Dul 1, Man 1

• Great Egret: Man 1, Ngo 10, Ser 1 (longer yellow bill)

• Little Egret: Aru 2, Dul 2, Tar 1, Ngo 2 (thin black bill)

• Yellow-billed Egret: Aru 12 (medium yellow bill)

Hamerkops:

• Hamerkop Aru 5, Dul 2, Tar 4, Ngo 1, Ser 3 (huge nests in trees)

Storks:

• Marabou Stork: Aru 8, Tar 8, Man 2, Ser 7 (miserable impressive bird)

Ibises:

• Hadada Ibis: Aru 7, Dul 2, Tar 5, Ser 2 (noisy at dawn & dusk)

• Glossy Ibis: Aru 1, Tar 2, Ngo 12 (all dark looking, droopy bill)

• Sacred Ibis: Aru 3, Tar 1, Ngo 35, Ser 6 (white with black head and tail)

Flamingos:

• Lesser Flamingo Aru 800, Ngo 4000 (pink w/ dark red bill)

• Greater Flamingo: Aru 400, Ngo 7000 (white w/red wings, pink bill)

Waterfowl:

• Egyptian Goose: Dul 2, Tar 40, Ngo 4, Ser 20 (white shoulders)

• Cape Teal (Wigeon): Aru 25, Ngo 20 (small, white, red bill)

• Northern Shoveler: Ngo 2 EUR

• Red-billed Teal: Ngo 100 (resting by flamingo lagoon; black crown)

• Southern Pochard: Aru 25 (diving ducks at flamingo lakes)

• Maccoa Duck: Aru 2 (distant at 2^nd flamingo lake)

• Spur-winged Goose: Tar 2 (huge goose at 1^st lake at Tarangire)

Secretarybirds:

• Secretarybird: Tar 2, Ngo 1, Ser 10 (incl one soaring in sky)

Vultures, Hawks & Eagles:

• Ruppell’s Vulture Ngo 2 (at kill before lunch)

• African White-backed Vulture: Tar 16, Ngo 20, Ser 20

• Lappet-faced Vulture: Ngo 2, Ser 6 (largest vulture, red head)

• White-headed Vulture: Ser 2 (1^st full morning, w/recent lion kill)

• Pallid Harrier: Ser 1 (At above spot in distance, very pale) EUR

• Montagu’s Harrier: Ser 4 (on wing over dry plains arrival afternoon) EUR

• African Harrier Hawk: Aru 2 (seen on wing only)

• Brown Snake-Eagle: Tar 3 (all brown with yellow eye)

• Black-chested Snake-Eagle: Ngo 2, Ser 1 (small version of Martial Eagle)

• Bateleur: Tar 3, Ser 7 (usually on wing, two at tree nest by lion love nest)

• Tawny Eagle: Tar 11, Ngo 7, Ser 9 (usually in pairs on tree tops)

• Augur Buzzard: Aru 1, Ngo 5 (like our Red-tailed Hawk with shorter tail)

• Common/Steppe Buzzard: Ngo 1 EUR

• African Hawk-Eagle: Tar 1 (soaring by Ostrich family; distinct B+W pattern)

• Dark Chanting-Goshawk: Ser 1

• Pale Chanting-Goshawk: R 3, Old 1

• Martial Eagle: Tar 1, Ngo 1, Ser 2 (enormous eagle that takes small gazelles)

• African Fish-Eagle: Tar 1, Ser 2 (vocal w/white head and chestnut belly)

• Yellow-billed (ex Black) Kite: Aru 2, Tar 1, Ngo 6 (esp. at lunch site in air)

• Black-shouldered Kite: Ser 2 (like U.S White-tailed Kite of southwest)

Falcons:

• Grey Kestrel: Man 1 (on treetop snag)

• Lesser Kestrel: Ser 2 (on wing over eastern plains) EUR

• White-eyed/Greater Kestrel: Ser 2 (perched together, heavily spotted)

• Eurasian Hobby: Aru 1 (perched), Ngo (flyby at rim overlook) EUR

• African Pygmy-Falcon: Tar 1

Gamebirds:

• Coqui Francolin: Tar 4 (small; male w/yellow throat)

• Hildebrandt’s Francolin: Aru 4, Ngo rim 2 (black-spotted breast)

• Crested Francolin: Tar 6, Ser 2 (small w/white eyebrow, no real crest)

• Red-necked Spurfowl: Tar 20, Man 2

• Yellow-necked Spurfowl: Tar 3

• Grey-breasted Spurfowl: Tar 1, Ser 1

Guineafowl:

• Helmeted Guineafowl: Aru 6, Tar 70, Ngo 6, Ser 15

  
  

Cranes:

• Southern Crowned Crane: Ngo 50 (fabulous views of pairs)

  
  

Rails:

• Common Moorhen/Gallinule: Ser 1 (1^st hippo pool)

• African Black Crake: Tar 1 (at southern swamp, yellow bill)

• Purple Swamphen: Tar 2 (in reeds at southern swamp; red bill)

• Red-knobbed Coot: Ngo 20 (at flamingo lake shore; not in handout)

  
  

Bustards:

• Hartlaub’s Bustard Tar 1, Ngo 1, Ser 1 (gray back of neck)

• White-bellied Bustard: Tar 8, Ser 6 (bluish neck, one chick noted)

• Kori Bustard: Ngo 8, Old 1, Ser 4 (heaviest flying bird in Africa)

  
  

Jacanas:

• African Jacana: Tar 2 (at southern swamp; rusty above)

Plovers:

• Ringed Plover Tar 1, Man 1EUR

• Three-banded Plover: Tar 2, Ser 3

• Blacksmith Lapwing: Tar 12, Ngo 6, Ser 6 (white forehead)

• Crowned Lapwing: Tar 10, Ngo 6, Ser 6 (white eyebrow, red legs)

• Long-toed Lapwing: Tar 15 (all at southern swamp)

• Senegal Lapwing: Tar 1 (rare visitor)

  
  

Sandpipers:

• Common Sandpiper: Ser 3 EUR (bobs tail like our Spotted)

• Wood Sandpiper: Tar 7, Ngo 5, Ser 8 EUR (medium size, straight bill)

• Greenshank: Tar 1, Ngo 1 EUR (large, upturned bill)

• Marsh Sandpiper: Tar 1 EUR (smaller with straight thin bill)

• Little Stint: Tar 10, Ngo 10, Ser 10 EUR

• Ruff: Aru 5, Ngo 20, Ser 10 EUR

Stilts:

• Black-winged Stilt: Aru 4, Tar 4, Ngo 7, Ser 3 (long red legs)

• Pied (Black-capped) Avocet: Aru 1, Tar 1, Ser 1 (black upturned bill)

Thick-knees:

• Spotted Thick-knee: Aru 1 (resting under a bush)

• Water Thick-knee: Tar 3 (1st pool), Ser 2 (from balloon)

Pratincoles:

• Common (Red-winged) Pratincole: Tar 2

Sandgrouse:

• Black-faced Sandgrouse: Tar 8, Ser 1

• Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse: Ser 2

• Yellow-throated Sandgrouse: Ser 2

Doves:

• Olive Pigeon: Aru 2

• Speckled Pigeon: R 2 (Safari Land store)

• Namaqua Dove: R 7 (small w/ longish thin tail)

• Ring-necked Dove: Dul 2, Tar 60, R 20, Ser 40

• Red-eyed Dove: Ngo 2

• Dusky Dove: Ngo rim 2

• Laughing Dove: Old 2 (sunning with wings out), Ser 2

• Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove:    Tar 2

• African Green-Pigeon: Ser 1 (on treetop over mating lions)

Parrots:

• Fischer’s Lovebird: Ser 15 (multi-colored tiny parrots)

• Orange-bellied Parrot: Tar 12 (mainly fly-bys with green back)

Cuckoos:

• Didric Cuckoo: Aru 1, Ser 2

• Emerald Cuckoo: Man 1 heard

• Red-chested Cuckoo: Dul heard, Tar heard

• White-browed Coucal: Aru 3, Tar 2 (large w/rusty above, long black tail)

Owls:

• Spotted Eagle-Owl: Ser 1 (On rock by Klipspringers; life bird for Peter)

Swifts:

Little Swift: Arusha 10, Tar 250, Ngo 50, Ser 80 (by buildings)

White-rumped Swift: Ser 10

African Palm Swift: Arusha 20, R 2, Ser 10 (pale brown, long thin tail)

Mousebirds:

• Speckled Mousebird: Aru 7, Ngo 13, Ser 3 (brown)

• Blue-naped Mousebird: R 4, Ser 10 (pale gray)

Kingfishers:

• Pied Kingfisher Dul 1, Ser 3 (large black+white)

• Malachite Kingfisher: Dul 1, Tar 1 (tiny, colorful)

• Brown-hooded Kingfisher: Aru 3 (red bill, pale buffy belly)

• Grey-headed Kingfisher: Tar 2, Ser 1 (red bill, chestnut belly)

• Striped Kingfisher: Tar 2

Bee-eaters:

• Little Bee-eater: Aru 7, Tar 3, Ngo 1, Ser 4 (real beauty)

• Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater: Ngo rim 4

• European Bee-eater: Ngo rim 3 EUR

Rollers:

• Lilac-breasted Roller: Tar 30, Ser 7 (Peter’s favorite bird)

Hoopoes:

• “Crested” Hoopoe: Tar 1, Ngo 2, Ser 1(en route to airport)

  
  

Wood-Hoopoes:

• Abyssinian (Orange-billed) Scimitarbill: Ser 2

Hornbills:

• Silvery-cheeked Hornbill: Dul 2, Man 2 (huge, Manyara picnic)

• Red-billed Hornbill: Tar 15 (all red bill)

• African Grey Hornbill: Tar 3, Ser 8 (dark bill w/white stripe)

• Von der Decken’s Hornbill: Tar 6, Ser 2 (M w/red+yellow bill; F black bill)

• Crowned Hornbill: Man 2

• Southern Ground Hornbill: Tar 5 (walking in river bottom; red wattles)

Barbets:

• White-eared Barbet: Aru 1 (brief look in dead tree)

• Red-fronted Barbet: Ser 1

• White-headed Barbet: Ser 1

• Brown-breasted Barbet: Dul 2 (red face, white belly)

• Red-and-yellow Barbet: Tar 2, Old 2 (during lecture)

• Usambiro Barbet: Ser 4 (incl Land of Nature Camp)

Honeyguides:

• Greater Honeyguide: Man 1 heard

Woodpeckers:

• Cardinal Woodpecker: Tar 2

• Bearded Woodpecker: Tar? 1

Larks:

• Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark: enroute School 10, Ser 5

• Rufous-naped Lark: Aru 5, Ngo 10

• Flappet Lark: Ser 2

Swallows:

• Barn Swallow: Tar 12, Ngo 800, Ser 25 EUR

• Lesser Striped Swallow: Tar 28, Ngo 2, Ser 4

• Wire-tailed Swallow: Tar 2

• Black Saw-wing Swallow: Aru 6, Ngo 2

• Plain Martin Ngo 2, Ser 6

Drongos:

• African Drongo: Tar 6, Ser 6 (black w/forked tail)

Orioles:

• African Black-headed Oriole: Dul 1, Tar 1, Ser 2

Crows:

• Pied Crow: Arusha 8, R 5, Man 2 (mainly in towns)

• Cape Rook (Crow): Ser 5 (at entrance gate)

Babblers:

• Northern Pied Babbler: Tar 4

Bulbuls:

• Garden/Common Bulbul: Aru 4, Dul 4, Tar 4, Ngo 6, Ser 12

Thrushes:

• Spotted Morning-Thrush: Picnic site W of Arusha 1, School 1

• Cape Robin-Chat: Dul 2, Ngo rim 7 (orange chest, white eyebrow)

• Northern Anteater Chat: Ngo 15 (black with white primaries)

• Isabelline Wheatear: Ngo 6 (buffy with white “arse” in flight) EUR

• Capped Wheatear: Ngo 4, Ser 6 (black chest patch, white “arse”

• Pied Wheatear: Ser 1 (adult with black throat, gray back; near kopjes) EUR

• Stone Chat: Ngo rim 1

Warblers (Old World):

• Yellow-breasted Apalis: Old 1 (during lecture)

• Gray-backed Camaroptera: Tar 1 (in underbrush before Leopard U-turn)

• Rattling Cisticola: Tar 1, Ser 6

• Trilling Cisticola: Aru 6

• Hunter’s Cisticola: Ngo 2

• Zitting Cisticola: Ngo 1

• Tawny-flanked Prinia: Maasai Village 1

• Red-faced Crombec: Old 1 (during lecture)

Flycatchers (Old World):

• African Grey Flycatcher?: Aru 1, Tar 1, Ngo 1, Ser 2

• Pale Flycatcher: Old 1?

• Silverbird: Tar 2, Ser 15 (silver above, bright orange below)

• White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher: Ngo rim 1

• Chin-spot Batis: Ngo rim 1, Ser 1

• African Paradise-Flycatcher: Dul 2 (mostly rufous incl. long rufous tail)

Pipits:

• Grassland (Richard’s) Pipit: Ngo 2

• Yellow-throated Longclaw: Ngo 2 (yellowish below, like U.S. meadowlarks)

• African Pied Wagtail: Aru 1, Dul 2, Tar 4, Ngo 3, Ser 2

• YellowWagtail: Ngo 3 EUR

Bush-Shrikes:

• Tropical Boubou: Aru 2, Dul 2, Ngo 1 (loud bou-bou-bou voice)

• Slate-colored Boubou: Tar 2, Ser 2 (all black, vocal)

• Brubru “Shrike”: Ser 1 (at Land of Nature Camp)

• Brown-headed Tchagra: Tar 2, Ser 1?

Shrikes:

• Magpie Shrike: Tar 18, Ser 10 (mostly black w/long black tail)

• Long-tailed Fiscal: Tar 10

• Common Fiscal Shrike: Aru 8, Ngo 3

• Taita Fiscal: Old 4 (on road out only)

• Grey-backed Fiscal Shrike: Ser 7

Helmet-Shrikes:

• Northern White-crowned Shrike: Tar 22, Ser 20

Starlings:

• Ashy Starling: Tar 34 (all soft grey with long tail)

• Wattled Starling: Ngo 15, Ser 10 (buffy w/white rump)

• Rueppell’s Long-tailed Starling: Arusha 2, Ser 30

• Red-winged Starling: Safari Land 2

• Kenrick’s Starling: Aru 2

• Hildebrandt’s Starling: Tar 2, Ngo 2, Ser 50 (red eye, no white below)

• Superb Starling: R 40, Tar 50, Ser 10 (yellow eye; white breast band)

• Yellow-billed Oxpecker: Ngo 1, Ser 4 (on buffalo near Land of Nature camp)

• Red-billed Oxpecker: Aru 8, Tar 40, Ngo 28, Ser 10 (often on giraffes)

Sunbirds:

• Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird: Dul 2

• Mariqua Sunbird: Tar 2

• Beautiful Long-tailed Sunbird: Ser 1

• Scarlet-chested Sunbird: Ser 1 (on aloe eastern plains)

• Variable Sunbird: Aru 2, Ngo 1 (yellow below, droopy bill)

White-eyes:

• Abyssinian White-eye: Dul 1

Weavers:

• Fan-tailed Widowbird: Ngo 200 (mostly non-breeding plumage)

• Yellow Bishop: Aru 1 (black w/yellow accents)

• Baglafecht Weaver: Aru 2, Ngo rim 3 (at Lion’s Paw Lodge)

• Black-headed Weaver: Safari Land 2

• Lesser Masked Weaver: Dul 6, Old 2, Ser 10

• Holub’s Golden Weaver: Dul 8

• Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver: R 12 (all black w/red bill)

• White-headed Buffalo-Weaver: Tar 12, Ser 2 (B+W w/red rump and vent)

• Rufous-tailed Weaver: Tar 6, Ser 4 (pale, lightly streaked, tail rufous)

• White-browed Sparrow-Weaver: Tar 2

• Grey-headed Social-Weaver: Ser 6 (tiny, pale gray with whiter crown)

• House Sparrow: Old 6, Ser 6 (at Land of Nature camp) Recent Invader

• Chestnut Sparrow: R (picnic site west of Arusha)

• Grey-headed Sparrow: R 6, Ser 5

• Rufous Sparrow: Ser 8

• Speckle-fronted Weaver: Old 2 (during lecture)

• Pin-tailed Whydah: R 1, Old 2, others in non-breeding plumage elsewhere)

Waxbills:

• Common Waxbill: R 2 (picnic site)

• Black-cheeked Waxbill: Ser 7

• Red-billed Firefinch: R 2 (picnic site)

• Green-winged Pytilia: Tar 1

• Red-cheeked Cordonbleu: Ser 2

• Blue-capped Cordonbleu: R 6 (picnic site)

• Purple Grenadier: Ser 2

• Grey-headed Silverbill: Seronera Village 4 (not in my sheets)

Finches:

• White-bellied Canary: Old 2?

• Streaky Seedeater: Ngo Rim 4 (Lion’s Paw Lodge)

Reptiles: 6 species

Crocodiles:

• Nile Crocodile: Ser 2 (1^st and last hippo pools)

Lizards:

• Blue-headed Agama: Ngo 1, Ser 1

• Red-headed Agama (Rainbow Lizard): Tar 6 (at SOPA Lodge), Ser 6 (at Kopjes)

• Nile Monitor Lizard: Dul 1, Tar 1, Man 1 (relative of Komodo “Dragon”)

• Striped Skink: Aru 2

Snakes:

• Black Mamba: Ser 1 (juv enroute to kopjes)

Insects:

• Some fine butterflies in Arusha area. Some flies, no mosquitoes!

Plants:

• Great baobab trees at Tarangire, many yellow fever Acacias, whistling thorns, and umbrella acacias. Some aloes and lilies in bloom. 

  
  

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Check out next year's program here: Tanzania Wildlife Adventure | November 4-15, 2026