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Key Places for biodiversity

Learn the wildlife of Ethiopia's Church Forests

Ethiopia

Ethiopia's Church Forests is one of E.O. Wilson's Key Places, irreplaceable for life on Earth. 915 species have research-grade observations there on iNaturalist, and KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos.

Amhara region, where most church forests are

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Black Kite Milvus migrans90
  2. Thick-billed Raven Corvus crassirostris79
  3. Red-cheeked Cordonbleu Uraeginthus bengalus65
  4. Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus64
  5. African Fish-Eagle Icthyophaga vocifer62
  6. Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala59
  7. Augur Buzzard Buteo augur59
  8. Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht50
  9. Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea49
  10. Abyssinian Thrush Turdus abyssinicus47

Plants

  1. Giant lobelia Lobelia rhynchopetalum51
  2. White-margined nightshade Solanum marginatum31
  3. Helichrysum citrispinum31
  4. Ethiopian red hot poker Kniphofia foliosa31
  5. Peanut-Butter Cassia Senna didymobotrya20
  6. Abyssinian rose Rosa abyssinica18
  7. Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria14
  8. Mexican Poppy Argemone ochroleuca14
  9. Common curry bush Hypericum revolutum13
  10. Aeonium leucoblepharum13

Mammals

  1. Gelada Theropithecus gelada184
  2. Walia Ibex Capra walie49
  3. Grivet Monkey Chlorocebus aethiops41
  4. Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus26
  5. Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis26
  6. Common Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius24
  7. Abyssinian Grass Rat Arvicanthis abyssinicus13
  8. Mantled Guereza Colobus guereza12
  9. Ethiopian Wolf Canis simensis11
  10. Bush Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia9

Insects

  1. Painted Lady Vanessa cardui16
  2. Blue Pansy Junonia orithya11
  3. African Clouded Yellow Colias electo11
  4. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera10
  5. Yellow Pansy Junonia hierta10
  6. Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demodocus10
  7. Eastern Blacktail Nesciothemis farinosa10
  8. African Migrant Catopsilia florella10
  9. Plain Tiger Butterfly Danaus chrysippus9
  10. Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea9

Reptiles

  1. Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus17
  2. Benoue Agama Agama doriae7
  3. Blue-bellied Ridgeback agama Acanthocercus cyanogaster6
  4. African Five-lined Skink Trachylepis quinquetaeniata5
  5. Spiny Agama Agama spinosa3
  6. African Striped Skink Trachylepis striata3
  7. Olive Marsh Snake Natriciteres olivacea2
  8. Tholloni's African Water Snake Grayia tholloni2
  9. Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus2

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.