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Bahir Dar, Ethiopia (Center on Interactive Map)

Map of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Map of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia



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White-cheeked Turaco (Tauraco leucotis) African Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) Double-toothed Barbet (Lybius bidentatus) Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus) Ethiopian Boubou (Laniarius aethiopicus) Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
African Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis) - Female Giant Kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima) Lemon Dove (Columba larvata) African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp) Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Black Crowned-Crane (Balearica pavonina) Savis Warbler (Locustella luscinioides) Tawny-flanked Prinia (Prinia subflava) ssp pallescens Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) Copper Sunbird (Nectarinia cuprea) - Female Scarlet-chested Sunbird (Nectarinia senegalensis)
Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) Black-billed Woodhoopoe (Phoeniculus somaliensis) Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis) Eastern Grey Plantain-eater (Crinifer zonurus) Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus baglafecht) Village Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus) - Non-breeding
Tacazze Sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) - Female African Yellow White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis) Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus) - juvenile Comb Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) Pallas Gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) - 2nd Winter

This city is near the outflow of Lake Tana into the Blue Nile River.

Trips

Africa: Egypt and Ethiopia

1/23/2011: We were dropped off at the bus station in Gondar only to be immediately mobbed by every hustler in Northern Ethiopia. I had forgotten about that aspect of public transport in the developing world. We pushed our way toward the bus that was "leaving soon". I have definitely paid my dues in the minibus department, and I was not looking forward to a cramped four hour trip to Bahir Dar. That said, in contrast to some other countries, the minibus barely stopped to pick up passengers, and it was only partly overloaded. We were dropped off near the hotel to find a loud wedding party.

The shoreline of Bahir Dar was scenic and very good for birding. The city itself was fairly modern and bustling. It was a lot different than most cities in Africa with actual sidewalks!

We spent an hour of the first night walking along the shoreline, and we continued our walk in the morning going all the way to the boat jetty where I was about to be subjected to the "Monastery Tour".

After much fruitless negotiation, we joined an Ethiopian man from Addis Ababa to visit some islands in the lake via motorboat. I was hesitant about this since I had already seen a monastery in Gondar, but the first island was covered with a monkey-filled forest. Walking around the forest was a bit of a challenge, though, as everyone and their grandma had set up souvenir stands. One of the stands even offered a shiny new United States quarter dollar for the low low price equivalent of four dollars!

The first monastery had some nice paintings, my favorites being depictions of some disciples being tortured. Another good painting depicted a saint who, after dying, was forgiven for cannibalizing dozens of people because he gave a glass of water to the right religious guy. We then went into a museum to look at a bunch of old stuff get manhandled by the caretakers.

Then, we did the same thing four more times!

Of course, there was no time for getting a closer look at hippos or the Giant Kingfisher.



Previous Visit (Simien Mountains National Park: 1/20/2011)
Next Visit (Lalibela: 1/25/2011)



Species Recorded (54)

Birds ( 53 )

Bush Warblers ( Locustellidae )
Savi's Warbler - Locustella luscinioides

Grebes ( Podicipedidae )
Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis

Cormorants ( Phalacrocoracidae )
Long-tailed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus

Herons ( Ardeidae )
Gray Heron - Ardea cinerea
Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides
Western Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Striated Heron - Butorides striata

Ibises and Spoonbills ( Threskiornithidae )
Sacred Ibis - Threskiornis aethiopicus

Swans, Geese, and Ducks ( Anatidae )
African Pygmy-goose - Nettapus auritus
Spur-winged Goose - Plectropterus gambensis
Knob-billed Duck - Sarkidiornis melanotos

Kites, Hawks, Eagles, and Allies ( Acciptridae )
African Fish-Eagle - Haliaeetus vocifer
Black Kite - Milvus migrans

Rails, Gallinules, and Allies ( Rallidae )
Eurasian Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus
Lesser Moorhen - Paragallinula angulata

Cranes ( Gruidae )
Black Crowned-Crane - Balearica pavonina
Common Crane - Grus grus

Jacanas ( Jacanidae )
African Jacana - Actophilornis africanus

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers ( Laridae )
Gray-hooded Gull - Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Palla's Gull - Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

Pigeons and Doves ( Columbidae )
Lemon Dove - Aplopelia larvata
Namaqua Dove - Oena capensis
Laughing Dove - Spilopelia senegalensis

Turacos ( Musophagidae )
Eastern Plantain-eater - Crinifer zonurus
White-cheeked Turaco - Tauraco leucotis

Coucals ( Centropodidae )
Blue-headed Coucal - Centropus monachus

Sunbirds ( Nectariniidae )
Scarlet-chested Sunbird - Chalcomitra senegalensis
Copper Sunbird - Cinnyris cupreus
Tacazze Sunbird - Nectarinia tacazze

Kingfishers ( Alcedinidae )
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Striped Kingfisher - Halcyon chelicuti
Giant Kingfisher - Megaceryle maxima

Wood-hoopoes ( Phoeniculidae )
Black-billed Woodhoopoe - Phoeniculus somaliensis

Barbets ( Lybiidae )
Double-toothed Barbet - Lybius bidentatus

Paradise-flycatcher ( Monarchidae )
African Paradise-Flycatcher - Terpsiphone viridis

Swallows ( Hirundinidae )
Wire-tailed Swallow - Hirundo smithii
Bank Swallow - Riparia riparia

Bulbuls ( Pycnonotidae )
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus

Prinias and Apalis ( Cisticolidae )
Tawny-flanked Prinia - Prinia subflava

White-eyes ( Zosteropidae )
Northern Yellow White-eye - Zosterops senegalensis

Gonoleks ( Malaconotidae )
Ethiopian Boubou - Laniarius aethiopicus

Bishops ( Ploceidae )
Northern Red Bishop - Euplectes franciscanus

Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers ( Sylviidae )
Marsh Warbler - Acrocephalus palustris
Eurasian Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla

Thrushes and Allies ( Turdidae )
Rueppell's Robin-Chat - Cossypha semirufa
Abyssinian Thrush - Turdus abyssinicus

Wagtails and Pipits ( Motacillidae )
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
White Wagtail - Motacilla alba

Starlings and Mynas ( Sturnidae )
Greater Blue-eared Starling - Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Cardueline Finches and Allies ( Fringillidae )
African Citril - Crithagra citrinelloides

Old World Sparrows ( Passeridae )
Baglafecht Weaver - Ploceus baglafecht
Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus
Spectacled Weaver - Ploceus ocularis

Lifelists

Africa
World

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