Lake Abijata is located at about 210 km from Finfinne, in Abijata-Shala Lakes National Park. The lake  is specifically known as one of the best bird watching locations in Africa, which is the cause for the establishment as bird sanctuary.  Myriad of domestic and exotic birds that came from Europe and different parts of the world inhibited around Lake Abijata. July to September marks the peak season of congregation and the best time to watch the birds.

During this time, hundreds of thousands of flamingoes and great white pelicans, fish eagles, king fisher’s, (the tall marabou Stork), cormorants and darters, etc. used to roam here and there around Lake Abijata and by the sides of Lake Shala. There were also vast colonies of sacred ibis, queela, stilt, snope black heron, avocet, egyptian geese, egrets, plovers, etc. It is quite unlikely, however, to see most of the birds mentioned above, while some species are seen in small number seasonally because of the great devastation of biodiversity and human interferences.