Located just three degrees south of the equator, the region’s climate is tempered by altitude: the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater itself is 2200 metres high and the floor is about 1700 metres above sea level. The combination of a wide range of habitats – a mix of grasslands, lake beds and marshes – and regular rainfall supports an abundance of wildlife within the NCA.
The crater rim and the Highlands in particular experience regular mists and rain (ranging from over 1000 millimetres per annum in the east to less than 400 millimetres in the far west), and this sustains the blanket of forest. In addition to the lichens, ferns ​and orchids, some of the dominant tree species include crotons, albizias, stinkwoods, strangler figs and Nuxia.
The crater floor is home to many species of large mammals typical of East African savannas. Buffaloes, elephants, gazelles, hippos, hyaenas, lions, wildebeest and zebras are easily seen by the numerous visitors who enter the crater each day in safari vehicles. No accommodation is allowed on the crater floor and all vehicles must leave by midafternoon. In addition, no off-road driving is permitted, so the impact of human visitors is limited.
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EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS
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The late summer period naturally started quietening down after the midsummer excitement, but there were still some classy rarities on offer for birders all over the subregion. As always, none of the records included here have been adjudicated by any of the subregion's Rarities Committees.
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