Hotspots

Forêt du Day is located 25 kilometres due west of Tadjoura on the northern side of the Gulf of Tadjoura. This is the main location for Djibouti Francolin Francolinus ochropectus but other species of interest include Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii, Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus, African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis, Hemprich’s Hornbill Tockus hemprichii, African Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis plus the unidentified finch and sunbird mentioned in the species section.

Ras Siyan / Doumera are located between 50 and 80 km north of Obock on the coastal plain and are the two main sites for observing raptor migration. The site where the maximum numbers of birds tend to arrive in autumn varies with wind direction - when it is from the north birds arrive at Ras Siyan, when from the south the movement shifts to Doumera. As well as the spectacular number and variety (28 species noted), a great attraction of these sites is that the birds arrive at an average height of 60 metres giving stunning views. In addition to the migrant raptors, Sooty Falcons Falco concolor breed locally, and seawatching can produce Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes, Red-billed Tropicbird Phaeton aethereus and regular sightings of Brown Booby Sula leucogaster and Greater Sterna bergii and Lesser Crested S. bengalensis, White-cheeked S. repressa and Bridled Terns S. anaethetus plus good numbers of European Merops apiaster and White-throated Bee-eaters M albicollis.

Mudflats around Djibouti city extend for approximately 25 kms from Dorale, west of the capital, to Loyada on the Somali border. At low tide birds are widely dispersed over the area and difficult to observe due to heat haze. At high tide birds become more concentrated and three main locations were found in 2001 - west of the Route de Venise, on the Salines Est and at four closely linked points between Loyada and Haramous. Of these, the Route de Venise is the most accessible being on the main coast road around the city, west of the port.

Lac Abhé is approximately 120 km south-west of Djibouti city and is a regular weekend destination for people working in the capital as it is comparatively accessible. Although large numbers of Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber still occur, the decreasing water level of the lake makes viewing them extremely difficult. However, the hot springs bordering the former margins of the lake can be good for migrants in spring and also have breeding Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecurarius. This is also one of the two sites where Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githaginea has been recorded and Gîtes d’Étape is the only location for Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius.

As the country is so poorly known ornithologically, other areas remain to be discovered and birding anywhere can produce surprises, but Djibouti can be hard work because of the ruggedness of the terrain and the heat!