Republic of Zambia

Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix ©Dominic Rollinson Website

The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked tropical country in south-central Africa. It has an area of over 750,000 km² with a population of twenty million people. It is bordered to the north by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania to the northeast, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west. Lusaka, located in the south-central part of Zambia, is both the largest and the capital city. The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the north, including the cities of Kitwe and Ndola, the core economic hubs of the country.

Most of the country is elevated plateau between 900m-1250m above sea level, but a small area in the northeast exceeds 2000m. Through Zambia lie several ancient arms of the rift valley system, notably the Luangwa and Zambezi Valleys (including the famous Victoria Falls) and the country around Lakes Mweru and Tanganyika.

Three quarters of the country is drained by the Zambezi system which flows into the Indian ocean and forms the border with Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The remaining area lies within the Congo catchment and thus eventually feeds the Atlantic. The southernmost headstream of the Congo River rises in Zambia and flows west through its northern area firstly as the Chambeshi and then, after the Bangweulu Swamps as the Luapula, which forms part of the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Muchinga Mountains, the watershed between the Zambezi and Congo drainage basins, run parallel to the deep valley of the Luangwa River and form a sharp backdrop to its northern edge. In Eastern Zambia the plateau which extends between the Zambezi and Lake Tanganyika valleys is tilted upwards to the north, and so rises imperceptibly from about 900m in the south to 1,200m in the centre, reaching 1,800m in the north near Mbala. These plateau areas of northern Zambia have been categorised by the World Wildlife Fund as a large section of the Central Zambezian miombo woodlands ecoregion.

Zambia’s very pleasant climate can be divided into 3 seasons. The hot rainy season usually lasts 5-6 months between November and April. The remaining months are generally dry with temperatures cooler between May and August and hotter in September and October. Annual rainfall averages between 700-1500mm, decreasing southwards and in the major low-lying river valleys.

Zambia contains abundant natural resources, including minerals, wildlife, forestry, freshwater, and arable land. In 2010, the World Bank named Zambia one of the world’s fastest economically reformed countries. The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is headquartered in Lusaka.

There are numerous ecosystems in Zambia, such as forest, thicket, woodland and grassland vegetation types. There are an estimated 3,543 species of wild flowering plants and there is a total of 242 mammal species are found in the country, with most occupying the woodland and grassland ecosystems. There are 150 reptile species, about ninety amphibians and 490 known fish species.

Birding Zambia

About 850 species have been recorded in Zambia. Of this total, well over 600 species are residents or afro-tropical migrants, of which c.470 breed there and about 100 are non-breeding migrants or vagrants from the palearctic region. Zambia has only one true endemic species – Chaplin’s Barbet (although Black-cheeked Lovebird may or may not be found elsewhere and is sometimes treated as a subspecies of Lilian’s Lovebird); but there are several near-endemics and a large number of species that otherwise only occur in Angola and DRC – countries that are less accessible to travelling birders. It is the best place for finding all the south-central African endemics and one of the most important countries in Africa for birds.

Zambia can boast large tracts of pristine wilderness and the vast majority of the country falls within the Zambezian biome. Miombo woodland is the dominant vegetation and as it has little under-storey it is easy to walk through. The key to successful birding is locating bird parties; these may comprise 20, 30 or more species and are a typical feature of the habitat. In most areas the woodland is laced with grassy dambos along the drainage lines; these hold a very different variety of species, particularly if they are wet or spongy. In the north, evergreen forest patches (mushitus) are found in dambos and in the north-west there are many forest species characteristic of the Congo basin. In the north-east several highland areas hold afromontane species, including many typical of the Eastern Arc mountains in Tanzania.

Zambia also has a rich array of wetlands that are famous for their vast numbers of birds as well as their populations of Shoebills and Wattled Cranes. Further exploration of the country will reveal many other interesting habitats for birding such as teak and dry evergreen forest, acacia, munga & mopane woodland, thickets, termitaria, plains, papyrus swamps and seasonal pans.

There are 19 National Parks in Zambia, covering nearly 9% of the country and in addition 35 Game Management Areas (GMAs) account for a further 22%.

Birders looking for more information and a full Zambian checklist, contact BirdWatch Zambia (BWZ). or They publish the Zambia Bird Report annually. Below are some of the top birding destinations.

Top Sites
  • Bangweulu Wetlands

    Facebook PageSatellite View
    Bangweulu Swamps - between Serenje and Samfya, is the place for Shoebills, several camps and other good birding spots nearby (e.g. Kasanka and Lavushi Manda NPs). Other birds include: Denham's Bustard, Common Bittern, White-cheeked Bee-eater, Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Wattled Crane, Swamp Flycatcher.
  • Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage - a world famous home for Chimpanzees near Chingola, with accommodation, also a great birding spot. Birds include: Pale-billed Hornbill, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike, Central Bearded Scrub Robin, Bocage's Robin, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Laura's Warbler, Black-collared Eremomela, Splendid Starling, Chestnut-mantled Sparrow-weaver, Sharp-tailed Starling, White-chinned Prinia, Sousa's Shrike, Red-capped Crombec.
  • Ishiba Ng'andu Nature Reserve

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Ishiba Ng'andu - the spectacular estate near Mpika was made famous in the best-selling book The Africa House. Accommodation. Birds include: White-headed Saw-wing, Bocage's Robin, Stout Cisticola, Bar-winged Weaver, Böhm's Flycatcher, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Red-and-blue Sunbird, Black-chinned Quailfinch, Fülleborn's Longclaw, Ross's Turaco, Long-toed Flufftail, Yellow-bellied Hyliota.
  • Lochinvar National Park

    InformationSatellite View
    Lochinvar NP - in southern Zambia near Monze, some of the best wetland birding in the world with tens of thousands of waterbirds, camping or day trips. These include: Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, Common Pratincole, White Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, Denham's Bustard, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Caspian Plover and many palearctic waders and very good for raptors.
  • Mwinilunga

    Satellite View
    Mwinilunga - the far north-west where the Congo birds begin. Stay at Nchila Wildlife Reserve (Hillwood) and from there visit the source of the Zambezi, the Zambezi Rapids, the Chitunta Plain and the forests of the far north. Birds include: Grimwood's Longclaw, Black-collared Bulbul, Angola Lark, Black-tailed Cisticola, Rufous Ant Thrush, Afep Pigeon, White-spotted Flufftail, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Black-and-rufous Swallow, Honeyguide Greenbul, Bristlebill, Grey-winged Robin, Bamboo Warbler, Spotted Thrush-babbler, Margaret's Batis, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Bannerman's Sunbird.
  • Nkanga River Conservation Area

    InformationSatellite View
    Nkanga River Conservation Area - near Chaoma in southern Zambia, the best site for Zambia's endemic, Chaplin's Barbet, with accommodation, also within easy reach of Victoria Falls, Kafue NP and Lochinvar. Birds include: Crowned Eagle, 6 species of francolin, Streaky-breasted Flufftail, Sooty Chat, Miombo Pied Barbet, White-winged Black Tit, Green Indigobird, Narina Trogon, African Broadbill, Shelley's Sunbird. Black-cheeked Lovebird is found in Kafue NP nearby.
  • Nyika National Park

    InformationSatellite View
    Nyika NP - the best area to find all the montane specials, camping, or accommodation on Malawi side close by. Birds include: Bar-tailed Trogon, Olive-flanked Robin, Sharpe's Akalat, African Hill Babbler, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Red-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Bertram's Weaver, Mountain Marsh Whydah, White-chested Alethe, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Waller's Red-winged Starling, Chestnut-headed Apalis, Blue Swallow, Hildebrandt's Francolin.
  • South Luangwa National Park

    InformationSatellite View
    South Luangwa NP - near Chipata in eastern Zambia, the most popular NP for big game viewing with many camps. Birds include: Bat Hawk, Pel's Fishing Owl, Lilian's Lovebird, African Skimmer, Southern Crowned Crane, African Pitta, Southern Carmine Bee-eater.
Contributors
  • Pete Leonard

    Nottingham, UK | pleonard@care4free.net

Number of Species
  • Number of bird species: 858

    (As at March 2024)

    National Bird: African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocoder

Endemics
  • Number of endemics: 1

    Chaplin's Barbet Lybius chaplini
Checklist
  • Avibase - The World Bird Database

    Checklist PDF
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Zambia , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years.
  • ZOS

    Checklist PDF
    Compiled by P M Leonard for ZOS, last updated 2005
  • Zambia Tourism Bird List

    Checklist
    List by families
Useful Reading

  • Important Bird Areas in Zambia

    | By Peter Leonard | Zambian Ornithological Society | 2005 | Paperback | 218 pages, Colour photos, illustrations, tables, maps | ISBN: 9789982811019 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Newman's Birds of Southern Africa

    | By Kenneth B Newman, Faansie Peacock & vanessa Newman | Random House Struik | 2010 | Paperback | 536 pages, plates with colour illustrations; colour photos, colour distribution maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9781770078765 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Roberts Bird Guide

    | By Hugh Chittenden, Greg Davies & Ingrid Weiersbye | Jacana Publishers | Edition 2 | 2019 | Flexibound | 570 pages, plates with colour illustrations; colour photos, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9781920602017 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • SASOL Birds of Southern Africa

    | By Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey, Warwick Tarboton, Peter G Ryan, Norman Arlott & Peter Hayman | Random House South Africa | Edition 5 | 2020 | Paperback | 482 pages, plates with ~3000 colour illustrations; colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9781775847304 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Southern African Birdfinder

    | (Where to find 1400 bird species in southern Africa and Madagascar) | By Callan Cohen, Claire Spottiswoode & Jonathan Rossouw | New Holland Publishers | 2006 | Paperback | 456 pages, 80 col photos, 100 maps, pull-out route map | ISBN: 9781868727254 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Struik Pocket Guide: Birds of Zambia

    | By Rory McDougall & Derek Solomon | Penguin Random House South Africa | 2021 | paperback | 160 pages, 580 colour photos, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9781775847144 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Birds of Zambia: An Atlas and Handbook

    | By Robert J Dowsett, Dylan R Aspinwall & Françoise Dowsett-Lemaire | Tauraco Press | 2008 | Paperback | 606 pages, 16 colour plates, 720 distribution maps | ISBN: 9782872250059 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Organisations
  • African Bird Club

    Website
    For a long time Zambia has been a well kept secret by those who live there and those who visit. However, this is changing rapidly as increasing numbers of birders and ecotourists are discovering this wonderful country. Zambia is safe and very friendly. It is accessible and the infrastructure is reasonable. It still supports huge areas of wilderness and it holds 750 species of bird, many of which are difficult to see anywhere else. Amongst its attractions are the spectacular Victoria Falls and some of the very best game-viewing safaris anywhere in the world
  • BirdWatch Zambia (BWZ) (formerly Zambian Ornithological Society)

    Website
    BirdWatch Zambia - Promoting the Study, Conservation and General Interest in Birds and their Habitats in Zambia.
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • *IBAs

    WebpageSatellite View
    In Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands (BirdLife International 2001), 31 IBAs are listed for Zambia. The Zambian IBA network has now been updated and revised and comprises 42 IBAs. These have been documented in detail in Important Bird Areas in Zambia (LEONARD, P.M. 2005) from which the following map and IBA list is taken
  • IBA WII Bangweulu Wetlands

    InformationSatellite View
    The Great Bangweulu Basin, incorporating the vast Bangweulu Lake and a massive wetland area lies in a shallow depression in the centre of an ancient cratonic platform, the North Zambian Plateau. A variety of bird species live in Bangweulu, including the African openbill, banded martin, blue-breasted bee-eater, and wattled crane (displayed clockwise from top left), photographed in the wetlands in 2016 Bangweulu has been designated as an "Important Bird Area" by BirdLife International. The wetlands are home to more than 400 bird species, including cormorants, ducks, egrets, geese, herons, ibises, pygmy goose, and waders. Most notable is the shoebill, a vulnerable species threatened by habitat burning for farming, competition with fisheries, wildlife trade, and other disturbances.[1][10] Other species recorded in Bangweulu include the great white pelican, saddle-billed stork, spoonbill, and wattled crane.
  • NP Blue Lagoon

    InformationSatellite View
    Blue Lagoon National Park is a small wildlife haven in the northern part of the Kafue Flats in Zambia's Central Province. It covers about 500 km² and is very accessible, being about 100 km west of Lusaka (120 km by road). A very large number of bird species can be seen there, especially aquatic birds.
  • NP Isangano

    InformationSatellite View
    It covers an area of 840 square kilometers. Besides the various migratory species and water birds that can be found in the park, other common animals found at the park are the black lechwe, reedbuck, oribi, and sitatunga.
  • NP Kafue

    InformationSatellite View
    Kafue National Park is the largest national park in Zambia, covering an area of about 22,400 km² (similar in size to Wales or Massachusetts). It is the second largest park in Africa and is home to over 55 different species of mammals. The jewel in Kafue's crown however is the Zambezian flooded grasslands ecoregion in the north, including the Busanga Swamp and plains. These support large herds of herbivores and their predators. In the dry season the animals keep close to the swamps and marshy creeks and are easily seen. The area is also noted for its birdlife.
  • NP Kasanka

    InformationSatellite View
    Kasanka is one of Zambia’s smallest national parks. Kasanka was the first of Zambia’s national parks to be privately managed. Over 471 bird species have been identified in the park.
  • NP Lavushi Manda

    InformationSatellite View
    Lavushi Manda National Park is a national park in the Muchinga Province of Zambia with an area of 1,500 sq km. It is part of the Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands ecoregion. The streams draining Lavushi Manda are of critical importance for the ecologically extremely rich Bangweulu Wetlands. The inner deltas of the Lukulu and Lumbatwa rivers are among the richest parts of the Wetlands. Lavushi Manda is recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) on account of the presence of a large number of biome-restricted species and threatened species. To date 349 bird species have been recorded. Eleven (near-)threatened bird species have been recorded in the Lavushi Manda. Of these, Bateleur, Crowned Eagle, Martial Eagle and Southern Ground Hornbill occur in good numbers. The rare and enigmatic Shoebill breeds in the adjacent Bangweulu GMA. Lavushi Manda is home to rock-associated species – these are basically absent from other parts of the Bangweulu system and also not easily seen in the nearby Luangwa system. The presence of Verreaux's Eagle is notable. Other specials are mainly species of dambo grasslands such as Locustfinch, Streaky-breasted Flufftail, and Blue Quail; miombo woodlands such as Anchieta's Sunbird, Anchieta's Barbet, and Böhm's Flycatcher; and rivers with associated evergreen forest such as . Finfoot, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, and Böhm's Bee-eater. The park holds large numbers of several Palaearctic migrants. Collared Flycatcher occurs in particularly high densities. The Lavushi Manda mountain chain forms a regionally important flight path for among others raptors, bee-eaters and swallows.
  • NP Liuwa Plain

    InformationSatellite View
    The park's grasslands support a variety of large mammals, including tens of thousands of blue wildebeest, whose annual migration is Africa's second largest. Frequently sighted large predators include the cheetah, spotted hyena, and lion. 334 bird species, including various species of birds of prey, bustards, cranes (including grey crowned cranes and the endangered wattled crane), pelicans, pratincoles, and storks, have been recorded in Liuwa. Raptors include the bateleur, greater kestrel, martial eagle, palm-nut vulture, and Pel's fishing owl, as well as African fish eagles. Recorded water birds include the marabou, open-billed, saddle-billed, and yellow-billed stork, as well as the blacksmith lapwing, egrets (including the slaty egret), the grey heron, pygmy geese, the spur-winged goose, and the three-banded plover. The black-winged pratincole, Denham's bustard, long-tailed widowbird, pink-billed lark, rosy-throated longclaw, secretary bird, sharp-tailed starling, swamp boubou, white-bellied bustard, and white-cheeked bee-eater are also present, as are clapper larks.
  • NP Lochinvar

    InformationSatellite View
    The Lochinvar National Park lies south west of Lusaka in Zambia, on the south side of the Kafue River. The park is very similar to Blue Lagoon National Park on the other side of the Kafue on the northern flats.
  • NP Lower Zambezi

    InformationSatellite View
    The Lower Zambezi National Park lies on the north bank of the Zambezi River in southeastern Zambia. The park itself is ringed by a much larger game management area (commonly referred to as GMA); there are no fences between the park and the GMA and both animals and people are free to roam across the whole area.
  • NP Luambe

    InformationSatellite View
    The park is situated north-east of the famous South Luangwa National Park, and south of the North Luangwa National Park. Like its neighbours, it is located in the Luangwa River rift valley. The combination of water and land has created a very special ecosystem. In Luambe, there are numerous lagoons, which are visited by animals and birds in the dry season and which promote biodiversity.
  • NP Lukusuzi

    InformationSatellite View
    Lukusuzi National Park is located in eastern Luangwa Valley in Zambia, on the other side of the Luangwa River from the more famous South Luangwa National Park. It lies between the smaller Luambe National Park (on the eastern bank of the river) and the Chipata-Lundazi road. Much of the park is plateau dissected by rocky ridges and rugged valleys. The main ecoregion in which the park lies is the southern miombo woodlands characterised by the miombo trees insterspersed with grassland. At lower elevations, such as at the bottom of the Luangwa valley, miombo give way to mopane trees.
  • NP Lusaka

    InformationSatellite View
    It is Zambia's newest national park, established in 2011 and officially opened in 2015. It is also Zambia's smallest national park at 6,715 hectares. The park was established over an area that was previously forest reserve and is entirely fenced.
  • NP Lusenga Plain

    InformationSatellite View
    Originally a grounds for hunting, Lusenga Plain was converted into one of Zambia's national parks in 1972. Featuring one of Zambia's highest amount of rainfall, the plain experiences about 1500 millimeters of rain yearly. The Kalungwishi River flows through the park and includes Zambia's second highest waterfall: Lumangwe Falls. Originally experiencing a dearth of wildlife, the reintroduction of species began in 2007. Species reintroduced include the Grant's zebra, puku and impala.
  • NP Mosi-oa-Tunya

    InformationSatellite View
    It is home to one half of the Mosi-oa-Tunya - 'The Smoke Which Thunders' — known worldwide as Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River. The river forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, so the falls are shared by the two countries, and the park is 'twin' to the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwean side. The tops of the deep gorges below the falls can be reached by road and walking tracks through the park and are good places to see klipspringers, clawless otters and 35 species of raptors such as the Taita falcon, black eagle, peregrine falcon and augur buzzard, which all breed there.
  • NP Mweru Wantipa

    InformationSatellite View
    Though mostly in the Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands ecoregion, the Mweru-Wantipa/Sumbu area has a rare and endangered ecoregion or vegetation type known as Itigi-Sumbu thicket, an almost impenetrable bush consisting of about a hundred plant species woven together so densely that it is virtually impossible to walk through. It is known from only one other location in central Tanzania.
  • NP North Luangwa (Conservation Project)

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Pristine wilderness landscape areas teeming with wildlife...
  • NP Nsumbu

    InformationSatellite View
    Flamingo, African skimmer, spoonbill, whiskered tern, stork, duck, heron, grey-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull, white-winged black tern, fish eagle, palmnut vulture (occasionally), Pel's fishing owl (occasionally)
  • NP Nyika

    InformationSatellite View
    Nyika National Park lies in the northeast of Zambia, on the western edge of the Nyika Plateau, which is one of the highest parts of the country and most of which lies in neighbouring Malawi. Between September and April, a wide variety of wildflowers can be seen in the national park. The Nyika Plateau and two smaller highland areas to the north are the only representatives in Zambia of the Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic ecoregion. For other details of the park environment and wildlife, see the Malawian park.
  • NP Sioma Ngwezi

    InformationSatellite View
    Sioma Ngwezi National Park is a 5,000-square-kilometre park in the south west corner of Zambia. It is undeveloped and rarely visited, lacking roads and being off the usual tourist tracks, but this may change in the future.
  • NP South Luangwa

    InformationSatellite View
    A bit over 400 miles from the capital of Lusaka, South Luangwa offers a remote wildlife experience far off the typical East Africa track…
  • NP West Lunga

    InformationSatellite View
    It lies between the West Lunga River and Kabompo River about 10 km north of the gravel road from Solwezi to Kabompo, and covers about 1700 km².
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Birding Ecotours

    Tour Operator
    Highlights include birding the Kasane area, Victoria Falls, Nkanga River Conservancy – one of the best birding hotspots as birding here is fast and furious with a bewildering variety of birds, Kasanka National Park which has serveral different habitats, and Bangweulu swamp (Shoebill Island Camp) is an absolute waterbird mecca, with over 400 species on record.
  • Norman Carr Safaris

    Tour Operator
    Norman Carr Safaris are not just another safari operator or group of camps – their history traces right back to the creation of the South Luangwa. Back in 1950, Norman Carr pioneered the idea of photographic tourism as an alternative to the hunting safari, and worked alongside local communities to promote conservation of the wildlife here.
  • Robin Pope Safaris

    Tour Operator
    Robin Pope Safaris is the most established and successful safari operator in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. With three small camps, Nkwali, Nsefu and the infamous Tena Tena, RPS offers personalised safaris combining genuine African bush with simple yet stylish luxury. Each camp is individual in atmosphere and location.
  • Rockjumper Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    Zambia is one of Africa’s most remarkable countries, offering vast areas of pristine wilderness and a great diversity of habitats. A tour to Zambia will specifically target the nation’s endemics and near-endemics, namely Chaplin’s Barbet, Black-cheeked and Lillian’s Lovebird, Böhm’s Flycatcher and the beautiful Böhm’s Bee-eater.
  • Shenton Safaris - Photographic Safari Zambia

    Tour Operator
    Explore Southern Africa safari holidays in Zambia with Shenton Safaris and get up close and personal with the wildlife of Africa…
  • Shoebill Tours

    Tour Operator
    Specialist birding trips in Zambia, Botswana and South Africa…
Trip Reports
  • 2006 [10 October] - Bo Beolens

    PDF Report
    This leg was a truly marvellous 2-week multi-nation birding safari. The adventure first sampled one of the richest birding regions in Africa, the Victoria Falls/Caprivi/Okavango region. This is one of the greatest bird (both water birds and woodland species) and mammal havens on earth. The itinerary then took us westwards into increasingly dryer habitats and eventually into the very heart of the Namib Desert with its beautiful, rugged mountains, gravel plains, camelthorn-lined dry riverbeds, dunes and more. The stunning, scenically diverse Namib Desert (which extends into southern Angola) is inhabited by a host of endemic bird species. Finally, this leg ended on the Namib Coast. Here, Namibia’s only true endemic (Dune Lark) displays above sparsely vegetated red sand dunes, the diminutive, endangered Damara Tern reaches its highest densities anywhere, the beautiful Chestnut-banded Plover runs over the sand, and an amazing spectacle of flamingos, pelicans, waders and grebes work the Walvis Bay Lagoon…
  • 2016 [10 October] - Cuan Rush - Namibia, Okavango and Victoria Falls V

    PDF Report
  • 2016 [11 November] - Jason Boyce

    PDF Report
    A very early start to a number of local patches of miombo woodland topped off our woodland species list nicely with Green-capped Eremomela, Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Grey Penduline Tit, Black Cuckooshrike, Pale Flycatcher, and Icterine Warbler....
  • 2017 [09 September] - David Hoddinott

    PDF Report
    ...Our key target today, however, was the localised endemic Chaplin’sBarbet, and after getting permission to enter a private farm, we were delighted to find a very co-operative pair – which we found after a short while in their favoured habitat, a large fruiting fig tree..
  • 2017 [12 December] - Wian van Zyl

    PDF Report
    A trip that started in Zambia covered a wide variety of habitats in Namibia and crossed a little into Botswana’s Okavango Panhandle, where the water life is incomparable. We had a great time birding with a small group of only six clients. The scenery, roads, food, and everything in between left us with great memories and stories to go with the amazing birding that took place over the next 18 days
  • 2018 [08 August] - Daniel Keith Danckwerts - Namibia , Botswana & Zambia

    PDF Report
    Our tour then ended in Zambia, where we visited the Victoria Falls. Rightly considered one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World – we were all left totally bewildered!
  • 2018 [09 September] - Dominic Rollinson

    PDF Report
    This 21-day trip of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia was a customized trip for Susan and Aileen from the Republic of Ireland, which started in Walvis Bay, Namibia, on 20 August 2018 and ended in Livingstone, Zambia, on 9 September 2018.
  • 2018 [09 September] - Jason Boyce

    PDF Report
    The Kunene region as well as the escarpment regions hold the large majority of the specialties that we would encounter; species such as Rockrunner, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Angolan Cave Chat, Cinderella Waxbill, and Herero Chat were all in attendance!
  • 2018 [09 September] – Jason Boyce

    PDF Report
    The Kunene region as well as the escarpment regions hold the large majority of the specialties that we would encounter; species such as Rockrunner, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Angolan Cave Chat, Cinderella Waxbill, and Herero Chat were all in attendance!
  • 2018 [10 October] - Nik Borrow

    PDF Report
    ...with the aim of gathering quality rather than quantity and in particular targeting some most of the country’s most desirable species, notably Zambia’s only true endemic the snowy Chaplin’s Barbet and the delightful Black-cheeked Lovebird which is virtually an endemic as in its pure and wild state the species is probably restricted to the country.
  • 2018 [11 November] - Jason Boyce

    PDF Report
    This was a Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia birding adventure to remember. Starting in the iconic and well-known Walvis Bay we would thereafter traverse the diversity of Namibia: the escarpment, then north to the Kunene River, through Etosha National Park, and finally into the Caprivi Strip.
  • 2019 [12 December] - Nate Dias

    PDF Report
    Bird highlights: African Pitta, Slaty Egret, Chaplin's Barbet, Bar-winged Weaver, Bocage's Akalat, Black-necked Eremomela, African Broadbill (displaying male), Woolly-necked Stork, Dwarf Bittern, Rufous-bellied Heron (2 fighting), Crowned Eagle, Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, Racket-tailed Roller, Half-collared Kingfisher, Böhm's Bee-eater, Rufous-bellied Tit, Eastern Nicator, Purple-throated Cuckoo shrike, Anchieta’s Sunbird, Locust Finch, Carmine Bee-eater colony, 5 Roller species: Purple, Racket-tailed, Lilac-breasted, European & Broad-billed.
  • 2021 [12 December] - Dries Van de Loock

    Report
    Zambia is a landlocked country in central Africa. Apart from the main river valleys (Zambezi in the west and south and Luangwa in the east) and some lower lying lake basins in the North (Lake Tanganyika and Mweru), the majority of the country is part of the Central African Plateau (900m - 1400m a.s.l.). Besides the escarpments bordering the river valleys and the lake basins, the country is relatively flat. The highest areas are the Mafinga hills (over 2200m asl) and the Nyika plateau (accessible from Malawi) in the east of the country.
  • 2021 [12 December] - Jon Lehmberg

    PDF Report
    While many countries in Eastern and Southern Africa are understandably extremely popular among birders, both Zimbabwe and in particular Zambia are much less well-known destinations. Somehow it doesn’t seem quite right since both have so much to offer, but maybe it isn’t surprising that most birders tend to follow in the footsteps of others, and are going for the more famous destinations in the region
  • 2023 [12 December] - David Van den Schoor

    PDF Report
    ...All in all we had a very successful trip and I recorded no fewer than 52 lifers. There probably would have been a few more if we had been one week earlier and/or the rainy season had started one week later...
Places to Stay
  • Chiawa Camp

    Accommodation
    Chiawa Camp is a must for any visit to Zambia. Superb accommodation, magnificent game viewing and scenery, and a large variety of activities are complemented by a modern infrastructure and an attentive, professional staff.
  • Chinzombo Safari Lodge

    Accommodation
    Nestled in a shady grove of magnificent ebony and mahogany trees on the banks of the Luangwa River, offers accommodation for a maximum of 18 guests. It is a small, personalised lodge known for its friendly welcoming atmosphere and scenic location overlooking the National Park.
  • Chundukwa River Lodge

    Accommodation
    Situated on the grassy banks of the Zambezi River just 25km upstream from the mighty Victoria Falls, Chundukwa offers the best of both worlds when visiting the Victoria Falls-only 30minutes drive away, however far enough from the busy hotels and buzzing Helicopters to provide a real retreat for the mind and soul...
  • Flatdogs Camp

    Accommodation
    The quality of our guiding is of a high standard and with a great diversity of mammals, both large and small, and over 400 bird species the South Luangwa is a spectacle not to be missed
  • Ilala Lodge

    Accommodation
    Ilala Lodge offers distinguished yet affordable accommodation in warm elegant surroundings. The decor evokes an era of early adventure and the quest for discovery in Africa. All the communal guest areas exude a colonial atmosphere with antiques, curios and unusual prints which continue the theme of African adventure and sophisticated indulgence from times gone by...
  • Kafunta River Lodge

    Accommodation
    Set in riverine forest on the banks of the Luangwa River, our eight chalets, set on stilts, overlook the South Luangwa National Park. Relax on your private verandah and allow your senses to appreciate the surroundings. Observe Elephants crossing the river and Giraffe browsing. Listen to the Hippo’s chorus and the songs of the rich bird life.
  • Kaingo

    Accommodation
    Kaingo is a small, exclusive camp, deep within the South Luangwa National Park. This camp is renowned for excellent game sightings, particularly leopard. As the number of guests is limited to ten, you will enjoy a personalised and exclusive safari…
  • Lilayi Lodge

    Accommodation
    Lilayi Lodge, only 20 minutes drive from Lusaka, provides the ideal setting for a relaxed stay. Set in a 700 hectare game ranch the lodge offers a luxurious accommodation close to Zambia`s capital city. The Lodge is designed in traditional style with thatched chalets, one of which accommodates the lounge, bar, dining area and modern kitchen. A recent addition is a new conference and function room built in the same style. Set in very attractive parkland with a sparkling pool, the complex is designed for comfort and relaxation with particular attention to excellent cuisine and service.
  • Mfuwe Lodge

    Accommodation
    Mfuwe Lodge is positioned inside Zambia’s famed South Luangwa National Park. Built between two spectacular lagoons, this new lodge offers remarkable game viewing right from your balcony. All the materials used in the construction of the new Lodge, including thatch for the roofs, timber and stone have been obtained locally. Great attention has been given to environmental issues, and the low profile lodge blends totally with the surrounding environment.
  • Musungwa Safari Lodge

    Accommodation
    Basic details…
  • Nkwali, Tena Tena & Nsefu Camps

    Accommodation
    Nkwali, Tena Tena and Nsefu Camps are all owned and operated by Robin Pope Safaris. They are small bush style camps with the emphasis on the guiding and the bush experience….
  • Shoebill Island Camp

    Accommodation
    Shoebill Island Camp is currently the only photographic safari camp in the Bangweulu area. This tented camp accommodates a total of twelve persons in comfortable twin bedded cottage tents. Shared shower and safari toilet units are located nearby. A central dining and lounge nsaka and lookout platform provide a relaxed setting for those wishing to relax and observe the prolific birdlife from camp
  • Taita Falcon Lodge

    Accommodation
    Perched above Rapid 17 on the very edge of the Batoka Gorge, Taita Falcon offers superb views of the raging Zambezi waters 200m below

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