6-Day Birding Itinerary: Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Lake Natron for Rare Species

Arrive at JRO or Arusha Airport, where your birding guide welcomes you and transfers you to your lodge. After settling in, enjoy a gentle introductory bird walk around the lush foothills of Mount Meru, spotting species such as the Tacazze Sunbird, Hartlaub’s Turaco, and African Paradise Flycatcher. This relaxing start helps you acclimatize while beginning your checklist with forest birds. End the evening with a welcome dinner and briefing.

After breakfast, begin your drive to Tarangire, one of East Africa’s richest bird habitats. En route, scan acacia woodlands for raptors, hornbills, and colorful rollers. Entering the park, enjoy your first game drive with birding emphasis—Tarangire hosts over 500 species, including Yellow-collared Lovebirds, Northern Pied Babblers, and the endemic Ashy Starling. After a picnic lunch, continue birding along the Tarangire River before heading to your lodge for the night.

Spend the day exploring Tarangire’s rich ecosystems, from wetlands to giant baobab savannas. Early morning is ideal for spotting Secretary Birds, African Grey Flycatchers, and flocks of hornbills. Move deeper into remote areas of the park where Lesser Kestrels, Ostriches, and Kori Bustards roam. After lunch, continue to bird around the river and swamp areas, often visited by storks, herons, bee-eaters, and migrant waders. Return to your lodge for a relaxing evening.

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before driving toward Lake Manyara National Park, known for its groundwater forest and bird-rich lakeshore. Upon arrival, enter the park and begin your birding session, looking for species such as the African Fish Eagle, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Crested Guineafowl, and the famous flamingo populations. The varied habitats—forest, lake, marsh—make Manyara one of Tanzania’s most productive birding sites. End the day with dinner at a nearby lodge.

After breakfast, depart for Lake Natron, passing dramatic Rift Valley scenery that is home to raptors, cliff-dwellers, and dry-country specialists. Along the way, search for the Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird, Somali Bunting, and the Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Upon arrival, explore the shores of Lake Natron—famous as the breeding ground for lesser flamingos, and a hotspot for rare species like the Chestnut-banded Plover and Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin. Enjoy sunset on the alkaline lake with thousands of flamingos coloring the horizon.

Begin your morning with a sunrise birding walk, the best time for observing flamingos feeding and catching rare species along the shoreline. Depending on the season, you may witness breeding activity—an unforgettable scene for bird lovers. After breakfast, begin your drive back to Arusha, with birding stops along the way. Arrive in the afternoon for your onward flight or overnight stay.