Northern Tanzania: Usambara Endemics Pre-trip: Oct 29—Nov 04, 2009

A short pre-trip to the isolated Usambara Mountains for a range of special endemic forest birds found nowhere else.
 
The Eastern and Western Usambaras in northeastern Tanzania are extremely rewarding, small, low, isolated mountain ranges with many designated reserves of lowland forest.  Endemism here is high, and we will see many additional species not found on the main tour. Unique, scarce, localized or globally-threatened species include Usambara Eagle-Owl; Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo; Yellowbill; Böhm's Spinetail; Half-collared Kingfisher; Trumpeter Hornbill; Green Barbet; Mombasa Woodpecker; Fuelleborn's Black Boubou; Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike; East Coast, Usambara, and Sharpe's akalats; Long-billed and African tailorbirds; Dappled Mountain Robin; Short-tailed Batis; Banded Green, Purple-banded, and Uluguru Violet-backed sunbirds; White Chested Alethe;  Kretschmer's Longbill; Pale-breasted Illadopsis; Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler; Little, Yellow-streaked, and Tiny greenbuls; Eastern Nicator; Red-tailed Ant-Thrush; Little Yellow,  Lead-colored, and Black-and-White flycatchers; Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher; Green-backed and Peters's twinspots; and African Golden and Usambara weavers.