In the Lake Manyara National Parkin Tanzania there are different habitats and, as a consequence of this fact, in the park there are different species of birds; about 400 species have been observed, a high number if one thinks of the reduced area of the park: 580 sq. km with more than 200 sq. km of alkaline lake.
There are many species that can be spotted on a safari day: bee-eaters, barbets, kingfishers, rollers, hornbills, ground hornbills , pelicans, flamingos, storks, herons and many other waterfowl; 51 species of diurnal birds of prey have been sighted, including 28 resident in the park, and 6 species of owls.
Depending on the season and areas of the park, sightings are different; in the months from the end of October to August in the lake there are flamingos that, during the month of August, migrate to the Natron Lake, where they stay to nest and return to the Manyara Lake in October; while from February to June flocks of pelicans and yellow-billed storks are observed.
During the green season, in the months from November to March, in the park there are also many species that migrate here from the Northern hemisphere.
The recent annexation of the Marang Forest Reserve contributed to extending the forested park area, and with it included several species of birds typical of this habitat, and similar to those found in the highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Below are some species of birds that can be seen in the Manyara Lake National Park:
greater flamingo
lesser flamingo
white pelican
pink-backed pelican
marabou stork
yellow-billed stork
white stork
Abdim’s stork
black stork
open-billed stork
saddle-billed stork
great cormorant
long-tailed cormorant
grey-headed heron
african darter
little bittern
dwarf bittern
black-crowned heron
cattle egret
common squacco heron
little egret
black heron
great egret
black-headed heron
goliath heron
purple heron
African spoonbill
sacred ibis
glossy ibis
egyptian goose
spur-winged goose
hottentot teal
Southern pochard
African jacana
pied avocet
little stint
black-winged stilt
hammerkop
pied kingfisher
grey-headed kingfisher
malachite kingfisher
little bee-eater
white-throated bee-eater
silvery-cheeked hornbill
African grey hornbill
Von der Decken’s hornbill
Southern ground hornbill
grey crowned crane
Fischer’s lovebird
red-and-yellow barbet
d’Arnaud’s barbet
red-collared widowbird
Baglafecht weaver
spectacled weaver
black-headed weaver
Southern red bishop
black bishop
Verreaux eagle
African crowned eagle
matial eagle
bateleur
bat hawk
Egyptian vulture
Ruppell’s griffon vulture
African hawk-eagle
African fish eagle
augur buzzard
