Birding
The Bale Mountains National Park is recognized by Birdlife International as the foremost Important Bird Area (IBA) in Ethiopia. Over 280 species have been recorded in the National Park, including 7 of the species endemic to Ethiopia; spot-breasted lapwing, yellow-fronted parrot, Abyssinian wood-pecker, Abyssinian longclaw, Abyssinian catbird, black-headed siskin and Bale parisoma. The area, with its abundant rodent community, is also very important for many large eagles, vultures and other raptors. Besides excellent sightings of the ever-present augur buzzard and Lanner falcon, the Bale Mountains also offer birders regular sightings of bearded vultures, long-crested eagles and Montagu’s harriers as well as the occasional sightings of the magnificent imperial and crowned eagles. The Bale Mountains are also the only known breeding site in Africa for a number of Eurasian species, such as the golden eagle, the ruddy shellduck and the red-billed chough. In addition, it is an important over-wintering ground or passage station for migrants from Eurasia, particularly passerines and waterfowl.
The diversity of vegetation types, along with the steep altitudinal gradient within the BMNP make even short visits to the park great value. In the space of a day one can spend a few hours both driving and walking through juniper-dominated woodlands (looking for the endemic white-backed black tit & black-winged lovebird), open grasslands (regularly spotting the endemic Rouget’s rail), high-altitude heathlands (tripping over chestnut-naped francolins), afro-alpine wetlands (with blue-winged geese, ruddy shellducks and the occasional wattled crane), and down again into moist tropical forest (hearing and seeing the white-cheeked turaco and silvery-cheeked hornbill). Whether for a day or a week, birding in the Bale Mountains National Park is a rewarding and worthwhile experience.
Local guides have all participated in bird identification training and should be able to meet the requirements of visitors who are interested in seeing and identifying common and charismatic birds, but for those with a more serious interest, and who are not satisfied until every last LBJ has been ticked, it is recommended that a professional bird guide be hired through one of the tour operators in Addis Ababa.