Lammergeiers — bearded vultures — are among the most impressive birds in Africa and the Simien Mountains are one of the best places on the continent to see them. These massive raptors, with wingspans reaching 2.8 metres, ride the thermals along the escarpment walls throughout the day, sometimes passing at eye level when you stand on the rim. Their rusty orange-red plumage and distinctive bearded profile make them unmistakable.
The entire length of the main escarpment trail from Sankaber to Chennek offers excellent lammergeier watching, with birds visible almost every day from the rim. The afternoon, when thermals are strongest, tends to produce the most activity. Thick-billed ravens, chough, augur buzzard, and Abyssinian long-eared owl are also regularly seen along the escarpment. The high moorland around Chennek adds lammergeier encounters to the Walia ibex and possible Ethiopian wolf sightings, making the eastern camps the most rewarding for wildlife observation.