Itinerary:

 Please note that this is a special exploratory tour, which concentrates on scarce species in difficult or new locations. The tour involves staying in camps in the mountains, and the treks up the mountains require a degree of physical fitness. However, we will have porters to assist with luggage, camp set-up and cooking. The itinerary may vary, dependent on how quickly we find key species, so that we maximise our chances of some scarce and recently-discovered endemics.

After arrival in Dar-es-Salaam, we take an overnight train to Mbeya, near to the Zambian border. The late afternoon will be crossing the Selous National Park, where we should spot big game as we pass through, and we will reach Mbeya in the early afternoon.

Our first explorations will be in the hills and mountains, where we hope to find Whyte’s and Miombo Pied Barbets, Kipengere Seedeater, Forest Double-collared, Shelley’s, Oustalet’s and Anchieta`s Sunbirds, Uhehe Fiscal, Fülleborn’s Boubou, Sharpe’s and Iringa Akalats, Spot-throat, Southern Mountain and Sharpe’s Greenbuls, Black-lored and Churring Cisticolas, Chapin’s Apalis, Mountain Marsh Widowbird and Yellow-browed Seedeater. We will explore the river valleys for Tanganyika Masked Weaver, and may visit Lake Rukwa, where its population centre is found. At the lake, Shoebill has also been known to occur, and White-winged Starling is possible.

From here we head to Iringa, in the foothills of the Rubeho and Udzungwa Mountains. Dependent on the weather, we will first head north to the Rubehos, where a population of Udzungwa Forest Partridge was recently discovered, which may prove to be a separate species. In addition, Rubeho Akalat and Rubeho Double-collared Sunbird are currently being described, and other species include Moreau’s Sunbird, Yellow-throated Mountain Greenbul, Red-capped Tailorbird and Mrs. Moreau’s Warbler.

When we have explored the Rubehos, we trek into the Udzungwa Mountains, and camp overnight in the heights. This is the only way to get to the territory of two rare endemics, Udzungwa Forest Partridge, and Rufous-winged Sunbird. Other specialities include Usambara Nightjar, White-chested Alethe, Spot-throat, Dapplethroat, White-winged Warbler, Sharpe’s and Iringa Akalats, Forest Double-collared and Moreau’s Sunbirds. Other commoner forest species include Crested Guineafowl, Narina Trogon, Black-throated Wattle-eye, and Kretschmer’s Longbill.

We next head to the Kilombero floodplains, where three endemics have recently been discovered, Kilombero Weaver, and the as yet undescribed Kilombero and Melodious Cisticolas. Specialities include White-crowned Lapwing and Coppery-tailed Coucal, and other species include; Great White Pelican, African Darter, Intermediate Egret, African Open-billed Stork, Spur-winged Goose, Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Palm-nut Vulture, Black-&-white and Diederik Cuckoos, Striped, Malachite and Giant Kingfishers, Grey-rumped and Wire-tailed Swallows, Plain Martin, Arrow-marked Babbler, Lesser Swamp, African Reed and Red-winged Warblers, Marsh Tchagra, Grosbeak Weaver, Zanzibar Red Bishop, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Parasitic Weaver, Zebra Waxbill and Pin-tailed Whydah. On our way to the Uluguru Mountains, we will pass through Mikumi National Park, which will bring another range of acacia species, including Red-necked Falcon, Dickinson`s Kestrel, Brown-headed Parrot, Racket-tailed Roller, Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Pale-billed Hornbill, Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Northern Pied Babbler, Arnott`s Chat, Collared Palm Thrush, Stierling`s Wren Warbler, Cinnamon-breasted Tit and Shelley`s Sunbird. Larger species include Southern Ground Hornbill, Ostrich and Secretary Bird, and several different grassland larks and cisticolas may be found.

We next visit the Uluguru Mountains. Here, we hope to track down the endemic Mrs. Moreau’s Warbler, Uluguru Bush-shrike and Moreau’s and Loveridge’s Sunbirds. In addition Uluguru Mountain Greenbul, Livingstone’s Turaco, Olive-flanked Robin-chat and Chapin’s Apalis and Orange Ground Thrush could be found. Boehm’s Bee-eater also occurs in the vicinity, and we hope to find it before departing.

For those interested, we can offer a 2 day extension to Pemba (£450), for Pemba Scops Owl, Green Pigeon, White-eye and Sunbird.