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Addis Ababa Airport (1 Viewer)

A

Andy1979

Well-known member
Hi all,

I have a three hours at Addis ababa airport in early April on the way to Zimbabwe. No time to leave the airport, but does anyone know if there is any birding to be done from the terminal? Are there any external areas, gardens, viewing platforms etc? Would be nice to add a few E African species to my list.

Cheers,

Andy M
 
The airport is very chaotic.
We were only in the Transit area (we did not have so much time to check around the whole airport) and got I think 9 different species in around 1.5 hours. Sadly the "interesting part" was quite far away from the windows (you look onto the airfield) we were seating on. But We used our scope which could be handled on the seats quite well.
White collared Pigeon was very easy, so we got an Ethiopian endemic on the Airport :).

The surrounding itself looks quite promising with trees and gardens directly adjacent to the airport area, but it was not visible from the area we were in.
 
Hi Andy M.

She Who Must Be Obeyed (the wife) & I were there briefly in August 2017, and there was a small "green" area just outside the front of the Arrival/Departures area. I frankly don't remember all of what we saw (we had one night at the A.A. Hilton, so that sort of swamped my memory of the airport!), but there were a few birds there; I remember a Swainson's Sparrow flew right past us inside the terminal building (dull, but neat- our first i.d.'d African species!) and a Speckled Pigeon seemed to be building a nest on on of the lamps just outside.

A lot depends on whether you will to be going "out" (i.e. through security) or not. If you don't exit the transit lounge, I don't know what you'll see; none of this area I'm talking about is visible from the transit lounges.

NB: If you do go out to wander around, be aware, security is VERY serious at this airport - expect to get scanned every which way when you re-enter. And if a khaki-clad guy with an automatic rifle tells you to go a certain way, do it.
 
I remember seeing Tacazze Sunbird trying to fly into the glass of the arrival's hall. Black-headed Heron on the landing strip, White-collared Pigeon and some other birds I don't remember anymore. I had 4 lifers before I left the airport. More than in any other airport!
 
I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that Bill Oddie ticked Wattled Ibis out if a toilet window in the transit lounge at Addis Ababa.
 
Just checked My list we had:
Speckled Pigeon
White-collared Pigeon
Nyanza Swift
Augur Buzzard
Pied Crow
Rock Martin
Red-rumped Swallow (seemed to breed at the airport)
Eastern Paradise Whydah
and the local Speices of Gray-headed Sparrow I think it is Swainson`s now.
 
Andy1979 said:
Hi all,

I have a three hours at Addis ababa airport in early April on the way to Zimbabwe. No time to leave the airport, but does anyone know if there is any birding to be done from the terminal? Are there any external areas, gardens, viewing platforms etc? Would be nice to add a few E African species to my list.

Cheers,

Andy M
Click to expand...

https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1356421 95 species

Which must make it one of the best airports if all gen....

JFK - 115 https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1051393
Heathrow 78 - https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2958232
Sydney 85 https://ebird.org/hotspot/L955334

someone else can find the top one...
 
I had these in Addis Abeba. Didn't leave the building!

Egyptian Goose
Speckled Pigeon
White-collared Pigeon
Dusky Turtle Dove
African Black Swift
White-backed Vulture
Yellow-billed Kite
Augur Buzzard
Northern Fiscal
Cape Crow
Pied Crow
Red-rumped Swallow
Red-throated Rock Martin
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Tacazze Sunbird
Swainson’s Sparrow
Baglafecht Weaver
Yellow-shouldered Widowbird
 
As others said, Addis Ababa airport is remarkable for birds one can see from inside the building. You are not normally allowed to leave.

I have not been to Ethiopia other than the airport, but basing on the number of birds on the airport and standard of service, I want to visit more of the country very much!
 
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