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Endemic Birds in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has rightly become one of Africa's leading birding destination. Its avifauna represents an interesting mixture of east and west African, Palearctic and some strikingly unusual endemic components. In addition to more than 800 species of birds, of which a staggering 20 are endemic to Ethiopia and its neighbour Eritrea, Ethiopia has a number of peculiar mammals, and a scenic diversity and cultural uniqueness that are hard to equal. Below you can see the

Most recognized endemic Birds

BLUE-WINGED GOOSE (Cyanochen cyanoptera) ; Wing 325-376 mmThe Blue-winged Goose inhabits plateau marshes, streams anddamp grasslands from about 1800 meters (6000 feet) upward.

HARWOOD'S FRANCOLIN (Francolinus harwoodi) - Wing 180-190 mmHarwood's Francolin has been reported from only three localitiesalong about 160 kilometers of valleys and gorges within the upperBlue Nile system extending to the east and north of the AddisAbaba-Debre Marcos-Dejen bridge; this francolin is a very poorly known Ethiopian ende

WATTLED IBIS (Bostrychia carunculata) - Wing 325-380 mmBecause of its loud, raucous "haa-haa-haa-haa" call, the WattledIbis is easily recognized even from some distance away. A flock ofthese ibises rising or flying overhead becomes especially noisyand obvious. In flight a white patch shows on the upper surface ofthe ibis' wing, and at close range its tliroat wattle is visible. Thesetwo diagnostic features distinguish the Wattled Ibis from theclosely related Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedavli), which alsooccurs in Ethiopia.

ROUGET'S RAIL (Ralbus rougetii) Wing 125-135 mm The Rouget's Rail is common on the western and southeasternhighlands, but its presence is not so obvious as that of some otherendemics. Once one is able to recognize the bird's calls, one wellappreciates how common this rail is. It has two calls which areuseful in identification: one, a piercing alarm note, a "dideet" or "adi-dii", and the other, a display call, "wreeeee-creeuw-wreeeee-creeliw". This Rail mainly lives at higher elevations of up to 4,100meters (13,500 feet) where it inhabits small pockets of grasstussock and wet hollows with plenty, of cover; it is a characteristicbird of the moorlands of Ethiopia. ￼ 05, SPOT-BREASTED PLOVER(Vanellus melanocephalus) - Wing 234-240 mmThe Spot-breasted Plover is an endemic usually found above 3050meters (10,000 feet) in marshy grasslands and moorlands withgiant health, giant lobelia, alchemilla and tussock grass in boththe western and southeastern highlands.

WHITE-COLLARED PIGEON (Columba albitorques) -Wing 212-234 mmThe White-collared Pigeon - unmistakable with its uniform greyishcolor, white collar patch and, in flight, white on the wings is thedominant pigeon on the plateau above 2,400 meters (8,000 feet). Itmainly inhabits rugged areas of the western and southeasternhighlands, especially cliffs and escarpments, but it is also acommon feature of many plateau villages and towns where it livesin association with churches and other large buildings.

YELLOW-FRONTED PARROT (Poicephalus flavifrons) - Wing 160-188 mmThe Yellow-fronted Parrot occurs in Ethiopia from approximately600 to 3,350 meters (2,000-1 1,000 feet) in the western andsoutheastern highlands, the Rift Valley and the western lowlandsin forests and woodlands varying from St. John's wort and hageniato olive, podocarpus and juniper to fig and acacia. It is anuncommon but regular visitor on the Armed Force Hospitalgrounds near the old airport in Addis Ababa.

BLACK-WINGED LOVEBIRD (Agapornis taranta) - Wing 95-110 mmThe Black-winged Lovebird is the common, small green parrot ofthe Ethiopian plateau. It is widely distributed from about1,500-3,200m. (5,000-10,500 feet) in the western andsoutheastern highlands and in the Rift Valley in forests andwoodlands of hagenia, juniper, podocarpus, olive, acacia,candelabra euphorbia, combretum and fig. It commonly visitsgardens, especially with seeding trees in Addis Ababa. ￼

PRINCE RUSPOLI'S TURACO (Turaco ruspolii) -Wing 180-184 mmPrince Ruspoli's Turaco is known in the literature from two areasin southern Ethiopia in juniper forests with dense evergreenundergrowth: one is at Arero and the other 80 kilometers north ofNeghelli: both localities are 1800 meters (6000 feet) in elevation. ￼

BANDED BARBET (Lybius undatus) - Wing 79-84 mmThe little-known Banded Barbet is very widely distributed throughout Ethiopia between 300 and 2400 meters (1000-8000feet). Although the numbers and abundance of this species havenot been determined, it seems to vary from being uncommon in thenorth west and cast to locally common elsewhere in the country,living singly or in pairs in trees near water.It has been reported to eat insects (beetles) and the fruit of figtrees. ￼

GOLDEN-BACKED WOODPECKER (Dendropicos abyssinicus) - Wing 89-99 mmThe Golden-backed Woodpecker, is a very uncommon, not oftenseen endemic of the Ethiopian highlands from about 1,500 to 2,400meters (5,000-8,000 feet), although it has been seen up toapproximately 3,200 meters (10,500 feet).It lives in western and southeastern highlands in forests,woodlands and savannas and seems to be more uncommon in thenorthern than in the southern parts of the country. ￼

WHITE-TAILED SWALLOW (Hirundo megaensis) - ; Wing 100-105 mmThe White-tailed Swallow was first introduced to science in 1942when C. W. Bensoii reported it in southern Ethiopia from Yabelo toMega in short grass savana with small acacia thorn bush. ￼

ABYSSINIAN LONG-CLAW (Macronyx flavicollis) - ;Wing 83-95 mmThe Abyssinian Long-claw - very similar in both appearance andbehavior to the Yellow-throated Long-claw (Macronyx croceus) ofother parts of Africa - is a common grassland bird of the westernand south eastern highlands except in the extreme north where itdoes not occur. ￼

WHITE-WINGED CLIFF-CHAT (Myrmecocichla semirufa) - ; Wing 106-122 mmThe White-winged Cliff-Chat is a bird which is locally frequent tocommon in the highlands of most of Ethiopia where it lives ingorges, on cliffs, on scrubby mountain-sides and in open countryamong rocks and grasslands; it is uncommon in the north in Eritrea. ￼

RUPPELL'S CHAT (Myrmecocichla melaena) - ; Wing 85-94 mmThe Ruppell's Chat is uncommon to locally frequent in the westernhighlands of Shoa, Gojjam, Gonder, Wollo, Tigre and Eritrearegions. It has not been recorded in the southeastern highlandsnor in the southern portion of the western highlands. This chat,living singly, in paris or In small parties, inhabits edges and sidesof cliffs and gorges and associated bare rock above 1800 meters(6000 feet); it shows a distinct preference for high elevations ofthe plateau around waterfalls and wet rocks on the tops ofprecipitous ravines and cliffs. ￼

ABYSSINIAN CATBIRD (Parophasma galinieri) - ;Wing 83-91 mmThe Abyssinian Catbird - one of the finest, if not the finest singerof all the birds of Africa - is frequent to common in the westernand southern highlands between 1800 and 3500 meters(600-11,500 feet) in giant heath, St. John's wort, highlandbamboo, juniper, podocarpus and olive forests. It lives singly, inpairs or in parties up to eight often in thickets and vines that fringethese forests.

WHITE-BACKED BLACK TIT (Parus leuconotus) - ; Wing 71-81 mmThe Whlte-backed Black Tit, wholly black with a whitish mantle, isfound in woodlands, thickets and forests in the western andsoutheastern highlands from 1800-3500 meters (6000-11,500feet).It is locally frequent to occasionally common except in Eritrea,where it is uncommon. ￼

YELLOW-THROATED SEED-EATER (Serinus flavigula) - ; ; Wing 64-70 mmThe Yellow-throated Seed-eater is known from a few isolatedareas in acacia-grass savanna in southern and southeasternEthiopia. It is a species of questionable taxonomic status since itmay be a hybrid between the Yellow-rumped Seed-eater (S.atrogularis) and the White-bellied Canary (S. dorostritus). ￼

BLACK-HEADED SISKIN (Serinus nigriceps) - ;Wing 74-80 mmThe Black-headed Siskin is common to locally abundant in tilewestern and southeastern highlands from 1800-4100 meters(6000-13,500 feet). Almost always in flocks, this little-knownfinch inhabits moorlands with giant lobelia, alchemilla, tussockgrass and giant heath, highland grasslands and the open areas ofmontane forests, especially St. John's wort and hagenia. Flocksare regularly seen alongside the road to Gaferssa Reservoir westof Addis Ababa. ￼

WHITE-BILLED STARLING (Onychognathus albirostris) - ; Wing 151-165 mmThe White-billed Starling is frequent to locally abundant in thewestern and southeastern highlands, being most common in thenorth. Widely distributed in the country, it usually lives inassociation with cliffs and gorges near waterfalls.



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