Best Time to Go Birding in Ngorongoro Crater.

Bird lovers preparing their birding safaris often research the best time to go birding in Ngorongoro Crater. Birding can be done at any time of the year, and the best time depends on travellers’ interests. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most rewarding activities in Ngorongoro Crater, allowing bird enthusiasts, nature photographers and ornithologists to enjoy the calls of various bird species in their natural habitats. Ngorongoro is located in the northern region of Tanzania. Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest caldera formed when a giant volcano exploded and collapsed three million years ago. Ngorongoro Crater sinks to a depth of 610 metres, with a floor area covering 260 square kilometers. It’s a paradise for bird watching, with more than 550 bird species such as water birds, forest birds, migratory birds, and savannah birds. It has a mix of ecosystems which provides habitats to various bird species like woodlands, tropical forests, savannah grasslands, swamps, and lakes. Ngorongoro experiences two seasons: the dry season and the wet season, both of which provide exceptional bird watching safaris to travellers.

Best Time to go Birding in Ngorongoro Crater.

Dry Season.

Bird enthusiasts and ornithologists can do bird watching in the Ngorongoro during the dry season, which runs from December to February and June to September. During this period, there is little to no rainfall; the birding trails are less muddy and slippery, making it easy to navigate them and look for these colourful birds. The vegetation cover is short and scattered, making it clear to view various bird species from a distance. However, since the park receives little to no rainfall in this season, birds tend to move deep in the park in search of food, and visitors need to move long distances in search of them.

Wet Season.

According to feedback from past travellers, the wet season is referred to as the best time to go birding in Ngorongoro Crater. This season is from March to May and October to November. During this season, the area receives enough rainfall, and plants and tree species bear fruit. This enables birds not to move far in search of food. This is the time of the year when migratory birds like the European Bee-eater, White Stork, Yellow Wagtail, Pallid Harrier,  Northern Wheatear, Caspian Plover, Lesser Kestrel come from Europe and Asia, running away from the harsh weather conditions and in search of food. This is the breeding season of most birds in Ngorongoro, like storks, herons, and more. The wetlands attract many bird species, which makes it easy to see birds in the area. However, birders should be prepared that during this season, the birding trails are muddy, making it challenging to navigate. The vegetation cover is tall and dense, which makes it challenging to clearly see birds from a distance and take clear pictures.