Early morning transfer to the splendid Jemma Valley, where we will look for endemics such as Harwood’s Francolin, Erckel’s Francolin, Ankober Serin, Abyssian Black Wheatear and White-throated Seedeater. Other species may include Fox Kestrel, Red-billed Pytilia or Little Rock Chat and, if lucky, we may have one of the few Egyptian Plovers overwintering in the area.

Afternoon birding around Debre Libanos where we will scan for more endemics while enjoying the several birds of prey nesting around: Rüppell’s Vulture, Verreaux Eagle, Lammergeier, African Eagle-Hawk, etc

After some birding and enjoying the herds of Geladas around Debre Libanos we will drive to Awash National Park. We will stop en route in some wetlands that can produce a long list of wildfowl such as Maccoa Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, along with Steppe Eagle or Yellow-billed Stork. Arrival to our hotel in Awash during late afternoon.

This is one of the main birdwatching spots in Ethiopia. During these two days we will search  Kory, Arabian, White-bellied & Buff-crested Bustards, Pygmy & Sooty Falcons, Lappet-faced Vulture, Red-and-Yellow Barbet, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Gillett’s Lark, Rufous-crowned Roller, Double-banded Courser, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Nile Valley Sunbird, Ashy Cisticola and many more.

An special effort will be done to try to locate scarce species such as Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, African Collared Dove, Black Scrub Robin and Somali Bulbul (a serious candidate to become a full species).

Mammals here would include Beisa Oryx, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu, Spotted Hyaena, Bat-eared Fox and many more.

Day 7. Awash National Park – Awassa.

Last morning in Awash National Park and transfer to Awassa, where we will have some birding in the afternoon enjoying our hotel grounds and the lake around.

Here we shall connect with interesting species including Red-throated Wryneck, Grosbeak Weaver, Woodland Kingfisher, Silbery-cheeked Hornbill, African Pygmy Goose, White-browed Robin-chat and African Jacana among many more.

We will spend the morning in Wondo Genet, formerly a wonderful autoctonous forest that had been deforested in the last years. The place is still hosting endemics including Black-winged Lovebird, Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher, Abyssian Oriole as well as Banded Barbet, Half-collared Kingfisher, Narina Trogon, White-cheeked Turaco or Greater Honeyguide among other goodies!

Afternoon birding by the Awassa Lake.

Tranfer from the Rift Valley up to Goba. The road crosses some impressive landscapes as we keep gaining elevation over the valley. During the day we will do several stops to enjoy the birdlife around. Birds here may include Abyssian Woodpecker, Red-billed Chough, Lammergeier, Steppe Eagle, African Snipe, Rouget’s Rail, Thick-billed Raven, Abyssian Catbird, White-backed Blac Tit, Wattled Ibis, Abyssian Ground Thrush, Cape Eagle Owl and, if lucky, Abyssinian Owl!

Days 10 & 11. Bale National Park – Negele.

We will spend one full day up in the Bale NP. During the morning we will explore the gorgeous Sanetti Plateau, +4000 metres above sea level, where we will look for endemic Ethiopian Wolf and their preys, the also endemic Giant Root-rats! Endemic birds are not less interesting and include Chestnut-naped Francolin, Spot-breasted Plover, Rouget’s Rail and Bale Brown Parisoma (griseiventris form, a serious candidate to be considered as a full species). Other good birdlife include Wattled Crane, Moorland Francolin, Moorland Chat, Golden Eagle or African Hill Babbler.

In the afternoon we will explore the area around Dinsho. Here we would enjoy some forest birds as well as the endemic Mountain Nyala and Menelik’s Bushbuck and a variety of birds living in the canopy.

We will spend the morning around Liben Plain. Here we will look for some really scarce endemic birds including Liben Lark, White-tailed Swallow, Salvadori’s Seedeater but also Somali Courser, Reichenow’s Seedeater, Somali Short-toed Lark or Amur Falcon.

In our transfer from Negele to Yabello some stops will be done allowing us chances for Black-bellied Sunbird, African White-winged Dove, Juba Weaver, Water Thick-knee, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Vulturine Guineafowl, Slate Coloured Boubou, Pygmy Batis or Abyssinian Waxbill.

Around Yabello we were looking for Northern Grosbeak Canary, African Orange-bellied Parrot, Tiny Cisticola, Marsh Sandpiper, Hunter’s Sunbird, Cardinal Woodpecker, Shelley’s Starling, d’Arnauld’s Barbet, Bateleur and the endemic Stresemann’s Bush-crow among many other.

After breakfast and some birding we drive North, arriving to our accommodation during the late afternoon, hoping to have some time to search for birds before dinner by the Lake Awassa. During the say we will make a pair of stops in suitable humit forest where we may have Lemon Dove, Sharpe’s Starling and other goodies plus several commoner species.

Two days exploring a variety of wood lands, open lands and lakes can provide a stunning variety of birdlife. Here we will explore patches of brod-leave forest, swamps, dry thornbush land and large lakes.  We will take advantage of the location of our accommodation, placed by a luxurian broad-leave forest where to search for the rare Red-capped Robin-Chat along with Narina Trogon, Scaly-breasted Honeyguide, Green Malkoha, Broad-billed Roller and several more. The list along these days will also include Lesser Flamingo, Wattled Crane, Cape Teal, Hottentot Teal, Temminck’s Stint, Killitz’s Plover, Clapperton Francolin, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Heuglin’s Gull, Greyish Eagle-Owl, Lesser Honeyguide, Masked Shrike, Red-fronted Barbet, Yellow-vented Eremomela and a long list of other good birds…

Day 17. Lake Ziwai – Addis Ababa.

Boat trip around Lake Ziwai, famous lake for the variety and amount of waterfowl. Here where we will look for Saddle-billed Stork, Black Stork, African Skimmer, Collared Pratincole, Black Heron or Ruppell’s Weaver among many more.

Final transfer to Addis Ababa.

Flight from Addis Ababa back to Barcelona.