Ethiopia September - October 2012 - Wondo Genet

Wondo Genet is The classical site in Ethiopia to see all forest endemics despite the fact that the forest is rather degraded by logging for timber and charcoal burning. This creates a rather depressing sight, however all birds are still present and some parts of the forest are still intact and now protected by the College for Forestry and Natural Resources. The Wondo Genet Guiding Association offers good and knowledgable guides, however they are not mandatory. Many fake (and often bad) "guides" will tell you they are and will be very persistent about it and may even try to stop you from visiting a site! hiring one of those "guides" is also very expensive. Therfore hiring a guide at the association near the fairly expensive Wabe Shabelle Hotel can come in handy, as the fake guides will leave you in peace and this is not too expensive (200 Birr for a full day birding).

We arrived in the evening at the Wabe Shabelle Hotel in Wondo Genet were we would stay for three nights. At our arrival we were greeted by calling Silvery-cheeked Hornbills and a Spotted Hyena, fighting local dogs, in the well wooded grounds of the hotel, which were the reason we chose this hotel. The next morning we tried to go out birding by ourselves and we found an Abyssinian Woodpecker behind the hotel, but were forced bak into the hotel compounds by an annoying fake guide. Later that day we hired Saruwit (no clue on how to write his name) which was a very decent and enthusiastic guide and we headed out with him to find some of the birds native to these forests. We did well with many Abyssinian Orioles, another Abyssinian Woodpecker, two Crowned Eagles, several Yellow-fronted Parrots and Black-winged Lovebirds, many White-cheeked Turacos, four White-winged Cliff Chats and a Wahlberg's Honeyguide (!) all falling in quick succession in the sparsely forested hills above the hotel. This forest also yielded our first Guereza Pied Colobus and Vervet Monkeys as well as some Olive Baboons.

Abyssinian Oriole (Oriolus monacha), a split from Black-headed Oriole

White-cheeked Turaco (Tauraco leucotis)

Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops)

To find the lovely Narina Trogon, Spotted Creeper and Banded Barbet, we headed to the protected forest but found little more than two Ethiopian Boubous and a lot of rain. We made arrangements with Saruwit to try again the next mprining and enjoyed some Thick-billed Ravens, White-rumped Babblers (ssp. omoensis) and many Abyssinian Slaty Flycatchers in the hotel gardens. Two Double-toothed Barbets finished the day very nicely.

Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher (Dioptrornis chocolatinus)

The next day we went back to the protected forest areas and found Banded Barbet (ssp. leucogenys) on the way to it. Aithin the forest a bit of searching yielded a lovely male Narina Trogon as well as two Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrikes. On the way back we enjoyed good views of Lemon Doves, African Pygmy Kingfisher and a strange looking immature male African Emerald Cuckoo. We tried to find Giant and Half-collared Kingfishers at several different spots, but failed. However the Guereza Colobus and Vervet Monkeys were much enjoyed again. Birding in the hotel compounds during the rest of the day produced little new species but was equally good compared to yesterday.

Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus), a common sight in Ethiopia

Northern Puffback (Dryoscopus gambensis)

Guereza Pied Colobus (Colobus guereza)

The next morning we tried to get to the kingfisher sites by ourselves but agian we were witheld by another fake guide. When we pushed through and were equally persistant as he, he threatened to call the police, but in the end he gave up and walked away. Unfortunately the kingfishers were not around again so we headed off to the bus.

Wondo Genet really is a lovely birding site and the degradation of the forest should not stop birders from visiting this site, for it raises public awareness to the local community and the guide association makes enough money now to expand their package and soon they will offer accomodation and multi day hikes to better patches of forest. Perhaps one day they can buy their own land for the sake of their jobs and the birds.