21 NOVEMBER – 05 DECEMBER 2023
By Dominic Rollinson
African Pitta performed beautifully for us in the lowland forests of Mozambique.
Overview
Zimbabwe and Mozambique are incredibly bird-diverse countries and this set departure birding tour exemplified this avian diversity as we birded miombo woodlands, lush open floodplains, tropical savannas, highland and lowland forests and coastal mudflats, ensuring a good selection of highly desirable bird species. This Zimbabwe and Mozambique birding tour is timed to ensure that we have an excellent chance of seeing the mythical African Pitta, and we were successful in finding this most-wanted species and enjoyed prolonged views of a displaying male. Due to various logistical constraints, relatively few birders get to visit these under-birded countries, however, for those who are willing to venture off the beaten track, fantastic birding awaits!
We started in Harare, where we birded nearby miombo woodlands and open floodplains which kickstarted our bird list with the likes of Boulder Chat, African Spotted Creeper, Green-backed Honeybird, Miombo Rock Thrush and Wood Pipit, before we made our way to the picturesque Eastern Highlands (adding Blue Swallow en route). As always, the birding here was excellent as we found various forest specials such as Swynnerton’s Robin, Red-faced Crimsonwing, Chirinda Apalis, Roberts’s Warbler, Orange Ground Thrush, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Buff-spotted Flufftail and had brief views of the most-wanted Lesser Seedcracker. Some lower altitude specials seen away from the forests included Marsh Tchagra, Moustached Grass Warbler, Red-winged Prinia and Black-winged Bishop.
We could not have asked for better views of Swynnerton’s Robin in the Bvumba Mountains.
We then said goodbye to Zimbabwe and crossed into the lowlands of Mozambique. We birded the savannas and floodplains of Gorongosa National Park, which were packed full of large mammals as well as some classy birds such as African Skimmer, Long-toed Lapwing, White-headed Vulture, Bateleur and Collared Palm Thrush. We then excitedly transitioned to the lowland forests near the Zambezi delta where, after extensive searching, we eventually found African Pitta, as well as some other specials such as White-chested Alethe, East Coast Akalat, Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike, African Broadbill, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Livingstone’s Flycatcher and Lowland Tiny Greenbul. The trip finished as we birded the coastal grassland and mudflats near to Beira, which further added Rufous-bellied Heron and several interesting shorebird species.
East Coast Akalats were rather confiding in the coutadas of Mozambique.
Despite this being our set departure tour, we were able to make the trip happen with just two clients and so essentially ran the tour as a private trip for Barbara and Chris. As such, we birded at a slightly more leisurely pace at times and enjoyed taking some time off to relax, which meant the total bird list was not as high as we might normally get on this trip, nevertheless, we found most of our targets and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. We recorded 352 bird species in Zimbabwe and Mozambique as well as a range of interesting mammal species. Complete bird, mammal and reptile/amphibian checklists can be found at the end of this report.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 21st November 2023. Arrival in Harare and Christon Bank birding
Chris, Barbara and I met in Johannesburg Airport, still wiping sleep from our eyes as we boarded the red-eye flight to Harare. We were, however, really excited about the prospect of two weeks of fun birding in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. After arriving in Harare, we met our local driver, Fungai, who took us straight to our hotel. We settled in, had an enjoyable lunch and then headed north of the city to a patch of miombo woodland, known as Christon Bank. Here, the primary target was Boulder Chat, which did not take much effort to find, and we managed to see at least three individuals as they hopped across the large boulders and gave their high-pitched musical song. As can often be the case with miombo birding, the woodlands were very quiet, nevertheless, we did eventually find a feeding party which held Black-collared Barbet, Black-backed Puffback, Bar-throated Apalis, Willow Warbler and Amethyst, Scarlet-chested and Eastern Miombo Sunbirds. On our drive back, Fungai spotted a Lizard Buzzard, while a small wetland delivered White-faced Whistling Duck, Little Grebe and Common Moorhen. After an enjoyable first afternoon’s birding, we headed back to our Harare hotel for a tasty meal, and excitedly discussed our trip and the birds we were hoping to find.
Boulder Chat was seen well at Christon Bank, near Harare.
Day 2, 22nd November 2023. Miombo birding in Haka Park
We had an early start this morning as we made our way to the nearby Haka Park, which is an impressive nature reserve right on the edge of the hustle and bustle of Harare. Upon entering the tranquility of the park’s thick miombo woodlands and open floodplains, we soon forgot that we were just a few short kilometers from the country’s capital city. The birding started in earnest this morning, we kept at it and managed to tick off many of our targets. Miombo birding is centered around finding feeding bird parties and then sticking with them while various species filter in and out. Using this method, we managed to find White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Black-headed Oriole, White-crested Helmetshrike, Black-crowned Tchagra, Grey Penduline Tit, Long-billed Crombec, Southern Yellow White-eye, White-throated Robin-Chat, Eastern Miombo Sunbird and Streaky-headed Seedeater.
Eastern Miombo Sunbirds were common and conspicuous across Zimbabwe.
After a couple of hours birding the miombo woodlands we headed out into the open floodplains where we looked for Rosy-throated Longclaw, which would unfortunately not oblige. Nevertheless, we did find Buffy Pipit, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Croaking, Zitting and Pale-crowned Cisticolas and Abdim’s Stork. Birding the woodland thickets in the floodplain, we eventually managed to find a Whyte’s Barbet as well as the bright and noisy Purple-crested Turaco.
After a long and productive morning, we headed back into the city for our lunch and some time off during the heat of the day. We ventured out again in the late afternoon to try to track down some of our remaining targets. We once again visited Haka Park and decided to bird the open floodplain first off, where we soon found Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Cuckoo-finch, Copper Sunbird, Buffy Pipit, Desert Cisticola, African Grey Hornbill, African Wattled Lapwing and more Abdim’s Storks. The woodlands were again a little on the quiet side, however, some persistence eventually saw us adding Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Cardinal Woodpecker, Black Cuckooshrike, Arrow-marked Babbler, Kurrichane Thrush and a brief African Cuckoo-Hawk. Tired, but content, we made our way back for another delicious meal for our final night in Harare.
Day 3, 23rd November 2023. Transfer to Honde Valley, birding en route
With several important miombo specials still missing, we decided to leave the city early and spend a couple of hours birding the miombo woodlands of Gosho Park, about 70 km southeast of Harare. The woodlands proved much livelier, compared to the last two days, and by again working through feeding parties, we soon ticked off the likes of Green-capped Eremomela (a classic feeding party starter!), Chinspot Batis, Tropical Boubou, Miombo Tit, Pale Flycatcher, Miombo Rock Thrush, Green-backed Honeybird, Wood Pipit, Violet-backed Starling, Black-eared Seedeater and Golden-breasted Bunting. There were also good numbers of Whyte’s Barbets around too – always a great bird to see!
Miombo Rock Thrush were seen in miombo patches while in Zimbabwe.
We then left Gosho Park and kept making our way southeast towards the Eastern Highlands, however, another stop in some nearby miombo woodlands saw us strike gold when we found an obliging African Spotted Creeper and Collared Flycatcher within a few minutes of each other. Feeling content, we hopped back in our vehicle and proceeded with our journey towards the Honde Valley. After a quick lunch stop, we made a very bumpy detour near Inyanga which eventually resulted in some very distant views of Blue Swallows as they fed above the grasslands. Here, we got our first taste of Eastern Highlands birding when we added the likes of Roberts’s Warbler, Cape Grassbird, Wailing Cisticola and Cape Robin-Chat.
African Spotted Creeper was an early trip highlight.
In the mid-afternoon we started our descent into the Honde Valley (adding Singing Cisticola en route) and, after negotiating the long windy road, we eventually arrived at the beautiful Aberfoyle Lodge. After a long day on the road, we decided to take it easy for the remainder of the afternoon and simply took in the beauty of the area while enjoying a glass of wine, with the early evening serenity only broken by the squeals and squabbles of the local Blue Monkeys coming from the nearby forests.
Day 4, 24th November 2023. Honde Valley birding
We had the full day at our disposal to bird the Honde Valley and surrounds and decided to make an early start as we headed to the nearby Katiyo Tea Estate with Aberfoyle Lodge’s expert bird guide, Morgan. At the tea estate we targeted several lowland specials, as we worked our way through the various wetlands and forest patches scattered throughout the area. In the wetland areas and adjacent scrub we managed to find Marsh Tchagra, Moustached Grass Warbler, Short-winged Cisticola (heard only), Red-winged Prinia, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Black-winged Bishop and African Firefinch. The lowland forest patches were equally productive as we added the likes of Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Livingstone’s Turaco, Crowned Hornbill, White-eared Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide, African Broadbill, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Pale Batis, Black Saw-wing, Purple-banded Sunbird, Grey Waxbill and Red-throated Twinspot.
It didn’t take long before the oppressive mid-morning heat of the lowlands forced our birding to a stop and so we started making our way back to our lodge for lunch. En route we stopped near the Pungwe River, which added further new birds such as Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Chirinda Apalis, and a large swift flock containing Scarce and Mottled Swifts.
Massive Silvery-cheeked Hornbills kept us entertained in the Eastern Highlands.
After lunch and some early afternoon downtime, we headed out again with Morgan and worked hard to find Little Spotted Woodpecker while, unfortunately, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeons would not show for us. Next, Morgan took us to an area where he had recently seen the rare Lesser Seedcracker. After waiting at the stakeout for a while, a small dark finch flew by which we strongly suspected was the seedcracker. We then called Morgan over and crept up closer to the bush, the bird then flew out of the bush and right past Chris and Morgan, who confirmed the identity as Lesser Seedcracker. It was disappointing that we didn’t all manage good views, however, it was a fantastic way to end another great day of birding.
Day 5: 25th November 2023. Honde Valley birding and transfer to Bvumba
For our final morning at Aberfoyle Lodge we took a walk around the lodge grounds. This was a little slow going, but we did manage to find a few more good birds such as Palm-nut Vulture, African Pygmy Kingfisher, African Black Duck, Half-collared Kingfisher (only seen by me), Olive and Variable Sunbirds, Dark-backed Weaver, Yellow Bishop, Black-and-white Mannikin, Green Twinspot, Grey Waxbill and Mountain Wagtail.
Unfortunately, it was soon time to leave Aberfoyle Lodge and make our way south to the Bvumba Mountains, where we were staying at the lovely Seldomseen Guest Cottages. The guest cottages are set right in prime highland forest, with some great birding right on our doorstep. In the late afternoon we took a stroll around the forest, where we were soon acquainted with some of the area’s common forest species, such as Livingstone’s Turaco, Cape Batis, Black-fronted Bushshrike, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Roberts’s Warbler, Chirinda Apalis, Barratt’s Warbler (heard only), Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, White-starred Robin and Cape Canary. We heard Swynnerton’s Robin calling nearby, however, despite a dedicated search, we were unable to find this forest skulker. That evening we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and, while we sat outside enjoying a drink, we were lucky enough to find a lovely male Bronzy Sunbird which posed well for us in the dying light.
Mountain Wagtails were seen in the stream near Aberfoyle Lodge.
Day 6, 26th November 2023. Bvumba Mountains birding
This morning, we were joined by Bulawesi, the local bird guide who knows the area and its birds like the back of his hand. We again worked the forests and spent time birding along the forest trails and from the road edges, and soon racked up a good list of forest species, including the likes of Livingstone’s Turaco, African Emerald Cuckoo, Scaly-throated Honeyguide (seen briefly), Cape Batis, Olive Bushshrike, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Terrestrial Brownbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Orange Ground Thrush, Olive Thrush, Red-capped Robin-Chat, White-starred Robin, Yellow-bellied Waxbill and a few brief sightings of Red-faced Crimsonwings. One of the absolute highlights of the morning was when we had lovely views of a male Buff-spotted Flufftail, which walked out in the open and was then chased by another male. Flufftails are Africa’s supreme avian skulkers and it was amazing to have the rare chance to watch these birds out in the open. Non-birding highlights included several sightings of Mutable Sun Squirrels, which were seen scurrying about the treetops, as well as brief views of a Blue Duiker.
After a couple of hours of forest birding, we made our way out into the nearby grasslands to see if we could improve our views of Blue Swallow. Unfortunately, we could not find any of these rare swallows. We did, however, find Horus Swift, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Common Buzzard, Cape Grassbird, Singing and Wailing Cisticolas, African Yellow Warbler, Western House Martin and African Firefinch.
For our afternoon birding we headed to the nearby Bvumba Botanical Garden, which is a lovely birding spot with open lawns interspersed with forest patches. We mostly concentrated on the forest patches, where the highlight was a confiding Swynnerton’s Robin, which showed beautifully for us. Other notable species here included Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Cape Batis, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Chirinda Apalis, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Holub’s Golden Weaver and Cape Canary. We searched the garden’s lawns for the migratory Tree Pipit, however, with the area as dry as it was, we speculated that this species was yet to arrive in the area in good numbers. Thus concluded another wonderful day’s birding, with just about all the area’s highland forest specials having made their way onto our list.
White-tailed Crested Flycatchers were common and confiding in the Mbumba Mountains.
Day 7, 27th November 2023. Bvumba Mountains birding
This morning, we birded the miombo woodlands on the lower slopes of the Bvumba Mountains, where we were after our final few miombo specials. Bulawesi took us to a patch of miombo, where we mostly focused on finding Cinnamon-breasted Tit, which unfortunately proved elusive. We did, however, find African Olive Pigeon, Mottled and African Black Swifts, Red-faced Crombec, Green-capped Eremomela, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Striped Pipit, Black-eared Seedeater and Cabanis’s Bunting.
Black-eared Seedeater tucking into a juicy insect.
We then proceeded to drop in altitude as we made our way down to the Burma Valley. Here we targeted woodland and open country species and found the likes of Augur Buzzard, Peregrine and Lanner Falcons, Black Cuckooshrike, African Golden Oriole, Black-crowned Tchagra, Green-winged Pytilia and Jameson’s Firefinch. In the late morning the lowlands had heated up significantly and we again decided to head back to our accommodation to enjoy lunch and some downtime before our afternoon birding session.
In the late afternoon we had another go at Blue Swallow and waited on the edge of a dam where the swallows often come to drink. Despite many other aerial feeders feeding above the dam, we could not find any Blue Swallows. Some of the afternoon’s highlights while birding from the edge of the dam included Alpine, Common, Little, White-rumped and African Palm Swifts, Western House Martin, European Honey Buzzard, Brown Snake Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Black Sparrowhawk, African Yellow Warbler and a displaying Fan-tailed Grassbird.
Day 8, 28th November 2023. Transfer to Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
Our final morning around Seldomseen did not produce much different, however, we did get further looks at White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Bronzy Sunbird and Yellow-bellied Waxbill, before enjoying our final delicious sit-down breakfast. We then packed our bags and made our way to the Mozambique border. Thankfully, the border crossing was relatively straightforward and we soon said our goodbyes to our Zimbabwean driver, Fungai, and were welcomed by our Mozambiquan driver, Esmeraldo.
We were soon on our way through Mozambique and bought supplies in the town of Chimoio, before making our way north towards Gorongosa National Park. We birded the woodlands outside of the park, which were quiet, however, we found Black-chested Snake Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Broad-billed Roller, Little Bee-eater, a confiding Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, as well as a small herd of the lichtensteinii subspecies of Hartebeest, which is sometimes considered a full species. We then checked into our accommodation and enjoyed our first of many traditional Mozambican (Portuguese) dinners.
Day 9, 29th November 2023. Gorongosa National Park birding
Gorongosa National Park has been restocked with megafauna since the end of the civil war and nowadays has vast herds of antelope with good numbers of predators too, making it on par with some of Africa’s top wildlife havens. This morning, we had a private game drive on an open-top safari vehicle with a highly experienced ranger, which was a thoroughly enjoyable way to see the park and its amazing wildlife and birdlife. The birding was wildly productive and, while traversing the vast Urema Floodplain, we added the likes of Knob-billed Duck, Blue-billed Teal, Red-necked Spurfowl, Grey Crowned Crane, Long-toed Lapwing, Collared Pratincole, African Skimmer, African Openbill, Saddle-billed and African Woolly-necked Storks, Goliath Heron, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, White-winged Widowbird and Black-winged Bishop.
Attractive Red-necked Spurfowl were common in Gorongosa National Park.
The woodlands and savanna areas further added Palm-nut, White-headed, Hooded and White-backed Vultures, Bateleur, Crowned, Martial and Wahlberg’s Eagles, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Southern Ground Hornbill, Broad-billed Roller, Red-winged Prinia, Collared Palm Thrush and Lemon-breasted Canary. Some of the mammalian highlights for the morning included African Elephant, Common Warthog, Hippopotamus, Greater Kudu, Southern Reedbuck, Oribi, Nyala, Cape Bushbuck and Impala, with massive herds of Waterbuck littered across the Urema Floodplain. The large troops of both Vervet Monkeys and Chacma Baboons further kept us entertained, as we enjoyed watching them getting up to mischief.
This huge Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl was seen in Gorongosa National Park.
This afternoon we again headed out on a private open-top vehicle, but this time headed to a different section of the park where we birded taller grassland areas and open woodland areas. Highlights of the afternoon’s drive included Black-bellied Bustard, Saddle-billed Stork, Pink-backed Pelican, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Mosque Swallow, Red-necked and Amur Falcons, Broad-billed Roller and Black-chested Snake Eagle. We drove back in the dark and further added Water Thick-knee and Grant’s Lesser Galago. We returned to camp and enjoyed another tasty meal which capped off a wonderful day’s birding and wildlife-viewing.
Days 10-13, 30th November-3rd December 2023. Transfer to and birding the lowland forests of the Zambezi River delta area
We left Gorongosa early in the morning (with a family of Bushpigs seen as we left) and took the long and bumpy road north to the Catapu area, where we were based for the next four nights to explore the lowland forests of the area. En route northwards, we stopped briefly at a patch of lowland forest, which held a single Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, a very rare intra-African migrant to central Mozambique. We then had three full days to bird the Catapu area, summarised in a single account below.
During our time up north, we spent a lot of time birding the lowland forests of the coutadas (concessions) where we mostly concentrated on finding African Pitta and other forest specials. Some of our highlights deep in the lowland forests included Southern Crested Guineafowl, Green Malkoha, African Broadbill, Woodwards’ Batis, Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike, Eastern Nicator, Black-headed Apalis, Lowland Tiny Greenbul, East Coast Akalat, White-chested Alethe and Red-throated Twinspot. The undoubted highlight of our time in the deep dense lowland forests was our fantastic views of a displaying African Pitta. We were beginning to get anxious about our prospects of seeing the elusive pitta when we hadn’t even heard a bird calling but, thankfully, on our final morning in the coutadas, a showy bird obliged!
We were overjoyed with our views of African Pitta.
The open woodland areas held a different mix of species and yielded the likes of Livingstone’s Flycatcher, Mangrove Kingfisher, Plain-backed Sunbird, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, African Goshawk, Crowned Eagle, Brown-necked Parrot, Pale Batis, Red-winged Prinia, Mosque Swallow, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Little Sparrowhawk and Purple-crested Turaco. Non-birding highlights in the woodlands and lowland forests included many Suni and Natal Red Duiker which were regularly seen diving off the road into thick bush.
Cute and energetic Livingstone’s Flycatchers were common in the lowlands of central Mozambique.
On one of our mornings in the area we attempted to reach the Senna area on the edge of the Zambezi River, the only known locality to see Böhm’s Bee-eater in the southern African subregion. Unfortunately, with the large amount of rain the area had recently received, and after almost three hours of extremely slow progress, we decided we would have to cancel this trip. We did, however, add Rufous-winged Cisticola and Southern Brown-throated Weaver on this failed bee-eater excursion.
Day 14, 4th December 2023. Long transfer to the coast at Beira
Today’s transfer was a long one and so we decided to hit the road early and try to get most of the drive out of the way in the morning. We had a few lunch and toilet stops en route, but otherwise drove straight through and arrived in Beira in the early afternoon.
After a long time in the car, we took it easy for a while before some late afternoon birding along a stretch of coastline in front of our hotel. This did not add a great deal of interest, besides Caspian and Common Terns, Grey-headed Gull, Little Egret and hoards of the introduced House Crow, but was a pleasant way to spend our final afternoon of birding. This evening we enjoyed a seafood dinner on the coast and discussed some of our favorite birds of the trip – bird of the trip being an easy one, African Pitta.
African Broadbill were watched as they gave their mechanical-sounding display flight in the coutadas.
Day 15, 05th December 2023. Departure from Beira
For our final morning of the trip we took a drive through some coastal grasslands on the way to the Rio Maria mouth to see if we could find any interesting shorebirds. We had vague hopes of finding Crab-plover but knew it was a long shot here and, unfortunately, luck was not on our side this morning. Nevertheless, as we drove through the grasslands, we put up a flock of Orange-breasted Waxbills and managed to see a single Rufous-bellied Heron, both of which were new trip birds. At the estuary mouth we found a good selection of shorebirds, including Grey, Common Ringed, Three-banded and White-fronted Plovers, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Sanderling, Little Stint, Common Sandpiper and Common Greenshank. We then headed back to our accommodation to have breakfast and pack our bags, before a final transfer to the airport (adding two last-minute trip birds en route – African Marsh Harrier and Purple Heron), where the trip concluded. Thanks to Barbara and Chris for making this trip the success it was, and for the many great birds, memories and laughs along the way.
Bird List – Following IOC (13.2)
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, birds seen by the guide only are marked with a (L) after the common name, all other species were seen both by clients and guide.
The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International. CR = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae) | |
| White-faced Whistling Duck | Dendrocygna viduata |
| Spur-winged Goose | Plectropterus gambensis |
| Knob-billed Duck | Sarkidiornis melanotos |
| Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca |
| Blue-billed Teal | Spatula hottentota |
| African Black Duck | Anas sparsa |
| Guineafowl (Numididae) | |
| Helmeted Guineafowl | Numida meleagris |
| Southern Crested Guineafowl | Guttera edouardi |
| Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae) | |
| Natal Spurfowl | Pternistis natalensis |
| Red-necked Spurfowl | Pternistis afer |
| Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) | |
| Square-tailed Nightjar (H) | Caprimulgus fossii |
| Swifts (Apodidae) | |
| Scarce Swift | Schoutedenapus myoptilus |
| African Palm Swift | Cypsiurus parvus |
| Mottled Swift | Tachymarptis aequatorialis |
| Common Swift | Apus apus |
| African Black Swift | Apus barbatus |
| Little Swift | Apus affinis |
| Horus Swift | Apus horus |
| White-rumped Swift | Apus caffer |
| Turacos (Musophagidae) | |
| Grey Go-away-bird | Crinifer concolor |
| Purple-crested Turaco | Gallirex porphyreolophus |
| Livingstone’s Turaco | Tauraco livingstonii |
| Bustards (Otididae) | |
| Black-bellied Bustard | Lissotis melanogaster |
| Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | |
| Senegal Coucal (H) | Centropus senegalensis |
| Burchell’s Coucal | Centropus burchellii |
| Green Malkoha | Ceuthmochares australis |
| Diederik Cuckoo (H) | Chrysococcyx caprius |
| Klaas’s Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx klaas |
| African Emerald Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx cupreus |
| Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo | Cercococcyx montanus |
| Red-chested Cuckoo | Cuculus solitarius |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) | |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| African Olive Pigeon | Columba arquatrix |
| Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon | Columba delegorguei |
| Lemon Dove | Columba larvata |
| Red-eyed Dove | Streptopelia semitorquata |
| Ring-necked Dove | Streptopelia capicola |
| Emerald-spotted Wood Dove | Turtur chalcospilos |
| Blue-spotted Wood Dove | Turtur afer |
| Tambourine Dove | Turtur tympanistria |
| African Green Pigeon | Treron calvus |
| Flufftails & Forest Rails (Sarothruridae) | |
| Buff-spotted Flufftail | Sarothrura elegans |
| Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae) | |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
| Cranes (Gruidae) | |
| Grey Crowned Crane – EN | Balearica regulorum |
| Grebes (Podicipedidae) | |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Stone-curlews, Thick-knees (Burhinidae) | |
| Water Thick-knee | Burhinus vermiculatus |
| Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) | |
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) | |
| Long-toed Lapwing | Vanellus crassirostris |
| Blacksmith Lapwing | Vanellus armatus |
| African Wattled Lapwing | Vanellus senegallus |
| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula |
| Kittlitz’s Plover | Charadrius pecuarius |
| Three-banded Plover | Charadrius tricollaris |
| White-fronted Plover | Charadrius marginatus |
| Jacanas (Jacanidae) | |
| African Jacana | Actophilornis africanus |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) | |
| Eurasian Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata |
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia |
| Coursers, Pratincoles (Glareolidae) | |
| Collared Pratincole | Glareola pratincola |
| Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae) | |
| African Skimmer | Rynchops flavirostris |
| Grey-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus |
| Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia |
| Lesser Crested Tern (L) | Thalasseus bengalensis |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo |
| Storks (Ciconiidae) | |
| African Openbill | Anastomus lamelligerus |
| Marabou Stork | Leptoptilos crumenifer |
| Yellow-billed Stork | Mycteria ibis |
| Saddle-billed Stork | Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis |
| Abdim’s Stork | Ciconia abdimii |
| African Woolly-necked Stork | Ciconia microscelis |
| Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | |
| Reed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus |
| Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) | |
| African Sacred Ibis | Threskiornis aethiopicus |
| Hadada Ibis | Bostrychia hagedash |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus |
| African Spoonbill | Platalea alba |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) | |
| Rufous-bellied Heron | Ardeola rufiventris |
| Western Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea |
| Black-headed Heron | Ardea melanocephala |
| Goliath Heron | Ardea goliath |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta |
| Hamerkop (Scopidae) | |
| Hamerkop | Scopus umbretta |
| Pelicans (Pelecanidae) | |
| Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus |
| Pink-backed Pelican | Pelecanus rufescens |
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae) | |
| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus |
| African Harrier-Hawk | Polyboroides typus |
| Palm-nut Vulture | Gypohierax angolensis |
| European Honey Buzzard | Pernis apivorus |
| African Cuckoo-Hawk | Aviceda cuculoides |
| Hooded Vulture – CR | Necrosyrtes monachus |
| White-backed Vulture – CR | Gyps africanus |
| White-headed Vulture – CR | Trigonoceps occipitalis |
| Black-chested Snake Eagle | Circaetus pectoralis |
| Brown Snake Eagle | Circaetus cinereus |
| Southern Banded Snake Eagle | Circaetus fasciolatus |
| Bateleur – EN | Terathopius ecaudatus |
| Crowned Eagle | Stephanoaetus coronatus |
| Martial Eagle – EN | Polemaetus bellicosus |
| Long-crested Eagle | Lophaetus occipitalis |
| Wahlberg’s Eagle | Hieraaetus wahlbergi |
| Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle | Hieraaetus ayresii |
| Lizard Buzzard | Kaupifalco monogrammicus |
| African Goshawk | Accipiter tachiro |
| Little Sparrowhawk | Accipiter minullus |
| Ovambo Sparrowhawk | Accipiter ovampensis |
| Black Sparrowhawk | Accipiter melanoleucus |
| African Marsh Harrier | Circus ranivorus |
| Yellow-billed Kite | Milvus aegyptius |
| African Fish Eagle | Icthyophaga vocifer |
| Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo |
| Augur Buzzard | Buteo augur |
| Owls (Strigidae) | |
| African Barred Owlet (H) | Glaucidium capense |
| Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl | Ketupa lactea |
| African Wood Owl (H) | Strix woodfordii |
| Mousebirds (Coliidae) | |
| Speckled Mousebird | Colius striatus |
| Red-faced Mousebird | Urocolius indicus |
| Trogons (Trogonidae) | |
| Narina Trogon | Apaloderma narina |
| Hoopoes (Upupidae) | |
| African Hoopoe | Upupa africana |
| Wood Hoopoes (Phoeniculidae) | |
| Green Wood Hoopoe | Phoeniculus purpureus |
| Common Scimitarbill | Rhinopomastus cyanomelas |
| Ground Hornbills (Bucorvidae) | |
| Southern Ground Hornbill – VU | Bucorvus leadbeateri |
| Hornbills (Bucerotidae) | |
| Crowned Hornbill | Lophoceros alboterminatus |
| African Grey Hornbill | Lophoceros nasutus |
| Trumpeter Hornbill | Bycanistes bucinator |
| Silvery-cheeked Hornbill | Bycanistes brevis |
| Rollers (Coraciidae) | |
| Lilac-breasted Roller | Coracias caudatus |
| European Roller | Coracias garrulus |
| Broad-billed Roller | Eurystomus glaucurus |
| Kingfishers (Alcedinidae) | |
| Brown-hooded Kingfisher | Halcyon albiventris |
| Striped Kingfisher | Halcyon chelicuti |
| Woodland Kingfisher | Halcyon senegalensis |
| Mangrove Kingfisher | Halcyon senegaloides |
| African Pygmy Kingfisher | Ispidina picta |
| Malachite Kingfisher | Corythornis cristatus |
| Half-collared Kingfisher (L) | Alcedo semitorquata |
| Giant Kingfisher (H) | Megaceryle maxima |
| Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | |
| Swallow-tailed Bee-eater | Merops hirundineus |
| Little Bee-eater | Merops pusillus |
| Blue-cheeked Bee-eater | Merops persicus |
| European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster |
| Southern Carmine Bee-eater | Merops nubicoides |
| African Barbets (Lybiidae) | |
| White-eared Barbet | Stactolaema leucotis |
| Whyte’s Barbet | Stactolaema whytii |
| Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird | Pogoniulus bilineatus |
| Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird | Pogoniulus chrysoconus |
| Black-collared Barbet | Lybius torquatus |
| Crested Barbet | Trachyphonus vaillantii |
| Honeyguides (Indicatoridae) | |
| Green-backed Honeybird | Prodotiscus zambesiae |
| Lesser Honeyguide | Indicator minor |
| Scaly-throated Honeyguide | Indicator variegatus |
| Woodpeckers (Picidae) | |
| Golden-tailed Woodpecker (H) | Campethera abingoni |
| Little Spotted Woodpecker | Campethera cailliautii |
| Cardinal Woodpecker | Dendropicos fuscescens |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) | |
| Red-necked Falcon | Falco chicquera |
| Amur Falcon | Falco amurensis |
| Lanner Falcon | Falco biarmicus |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| African & New World Parrots (Psittacidae) | |
| Brown-necked Parrot | Poicephalus fuscicollis |
| Brown-headed Parrot | Poicephalus cryptoxanthus |
| African & Green Broadbills (Calyptomenidae) | |
| African Broadbill | Smithornis capensis |
| Pittas (Pittidae) | |
| African Pitta | Pitta angolensis |
| Wattle-eyes, Batises (Platysteiridae) | |
| Cape Batis | Batis capensis |
| Woodwards’ Batis | Batis fratrum |
| Chinspot Batis (H) | Batis molitor |
| Pale Batis | Batis soror |
| Black-throated Wattle-eye | Platysteira peltata |
| Bushshrikes (Malaconotidae) | |
| Grey-headed Bushshrike (H) | Malaconotus blanchoti |
| Black-fronted Bushshrike | Chlorophoneus nigrifrons |
| Olive Bushshrike | Chlorophoneus olivaceus |
| Orange-breasted Bushshrike (H) | Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus |
| Gorgeous Bushshrike (H) | Telophorus viridis |
| Marsh Tchagra | Bocagia minuta |
| Black-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra senegalus |
| Black-backed Puffback | Dryoscopus cubla |
| Tropical Boubou | Laniarius major |
| Brubru | Nilaus afer |
| Vangas & Allies (Vangidae) | |
| White-crested Helmetshrike | Prionops plumatus |
| Retz’s Helmetshrike | Prionops retzii |
| Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike | Prionops scopifrons |
| Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher | Bias musicus |
| Cuckooshrikes (Campephagidae) | |
| White-breasted Cuckooshrike | Ceblepyris pectoralis |
| Black Cuckooshrike | Campephaga flava |
| Figbirds, Old World Orioles, Piopios (Oriolidae) | |
| Black-headed Oriole | Oriolus larvatus |
| African Golden Oriole | Oriolus auratus |
| Drongos (Dicruridae) | |
| Fork-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus adsimilis |
| Square-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus ludwigii |
| Monarchs (Monarchidae) | |
| African Paradise Flycatcher | Terpsiphone viridis |
| Shrikes (Laniidae) | |
| Southern Fiscal | Lanius collaris |
| Red-backed Shrike | Lanius collurio |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) | |
| House Crow | Corvus splendens |
| Pied Crow | Corvus albus |
| White-necked Raven | Corvus albicollis |
| Fairy Flycatchers (Stenostiridae) | |
| White-tailed Crested Flycatcher | Elminia albonotata |
| Tits, Chickadees (Paridae) | |
| Southern Black Tit | Melaniparus niger |
| Miombo Tit | Melaniparus griseiventris |
| Penduline Tits (Remizidae) | |
| Grey Penduline Tit | Anthoscopus caroli |
| Nicators (Nicatoridae) | |
| Eastern Nicator | Nicator gularis |
| Larks (Alaudidae) | |
| Rufous-naped Lark | Mirafra africana |
| Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) | |
| Sombre Greenbul (H) | Andropadus importunus |
| Yellow-bellied Greenbul | Chlorocichla flaviventris |
| Stripe-cheeked Greenbul | Arizelocichla milanjensis |
| Lowland Tiny Greenbul | Phyllastrephus debilis |
| Terrestrial Brownbul | Phyllastrephus terrestris |
| Yellow-streaked Greenbul | Phyllastrephus flavostriatus |
| Dark-capped Bulbul | Pycnonotus tricolor |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) | |
| Black Saw-wing | Psalidoprocne pristoptera |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia |
| Blue Swallow – VU | Hirundo atrocaerulea |
| Wire-tailed Swallow | Hirundo smithii |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |
| Western House Martin | Delichon urbicum |
| Mosque Swallow | Cecropis senegalensis |
| Lesser Striped Swallow | Cecropis abyssinica |
| Greater Striped Swallow | Cecropis cucullata |
| Crombecs, African Warblers (Macrosphenidae) | |
| Moustached Grass Warbler | Melocichla mentalis |
| Cape Grassbird | Sphenoeacus afer |
| Red-faced Crombec | Sylvietta whytii |
| Long-billed Crombec | Sylvietta rufescens |
| Yellow Flycatchers (Erythrocercidae) | |
| Livingstone’s Flycatcher | Erythrocercus livingstonei |
| Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae) | |
| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus |
| Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler | Phylloscopus ruficapilla |
| Reed Warblers & Allies (Acrocephalidae) | |
| African Yellow Warbler | Iduna natalensis |
| Grassbirds & Allies (Locustellidae) | |
| Fan-tailed Grassbird | Catriscus brevirostris |
| Barratt’s Warbler (H) | Bradypterus barratti |
| Little Rush Warbler (H) | Bradypterus baboecala |
| Cisticolas & Allies (Cisticolidae) | |
| Red-faced Cisticola (H) | Cisticola erythrops |
| Singing Cisticola | Cisticola cantans |
| Lazy Cisticola (H) | Cisticola aberrans |
| Rattling Cisticola | Cisticola chiniana |
| Wailing Cisticola | Cisticola lais |
| Rufous-winged Cisticola | Cisticola galactotes |
| Levaillant’s Cisticola (H) | Cisticola tinniens |
| Croaking Cisticola | Cisticola natalensis |
| Short-winged Cisticola (H) | Cisticola brachypterus |
| Neddicky (H) | Cisticola fulvicapilla |
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis |
| Pale-crowned Cisticola | Cisticola cinnamomeus |
| Tawny-flanked Prinia | Prinia subflava |
| Red-winged Prinia | Prinia erythroptera |
| Roberts’s Warbler | Oreophilais robertsi |
| Bar-throated Apalis | Apalis thoracica |
| Yellow-breasted Apalis (H) | Apalis flavida |
| Black-headed Apalis (L) | Apalis melanocephala |
| Chirinda Apalis – VU | Apalis chirindensis |
| Grey-backed Camaroptera (H) | Camaroptera brevicaudata |
| Stierling’s Wren-Warbler | Calamonastes stierlingi |
| Yellow-bellied Eremomela | Eremomela icteropygialis |
| Green-capped Eremomela | Eremomela scotops |
| White-eyes (Zosteropidae) | |
| Southern Yellow White-eye | Zosterops anderssoni |
| Laughingthrushes & Allies (Leiothrichidae) | |
| Arrow-marked Babbler | Turdoides jardineii |
| Treecreepers (Certhiidae) | |
| African Spotted Creeper | Salpornis salvadori |
| Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae) | |
| Common Myna | Acridotheres tristis |
| Black-bellied Starling | Notopholia corusca |
| Violet-backed Starling | Cinnyricinclus leucogaster |
| Red-winged Starling | Onychognathus morio |
| Oxpeckers (Buphagidae) | |
| Red-billed Oxpecker | Buphagus erythrorynchus |
| Thrushes (Turdidae) | |
| Boulder Chat | Pinarornis plumosus |
| Orange Ground Thrush | Geokichla gurneyi |
| Olive Thrush | Turdus olivaceus |
| Kurrichane Thrush | Turdus libonyana |
| Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) | |
| Bearded Scrub Robin | Cercotrichas quadrivirgata |
| White-browed Scrub Robin | Cercotrichas leucophrys |
| Pale Flycatcher | Agricola pallidus |
| Grey Tit-Flycatcher (H) | Fraseria plumbea |
| Ashy Flycatcher | Fraseria caerulescens |
| Southern Black Flycatcher | Melaenornis pammelaina |
| African Dusky Flycatcher | Muscicapa adusta |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata |
| Swynnerton’s Robin – VU | Swynnertonia swynnertoni |
| White-starred Robin | Pogonocichla stellata |
| White-chested Alethe | Chamaetylas fuelleborni |
| White-browed Robin-Chat | Cossypha heuglini |
| Red-capped Robin-Chat | Cossypha natalensis |
| Collared Palm Thrush | Cichladusa arquata |
| White-throated Robin-Chat | Dessonornis humeralis |
| Cape Robin-Chat | Dessonornis caffer |
| East Coast Akalat | Sheppardia gunningi |
| Collared Flycatcher | Ficedula albicollis |
| Miombo Rock Thrush | Monticola angolensis |
| African Stonechat | Saxicola torquatus |
| Sunbirds (Nectariniidae) | |
| Plain-backed Sunbird | Anthreptes reichenowi |
| Collared Sunbird | Hedydipna collaris |
| Olive Sunbird | Cyanomitra olivacea |
| Grey Sunbird | Cyanomitra veroxii |
| Amethyst Sunbird | Chalcomitra amethystina |
| Scarlet-chested Sunbird | Chalcomitra senegalensis |
| Bronzy Sunbird | Nectarinia kilimensis |
| Eastern Miombo Sunbird | Cinnyris manoensis |
| Purple-banded Sunbird | Cinnyris bifasciatus |
| White-bellied Sunbird | Cinnyris talatala |
| Variable Sunbird | Cinnyris venustus |
| Copper Sunbird | Cinnyris cupreus |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) | |
| Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow | Gymnoris superciliaris |
| Southern Grey-headed Sparrow | Passer diffusus |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Weavers, Widowbirds (Ploceidae) | |
| Thick-billed Weaver | Amblyospiza albifrons |
| Spectacled Weaver | Ploceus ocularis |
| Holub’s Golden Weaver | Ploceus xanthops |
| Southern Brown-throated Weaver | Ploceus xanthopterus |
| Lesser Masked Weaver | Ploceus intermedius |
| Southern Masked Weaver | Ploceus velatus |
| Village Weaver | Ploceus cucullatus |
| Dark-backed Weaver | Ploceus bicolor |
| Red-billed Quelea | Quelea quelea |
| Black-winged Red Bishop | Euplectes hordeaceus |
| Southern Red Bishop | Euplectes orix |
| Yellow Bishop | Euplectes capensis |
| Fan-tailed Widowbird | Euplectes axillaris |
| Yellow-mantled Widowbird | Euplectes macroura |
| White-winged Widowbird | Euplectes albonotatus |
| Red-collared Widowbird | Euplectes ardens |
| Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae) | |
| Bronze Mannikin | Spermestes cucullata |
| Black-and-white Mannikin | Spermestes bicolor |
| Yellow-bellied Waxbill | Coccopygia quartinia |
| Green Twinspot | Mandingoa nitidula |
| Red-faced Crimsonwing | Cryptospiza reichenovii |
| Grey Waxbill | Glaucestrilda perreini |
| Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild |
| Orange-breasted Waxbill (L) | Amandava subflava |
| Blue Waxbill | Uraeginthus angolensis |
| Lesser Seedcracker | Pyrenestes minor |
| Green-winged Pytilia | Pytilia melba |
| Red-throated Twinspot | Hypargos niveoguttatus |
| Red-billed Firefinch | Lagonosticta senegala |
| African Firefinch | Lagonosticta rubricata |
| Jameson’s Firefinch | Lagonosticta rhodopareia |
| Indigobirds, Whydahs (Viduidae) | |
| Pin-tailed Whydah | Vidua macroura |
| Cuckoo-finch | Anomalospiza imberbis |
| Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) | |
| Mountain Wagtail | Motacilla clara |
| African Pied Wagtail | Motacilla aguimp |
| Yellow-throated Longclaw | Macronyx croceus |
| African Pipit | Anthus cinnamomeus |
| Wood Pipit | Anthus nyassae |
| Buffy Pipit | Anthus vaalensis |
| Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae) | |
| Lemon-breasted Canary | Crithagra citrinipectus |
| Yellow-fronted Canary | Crithagra mozambica |
| Brimstone Canary | Crithagra sulphurata |
| Streaky-headed Seedeater | Crithagra gularis |
| Black-eared Seedeater | Crithagra mennelli |
| Cape Canary | Serinus canicollis |
| Buntings (Emberizidae) | |
| Cinnamon-breasted Bunting | Emberiza tahapisi |
| Golden-breasted Bunting | Emberiza flaviventris |
| Cabanis’s Bunting | Emberiza cabanisi |
| Species Seen | 327 |
| Species heard only | 22 |
| Leader only | 3 |
| Total species recorded | 352 |
Mammal List
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| Hyraxes (Procaviidae) | |
| Rock Hyrax | Procavia capensis |
| Elephants (Elephantidae) | |
| African Elephant – EN | Loxodonta africana |
| Hares and Rabbits (Leporidae) | |
| African Savanna Hare | Lepus victoriae |
| Squirrels (Sciuridae) | |
| Mutable Sun Squirrel | Heliosciurus mutabilis |
| Smith’s Bush Squirrel | Paraxerus cepapi |
| Galagos (Galagidae) | |
| Grant’s Lesser Galago | Paragalago granti |
| Old World Monkeys (Cercopithecidae) | |
| Chacma Baboon | Papio ursinus |
| Vervet | Chlorocebus pygerythrus |
| Blue Monkey | Cercopithecus mitis |
| Mongooses (Herpestidae) | |
| Slender Mongoose | Herpestes sanguineus |
| Equines (Equidae) | |
| Plains Zebra | Equus quagga |
| Suids (Suidae) | |
| Common Warthog | Phacochoerus africanus |
| Bushpig | Potamochoerus larvatus |
| Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamidae) | |
| Hippopotamus – VU | Hippopotamus amphibius |
| Bovids (Bovidae) | |
| Nyala | Tragelaphus angasii |
| Cape Bushbuck | Tragelaphus sylvaticus |
| Greater Kudu | Tragelaphus strepsiceros |
| Common Eland | Tragelaphus oryx |
| Suni | Nesotragus moschatus |
| Impala | Aepyceros melampus |
| Oribi | Ourebia ourebi |
| Southern Reedbuck | Redunca arundinum |
| Waterbuck | Kobus ellipsiprymnus |
| Hartebeest | Alcelaphus buselaphus |
| Common Wildebeest | Connochaetes taurinus |
| Blue Duiker | Philantomba monticola |
| Natal Red Duiker | Cephalophus natalensis |
| Giraffes and Okapi (Giraffidae) | |
| Southern Giraffe | Giraffa giraffa |
| Species Seen | 28 |
Reptile and Amphibian List
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Crocodiles (Crocodylidae) | |
| Nile Crocodile | Crocodylus niloticus |
| Dragons (Agamidae) | |
| Kirk’s Rock Agama | Agama kirkii |
| Plated Lizards (Gerrhosauridae) | |
| Common Giant Plated Lizard | Matobosaurus validus |
| Skinks (Scincidae) | |
| African Striped Skink | Trachylepis striata |
| Rainbow Skink | Trachylepis margaritifera |
| Species seen: | 5 |
This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.
