Situated at 1,708 metres above sea level on the shore of beautiful Lake Awassa in the Great Rift Valley, the town of Awassa is a wildlife-watching destination in itself.
The town of Awassa lies on the shore of beautiful Lake Awassa in the Great Rift Valley and with a population of 250,000, the town serves as the capital of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region. Lying on the Trans-African Highway, which runs between Cairo and Cape Town, Awassa sits at an elevation of 1,708 metres above sea level and is a popular stopover for those travelling between Addis Ababa and the Bale Mountains.
Driving through farmland and light acacia scrub along the Great Rift Valley en route to Awassa, are species including lilac-breasted and purple rollers, speckled and blue-naped mousebirds, Abyssinian ground hornbill, dark chanting goshawk, augur buzzard and many colourful starlings, including superb, greater blue-eared, wattled and Rüppell’s.
Wildlife highlights along the shore of Lake Awassa include great white pelican, African pygmy goose, white-backed duck, hippo and African fish eagle, as well as common birds such as white-faced whistling-duck, spur-winged lapwing and hamerkop.
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