Ethiopia combines some of the world’s most spectacular scenery and a long and fascinating history, with outstanding wildlife. It was perhaps the earliest home to man, and later to Prester John and a dynasty originating from the Queen of Sheba and concluding with the Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. It is a land of mixed race and mixed religion, of countless tribes and even more languages, mingled and matured by time and history. It is not only the country's long and rich history that makes Ethiopia such a special place, however, for its wildlife, too, is both exciting and unique.
Our Ethiopia Specialist Recommends
"If you want to experience an exciting wildlife destination in Africa but something a little different from the typical African Safari, then Ethiopia is a fantastic destination! Our ‘Ethiopia - Wildlife & Culture’ tour focuses on the spectacular landscapes of Ethiopia, as well as the country’s varied wildlife and culture. Superb for both mammal and bird lovers, and with some fascinating history too, Ethiopia is the ideal ‘all round’ destination."
Dan Lay - Tour Leader
Ethiopia's Wildlife
Even within Africa, our planet’s greatest wildlife continent, Ethiopia stands out as an especially spectacular and intriguing natural history destination. This breathtakingly beautiful country is defined by dramatic contrasts of climate and landscape, which in turn have nurtured extraordinary levels of biodiversity, much of it found nowhere else on Earth. Known as the “Roof of Africa”, Ethiopia’s vast central highlands, which tower up to heights of over 4000m, act like a great island in the sky, isolating unique forms of life within a patchwork of Afroalpine moorlands, rocky crags and ancient juniper groves. These mighty peaks are bisected by the Great Rift Valley, where acacia-studded grasslands, hill forests and azure soda lakes support an additional range of superb wildlife, including both widespread species and local specialities. Further flung corners of this marvellously varied country contain classic African savannahs, arid scrublands and barren desert.
All this makes Ethiopia an intoxicating option for visitors. Amongst around 300 species of mammal are iconic endemics such as Mountain Nyala, Gelada, and Ethiopian Wolf, Africa’s rarest large carnivore. The birds are no less magnificent; around 900 species have been recorded, of which over 30 are either true endemics, or else shared only with neighbouring Eritrea. These include such avian gems as Ruspoli’s Turaco, Blue-winged Goose, Ethiopian Bushcrow and Rouget’s Rail. However, it is not only the wildlife that makes Ethiopia so appealing; its long Christian history, fierce independence of spirit (being the only African country largely to escape Western colonial influence), and central place in the evolution of our own species, mean that fascinating sights and scenes are around every corner.
Gelada Baboon
Most travellers will arrive in the bustling metropolis of Addis Ababa, one of Africa’s most vibrant capital cities. Not far beyond the suburbs, however, can be found the stunning Bishoftu Crater Lakes, a chain of steep volcanic calderas with lush wetlands and abundant birdlife; Ethiopian Bee-eater, Malachite Kingfisher, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Black-winged Lovebird, Ethiopian Boubou and the stately Black Crowned Crane can all be seen, alongside entertaining Grivet Monkeys.
In the south of the country, the town of Yabelo acts as a gateway to a landscape of arid scrubland and semi-desert, dotted with occasional patches of dense mountain forest. Dry open areas in this region of Ethiopia hold widespread African species like Cardinal Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Speckled and Blue-naped Mousebirds, Black-capped Social Weaver, Crowned Lapwing, Purple Grenadier and Tawny Eagle, as well as distinctive and sought-after endemics such as White-tailed Swallow and Ethiopian Bushcrow. The area can also be productive for some larger mammals, such as Common Warthog, Guenther’s Dik-dik (with its extraordinary extended proboscis), Plains Zebra and both Greater and Lesser Kudu, amongst the most elegant of all antelope. Meanwhile, dry Afromontane forests close to the village of Meta Gafersa are home to the bleached-blond crest and blood-red wings of Ruspoli’s Turaco, a species found only in southern Ethiopia.
Journeying north-west from Yabelo initially means passing through similarly dry country, some of which is protected within Borana National Park, where gaudy Golden-breasted Starling, Parrot-billed Sparrow, and the unusual but refined-looking Vulturine Guineafowl all thrive. Then, the road plunges down into the Great Rift Valley and its increasingly verdant agricultural greenery, before eventually reaching the scenic shores of Lake Chamo. This is a wonderful place to see a plethora of wetland birds, including classic African species like African Fish Eagle, Great White Pelican, Goliath Heron, Spur-winged Lapwing and a range of different kingfishers. Hippos, too, lurk within the waters, as do a number of gigantic Nile Crocodiles.
Further to the north is an even more beautiful lake, Hawassa (or Awasa), where vast numbers of waterbirds gather before a stunning mountain backdrop. It is arguably the lake’s varied surrounding habitats, however, that offer the greatest draw for naturalists; star attractions include the elusive African Spotted Creeper and subtly gorgeous Abyssinian Crimsonwing, while the remarkable and endemic Thick-billed Raven is common. Other highlight species of the woods and wetlands are African Pygmy Goose, Long-crested Eagle, Blue-headed Coucal, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Double-toothed Barbet, Brown-throated Wattle-eye and Violet-backed Starling, as well as Guereza Colobus and Olive Baboon. Close to the east, by the village of Wondo Genet, the forested slopes of the Rift Valley also contain Narina Trogon, White-cheeked Turaco, Crowned Eagle and endemic Yellow-fronted Parrot.
Ethiopian Wolf
White-throated Bee-eaters
Rising to the east of the Rift Valley, like an enormous tabletop, are the Bale Mountains: perhaps Ethiopia’s most astonishing natural region of all. This looming range, which lies between 2895 and 4440 metres above sea level, contains the largest tract of alpine moorland in Africa, and is a high-altitude haven for an assemblage of species unlike those found anywhere else on the continent. Arriving from the west, travellers will first reach the Gaysay Grasslands, where Bohor Reedbuck, Common Warthog and the endemic Mountain Nyala graze alongside specialist birds of these high plains: most notably, Rouget’s Rail, Spot-breasted Lapwing and Blue-winged Goose.
Climb higher, onto the rugged Sanetti Plateau, and the scenery becomes even more dramatic. These gnarled heaths and crags are the otherworldly home of Africa’s most endangered large carnivore: the Ethiopian Wolf. This unique canid hunts alone, mostly targeting rodents such as the bizarre Giant Mole Rat, and, despite its threatened status, can often be seen cautiously quartering the grasslands. Other mammals here can include Serval, Klipspringer, Blick’s Grass Rat, Starck’s Hare, and even Leopard and Giant Forest Hog, while possible birds include Wattled Ibis, Red-throated Pipit, Wattled Crane, and abundant raptors. The southern slopes of the Bale Mountains support a strikingly contrasting habitat: the lush, almost mystical Harenna Forest, home to birds like Ayres’s Hawk Eagle, Mountain Buzzard, African Emerald Cuckoo and Abyssinian Catbird.
Several other Ethiopian reserves are also worthy of attention. In the southwest, the Kafa Biosphere Reserve protects one of the largest remaining expanses of cloudforest in the country, with an exceptional diversity of fauna and flora, including what is thought to be the original wild Arabica coffee plant. Not far from Kafa is the Chebera Churchura National Park, which supports a variety of savannah species including Lion, Leopard, Waterbuck and healthy numbers of African Bush Elephant; featured amongst the birdlife are Half-collared Kingfisher, Black Crowned Crane and the remarkable Standard-winged Nightjar. Finally, the Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve, to the north-east of Addis Ababa, protects 1800 square kilometres of dry grasslands, acacia woodlands and mountains. This is one of the best places in Ethiopia to see exciting open country mammals like Cheetah, Spotted and Striped Hyenas, Bat-eared Fox, Gerenuk, Soemmerring’s Gazelle, Grevy’s Zebra and Gerenuk, many of which are otherwise scarce in the country; specialist birds of the reserve include Somali Ostrich, Arabian Bustard, Abyssinian Roller and Scissor-tailed Kite.
Spot-breasted Lapwing
What's Special About Ethiopia's Wildlife?
Almost everything is special about Ethiopia’s wildlife. The country is a particular draw for bird and mammal watchers, with high overall diversity and many species found nowhere else on Earth. The focal point for Ethiopia’s unique appeal is undoubtedly its high plateau – the “Roof of Africa” – which (as well as astonishing scenery) has one of the world’s highest rates of animal endemism. Most notable amongst these mountain specialists are the Ethiopian Wolf and Mountain Nyala, alongside myriad Afroalpine birds: Rouget’s Rail, Spot-breasted Lapwing, Blue-winged Goose and Wattled Ibis.
Montane forests also contain some of Ethiopia’s most sought-after birds, such as Ruspoli’s and White-cheeked Turacos, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Abyssinian Catbird and Yellow-fronted Parrot, while southern bushlands play host to Ethiopian Bushcrow, and the Great Rift Valley lakes attract phenomenal concentrations of wetland wildlife. Finally, although Ethiopia is not the easiest African country in which to see large mammals, a number of its parks and reserves do support healthy populations of African Bush Elephant, African Buffalo, Grevy’s Zebra, Spotted and Striped Hyena, and even Lion.
