Zoothera Birding

04/08/2024

What an amazing journey through the mountains of southern Tanzania! We began in the South Pare Mountains with its endemic white-eye, followed by a very comfortable stay in the West Usambara Mountains. Here we saw Usambara Double-collared Sunbird, Usambara Weaver, Red-capped Forest Warbler, Fulleborn's Boubou, Usambara Akalat, Spot-throat, Usambara Thrush, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Tiny Greenbul & much more! We then headed to the East Usambaras, pausing to tick Coastal Cisticola along the way. We birded Amani Forest from the comfort of the Park HQ, seeing Purple-banded, Uluguru Violet-backed and Banded Green Sunbirds, Mombasa & Little Spotted Woodpeckers, Sharpe's Akalat, Pale Batis, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Usambara Hyliota, Little Yellow Flycatcher & Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike. We nailed Bohm's Bee-eater shortly after leaving here on the journey to our next destination. And next up was the Uluguru Mountains and 3 nights camping and a couple of tough hikes, but it was well worth the effort to see Uluguru Bushshrike, Livingstone's Turaco, Dark Batis, White-winged & Chapin's Apalis and Loveridge's Sunbird. On the other side of the mountain we were rewarded with Uluguru Mountain Greenbul, Loveridge's Sunbird, Mrs Moreau's Warbler & Orange Ground-Thrush. A morning in the miombo forest near Mikumi National Park gave us Peter's Twinspots, Arnot's Chat, Pale-billed Hornbill, Stierling's Wren-Warbler, Miombo Starling, Livingstone's Flycatcher, Reichenow's Woodpecker, Racket-tailed Roller and Hofmann's Sunbird. Two nights at Hondo Hondo Tented Camp at the base of the Udzungwa Mountains was notable for Pel's Fishing Owl, Kretschmer's Longbill & Lesser Seedcracker, and we also visited the Kilombero floodplain for the recently described Kilombero & White-tailed Cisticola and Kilombero Weaver - all of which we saw incredibly well. A long drive towards the Ukaguru Mountains followed, enlivened by a quick visit into Mikumi NP for Southern Ground Hornbill, and we bumped into 3 adult Lionesses with 7 small cubs at a kill. The Ukagurus were kind to us and we found Yellow-throated Greenbul, Moreau's Sunbird, Rubeho Warbler, Rubeho Akalat and an Olive-flanked Ground-Robin. And that's it for now, as our group are on the way to Pemba for a final few Tanzanian endemics......

See our website for more tours: https://www.zootherabirding.com

02/08/2024

Here’s a few photos of some of the rare birds we have seen during our current Eastern Arc Mountains tour in

02/08/2024

We had an amazing sighting of 3 Lionesses and 7 cubs on a kill today at Mikumi National Park during our current tour

25/07/2024

News from the field……
Our current Eastern Arc Mountains tour in Tanzania has just had great views of Sharpe’s Akalat and Long-billed Forest Warbler today in the Amani Reserve of the Eastern Usambara Mountains. Well done guys!

16/07/2024

Our exciting new Japan tour is now posted on the Zoothera website, and there’s an exciting twist to make this a truly epic journey! We will be visiting 8 islands in order to see as much as possible in this fascinating region…..

You can see full info here: https://www.zootherabirding.com/epic-japan

01/07/2024

Our visit to Okinawa proved a total success with outstanding views of Okinawa Rail, Okinawa Robin and Okinawa Woodpecker. Looking forward to next year’s tour already!

27/06/2024

Ruddy Kingfisher about to take lunch to its young in a nearby nest on Ishigaki-Jima today

26/06/2024

After 2 days at sea we arrived in and spent an easy morning birding around Taipei. Highlights were the amazingly confiding Malayan Night Herons in the botanical gardens, along with Taiwan Scimitar-Babblers and colourful Taiwan Barbets.

21/06/2024

We’ve moved on from Mount Fuji to the island of Miyake-Jima where in an incredibly crazy 10 minutes we saw the endemic Izu Robin, Izu Thrush and Owston’s Tit, with Ijima’s Leaf Warbler serenading us from right over our heads. It didn’t take long to get Pleske’s Grasshopper Warbler and Japanese Woodpigeon as well. The ferry crossing in rough seas back to Tokyo this afternoon was noteworthy for 4,000+ Streaked Shearwaters, with smaller numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Leach’s Petrel & 2 unidentified pterodromas.

19/06/2024

Over in Japan, we are checking out birding sites and hotels for next year’s tour. If you’re not a lover of sushi or seafood don’t worry! We’ve been feasting on full English breakfasts, pizza, pasta and even visited a Denny’s diner for steak today!!! Oh, and the birding hasn’t been bad either…

08/06/2024

We were lucky to get outstanding views of Daurian Partridge at Hustai National Park during our recent tour. It did take about 4 hours of searching, but who’s counting?!!

31/05/2024

Our current Mongolia tour is seeing some absolutely brilliant birds, all set in some of the most stunning scenery imaginable. Highlights include Baer’s Pochard, Baikal Teal, Black-billed Capercaillie, Altai Snowcock, White-naped Crane, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Oriental Plover, Asian Dowitcher, White-throated Bushchat, Kozlov’s Accentor, and much more!

29/05/2024

Altai Snowcock showed quite well during our current tour.

17/05/2024

Our group in Turkey really enjoyed this Blue-cheeked Bee-eater colony today. There were over 150 birds present and the sight & sound of this was a truly memorable experience.

14/05/2024

Our SE Turkey tour is well underway with some great sighings set amidst some splendid scenery. Highlights so far include Caspian Snowcock, Kruper's & Western Rock Nuthatch, Moustached Warbler, Turkestan Short-toed Lark, Radde's Accentor, Asian Crimson-winged Finch, White-winged Snowfinch and more! But the best is yet to come....

23/04/2024

We have just finished our 3rd tour to Saudi Arabia, having cleaned up on all of the possible Arabian endemics. Species such as Philby's & Arabian Partridges, Arabian Eagle Owl, Arabian Scops Owl, Arabian Grosbeak, Arabian Green Bee-eater, Arabian Woodpecker, Buff-breasted & Arabian Wheatears, Asir Magpie, Rufous-capped Lark, Yemen Thrush, Yemen Warbler, Arabian Babbler, Arabian Sunbird, Arabian & Yemen Serin, Yemen Linnet, Arabian Waxbill, and the nomadic Arabian Golden Sparrow. Add to this Crab-Plover, Nubian Nightjar, Gambaga Flycatcher, Clamarous Reed Warbler and a superb selection of Afro-Tropicals such as Abdim's Stork, Lesser Flamingo, Olive Pigeon, Dusky Turtle Dove, Grey-headed Kingfisher, White-throated Bee-eater, African Grey Hornbill, Little Rock Thrush, 4 Wire-tailed Swallows (found March 24 and a 1st for Saudi Arabia), Black-crowned Tchagra etc. And migration was in full swing and we found Eurasian Wryneck, flocks of European & Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, many Marsh & Barred Warblers, 3 Thrush Nightingales, several Masked Shrikes, 8 Red-backed Shrikes, a couple of Woodchat Shrikes, many Red-throated Pipits and more. One of the highlights was a ferry to the Farasan Islands & private boat trip around the numeorus islets to see Sooty Falcons, as well as 1000's of seabirds such as Bridled and White-cheeked Terns, Brown Bo***es, Common Noddy and others. We will return to Saudi Arabia in April 2025 and will include this boat trip again, as well as adding a couple of days to ensure this is the most complete tour to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as possible!

25/03/2024

We have 1 space available on our SE Turkey tour 10th - 19th May. Targets include See-See Partridge, Caspian Snowcock, Iraq Babbler, Kurdish & Finch's Wheatear, Asian Crimson-winged Finch and much more!

See the full tour info here: https://www.zootherabirding.com/turkey-birding-tour-intro

22/03/2024

Still 2 spaces available on our Tanzania: Eastern Arc Mountains Tour this summer. We travel from the South Pare Mountains, to West Usambara & East Usambara Mountains, up into the Uluguru Mountains and finish up with a visit to the Ukaguru Mountains. Species such as Bohm’s Bee-eater, Spot-throat, Uluguru Bushshrike, Chapin’s Apalis and so much more are on offer!
Full itinerary here:
https://www.zootherabirding.com/tanzania-usambara-mountains-intro.html

08/03/2024

We enjoyed some fantastic penguin sightings at Volunteer Point during our Epic Cape Horn Cruise. Thousands of King Penguins stole the show, but it was fascinating to observe Magellanic & Gentoo Penguins as well. Next year’s tour is almost full and we can’t wait to return!

08/03/2024

Currently wrapping up our epic in the delightful surroundings of Ceibas, . And what a ride it’s been with so many wonderful sightings and memories. Here’s a very bold White-fronted Woodpecker that kept visiting a palm tree in the lodge garden.

01/03/2024

You know that scenario as a child when there was always one kid with two left feet, who was the last pick for your football team…….. 😂

13/02/2024

Hooded Grebes displaying on the Strobel Plateau in southern Argentina on February 12th 2024. Totally mind blowing to witness this - just watch to the end!

A lifetime dream to finally get to Patagonia in Southern Argentina. At a remote lake on the Strobel Plateau we had 9 Hooded Grebes and I filmed a pair starti...

01/02/2024

SAUDI ARABIA 13th - 21st April 2024
2 SPACES LEFT.

It's not really been on the birders map until the past 3 or 4 years but what an exciting destination this is for birders! With a fine selection of Arabian endemics, including the mega Arabian Golden Sparrow, an exciting passage migration and the best Crab Plovers anywhere! It's wall-to-wall sunshine, fantastic birding and amazing mountainous scenery.

Let's go birding!

FULL TOUR INFO HERE: https://www.zootherabirding.com/saudi-arabia-arabian-endemics-tour

10/09/2023

Hidden away in the shadows was this mega Pale-headed Brush-Finch at Yunguilla Reserve on our Southern Ecuador tour. Classified as Endangered by BirdLife International there’s fewer than 300 individuals in an area approx 36 km2. Fortunately the Jocotoco Foundation have set up a reserve to protect the fragile habitat. We were pleased to play our small part in the conservation initiative and would encourage more birders to visit.

15/07/2023

Our Easy Southern Ecuador tour in September 2023 is a guaranteed departure and we still have a couple of spaces left. Take a look at the tour itinerary here: https://www.zootherabirding.com/southern-ecuador-intro

14/05/2023

Well our Saudi Arabia tour is a wrap! From the deserts of Riyadh to the Asir Highlands and Sarawat Mountains down onto the coastal plain along the Red Sea we certainly had an amazing time. Tour highlights were many and varied but to give you an idea of the incredible variety top contenders for bird of the trip included Arabian Golden Sparrow, Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak, Nubian Nightjar, Yemen Warbler, Asir Magpie & Crab-Plover. Seeing Red-necked Phalaropes on a pool in the desert was bizarre, and more migrants along the coast included Rufous Bush-Robins, Great Reed Warblers, Barred Warblers and Thrush Nightingales in town parks. Add in the target specialities of Philby's Partridge, Arabian Woodpecker, Arabian Eagle-Owl, Arabian Scops-Owl, Arabian Wheatear, Buff-breasted Wheatear, Rufous-capped Lark, Arabian Serin, Yemen Thrush, Yemen Linnet & Arabian Waxbill. Plus a fine supporting cast of Afro-tropicals such as Lesser Flamingo, Pink-backed Pelican, Black-headed Heron, Diderik Cuckoo, Plain Nightjar, White-browed Coucal, African Pipit, Gambaga Flycatcher, African Stonechat, Ruppell's Weaver & more! What a trip!

29/04/2023

Another amazing day out in the desert north of Riyadh in . There were so many Bar-tailed, Greater Hoopoe and Temminck's Larks, plus a couple of Desert Larks, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Pallid Swifts & White-crowned Wheatear as well. Oh and the Red-necked Phalaropes are still here too. But it was the migration spectacle that left all of us buzzing today. I mean we are in the middle of the desert and we find European Roller, flocks of European and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, 2 Eurasian Golden Orioles, Lesser Grey, Daurian & many Red-backed Shrikes, Little Swift (a rarity here), Common Redstart, Spotted Flycactcher, Whinchat, 2 Great Reed Warblers, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Barred Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and 10+ Red-throated Pipits. Wow!

28/04/2023

Had a great day out in the desert around 110kms north of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The most bizarre sighting were these 2 Red-necked Phalaropes found on a small pool in the middle of nowhere. It was totally bizarre and as we watched them we were joined by 16 Little Stints, 1 Curlew Sandpiper and 5 Wood Sandpipers. But migration was in full swing and we enjoyed seeing flocks of Willow Warblers passing through the desert, 2 Lesser Grey Shrikes, 4 Red-backed Shrikes, 2 Daurian Shrikes and 3 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters. More expected were 15+ Crested Larks, 3 Bar-tailed Larks, 2 Desert Larks and 12+ Greater Hoopoe Larks.

https://youtu.be/PZpglok6oas

23/04/2023

LATE AVAILABILITY:
EASY SOUTHERN ECUADOR 7th - 22nd SEPTEMBER 2023

The bird-rich country of Ecuador has always had a lot to offer the travelling birder and our tour to Southern Ecuador will fill in many gaps in your lifelist with numerous rare, exciting and seldom-seen species. Our tour is designed to find some of the very special birds of this region including the Tumbesian endemics, with many localised species not seen on other regular birding routes in Ecuador. With the skills of our knowledgable local guide, Juan Carlos Calvachi, we will be looking for incredible birds such as El Oro Parakeet, Jocotoco Antpitta, Fiery-throated Fruiteater, Chestnut-bellied Cotinga, Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Orange-throated and Black-and-white Tanagers and so many others amongst a host of other highly localised and sought-after species. By staying in many of the Jocotoco Foundations lodges we will help support vital conservation projects in the region.
LET'S GO BIRDING!

Full info here: https://www.zootherabirding.com/southern-ecuador-intro

10/03/2023

EPIC CAPE HORN CRUISE TOUR 2023

If Carlsberg did birding tours, then it might look something like this: https://www.zootherabirding.com/cape-horn-cruise-in-pictures

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