#Temminck's hornbill

[herpsandbirds]

Hey, forgive me if this is a question already answered.. but what is your favorite bird?

Oh. my love, I couldnt possible answer that!

I will just show you 10 of my favorites right off the top of my head...

American Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica), family Rallidae, order Gruiformes, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

photograph by Judy Gallagher

Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeater), family Bucorvidae, order Bucerotiformes, Kruger National Park, South Africa

photograph by Bernard DUPONT  

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), family Strigidae, order Strigiformes, Cape Coral, Florida, USA

photograph by Cee Z Fotography

Temminck’s Tragopan (Tragopan temminckii), family Phasianidae, order Galliformes, China

photograph by Peter Stubbs

Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias), family Eurypygidae, order Eurypygiformes, Costa Rica

This bird is the only member of its family. Its closest living relative is the Kagu of New Caldeonia.

Photograph by Giovanni Delgado Herrera

Kagu or Cagou (Rhynochetos jubatus), family Rhynochetidae, order Eurypygiformes, endemic to New Caldeonia

ENDANGERED.

This bird is the only member of its family. It is most closely related to the Sunbittern.

photograph by the_zoologist_barista The Zoologist Barista (@the_zoologist_barista)

Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica), female, family Heliornithidae, order Gruiformes, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica

photograph by George Scott

White-throated Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus albivitta), family Ramphastidae, order Piciformes, Colombia

This species was once considered to be a subspecies of the Emerald Toucanet, but was split off as a separate species in 2008.

photograph by William Salazar Sanchez

Blond-crested Woodpecker (Celeus flavescens), male, family Picidae, order Piciformes, Brazil

photograph by Ivan Cesar

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), male, family Cardinalidae, order Passeriformes, Louisiana, USA

Photograph by David Hollie

[rabbitcruiser]

Aquatic Bird House, Bronx Zoo (No. 9)

The Sulawesi hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus exarhatus), also known as the Sulawesi tarictic hornbill, Temminck's hornbill or Sulawesi dwarf hornbill, is a relatively small, approximately 45 cm (18 in) long, black hornbill. The male has a yellow face and throat, and yellowish horn bill with black markings. The female has all-black plumage and a darker bill.

An Indonesian endemic, the Sulawesi hornbill is distributed in the tropical lowland, swamps and primary forests of Sulawesi and nearby islands, from sea level to altitude up to 1,100 metres. There are two subspecies of the Sulawesi hornbill. The nominate subspecies, P. e. exarhatus, occurs in north Sulawesi, and P. e. sanfordi is found in central, east and south Sulawesi, Buton and Muna Island.

The Sulawesi hornbill is a social species that lives in groups of up to 20 individuals. It is believed that only the dominant pair breeds, while the remaining members of the group act as helpers. The diet consists mainly of fruits, figs and insects. The female seals herself inside a tree hole to lay her eggs. During this time, the male and helpers provide food for the female and the young.

Widespread and common throughout its native range, the Sulawesi hornbill is evaluated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

This species is one of the tarictic hornbills that is doing better in zoos. There are three collections currently breeding them: Whipsnade (England), Avifauna (the Netherlands) and San Diego (USA). At Whipsnade the birds are kept in the bird garden area. At San Diego they have two pairs, one in the walk-through Parker Aviary and the other in a small nearby aviary.

Source: Wikipedia

[duckyworth]

Next one of the collages of birds from Cotswolds Wildlife Park. 😀  I also wanted to upload a photo of the IUCN Red List for information's sake. The penguin breed is Humboldt Penguins - I couldn't get a good enough picture of the board as there were a lot of people in front of them.  My favourites ones here were the wrinkled hornbill and the tawny frogmouth (who I SWEAR is Grumpy Cat reincarnated as a bird. 🤣 ) When it comes to the Temminck's Tragopan, that was a bird we sadly couldn't see even though I was looking hard, but I wanted to take a picture of the board as I think they look very unique and I hadn’t heard of the bird before taking this photo. 😃

[newsunsetbudgetsafaris]

Birds Watching and Trekking Safaris for 20 Days

Program Highlights

Duration:  20 Days Category:  Birds Watching, Trekking and Safaris Destinations:  Arusha National Park, Sinya, Ilkiding`a, Usambara Mountian, Amani Forest, Saadani , Mikumi, Udzungwa, Selous, Major Attractions: Many wildlife animal such as elephant, buffalo and lion in Selous Rufiji River in Selous Elephants, zebras, impala, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes in Mikumi National Park The Iringa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park In Arusha National Park you will be able to spot white colobus monkey in the park. Also you can see Ngurdoto Crater and Lake Momella Lions, African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes and leopards. Masai giraffes, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbucks, blue wildebeests, bohor reedbucks, common and red duikers in Saadani National Park Range of Usambara Mountain Mount Meru Tour Guides Language: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian For other languages please send a special request prior to your safari -additional fee may apply. Start in: Arusha/Moshi End in: Dar es Salaam Recommended Packing list: Camera with enough zoom and memory space and extra batteries, binoculars, light clothes, safari boot, mosquito repellents, sunhat, sunglasses with UV radiation filtering etc. Additional note: This is a safari program covering some of Northern, Eastern and Southern Circuit Destination whereby you will need armed ranger for any walking safari in these destination

Itinerary Description

Day 1: Arrival, Tour Briefing and Resting You will be picked up from the airport in Moshi (Kilimanjaro International Airport) and be transferred to the booked hotel in Arusha Get the safari general briefing from the prepared safari consultant/guide Dinner and overnight at the booked hotel in Arusha Day 2: Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism After breakfast in the Hotel drive Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism where you will Visit Maasai Boma where you will learn lifestyle of Masai tribe in the morning till afternoon Later afternoon you will visit waterfalls and enjoy time there until evening Have dinner and overnight stay at Moivaro Plantations Lodge or Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge/Campsite Days 3-4: Sinya After breakfast departure to Sinya across a landscape with spectacular views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro and plains populated by Maasai pastoralists with their herds of cattle, sheep and goats Arrive at lunch time You will be devoted to game drives in open cars, and walking safaris escorted by “Morani”, Maasai warriors in search of birds The area also hosts some of the biggest elephants in East Africa Interesting species : Maasai Ostrich, Kori bustard, Crowned plover, Crested francolin, Temminck’s courser, Heuglin’s Coutrser, White browed sparrow weaver, Fischer’s starling, Hildebrandt’s starling, Wattled starling, Rufous chatterer, Rosy patched shrike, Slate colored boubou, White headed buffalo weaver, Black necked weaver, Spike heeled lark, Grey wren warbler, Banded Parisoma, Von der Decken’s hornbill, White bellied go away bird, Eastern pale chanting goshawk, African spoonbill, Glossy ibis, Blue-naped mouse bird Have dinner and overnight stay at Kibo Medium Camp Day 5: Drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive Visit to Momela lakes in search of water birds Continue with the game drive until afternoon In the afternoon break for a while to have picnic lunch After lunch a walk in the forest surrounding Mount Meru (4.596 m) escorted by an armed ranger will be organized Have dinner and overnight stay at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge Day 6: Usambara Mountain Hiking After breakfast drive to the Eastern Arch Mountains “The Switzerland of Tanzania” The Usambara Mountains for guided hiking to the famous view points of waterfalls passing through the Sambaa villages, the local tribe of the area Continue the Usambara Mountain hike until late afternoon In the evening drive for dinner and overnight stay at the booked Lodge near Usambara area Days 7 – 8: Bird watching and butterflies species tour Early morning and late evening are usually the best time to watch birds and butterflies species We walk from the base camp to the peak and back We walk slowly, partly to pace yourself, but most to watch birds and butterflies species and to enjoy the forest and its inhabitants Everywhere you look there are things of interest Your guide will point out beautiful birds, such as the African paradise flycatcher, Amani sunbird, Usambara hyliota, Hyliota, filcher’s Turaco, black and yellow dark-backed weaver and the velvet black square – toiled Drongo The searching for mixed foraging flocks in the forest is essential to locate many of the birds The next day we continue with birds and butterflies watching and identification If lucky, we might see the little yellow Flycatchers and plain backed Sum birds which can only be spotted along the East African Coast The number of species recorded thus far is just over 1,000 and the East Usambara Mountains house close to 350 species, a number that continues to grow Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Usambara Day 9: Amani Nature Reserve tour After breakfast visit the “Aman” Nature reserve famous Tea farms in Africa In Amani Forest is where you will have the opportunity of viewing the “African Violet, Saint Paulia” (The origin of the World’s domestic flower) Beautiful Butterflies of the world etc Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked Lodge Days 10 -11: Drive to Saadani National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Saadani National Park the only park where you hear the lion roar combined with the ocean tides of the day A place where Rivers collide to join the ocean with a stream like spray in the air over the mangrove trees in the water Continue with the game drive until evening In the evening drive to your booked lodge in Saadani for dinner and overnight stay Day 12: Drive to Mikumi for a game drive After breakfast we proceed to Mikumi National Park with packed lunch on the way for a game drive Mikumi is Tanzania’s third largest National Park with a large variety of wildlife Within its 3230 sq km set between the Uluguru Mountains to the north and the Lumango mountains to the south-east Mikumi hosts populations of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lion, zebra, leopard, crocodile and many others Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Mikumi Days 13 – 14: Drive to Udzungwa Mountain National Park for a game drive After breakfast at your hotel, our guide will pick you up and we depart for Udzungwa Mountains National Park for a game drive Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a paradise for hikers and one of Tanzania’s most beautiful wilderness areas Its most striking feature, apart from its mountainous terrain, is its pristine and biologically diverse forest which host a variety of animal and plant species not found anywhere else in the world Among its residents are six species of primates, including the rare Iringa red colobus and the Sanje crested mangabey monkeys, as well as populations of elephant, buffalo, leopard, and a rich variety of birdlife Continue with the game drive until evening Have dinner and overnight stay in your booked lodge in Udzungwa Days 15 – 16: Drive to Selous Game Reserve for a game drive After breakfast we leave for Selous Game Reserve for a game drive with picnic lunch Selous Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in Africa - 4 times the size of the Serengeti It possesses a diverse landscape from hot volcanic springs, sporadic lakes, channels from the Great Ruaha and Rufiji rivers Walking is permitted (with an armed ranger) which with over 350 species of bird and 2,000 species of plants to see makes this the most heavenly sanctuary to explore Selous is famous for its elephant and hippopotamus The park has a broad range of game: buffalo - the largest population in Africa, Nyasaland gnu, brindled gnu, hartebeest, Greater Kudu, sable antelope, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthog, zebras, giraffe, and wildebeest Also lion, leopard, the spotted hyena and hunting dog are in abundance Cheetahs are rare and there are over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as crocodiles and various snakes and lizards Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Selous Day 17: Transfer to Dar es Salaam After breakfast we drive to Dar es Salaam and have a lunch en-route You will arrival in afternoon in Dar es Salaam Rest for a while at your booked hotel in Dar es Salaam In the evening you may have an optional Dar es Salaam City tour if you wish too Have dinner and overnight stay in the Coral Beach Hotel in Dar es Salaam Day 18: Have a full day relaxation in Dar es Salaam Have an early breakfast at Beach hotel in Dar es Salaam Have a free whole day of relaxing in the Coral Beach Hotel Also enjoy swimming in good environment at the hotel Have dinner and overnight stay at the Coral Beach Hotel Day 19: National Museum and Village Museum tour After breakfast you should visit the National Museum, the Village museum, and many colorful markets are well worth a visit and others an interesting walking tour around the waterfront and city centre for a full day Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay Day 20: Departure Day Have an early morning breakfast and have a free morning relaxing till afternoon or evening depending on your flight time, take your flight from Mwalimu .J.K. Nyerere International Airport back home Read the full article

[rockjumperbirdingtours]

News in from Erik Forsyth’s current private tour in Thailand:

Our time at the Pak Thale Saltworks produced some excellent birding, with specials including 400 Greater, 50 Broad-billed, Spoon-billed & 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 300 Great Knot and Eastern Curlew, 8 Long-toed & 2 Temminck’s Stints, 9 Red-necked Phalarope, 6 Dunlin and a Black-headed Gull.

In Laem Pak Bia, we saw 7 Asiatic Dowitchers, a Pallas’s Gull in full adult plumage, Black-naped Tern, Malaysian Plover, Brahminy Starling and Ashy Minivet; while at King’s Project, we enjoyed Spot-billed Pelican, and Greater Painted & Pintail Snipes.

In the lower elevations of Kaeng Krachan NP, we managed to find 3 Orange-breasted Trogon, Asian Barred & Collared Owlets, Great, Oriental Pied, Wreathed and Tickell’s Brown Hornbills and a pair of Black-thighed Falconet.

Photo - Orange-breasted Trogon by Keith Valentine

[tagamark]

Introducing Bird Atlasing in the Okavango

New Post has been published on https://tagasafarisafrica.com/introducing-bird-atlasing-in-the-okavango/

Introducing Bird Atlasing in the Okavango

During December 2018, Martin Benadie, Wilderness Safaris copywriter, ornithologist and specialist guide, visited the Jao Reserve to be part of a ground-breaking bird atlasing project in this area. Martin reports:

Birding with a purpose gives me immense satisfaction, particularly when able to contribute valuable data to the likes of SABAP2 (Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project).

For some context, the bird atlasing protocol is a survey protocol designed to record the presence of as many bird species as possible within a defined area. The unit of data collection is called a pentad: five minutes of latitude by five minutes of longitude squares, with sides of roughly 9 km.

SABAP2 is the most important bird monitoring project in the southern African region. It holds this status because, to a greater or lesser extent, all other conservation initiatives depend on the results of the bird atlas. You cannot determine the conservation status of a species unless you know its range and how this is changing. So red-listing depends on the results of this project. So does the selection of sites and habitats critical to bird conservation.

Wattled crane

Collared palm-thrush

SABAP2 is the follow-up project to the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (which is now referred to as SABAP1). This first bird atlas project took place from 1987-1991. The second bird atlas project started on 1 July 2007, and plans to run indefinitely. The project aims to map the distribution and relative abundance of birds in southern Africa.

The field work for this project is done by more than 2 100 volunteers, known as citizen scientists, who are making a huge contribution to the conservation of birds and their habitats. The most pressing data collection needs are to get as complete coverage as possible, and to try to build a foundation of four checklists per pentad. The goal is to obtain data representing every month of the year. SABAP2 is aiming for as many checklists as possible for each pentad in every year. SABAP2 is run by and funded by FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology and SANBI and supported by BirdLasser and BirdLife SA.

Malachite kingfisher

Birding access to parts of the sub-region, such as the Okavango Delta, has proved to be a challenge since the inception of SABAP2, due to the remoteness of these areas, high cost of access and low numbers of resident bird observers/atlasers. Sufficient pentad coverage and full-protocol checklist cards are thus very limited, or even non-existent, for many parts of this country in particular.

In an attempt to start addressing this need, it was a huge privilege to be able to do some intensive atlassing in a remote concession in the Okavango Delta, namely the utterly pristine and gobsmacking beautiful Jao Reserve (NG25), comprising 60 000 hectares (148 000 acres). The vegetation varies from the Jao Flats in the east – a vast, seasonally inundated grassland mosaic dotted with tree and palm islands – to Hunda Island in the west of the concession. Hunda is covered in acacia and mopane woodland, and is the largest dry area locally during the annual inundation or ‘flood’.

Lesser jacana

I provided training to staff using Birdlasser (an innovative app making data collection much easier), and covered atlasing protocols in general. This citizen science initiative will also be promoted as an activity with certain guests and keen birders visiting the concession, to hopefully provide valuable data and seasonal trends for the Jao Reserve avifauna on a more consistent basis.

Six full-protocol cards were atlased over six days, collectively tallying 204 bird species. The highest single pentad was 1915_2230, where we recorded a very decent 141 bird species. Pentad 1910_2225 was also atlased for the first time as a full-protocol card under SABAP2. Pentad 1915_2230 was atlased twice with a total species count of 123 over the survey period. (When atlasing correctly a full-protocol card is imperative, meaning spending a minimum of two hours and up to five days in a pentad.)

Southern ground-hornbill

Lesser moorhen

The Jao Reserve provides critical habitat for globally important populations of wattled crane, slaty egret, southern ground hornbill, saddle-billed stork, hooded vulture, white-backed vulture and African marsh harrier amongst others. Good records were Narina trogon (only the second sighting ever on the Jao Reserve), collared palm-thrush, cuckoo finch, harlequin quail, lesser moorhen, Pel’s fishing-owl, white-winged tern, western banded snake-eagle, black heron, fulvous duck, knob-billed duck, Kurrichane buttonquail, woolly-necked stork, swallow-tailed bee-eater, lesser kestrel, Caspian plover, swamp nightjar, Amur falcon, red-necked falcon, Dickinson’s kestrel, icterine warbler, sedge warbler, yellow wagtail, rosy-throated longclaw, little sparrowhawk, Bennet’s woodpecker, blue-cheeked bee-eater, greater painted-snipe, Temminck’s courser, crimson-breasted shrike, Retz’s helmetshrike and common ringed plover, to mention just a few.

Slaty egret

Harlequin quail

Rosy-throated longclaw

Red-necked falcon

Cuckoo finch

Other excellent Delta specials such as African pygmy-goose, long-toed lapwing, Luapula cisticola, chirping cisticola, swamp boubou, coppery-tailed coucal, rufous-bellied heron, lesser jacana and southern brown-throated weaver were also all noted in good numbers.

Post courtesy of Wilderness Safaris

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[ercesslive-blog]

Mishmi Hills Wildlife Tour

The Mishmi Hills is a southward extension of the Great Himalayan Mountain Range - its northern and eastern reaches touching China. Much of the Mishmi Hills falls under the Dibang Valley districts of Arunachal Pradesh which are named after the Dibang River - one of the key tributaries of the Brahmaputra River. The Dibang originates in China and flows through the length of the valley in a north-south direction. Snow-capped peaks, turbulent rivers, deep valleys, and abundance of rich flora & fauna are the main features of the districts which are also well for its large cover of thick green forest, which clothes about 82% of the area with Anini as its headquarter for Upper and Roing for Lower Dibang Valley District.

Mishmi Hills which also has Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary in its fold, is the richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone and one of the Mega bio-diversity hotspots of the world. The complex hill system of varying elevations receives heavy rainfall, which can be as much as 4,500-5,000mm annually in the foothill areas. The pre-monsoon showers start from March and the monsoon is active till October. The humidity in the rainy season is often over 90%. This diversity of topographical and climatic conditions has favored  the growth of luxuriant forests which are home to myriad plant and animal form.Being a popular destination among the birdwatchers of the world and the yet to be extensively explored region of Anini ,the terrain awaits discovery of here. Specialties include the Sclater's Monal, Blyth's and Temminck’s Tragopan, Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Pale-capped Pigeon, Ward's Trogon, Dark-sided Thrush, Green and Purple Cochoa, Rusty-bellied and Gould's Shortwing, Beautiful Nuthatch, Rusty-throated and Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, Fire-tailed Myzornis, at least four Parrotbill species, Black-headed Greenfinch, Scarlet Finch, and Grey-headed Bullfinch, Black Eagle, White-browed Piculet, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, White-throated Bulbul, Daurian Redstart, Slaty-backed Forktail, Spot-throated Babbler, Beautiful and Long-tailed Sibias, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Sultan Tit, numerous Scimitar Babblers, Laughingthrushes, Shrike-babblers, Fulvettas and Yuhinas.

IT Nature Club will be exploring this nature's bounty from 22nd Dec 2018 to 31st Dec 2018 for an amazing wildlife experience.

For more information email us at info@itnatureclub.in

[guideguy35-blog]

Beautiful Deer at Keibul Lamjao National Park- Manipur

Kelbul Lamjao National Park is situated 53km from Imphal on the fringes of Loktak Lake.The only floating National Park in the World, on the Loktak Lake is the last natural habitat of “Sangai” – the dancing deer of Manipur . A glimpse of the deer in this unique wetland ecosystem is a must for any wildlife enthusiast.

Prime Attractions

  Sangai-The Dancing Deer of Manipur

Dancing deer Sangai

An animal found only in Manipur is the Sangai. Its common English name is Manipur Brow-antlered Deer and the scientific name, Cervus eldi eldi McClelland. It lives in the marshy wetland in Keibul Lamjao. Its habitat is located in the southern parts of the Loktak Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in Eastern India.The Sangai is the State animal of Manipur, and is projected as the social and the cultural identity of the State.

The Animals

Sambar Deer or (Cervus unicolor) in the wild

Some very rare animals may be encountered in and around this wilderness. The star attraction, of course, is the brow-antlered deer Cervus eldi eldi, called sangai in the local Meitei dialect. This particular subspecies of the Thamin deer is also fondly called Manipur’s dancing deer because of its delicate gait as it negotiates its way along the floating wetlands. Other species of deer seen here include the hog deer, sambar and muntjac .The Rhesus monkey is found ubiquitously around the park. Some other animals seen here are black bear , the Malayan bear ,the large Indian civet Viverra zibetha and small Indian civet Viverricula indica, common otter Lutra lutra and wild boar Sus scrofa,the marbled cat and Temminck’s golden cat.

The Birds

Black Eagle

A variety of rare birds occur in Keibul Lamjao and the Loktak Lake. The avifauna consists primarily of the smaller reed-dwelling species. Waterfowl, which were unfailing winter migrants to the lake, are becoming more rare because of the lack of open water surfaces. The Hooded Crane may be seen in the Manipur valley. The Black Eagle and the Shaheen Falcon ,the Eastern White Stork, Bamboo Partridge and Green Peafowl are also found here.

Some of the species of hornbills found here include the Brownbacked Hornbill, Rufousnecked Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, the Pied Hornbill and the Great Pied Hornbill.

Best time to visit

October to May

Climate

Meteorological data are available only for Imphal. Here, mean annual rainfall is 1220mm. Mean daily humidity is highest (81%) in August and lowest (49%) in March. Maximum and minimum temperatures are 34.4*C and 1.7*C, respectively. Frost is common in December and January (Deb, 1960).

Keibul Lamjao National Park

How To Get There

By Air Nearest Airport Is Imphal (53 km. from the park).It is connected by flight to major cities like Delhi, Guwahati (469 km), Calcutta. By Rail Dimapur (215 km. from Imphal) is the nearest railhead. Jiribam, a small town on Manipur’s border, 225 km. from Imphal is an alternative, from where one can proceed to Keibul Lamjao by road. By Road Imphal is connected by road with Guwahati (469 km.) through National Highway No.39 and Silchar through National Highway No. 53. The park is about 53 km. from Manipur’s capital, Imphal and can be approached by bus or on private vehicles.

Photo Gallery

Beautiful Deer at Keibul Lamjao National Park- Manipur

Dancing deer Sangai

Sambar Deer or (Cervus unicolor) in the wild

Black Eagle

Keibul Lamjao National Park

Keibul Lamjao National Park- Manipur Kelbul Lamjao National Park is situated 53km from Imphal on the fringes of Loktak Lake.The only floating National Park in the World, on the Loktak Lake is the last natural habitat of "Sangai" - the dancing deer of Manipur .

[rabbitcruiser]

In the Bill

What do you think about my pic?    

[rabbitcruiser]

National Bird Day

National Bird Day was created by Born Free USA (which was the Animal Protection Institute until 2007) and The Avian Welfare Coalition, to reduce the suffering of wild and captive birds. The day is meant to raise awareness of the destructive bird trade and cruel breeding mills, and to work for the improvement of conditions for birds already in captivity.

Millions of birds are captured in the wild each year, or are produced in captivity by breeders, who along with pet stores, sell them for profit. Many birds die in captivity before even being sold. Exotic birds have inherent behavioral and physical needs, which are often not met. They are still wild animals even though they are often treated as if they are not, and the confinement of birds to cages can lead to self-destructive behaviors. Buyers must not buy on impulse, and must be ready to keep a purchased bird for a lifetime. If buyers are not prepared to properly care for birds, birds may end up ignored in their cages, or left back into the wild to fend for themselves. They also may end up in overwhelmed bird sanctuaries.

National Bird Day is being observed today! It has been observed annually on January 5th since 2003.

You can take part in the day in numerous ways. If you want a bird, adopt a displaced bird instead of one from a pet store, and only do it if you can make a lifetime care commitment. Before adopting a bird such as a parrot, make sure you think about their needs. This will help stop more bird displacement in the future. You could help raise the demand for birds in the wild, instead of helping to raise the demand for birds as pets. Support conservation efforts to help increase ecotourism, which will allow more birds will be seen in the wild. It is fitting to spend the day seeing wild birds yourself, whether they be exotic or not. Check to see if pet stores in your community sell birds. If they do, talk to someone at the store, organize a peaceful protest, or write a letter to a newspaper. You could also check if national pet stores sell birds and contact them as well. Teach children about the plight of captive birds by sharing with them the book Lucky. Supporting well regarded bird rescues and sanctuaries is another way to observe the day, and The Avian Welfare Coalition also recommends supporting organizations such as the Indonesian Parrot Project, One Earth Conservation, and Hatched to Fly Free. 

Source

[newsunsetbudgetsafaris]

Birds Watching and Trekking Safaris for 20 Days

Program Highlights

Duration:  20 Days Category:  Birds Watching, Trekking and Safaris Destinations:  Arusha National Park, Sinya, Ilkiding`a, Usambara Mountian, Amani Forest, Saadani , Mikumi, Udzungwa, Selous, Major Attractions: Many wildlife animal such as elephant, buffalo and lion in Selous Rufiji River in Selous Elephants, zebras, impala, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes in Mikumi National Park The Iringa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park In Arusha National Park you will be able to spot white colobus monkey in the park. Also you can see Ngurdoto Crater and Lake Momella Lions, African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes and leopards. Masai giraffes, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbucks, blue wildebeests, bohor reedbucks, common and red duikers in Saadani National Park Range of Usambara Mountain Mount Meru Tour Guides Language: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian For other languages please send a special request prior to your safari -additional fee may apply. Start in: Arusha/Moshi End in: Dar es Salaam Recommended Packing list: Camera with enough zoom and memory space and extra batteries, binoculars, light clothes, safari boot, mosquito repellents, sunhat, sunglasses with UV radiation filtering etc. Additional note: This is a safari program covering some of Northern, Eastern and Southern Circuit Destination whereby you will need armed ranger for any walking safari in these destination

Itinerary Description

Day 1: Arrival, Tour Briefing and Resting You will be picked up from the airport in Moshi (Kilimanjaro International Airport) and be transferred to the booked hotel in Arusha Get the safari general briefing from the prepared safari consultant/guide Dinner and overnight at the booked hotel in Arusha Day 2: Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism After breakfast in the Hotel drive Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism where you will Visit Maasai Boma where you will learn lifestyle of Masai tribe in the morning till afternoon Later afternoon you will visit waterfalls and enjoy time there until evening Have dinner and overnight stay at Moivaro Plantations Lodge or Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge/Campsite Days 3-4: Sinya After breakfast departure to Sinya across a landscape with spectacular views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro and plains populated by Maasai pastoralists with their herds of cattle, sheep and goats Arrive at lunch time You will be devoted to game drives in open cars, and walking safaris escorted by “Morani”, Maasai warriors in search of birds The area also hosts some of the biggest elephants in East Africa Interesting species : Maasai Ostrich, Kori bustard, Crowned plover, Crested francolin, Temminck’s courser, Heuglin’s Coutrser, White browed sparrow weaver, Fischer’s starling, Hildebrandt’s starling, Wattled starling, Rufous chatterer, Rosy patched shrike, Slate colored boubou, White headed buffalo weaver, Black necked weaver, Spike heeled lark, Grey wren warbler, Banded Parisoma, Von der Decken’s hornbill, White bellied go away bird, Eastern pale chanting goshawk, African spoonbill, Glossy ibis, Blue-naped mouse bird Have dinner and overnight stay at Kibo Medium Camp Day 5: Drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive Visit to Momela lakes in search of water birds Continue with the game drive until afternoon In the afternoon break for a while to have picnic lunch After lunch a walk in the forest surrounding Mount Meru (4.596 m) escorted by an armed ranger will be organized Have dinner and overnight stay at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge Day 6: Usambara Mountain Hiking After breakfast drive to the Eastern Arch Mountains “The Switzerland of Tanzania” The Usambara Mountains for guided hiking to the famous view points of waterfalls passing through the Sambaa villages, the local tribe of the area Continue the Usambara Mountain hike until late afternoon In the evening drive for dinner and overnight stay at the booked Lodge near Usambara area Days 7 – 8: Bird watching and butterflies species tour Early morning and late evening are usually the best time to watch birds and butterflies species We walk from the base camp to the peak and back We walk slowly, partly to pace yourself, but most to watch birds and butterflies species and to enjoy the forest and its inhabitants Everywhere you look there are things of interest Your guide will point out beautiful birds, such as the African paradise flycatcher, Amani sunbird, Usambara hyliota, Hyliota, filcher’s Turaco, black and yellow dark-backed weaver and the velvet black square – toiled Drongo The searching for mixed foraging flocks in the forest is essential to locate many of the birds The next day we continue with birds and butterflies watching and identification If lucky, we might see the little yellow Flycatchers and plain backed Sum birds which can only be spotted along the East African Coast The number of species recorded thus far is just over 1,000 and the East Usambara Mountains house close to 350 species, a number that continues to grow Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Usambara Day 9: Amani Nature Reserve tour After breakfast visit the “Aman” Nature reserve famous Tea farms in Africa In Amani Forest is where you will have the opportunity of viewing the “African Violet, Saint Paulia” (The origin of the World’s domestic flower) Beautiful Butterflies of the world etc Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked Lodge Days 10 -11: Drive to Saadani National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Saadani National Park the only park where you hear the lion roar combined with the ocean tides of the day A place where Rivers collide to join the ocean with a stream like spray in the air over the mangrove trees in the water Continue with the game drive until evening In the evening drive to your booked lodge in Saadani for dinner and overnight stay Day 12: Drive to Mikumi for a game drive After breakfast we proceed to Mikumi National Park with packed lunch on the way for a game drive Mikumi is Tanzania’s third largest National Park with a large variety of wildlife Within its 3230 sq km set between the Uluguru Mountains to the north and the Lumango mountains to the south-east Mikumi hosts populations of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lion, zebra, leopard, crocodile and many others Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Mikumi Days 13 – 14: Drive to Udzungwa Mountain National Park for a game drive After breakfast at your hotel, our guide will pick you up and we depart for Udzungwa Mountains National Park for a game drive Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a paradise for hikers and one of Tanzania’s most beautiful wilderness areas Its most striking feature, apart from its mountainous terrain, is its pristine and biologically diverse forest which host a variety of animal and plant species not found anywhere else in the world Among its residents are six species of primates, including the rare Iringa red colobus and the Sanje crested mangabey monkeys, as well as populations of elephant, buffalo, leopard, and a rich variety of birdlife Continue with the game drive until evening Have dinner and overnight stay in your booked lodge in Udzungwa Days 15 – 16: Drive to Selous Game Reserve for a game drive After breakfast we leave for Selous Game Reserve for a game drive with picnic lunch Selous Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in Africa - 4 times the size of the Serengeti It possesses a diverse landscape from hot volcanic springs, sporadic lakes, channels from the Great Ruaha and Rufiji rivers Walking is permitted (with an armed ranger) which with over 350 species of bird and 2,000 species of plants to see makes this the most heavenly sanctuary to explore Selous is famous for its elephant and hippopotamus The park has a broad range of game: buffalo - the largest population in Africa, Nyasaland gnu, brindled gnu, hartebeest, Greater Kudu, sable antelope, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthog, zebras, giraffe, and wildebeest Also lion, leopard, the spotted hyena and hunting dog are in abundance Cheetahs are rare and there are over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as crocodiles and various snakes and lizards Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Selous Day 17: Transfer to Dar es Salaam After breakfast we drive to Dar es Salaam and have a lunch en-route You will arrival in afternoon in Dar es Salaam Rest for a while at your booked hotel in Dar es Salaam In the evening you may have an optional Dar es Salaam City tour if you wish too Have dinner and overnight stay in the Coral Beach Hotel in Dar es Salaam Day 18: Have a full day relaxation in Dar es Salaam Have an early breakfast at Beach hotel in Dar es Salaam Have a free whole day of relaxing in the Coral Beach Hotel Also enjoy swimming in good environment at the hotel Have dinner and overnight stay at the Coral Beach Hotel Day 19: National Museum and Village Museum tour After breakfast you should visit the National Museum, the Village museum, and many colorful markets are well worth a visit and others an interesting walking tour around the waterfront and city centre for a full day Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay Day 20: Departure Day Have an early morning breakfast and have a free morning relaxing till afternoon or evening depending on your flight time, take your flight from Mwalimu .J.K. Nyerere International Airport back home Read the full article

[newsunsetbudgetsafaris]

Birds Watching and Trekking Safaris for 20 Days

Program Highlights

Duration:  20 Days Category:  Birds Watching, Trekking and Safaris Destinations:  Arusha National Park, Sinya, Ilkiding`a, Usambara Mountian, Amani Forest, Saadani , Mikumi, Udzungwa, Selous, Major Attractions: Many wildlife animal such as elephant, buffalo and lion in Selous Rufiji River in Selous Elephants, zebras, impala, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes in Mikumi National Park The Iringa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park In Arusha National Park you will be able to spot white colobus monkey in the park. Also you can see Ngurdoto Crater and Lake Momella Lions, African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes and leopards. Masai giraffes, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbucks, blue wildebeests, bohor reedbucks, common and red duikers in Saadani National Park Range of Usambara Mountain Mount Meru Tour Guides Language: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian For other languages please send a special request prior to your safari -additional fee may apply. Start in: Arusha/Moshi End in: Dar es Salaam Recommended Packing list: Camera with enough zoom and memory space and extra batteries, binoculars, light clothes, safari boot, mosquito repellents, sunhat, sunglasses with UV radiation filtering etc. Additional note: This is a safari program covering some of Northern, Eastern and Southern Circuit Destination whereby you will need armed ranger for any walking safari in these destination

Itinerary Description

Day 1: Arrival, Tour Briefing and Resting You will be picked up from the airport in Moshi (Kilimanjaro International Airport) and be transferred to the booked hotel in Arusha Get the safari general briefing from the prepared safari consultant/guide Dinner and overnight at the booked hotel in Arusha Day 2: Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism After breakfast in the Hotel drive Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism where you will Visit Maasai Boma where you will learn lifestyle of Masai tribe in the morning till afternoon Later afternoon you will visit waterfalls and enjoy time there until evening Have dinner and overnight stay at Moivaro Plantations Lodge or Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge/Campsite Days 3-4: Sinya After breakfast departure to Sinya across a landscape with spectacular views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro and plains populated by Maasai pastoralists with their herds of cattle, sheep and goats Arrive at lunch time You will be devoted to game drives in open cars, and walking safaris escorted by “Morani”, Maasai warriors in search of birds The area also hosts some of the biggest elephants in East Africa Interesting species : Maasai Ostrich, Kori bustard, Crowned plover, Crested francolin, Temminck’s courser, Heuglin’s Coutrser, White browed sparrow weaver, Fischer’s starling, Hildebrandt’s starling, Wattled starling, Rufous chatterer, Rosy patched shrike, Slate colored boubou, White headed buffalo weaver, Black necked weaver, Spike heeled lark, Grey wren warbler, Banded Parisoma, Von der Decken’s hornbill, White bellied go away bird, Eastern pale chanting goshawk, African spoonbill, Glossy ibis, Blue-naped mouse bird Have dinner and overnight stay at Kibo Medium Camp Day 5: Drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive Visit to Momela lakes in search of water birds Continue with the game drive until afternoon In the afternoon break for a while to have picnic lunch After lunch a walk in the forest surrounding Mount Meru (4.596 m) escorted by an armed ranger will be organized Have dinner and overnight stay at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge Day 6: Usambara Mountain Hiking After breakfast drive to the Eastern Arch Mountains “The Switzerland of Tanzania” The Usambara Mountains for guided hiking to the famous view points of waterfalls passing through the Sambaa villages, the local tribe of the area Continue the Usambara Mountain hike until late afternoon In the evening drive for dinner and overnight stay at the booked Lodge near Usambara area Days 7 – 8: Bird watching and butterflies species tour Early morning and late evening are usually the best time to watch birds and butterflies species We walk from the base camp to the peak and back We walk slowly, partly to pace yourself, but most to watch birds and butterflies species and to enjoy the forest and its inhabitants Everywhere you look there are things of interest Your guide will point out beautiful birds, such as the African paradise flycatcher, Amani sunbird, Usambara hyliota, Hyliota, filcher’s Turaco, black and yellow dark-backed weaver and the velvet black square – toiled Drongo The searching for mixed foraging flocks in the forest is essential to locate many of the birds The next day we continue with birds and butterflies watching and identification If lucky, we might see the little yellow Flycatchers and plain backed Sum birds which can only be spotted along the East African Coast The number of species recorded thus far is just over 1,000 and the East Usambara Mountains house close to 350 species, a number that continues to grow Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Usambara Day 9: Amani Nature Reserve tour After breakfast visit the “Aman” Nature reserve famous Tea farms in Africa In Amani Forest is where you will have the opportunity of viewing the “African Violet, Saint Paulia” (The origin of the World’s domestic flower) Beautiful Butterflies of the world etc Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked Lodge Days 10 -11: Drive to Saadani National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Saadani National Park the only park where you hear the lion roar combined with the ocean tides of the day A place where Rivers collide to join the ocean with a stream like spray in the air over the mangrove trees in the water Continue with the game drive until evening In the evening drive to your booked lodge in Saadani for dinner and overnight stay Day 12: Drive to Mikumi for a game drive After breakfast we proceed to Mikumi National Park with packed lunch on the way for a game drive Mikumi is Tanzania’s third largest National Park with a large variety of wildlife Within its 3230 sq km set between the Uluguru Mountains to the north and the Lumango mountains to the south-east Mikumi hosts populations of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lion, zebra, leopard, crocodile and many others Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Mikumi Days 13 – 14: Drive to Udzungwa Mountain National Park for a game drive After breakfast at your hotel, our guide will pick you up and we depart for Udzungwa Mountains National Park for a game drive Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a paradise for hikers and one of Tanzania’s most beautiful wilderness areas Its most striking feature, apart from its mountainous terrain, is its pristine and biologically diverse forest which host a variety of animal and plant species not found anywhere else in the world Among its residents are six species of primates, including the rare Iringa red colobus and the Sanje crested mangabey monkeys, as well as populations of elephant, buffalo, leopard, and a rich variety of birdlife Continue with the game drive until evening Have dinner and overnight stay in your booked lodge in Udzungwa Days 15 – 16: Drive to Selous Game Reserve for a game drive After breakfast we leave for Selous Game Reserve for a game drive with picnic lunch Selous Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in Africa - 4 times the size of the Serengeti It possesses a diverse landscape from hot volcanic springs, sporadic lakes, channels from the Great Ruaha and Rufiji rivers Walking is permitted (with an armed ranger) which with over 350 species of bird and 2,000 species of plants to see makes this the most heavenly sanctuary to explore Selous is famous for its elephant and hippopotamus The park has a broad range of game: buffalo - the largest population in Africa, Nyasaland gnu, brindled gnu, hartebeest, Greater Kudu, sable antelope, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthog, zebras, giraffe, and wildebeest Also lion, leopard, the spotted hyena and hunting dog are in abundance Cheetahs are rare and there are over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as crocodiles and various snakes and lizards Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Selous Day 17: Transfer to Dar es Salaam After breakfast we drive to Dar es Salaam and have a lunch en-route You will arrival in afternoon in Dar es Salaam Rest for a while at your booked hotel in Dar es Salaam In the evening you may have an optional Dar es Salaam City tour if you wish too Have dinner and overnight stay in the Coral Beach Hotel in Dar es Salaam Day 18: Have a full day relaxation in Dar es Salaam Have an early breakfast at Beach hotel in Dar es Salaam Have a free whole day of relaxing in the Coral Beach Hotel Also enjoy swimming in good environment at the hotel Have dinner and overnight stay at the Coral Beach Hotel Day 19: National Museum and Village Museum tour After breakfast you should visit the National Museum, the Village museum, and many colorful markets are well worth a visit and others an interesting walking tour around the waterfront and city centre for a full day Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay Day 20: Departure Day Have an early morning breakfast and have a free morning relaxing till afternoon or evening depending on your flight time, take your flight from Mwalimu .J.K. Nyerere International Airport back home Read the full article

[newsunsetbudgetsafaris]

Birds Watching and Trekking Safaris for 20 Days

Program Highlights

Duration:  20 Days Category:  Birds Watching, Trekking and Safaris Destinations:  Arusha National Park, Sinya, Ilkiding`a, Usambara Mountian, Amani Forest, Saadani , Mikumi, Udzungwa, Selous, Major Attractions: Many wildlife animal such as elephant, buffalo and lion in Selous Rufiji River in Selous Elephants, zebras, impala, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes in Mikumi National Park The Iringa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey are only found in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park In Arusha National Park you will be able to spot white colobus monkey in the park. Also you can see Ngurdoto Crater and Lake Momella Lions, African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes and leopards. Masai giraffes, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbucks, blue wildebeests, bohor reedbucks, common and red duikers in Saadani National Park Range of Usambara Mountain Mount Meru Tour Guides Language: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian For other languages please send a special request prior to your safari -additional fee may apply. Start in: Arusha/Moshi End in: Dar es Salaam Recommended Packing list: Camera with enough zoom and memory space and extra batteries, binoculars, light clothes, safari boot, mosquito repellents, sunhat, sunglasses with UV radiation filtering etc. Additional note: This is a safari program covering some of Northern, Eastern and Southern Circuit Destination whereby you will need armed ranger for any walking safari in these destination

Itinerary Description

Day 1: Arrival, Tour Briefing and Resting You will be picked up from the airport in Moshi (Kilimanjaro International Airport) and be transferred to the booked hotel in Arusha Get the safari general briefing from the prepared safari consultant/guide Dinner and overnight at the booked hotel in Arusha Day 2: Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism After breakfast in the Hotel drive Ilkiding`a Culture Tourism where you will Visit Maasai Boma where you will learn lifestyle of Masai tribe in the morning till afternoon Later afternoon you will visit waterfalls and enjoy time there until evening Have dinner and overnight stay at Moivaro Plantations Lodge or Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge/Campsite Days 3-4: Sinya After breakfast departure to Sinya across a landscape with spectacular views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro and plains populated by Maasai pastoralists with their herds of cattle, sheep and goats Arrive at lunch time You will be devoted to game drives in open cars, and walking safaris escorted by “Morani”, Maasai warriors in search of birds The area also hosts some of the biggest elephants in East Africa Interesting species : Maasai Ostrich, Kori bustard, Crowned plover, Crested francolin, Temminck’s courser, Heuglin’s Coutrser, White browed sparrow weaver, Fischer’s starling, Hildebrandt’s starling, Wattled starling, Rufous chatterer, Rosy patched shrike, Slate colored boubou, White headed buffalo weaver, Black necked weaver, Spike heeled lark, Grey wren warbler, Banded Parisoma, Von der Decken’s hornbill, White bellied go away bird, Eastern pale chanting goshawk, African spoonbill, Glossy ibis, Blue-naped mouse bird Have dinner and overnight stay at Kibo Medium Camp Day 5: Drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Arusha National Park for a game drive Visit to Momela lakes in search of water birds Continue with the game drive until afternoon In the afternoon break for a while to have picnic lunch After lunch a walk in the forest surrounding Mount Meru (4.596 m) escorted by an armed ranger will be organized Have dinner and overnight stay at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge Day 6: Usambara Mountain Hiking After breakfast drive to the Eastern Arch Mountains “The Switzerland of Tanzania” The Usambara Mountains for guided hiking to the famous view points of waterfalls passing through the Sambaa villages, the local tribe of the area Continue the Usambara Mountain hike until late afternoon In the evening drive for dinner and overnight stay at the booked Lodge near Usambara area Days 7 – 8: Bird watching and butterflies species tour Early morning and late evening are usually the best time to watch birds and butterflies species We walk from the base camp to the peak and back We walk slowly, partly to pace yourself, but most to watch birds and butterflies species and to enjoy the forest and its inhabitants Everywhere you look there are things of interest Your guide will point out beautiful birds, such as the African paradise flycatcher, Amani sunbird, Usambara hyliota, Hyliota, filcher’s Turaco, black and yellow dark-backed weaver and the velvet black square – toiled Drongo The searching for mixed foraging flocks in the forest is essential to locate many of the birds The next day we continue with birds and butterflies watching and identification If lucky, we might see the little yellow Flycatchers and plain backed Sum birds which can only be spotted along the East African Coast The number of species recorded thus far is just over 1,000 and the East Usambara Mountains house close to 350 species, a number that continues to grow Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Usambara Day 9: Amani Nature Reserve tour After breakfast visit the “Aman” Nature reserve famous Tea farms in Africa In Amani Forest is where you will have the opportunity of viewing the “African Violet, Saint Paulia” (The origin of the World’s domestic flower) Beautiful Butterflies of the world etc Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked Lodge Days 10 -11: Drive to Saadani National Park for a game drive After breakfast drive to Saadani National Park the only park where you hear the lion roar combined with the ocean tides of the day A place where Rivers collide to join the ocean with a stream like spray in the air over the mangrove trees in the water Continue with the game drive until evening In the evening drive to your booked lodge in Saadani for dinner and overnight stay Day 12: Drive to Mikumi for a game drive After breakfast we proceed to Mikumi National Park with packed lunch on the way for a game drive Mikumi is Tanzania’s third largest National Park with a large variety of wildlife Within its 3230 sq km set between the Uluguru Mountains to the north and the Lumango mountains to the south-east Mikumi hosts populations of buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lion, zebra, leopard, crocodile and many others Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Mikumi Days 13 – 14: Drive to Udzungwa Mountain National Park for a game drive After breakfast at your hotel, our guide will pick you up and we depart for Udzungwa Mountains National Park for a game drive Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a paradise for hikers and one of Tanzania’s most beautiful wilderness areas Its most striking feature, apart from its mountainous terrain, is its pristine and biologically diverse forest which host a variety of animal and plant species not found anywhere else in the world Among its residents are six species of primates, including the rare Iringa red colobus and the Sanje crested mangabey monkeys, as well as populations of elephant, buffalo, leopard, and a rich variety of birdlife Continue with the game drive until evening Have dinner and overnight stay in your booked lodge in Udzungwa Days 15 – 16: Drive to Selous Game Reserve for a game drive After breakfast we leave for Selous Game Reserve for a game drive with picnic lunch Selous Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in Africa - 4 times the size of the Serengeti It possesses a diverse landscape from hot volcanic springs, sporadic lakes, channels from the Great Ruaha and Rufiji rivers Walking is permitted (with an armed ranger) which with over 350 species of bird and 2,000 species of plants to see makes this the most heavenly sanctuary to explore Selous is famous for its elephant and hippopotamus The park has a broad range of game: buffalo - the largest population in Africa, Nyasaland gnu, brindled gnu, hartebeest, Greater Kudu, sable antelope, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthog, zebras, giraffe, and wildebeest Also lion, leopard, the spotted hyena and hunting dog are in abundance Cheetahs are rare and there are over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as crocodiles and various snakes and lizards Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge in Selous Day 17: Transfer to Dar es Salaam After breakfast we drive to Dar es Salaam and have a lunch en-route You will arrival in afternoon in Dar es Salaam Rest for a while at your booked hotel in Dar es Salaam In the evening you may have an optional Dar es Salaam City tour if you wish too Have dinner and overnight stay in the Coral Beach Hotel in Dar es Salaam Day 18: Have a full day relaxation in Dar es Salaam Have an early breakfast at Beach hotel in Dar es Salaam Have a free whole day of relaxing in the Coral Beach Hotel Also enjoy swimming in good environment at the hotel Have dinner and overnight stay at the Coral Beach Hotel Day 19: National Museum and Village Museum tour After breakfast you should visit the National Museum, the Village museum, and many colorful markets are well worth a visit and others an interesting walking tour around the waterfront and city centre for a full day Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay Day 20: Departure Day Have an early morning breakfast and have a free morning relaxing till afternoon or evening depending on your flight time, take your flight from Mwalimu .J.K. Nyerere International Airport back home Read the full article

[ercesslive-blog]

Mishmi Hills Wildlife Tour

The Mishmi Hills is a southward extension of the Great Himalayan Mountain Range - its northern and eastern reaches touching China. Much of the Mishmi Hills falls under the Dibang Valley districts of Arunachal Pradesh which are named after the Dibang River - one of the key tributaries of the Brahmaputra River. The Dibang originates in China and flows through the length of the valley in a north-south direction. Snow-capped peaks, turbulent rivers, deep valleys, and abundance of rich flora & fauna are the main features of the districts which are also well for its large cover of thick green forest, which clothes about 82% of the area with Anini as its headquarter for Upper and Roing for Lower Dibang Valley District.

Mishmi Hills which also has Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary in its fold, is the richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone and one of the Mega bio-diversity hotspots of the world. The complex hill system of varying elevations receives heavy rainfall, which can be as much as 4,500-5,000mm annually in the foothill areas. The pre-monsoon showers start from March and the monsoon is active till October. The humidity in the rainy season is often over 90%. This diversity of topographical and climatic conditions has favored  the growth of luxuriant forests which are home to myriad plant and animal form.Being a popular destination among the birdwatchers of the world and the yet to be extensively explored region of Anini ,the terrain awaits discovery of here. Specialties include the Sclater's Monal, Blyth's and Temminck’s Tragopan, Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Pale-capped Pigeon, Ward's Trogon, Dark-sided Thrush, Green and Purple Cochoa, Rusty-bellied and Gould's Shortwing, Beautiful Nuthatch, Rusty-throated and Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, Fire-tailed Myzornis, at least four Parrotbill species, Black-headed Greenfinch, Scarlet Finch, and Grey-headed Bullfinch, Black Eagle, White-browed Piculet, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, White-throated Bulbul, Daurian Redstart, Slaty-backed Forktail, Spot-throated Babbler, Beautiful and Long-tailed Sibias, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Sultan Tit, numerous Scimitar Babblers, Laughingthrushes, Shrike-babblers, Fulvettas and Yuhinas.

IT Nature Club will be exploring this nature's bounty from 22nd Dec 2018 to 31st Dec 2018 for an amazing wildlife experience.

For more information email us at info@itnatureclub.in