We Hope You Have the Time to Read Through This Before Your Trip to Gain Insight Into The

The information below is intended as an appetite-whetter, and is not conclusive or comprehensive. It is designed to prepare you for what you might be seeing, or expect to see on our safaris in the wilderness. We hope you have the time to read through this before your trip to gain insight into the amazing animals that will be all around you, some seen, but mostly not!

LEOPARD

The most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, the leopard is also the shrewdest. Pound for pound, it is the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than itself.

The leopard is a solitary animal, hunting usually at night, and spending much of the day hiding in thickets or in the fork of a tree. They prey on small antelope, rodents, baboons, monkeys and birds, being quick and efficient hunters.

The power of their claws, leg muscles and neck muscles is astonishing. They will usually haul their kill, often weighing more than themselves, up into a tree to keep it from scavengers. It then rests from its exertion and at its leisure, begins to tear out tufts of fur. Having cleared a patch of flesh it starts its meal, saving the remains for later, safe from vultures and hyaenas. Leopards, like other cats, spend about two thirds of their lives sprawled out in relaxed slumber.

Leopards continually move about their home ranges, seldom staying in an area for more than two or three days at a time. With marking and calling, they usually know one another's whereabouts. A male will accompany a female in estrus for a week or so before they part and return to solitude.

Dense bush in rocky surroundings and riverine forest are their favorite habitats, but leopards adapt to many places in both warm and cold climates. Their adaptability, in fact, has helped them survive the loss of habitat to increasing human settlement. Leopards are primarily nocturnal, usually resting during the daytime in trees or thick bush. The spotted coat provides almost perfect camouflage.

Leopards have long been preyed upon by man. Their soft, dense, beautiful fur has been used for ceremonial robes and coats. Different parts of the leopard the tail, claws and whiskers are popular as fetishes. These cats have a reputation as wanton killers, but research does not support the claim. In some areas farmers try to exterminate them, while in others leopards are considered symbols of wisdom. Leopards do well in captivity, and some have lived as long as 21 years

Both lions and hyenas will take away a leopard's kill if they can. To prevent this leopards store their larger kills in trees where they can feed on them in relative safety

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) ELEPHANT

An elephant’s social life is organised around a family unit, which consists of an adult female and her offspring and two or more closely related females and their offspring. Bulls leave the family unit at puberty when they are about 16 years old and join bachelor groups or move about alone. The best guide for determining sex is to look at their head profiles; males have a rounded head and females a squarer head.

At birth, an elephant calf weighs 118kg (260 pounds) and is able to walk under its mothers belly for the first year. Elephants spend 16-18 hours a day grazing and browsing, from ground level to 18 feet or more into trees, when standing on their hind legs and stretching out their long trunks. They also use their trunks to squirt water into their mouths at seven litres a sip! In a full drinking session elephants take up to 50 litres of water.

The flapping action of their ears when charging is thought to be merely a cooling action as the stress of the moment causes them to become overheated. The advantage of this is that it helps them to look even more fearsome to their enemies. Elephants are unfortunately very destructive feeders and often large trees are pushed over and only a few leaves eaten from the top. If too many are confined to a small area, massive damage and deforestation can and does indeed occur.

Of all its specialized features, the muscular trunk is the most remarkable it serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device and a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, digging and a variety of other functions. Not only does the long trunk permit the elephant to reach as high as 23 feet, but it can also perform movements as delicate as picking berries or caressing a companion. It is capable, too, of powerful twisting and coiling movements used for tearing down trees or fighting.

The tusks, another remarkable feature, are greatly elongated incisors (elephants have no canine teeth); about one-third of their total length lies hidden inside the skull. The largest tusk ever recorded weighed 214 pounds and was 138 inches long. Tusks of this size are not found on elephants in Africa today, as over the years hunters and poachers have taken animals with the largest tusks. Because tusk size is an inherited characteristic, it is rare to find one now that would weigh more than 100 pounds.

Elephants are generally gregarious and form small family groups consisting of an older matriarch and three or four offspring, along with their young. It was once thought that family groups were led by old bull elephants, but these males are most often solitary. The female family groups are often visited by mature males checking for females in estrus. Several interrelated family groups may inhabit an area and know each other well. When they meet at watering holes and feeding places, they greet each other affectionately.

Smell is the most highly developed sense, but sound deep growling or rumbling noises is the principle means of communication. Some researchers think that each individual has its signature growl by which it can be distinguished. Sometimes elephants communicate with an ear-splitting blast when in danger or alarmed, causing others to form a protective circle around the younger members of the family group. Elephants make low-frequency calls, many of which, though loud, are too low for humans to hear. These sounds allow elephants to communicate with one another at distances of five or six miles

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) LION

Most cat species live a fundamentally solitary existence, but the lion is an exception. It has developed a social system based on teamwork and a division of labor within the pride, and an extended but closed family unit centered around a group of related females. The average pride consists of about 15 individuals, including five to 10 females with their young and two or three territorial males that are usually brothers or pride mates.

Lion are plentiful in the bigger national parks but will often tend to stay in the remote parts for long periods at a time. They are the only cats moving in family groups and normally occupy a well defined territory.

In some areas the territories are quite small and the numbers in the groups quite large, some over twenty. Typically, two or more dominant males protect the territory against intruders. Several lionesses may produce cubs at one time and share the feeding. Eighty percent of the cubs will not survive to maturity.

Within the pride, the territorial males are the fathers of all the cubs. When a lioness is in heat, a male will join her, staying with her constantly. The pair usually mates for less than a minute, but it does so about every 15 to 30 minutes over a period of four to five days.

Before maturity at four years, young males are evicted from the group to live a nomadic existence unwanted in any other lion territory. Many don’t survive as they are not yet efficient hunters, and if one cannot fend for itself, it starves. The lion is an ambush rather than a chase killer. With its heavy body it can only reach speeds of about (35 miles) an hour, often much slower than the animals it pursues, so it requires much stealth and surprise to catch them. As a group, they will circle the animal, one will attack and knock it to the ground with a heavy blow, seize it by the throat or mouth and suffocate it.. Although not as efficient at hunting as leopard or wild dog, their communal hunting methods ensure the survival of the group.

After some years the dominant males of the group are replaced by more powerful contenders, thus ensuring the introduction of new genetic material into the pride gene pool. The new leaders may kill and eat the cubs of other males. The impact of this seems to bring the females into heat again and soon produce cubs from the new dominant males. The mating behaviour of lions is a painful process for the female. The penis is barbed and its withdrawal hurts the female who may twist around and attack the dismounting male. The pain is necessary for feline mating as it is the shock to her system that induces ovulation and permits fertilisation. Lionesses have a gestation period of three and a half months. Lions live up to about 18 years in the wild.

Lions have long been killed in rituals of bravery, as hunting trophies and for their medicinal and magical powers. Although lions are now protected in many parts of Africa, they were once considered to be stock-raiding vermin and were killed on sight. In some areas, livestock predation remains a severe problem.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) CHEETAH

Cheetah are present in the larger national parks but very scarce and not often seen. They usually move in small family groups and occasionally alone, They favour open country and light woodland. They prey on small or medium antelope such as oribi, puku and impala.

The cheetah is built for speed. It has long, slim, muscular legs, a small, rounded head set on a long neck, a flexible spine, a deep chest, nonretractable claws, special pads on its feet for traction and a long, tail for balance. Although fast, the cheetah cannot run at full speed for long distances (100 yards is about the limit) because it may overheat.

The cheetah is the fastest animal on four legs, capable of reaching speeds of over 97 kms/ hour (60 miles). To cope with the physical demands of sprinting, the cheetah has longer back legs to give greater stride and weight has been lost at the expense of muscular strength. Small cheetah cubs can fall prey to hunting lions and mothers often have difficulty defending their slow moving offspring.

Although known as an animal of the open plains that relies on speed to catch its prey, research has shown that the cheetah depends on cover to stalk prey. The cheetah gets as close to the prey as possible, then in a burst of speed tries to outrun its quarry. Once the cheetah closes in, it knocks the prey to the ground with its paw and suffocates the animal with a bite to the neck.

A shy creature that roams widely, the cheetah is not seen as easily as some other cats. Never numerous, cheetahs have become extinct in many areas, principally due to shrinking habitat, loss of species to prey upon, disease and a high rate of cub mortality. In some areas 50 to 75 percent of all cheetah cubs die before 3 months.

SPOTTED HYENA

The hyena is common the less arid areas. They feed on carrion but are also hunters in their own right.

Bones left over at a kill are cracked open with their powerful jaws and consumed. Because of the high calcium content in these bones, hyena droppings are white, like chalk.

Spotted hyenas are organized into territorial clans of related individuals that defend their home ranges against intruding clans. The center of clan activity is the den, where the cubs are raised and individuals meet. The den is usually situated on high ground in the central part of the territory. Its above-ground entrances are connected to a series of underground tunnels.

They live in holes in the ground where they breed, having one or two in a litter, the young looking like cute little brown puppies.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) Their gestation period is three and half months and they can live up to forty years. Their drawn out laugh-like call can often be heard from the camps at night. They usually move at night but can be seen in the day.

When a hyena's tail is carried straight, for example, it signals attack. When it is held up and forward over the back, the hyena is extremely excited. In contrast, it hangs down when the hyena is standing or walking leisurely. If frightened, the hyena tucks its tail between the legs and flat against the belly and usually skulks away.

The powerful jaws and digestive tract of the hyena allow it to process and obtain nutrients from skin and bones. The only parts of prey not fully digested are hair, horns and hooves; these are regurgitated in the form of pellets.

Lions (who will attack them at every opportunity), hunting dogs and strange hyenas are among the species that prey on hyenas.

WILD DOG

This species is considered endangered in Africa, despite having large litters of up to a dozen. They are probably killed as they move into inhabited areas, but anthrax has also been responsible for their decline in numbers. Packs of wild dogs wander continuously never staying long in one place.

The Wild Dog has undergone a dramatic recent decline in population to the stage that few countries now support viable populations. Wild Dogs are still moderately abundant in southern and eastern Africa.

Living in groups of 10 - 20 they are very efficient hunters using the open plains or savannahs and depend on their excellent eyesight and stamina to run down their prey. They usually take the smaller antelope but packs have been known to take animals as large as the kudu or waterbuck.

The pack has a communal breeding burrow and the whole pack co-operate in bringing food which they regurgitate for the young who first go through a begging ritual. There is often a preponderance of male pups in a litter. They live for 10 - 12 years in the wild. Wild Dogs live in socially complex packs composed of several related adult males and one or more related adult females originating from another pack. Often only the dominant bitch will rear pups successfully.

Directed hunting is the leading cause of decline. Wild Dogs are undeservedly perceived as voracious killers of game and livestock. Disease including canine distemper, rabies and anthrax have decimated many populations. . African wild dogs use their sense of sight, not smell, to find their prey. They pay no attention to wind direction and they do not use cover when approaching their prey. They can run up to 55 km/h for several kilometres. In eastern Africa, they mostly hunt Thomson’s gazelles, but they will also attack calves, warthogs, zebras, impalas, and the young of large antelopes such as the gnu.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) BUFFALO

These cattle-like ungulates have massive low sweeping horns and move in small to very large herds, often over 400 strong. There smaller bachelor herds of four to five. Occasionally solitary ones known as ‘Dagga Boys’ live alone and do not associate with the larger breeding herds. During the dry season they are the preferred prey of lion. They can sometimes be seen wallowing in mud pools which is essentially a cleansing technique that rids them of skin parasites and provides them with a caked mud barrier against further insect attacks.

If attacked, the adults in the herd form a circle around the young and face outward. By lowering their heads and presenting a solid barrier of sharp horns, it is difficult for predators to seize a calf. This effective group defense even allows blind and crippled members of the herd to survive. Thus predators do not have a major impact on buffalo herds; it is the old, solitary-living males that are most likely to be taken by lions.

Outside the national parks in East Africa, buffaloes frequently come into conflict with human interests. They break fences and raid cultivated crops and may spread bovine diseases to domestic stock. They are still numerous in many parts of East Africa, even though they have been periodically devastated by the rinderpest virus. In other areas of Africa, buffaloes have been eliminated or their numbers greatly reduced.

Sight and hearing are both rather poor, but scent is well developed in buffaloes. Although quiet for the most part, the animals do communicate. In mating seasons they grunt and emit hoarse bellows. A calf in danger will bellow mournfully, bringing herd members running at a gallop to defend it.

HIPPOPOTAMUS

Hippos are plentiful in Africa’s many waterways and often groups of over 60 can be seen in one spot, especially along the larger rivers.

They are vegetarian animals, feeding mainly at night and returning to lounge in the water before sunrise. They pluck grass with their wide lips but are also known to eat the fruit and flowers of the sausage tree. They consume up to 60kg of grass every night.

A calf is suckled on land and then in the water and begins to graze at four to six months. It reaches maturity at four years and has a life span of about forty years.

In areas where overcrowding is intense, aggression increases. They have a strict territorial system within which bulls are continually fighting for dominance. Their large tusks are used as weapons of attack or defence.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) The back is a purplish grey-brown, with the undersides pinkish. There are patches of pink on the face, especially around the eyes, ears, and cheeks. The hide is virtually hairless, and is moistened by mucous glands which secrete a reddish liquid. The body is bulky and barrel-like, and is supported by stubby legs.

The large, wide head has the eyes, nostrils and ears set on the top, allowing them to remain above water while the hippo is submerged. The mouth is widely split and can be opened extremely wide, exposing the canines, which are large and curved.

The river hippopotamus spends most of the day wallowing, resting, and swimming in or near water. At night, they emerge from the water to graze. Hippos will graze about 3 kilometers / 1.8 miles from water, although some individuals move farther inland. An individual may walk 10 kilometers / 6 miles to seek food on land, spending an average of 5-6 hours on land per night.

Despite their bulk, they can run extremely fast. The river hippo's daily consumption is 1-1.5 percent of its body weight, compared to an average of 2.5 percent for most other ungulates. Hippos swim and dive well, and their specific gravity allows them to walk along the bottom. When submerged, they can seal off their slit-like nostrils and ears. The shape of their head is muck like that of a frog, and allows them to keep their eyes and nostrils above the surface, while keeping the rest of their body submerged. Hippopotamuses usually remain submerged for 3-5 minutes, though they can stay below for up to 30 minutes.

Population densities vary, and can be as great as 31 animals per square kilometer. Adult males defend narrow territories which consist of water and the adjacent land. Both sexes are very aggressive - males defending their territory may kill another hippo nearby when courting females, and females join together to protect their offspring. The hippos major weapon is the set of large, sharp lower canines which, in males, may grow to 0.5 m / 1.5 feet long. The main vocalizations are a "wheeze-honk" and a roar.

GIRAFFE

The tallest animal in the world with long neck, long legs and long sloping back. They are gregarious mammals and move in herds of up to 20.

Ancient cultures in Africa revered the giraffe, as some modern cultures do today, and commonly depicted it in prehistoric rock and cave paintings. Unknown outside of Africa, this animal so excited man's curiosity that it was sometimes sent as a diplomatic gift to other countries; one of the earliest records tells of a giraffe going from "Melinda" (presumably Malindi) in Kenya to China in 1415.

The giraffe (as well as its short-necked relative the okapi from Central African forests) has a distinctive walking gait, moving both legs on one side forward at the same time. At a gallop, however, the gait changes, and the giraffe simultaneously swings the hind legs ahead of and outside the front legs, reaching speeds of 35 miles an hour. Its heavy head moves forward with each powerful stride, then swings back to stay balanced.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) They browse on a great variety of trees using their prehensile upper lip and long tongue to grasp the vegetation. Their average height is over four and a half meters and they often weigh over 1200kg.

They breed at any time but usually at the end of the rains having a gestation period of 15 months and only one offspring per birth.

Giraffes have a highly efficient blood circulation system. Their heart beat is 150 times/min as compared to an elephant at 25 times. This prevents dizziness when they move their heads up and down on average through 18 feet when drinking water.

Bulls fight one another by necking, testing their strength by pushing like human arm wrestlers..

Giraffe tails were highly prized by the ancient Egyptians, and still are in many African cultures. The desire for good- luck bracelets, fly whisks and thread for sewing or stringing beads have led people to kill the giraffe for its tail alone. Giraffes are easily killed and poaching (now more often for their meat and hide) continues today.

A relative of the horse family (Equidae) the zebra is a gregarious animal moving in herds of 20 to 100 or more. They often move with wildebeest and occasionally hartebeest or roan. This rather casual symbiosis with other species allows them to pool their defensive alertness and they usually have differing food preferences so grazing is not too competitive. Their gestation period is 12 months and in the wild have a lifespan of about 20 years.

Interestingly, the stripes of a zebra are unique on each animal, like fingerprints. Burchell’s zebra, the subspecies found in most of Southern Africa has evenly spaced dark and light stripes as compared to those found in the south and east of Africa having broad light stripes with faint shadow stripes between the thin dark lines.

Zebras have shiny coats that dissipate over 70 percent of incoming heat, and some scientists believe the stripes help the animals withstand intense solar radiation. The black and white stripes are a form of camouflage called disruptive coloration that breaks up the outline of the body. Although the pattern is visible during daytime, at dawn or in the evening when their predators are most active, zebras look indistinct and may confuse predators by distorting true distance.

It has always been assumed that the zebra’s stripes are for camouflage but even in woodland cover, this is not convincing, besides which, they often spend their time on open grasslands where they are very conspicuous because of their stripes. One theory is that it serves to create an optical illusion of them being larger than they are or to confuse predators of their exact position when striking, or to dazzle their enemies but there is little evidence for this. Their real purpose can only be speculation at this stage of our understanding of animals.

Family groups are stable members maintaining strong bonds over many years. Mutual grooming, where AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) zebras stand together and nibble the hair on each other's neck and back, helps develop and preserve these bonds. Family members look out for one another if one becomes separated from the rest, the others search for it. The group adjusts its traveling pace to accommodate the old and the weak.

Zebras are important prey for lions and hyenas, and to a lesser extent for hunting dogs, leopards and cheetahs. When a family group is attacked, the members form a semicircle, face the predator and watch it, ready to bite or strike should the attack continue. If one of the family is injured the rest will often encircle it to protect it from further attack.

PRIMATES

NIGHT APE Similar to the bush baby but smaller in body size, more triangular face with huge big eyes, and a long thin tail with a fluffy end. They are arboreal and strictly nocturnal occurring in a variety of woodland types, especially Acacia, eating mainly insects and fruit.

MONKEY Three types of monkey occur in Zambia. The Vervet Monkey is very common throughout a variety of woodland types. Moving in troops of about 20, they feed on young shoots, seeds and fruit but occasionally will eat insects and birds eggs. The Blue monkey and Maloney’s monkey have occasionally been sighted in Luangwa (Zambia), but their numbers are small.

BUSH BABY Called so because of its loud wailing scream, the bushbaby is an elusive tree creature, usually only spotted on night drives and then only its red eyes can be seen high up in the trees. They spend their days in hollow trees and forage among the treetops at night for insects and fruit. Very agile in trees but awkward on the ground, hopping in a frog like fashion. They are usually solitary, but may group together to form small and temporary communities

The lesser galago, also called bush baby, is one of the smallest primates, about the size of a squirrel. Despite its size, it is exceptionally vocal, producing loud, shrill cries surprisingly like those of a human baby. The plaintive cries and "cute" appearance may account for the name "bush baby." It and its larger cousin, the greater galago

Bush babies have large, round eyes for good night vision and batlike ears that enable them to track insect prey in the dark. Fast, agile and accurate, they catch some insects on the ground and snatch others from the air. As they jump through thorn bush or thick growth, they fold their delicate ears flat against their heads to protect them. They fold them during rest, too.

Bush babies hide during the day in order to avoid contact with predators such as eagles and large snakes. Since they are easily captured on ground they mostly stay in trees and rely on their

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) extraordinary jumping capabilities

BABOON The Chacma baboon are gregarious animals, occurring in troops of about 50 or more, feeding on the ground and in trees on fruit, seeds, rhizomes and insects. The basic unit is a harem - one dominant male surrounding himself with a number of breeding females. Their mating is frequent but for very short bursts at a time, usually only about 15 - 20 seconds. They breed at any time of the year and their gestation period is about 6 months. They have a strictly disciplined society, each member of the troop knowing his own status and ruled over by an elite group of elders. Any member of the clan who tries to usurp another’s position is taken to task by the dominant males who gang up against the offender resulting in an explosion of screaming and squawking. The degree of dominance among ruling members of the clan is shown by the angle at which they hold their tails: the higher the angle, the more dominant the male.

Baboons sleep, travel, feed and socialize together in groups of about 50 individuals, consisting of seven to eight males and approximately twice as many females plus their young. These family units of females, juveniles and infants form the stable core of a troop, with a ranking system that elevates certain females as leaders. A troop's home range is well-defined but does not appear to have territorial borders. It often overlaps with the range of other baboons, but the troops seem to avoid meeting one another.

The baboon's major predators are humans. Knowing that humans can easily kill or injure them when they are in trees, baboons usually escape through undergrowth. Males may confront other predators like leopards or cheetahs by forming a line and strutting in a threatening manner while baring their large canines and screaming. Baboons are fierce fighters, but a demonstration such as this can put the predator on the run.

ANTELOPE

BUSHBUCK

The elusive bushbuck with its striped back and spotted flanks are one of the prettier antelope, but being solitary and preferring to inhabit areas of dense cover, they are not seen very often and if one does, they scurry away quickly. They browse on foliage and fruit and sometimes remain for hours beneath certain flowering trees, especially the sausage tree (Kigelia africana).

Small, delicate, spiral-horned antelope, Tragelaphus scriptus, of tropical Africa. Bushbucks live in pairs in thick forest, browsing on leaves and shrubs by night and resting during the day. Their chief predator is the leopard. Adult males stand less

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) than 3 ft (90 cm) high at the shoulder and weigh about 100 lb (45 kg). The horns, borne only by the male, are about 16 in. (40 cm) long. The coat is reddish brown with scattered white markings, with males darker than females and young. Other species of the genus Tragelaphus are known as nyalas and sitatungas, although animals of this genus are sometimes referred to collectively as bushbucks. All are retiring, largely nocturnal antelopes; the female is hornless. The nyala, T. angasi, is a medium-sized antelope that inhabits the bush country and thickets of central Africa. The mountain nyala, T. buxtoni, is a very large antelope of the highlands of Ethiopia; the male may stand 4 1/2 ft (135 cm) high. The sitatunga, or marsh buck, T. spekei, is a large antelope found in swampy forests in central Africa; it is a good swimmer, but it is awkward on land. DUIKER

Three kinds of duiker occur in Zambia. The Yellow backed Duiker is the largest of the three with backward directed horns in line with their nose profile. A dark brown coat with a conspicuous yellow patch on the lower back and rump, the hairs upon which rise when alarmed. The move alone in dense thickets and forests. This antelope is very rarely seen as it is mainly nocturnal. The Blue Duiker also has backward pointing horns but is much smaller and greyish brown in colour. They browse on leaves and small fruit and are also rarely seen. The Common Duiker is usually seen on the move in the early morning or evening in scrub country or in woodland. It hides during the heat of the day in patches of thick vegetation. It has a very characteristic way of running in a zig zag fashion interspersed by plunging leaps. ELAND

Eland are graceful animals, with their large pendulous dewlap and pale fawn colour. The largest of the antelope found in Zambia, the eland can weigh up to 680 kg. Their weight however, does not hamper them from jumping, virtually from a standing position to a height of more than two meters (7 ft). Both sexes have horns in a short outward an upward twist, which are important for feeding. To collect twigs they grasp them between the stalks, breaking them loose with a shake of their head and powerful neck. A shy animal that runs at the slightest disturbance. This is perhaps because they have always been hunted in Africa, especially by the San tribe, who worshipped them, eating them as catholics do communion. They move in medium sized herds and old bulls tend to be solitary.

IMPALA

The most numerous animal in the bigger National Parks, impalas are gregarious moving in large herds. They are mixed feeders and eat mainly grass in the wet season and leaves as the dry season progresses. They can also be found eating the fallen red fleshly flowers of the sausage tree. During the rutting period the males are very noisy emitting loud grunting sounds whilst they fight and display, in the process of sorting out their hierarchy, terminating in the dominant male taking over a harem of twenty or more ewes. They have a well defined lambing season starting at the end of October and in the following weeks, nearly every ewe is seen with a baby. Impala have an unusual tuft of black hair covering a scent gland on the hind legs, above the hooves. To escape their pursuers they employ a confusing, zig zag escape route, with sudden directional changes and exceptionally high leaps making it difficult for the pursuing attacker to strike.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) KLIPSPRINGER

Living on rocky outcrops and on mountan sides, these small antelope with short pointy horns occur sparsely in the Muchinga escarpment of the Luangwa Valley and occasionally in the north of the country. It bounces on the tips of its rubbery hooves as it walks, making it’s very long legs look even longer. Unlike the coat of other African antelope, their olive-yellow coat speckled with grey is stiff and brittle serving as a cushion to ward off the shocks of hitting rock walls as they jump. They browse on herbs and shrubs and drink water when it is available but can draw enough water from their food. KUDU

A very beautiful antelope with long twisting spiralled horns displayed by the males. They are usually seen in small groups and occasionally males can be solitary or in bachelor parties. They are purely browsers and not known to eat grass, being very fond of the evergreen Trichelia emetica and where these trees occur, there is a very distinct ‘browse line’ as if they’ve been pruned by clippers. Despite their impressive weight they can easily clear 2 meters (7ft) when jumping. Their acute hearing is accentuated by an ability to turn their large rounded ears in almost any direction. LICHTENSTEIN'S HARTEBEEST

Found in the northern parts of the country in small numbers, this light fawn coloured antelope prefers miombo woodland habitats and feeds exclusively on grass. It can sometimes be seen on the floodplains towards the end of the dry season seeking new pastures

LECHWE

A semi-aquatic antelope often moving in very large herds of several hundred. They graze knee deep on the flood plain grasses. They have long thin horns going backwards and upwards. There are three kinds of lechwe are found in Zambia. The Black Lechwe is the darkest of the three, with a rich blackish brown coat and is found only in the Okavango Delta and Bangwelu swamps. The Kafue Lechwe has larger and longer horns than the other two species with dark shoulder patches and a light brown coat. The Red Lechwe is yellowish red in colour and dark brown markings on the legs. ORIBI

They are distinguished by the bare black glandular patches below their large oval shaped ears. They like to graze on open plains and dambos and have a characteristic ‘stotting’ action when alarmed, jumping into the air with all four legs held stiff and straight. Some experts believe this may be done to give them a better view of approaching predators but it is more likely they are trying to entice the predator to chase and so divert attention from the herd.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) PUKU

These furry orange antelope with thick, heavily ringed V shaped horns, are gregarious and graze along the floodplains near permanent water.

They have limited distribution in Africa, confined to the area drained by the Zambezi and its tributaries and a few isolated pockets in Tanzania.

They move in herds of up to thirty or so.

REEDBUCK

The reedbuck is a gregarious animal moving in family groups of three to five. They are found in dambos and other open grassy areas. They have a characteristic ‘rocking horse’ action ; the tail is turned up to expose the white ventral surface, and they whistle at each jump forward. ROAN

Roan are a large light brown antelope with ringed horns, rising upwards and backwards in a small arch. They move in herds but bulls may be solitary, staying near dambos, light woodland and open plains. SABLE

The most handsome of the antelopes, with a deep brown coat and long backward arching horns. Adult males have a deep glossy black coat and with the pronounced curve of their long horns are very striking animals.

SHARPE'S GRYSBOK

A tiny solitary antelope with short pointy horns only 3-5cm long. It favours thickets and feeds on the leaves of low growing shrubs. Not often seen due to its shy and nocturnal habits. Distinguished from the duiker of the same size in that it runs smoothly not in zig zag, with body and head held low.

STEENBUCK

This small antelope with straight upward pointing horns and a lush rufous coat can be seen in light woodland where it browses and grazes. It often eludes it’s predators by darting down old burrows.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) SITATUNGA

A beautiful reddish brown animal with twisted backward pointing horns, faint white strips on the back and white spots on the flanks and cheeks.

A true aquatic antelope found only in swamp grasses having specially adapted long pointy hooves to support them on marshy soil.

TSESSEBE

The fastest of the antelope, they have a smooth reddish brown coat with a light fawn belly and a tasselled tail. They graze on open plains.

WATERBUCK

The waterbuck has a long-haired, often shaggy brown-gray coat that emits a smelly, greasy secretion thought to be for waterproofing. In East Africa two types occur, the common waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck, distinguished only by the white pattern on the rump. The common waterbuck has a conspicuous white ring encircling a dark rump, while the defassa has wide white patches on either side of the rump.

They have pronounced U shape horns. They move in fairly big herds near dambos and on aquatic grassland but always close to woodland or thicket.

Hyenas, lions, and leopards are the major predators, but crocodiles, hunting dogs and cheetahs also take waterbuck. WILDEBEEST

Cookson’s Wildebeest occurs in the northern part of Zambia’s Luangwa Valley and the Blue Wildebeest in most of the other southen African regions. In November every year, enormous herds migrate across the plains. Their young are born a reddish-brown and can stand within minutes of birth. They take on their mature colour after two months. They move in large herds headed by one to three bulls that trot around the group in their peculiar, head high, rocking gait, forcing the herd into a tight mass.

THE SMALLER CARNIVORES

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) AARDWOLF

Similar to the hyena in appearance but bushier. They are nocturnal but can be seen during the day. They favour open dry plains or light woodland where they feed on insects. Some experts suggest the Aardwolf is related to the hyaena but through a changing diet over the centuries, it has evolved into a family by itself. They move about at night, hiding during the daytime in old aardvark burrows in which they raise their young, usually three to a litter, often in small communities of nursing females. AFRICAN WILD CAT

Similar in appearance to a large tabby cat, they occur throughout Zambia but are not often seen. They hunt at night, preying on small mammals, birds, frogs and insects. Their young are born in a hollow tree or burrow.

AFRICAN STRIPED WEASEL

Similar in marking to the zorilla, with the same white stripes down its back and a thick white bushy tail but smaller, more slender and sleeker,. They move in family groups or in pairs, feeding on rodents and small birds. CARACUL

Present throughout the region but very rarely seen the caracal is a beautiful cinnamon coloured member of the cat family. They prey on small mammals, and birds, have a gestation of 10 weeks and live for as long as 17 years. Few cats can imitate the caracals sudden spring to pull down a bird in mid flight, sometimes as high as three meters (10 feet), a remarkable feat for such a small animal. The soft thick coat has no distinct stripes but is clearly spotted on the underside and has a shorter tail than any other African cat. CIVET

A long legged half dog-, half cat-like creature with long course body hair and a vivid pattern of black spots. Fairly common in all the wilderness areas, often seen on night drives in the national parks. During the day, they hide in thickets or holes and by night are omnivorous feeders. They return to the same place to defecate where they deposit large piles of dung, showing the remains of beetles, fruit and a wide range of other food. They are in fact very important disperses of fruit seeds. Their scent glands secrete a nauseating smell used to mark their territory. They gestate for 6-9 weeks and live up to 14 years. GENET

A small cat with short legs, pointed snout and ringed tail. Genets are often seen at night in the wilds. They live in trees where they breed, having 2-3 kittens per litter after a gestation period of 2 months and eat birds, mice, snakes and fruit. Genets return to the same place day after day, hunting mostly on the ground. They spit and growl like cats when

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) they are angry or threatened. Their normal call is a clear metallic note

Genets vary in color from brownish-gray to pale yellow or buff with dark brown or black spots that tend to be large, elongated and arranged in rows along the soft-furred body. They have a long tail ringed in black and white and a boldly patterned face. Like many other animals, the habitat determines the variations in color, with species in arid areas having lighter-colored coats than those in forested areas HONEY BADGER

Very distinctive marking with a thick greyish white band from its head to its tail, the tail often held in an upright position. They are often in pairs and sometimes alone, living partly in trees and found in most habitat types. It preys on rodents and insects, but also eats fruits and roots. The name ‘honey badger’ is derived from its supposed habit of following the Honeyguide bird to a bees nest where it will feed on the honeycomb and grubs after the hive has been opened up. Legend or not, they are very fond of honey.

Related to the wolverine and martens, as shown by the resemblance in teeth, the honey badger resembles in fossorial form and perhaps in its fierce disposition the true badgers. The honey badger has short legs and stout claws and is a strong burrower and a good climber. About 2 ft (61 cm) long excluding the tail, it has a coat that is black on the lower half of the body and pale gray above. The honey badger resembles its distant relative the skunk in coloration and in the possession of an anal scent gland. It is nocturnal, feeds on rodents, reptiles, and insects, and has a thick loose coat that protects it against snake bites and insect stings. The honey badger collaborates with the honeyguide, or indicator bird, in obtaining honey, a favorite food. The bird searches for a bee colony, and when one is found, the honey badger rips it open. The bird and the honey badger then share the honey. Honey badgers travel singly or in pairs. The young, usually two, are born in burrows. Honey badgers are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Mustelidae. MONGOOSE

The Banded mongoose is the most conspicuous of 9 species and is frequently seen actively foraging around in parties of a dozen or more and when disturbed scurry into termite mounds or other ground refuge. The Slender mongoose on the other hand is solitary and unmistakable with its upturned tufted tail. Found in various woodland types, it preys on small vertebrates and insects. The White tailed mongoose is a large nocturnal animal often picked up with a spot light. The Dwarf mongoose is the smallest in the mongoose family and runs in troops of up to 15. They are found in woodland near hollow trees, anthills or rocky outcrops.

A day in the life of a mongoose begins about sunrise. The adults come out of the den and sun and groom themselves and each other, while the young wrestle and play around them. If the young are small, they stay at the nest site with a babysitter, but if large enough to keep up with the pack, they all move off with the adults to forage for food. During the heat of the day the pack often returns to the den to rest. They forage again in the afternoon, and sun and groom themselves before returning to the

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) den for the night.

Mongooses have keen eyesight and keep watch for potential predators and rival packs from the tops of termite mounds. They attack those that get too close or take the young mongooses to safety inside a termite mound. Even with such care the mortality rate is high for juveniles, but considering their small size and the large number of potential predators, dwarf mongooses have a remarkably long life span. SERVAL

Although fairly common in the bigger parks, they are rarely seen. Looking like a large domestic cat with a spotted coat and a banded tail, the serval is a solitary animal breeding in the winter months. Their gestation period is 2 months , their young being born and reared in old anthill or porcupine burrows. They prey on small mammals, fish, roots, fruit, lizards and birds.

The serval is much larger than the domestic cat. It is long-legged, the hind legs longer than the front legs. Its neck is long and its head small, with large, erect ears.

The serval is mainly nocturnal, but even in the daytime it can be difficult to see in tall grass. It hunts by sight and sound more than scent. With its acute hearing, a serval can locate prey that is moving underground. If hunting prey above ground, the serval raises its head above the grass and listens for movement. Once a sound is located, the serval stealthily approaches, then leaps and pounces. It often plays with its catch before eating it.

Servals are prey of hyenas, hunting dogs and leopards. SPOTTED -NECKED OTTER

The Spotted Necked Otter is moderate to small in size. Its head to body is 575 The tail is 330 to 445mm long. The whole length of the Spotted Necked Otter is 950 to 1170mm. The feet of the Spotted-necked Otter are webbed, with the webbing ending close to the end of the toes, and strong claws.

Seen occasionally along the Kafue river, this small chestnut brown creature moves in small family groups, occasionally alone and usually at night. It preys on fish, crabs and frogs. The Clawless Otter is found in the larger streams and rivers of Kafue and Lochinvar and occasionally along the Zambezi. It is larger than the spotted necked otter and, as its name implies, it has no claws and its front feet are not webbed. JACKAL

The jackal, a medium-sized carnivore with doglike features and a bushy tail, is widely distributed in Africa, the Middle East and India. This animal has long been the subject of superstition about death and evil spirits. The ancient Egyptians believed a jackal-headed god, Anubis, guided the dead to those who judged their souls. Such beliefs were probably encouraged by the jackal's cleverness, nocturnal habits, eerie howling and scavenging.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) Jackals live singly or in pairs, and are sometimes found in small packs. They are among the few mammalian species in which the male and female mate for life. Mated pairs are territorial, and both the female and male mark and defend the boundaries of their territory

Jackals can best be described as opportunistic omnivores. They cooperatively hunt small or young antelopes such as dikdiks or Thomson's gazelles or even domestic sheep. They also eat snakes and other reptiles, insects, ground-dwelling birds, fruits, berries and grass. A pair of jackals will move through their territory at a fast trot, stopping frequently to examine something, sniff the air or listen-ready for any opportunity that might provide a meal.

Leopards, hyenas and eagles are jackals' most feared predators. Eagles are small pups biggest threat. ZORILLA

The stripy zorilla has only been recorded in the Kafue National Park and is a rare sighting, favouring dry open country and light woodland, where it feeds on rodents, insects and small birds. The zorilla looks like a skunk, but it is actually an African polecat, which is a different animal altogether. It produces a foul-smelling substance in its anal glands, which it can squirt out if it is threatened by predators or other dangers. Obviously it is a nocturnal animal, and it feeds on rodents, eggs, reptiles and insects. It spends the day resting in its burrow, which would be found in the open country or savannah.

BIRDLIFE

Birding is such a specific and exclusive subject, that it is impossible in this synopsis to do justice to each region, as it is an intense subject in its own right. Below is some information relative to Zambia, of which much is also relative to the rest of Southern Africa. Further reading is highly recommended for the avid ornithologist.

By African standards, Zambia is well known ornithologically. So far 740 species have been recorded here.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) Avifaunal Areas of Zambia

To a large extent Zambia’s avifauna is that of the Central African Plateau. The vegetation is principally miombo woodland, bisected by grassy dambos along drainage lines. In some areas the miombo woodland is replaced by other woodland types, dry forest or thicket. Along watercourses there may be riparian forest, or in wetter areas in the north, wet evergreen forest. Most of these habitats have a distinctive set of birds.

Zambia also has low-lying valleys. These include the Luangwa and Middle Zambezi Valleys and the country between Lakes Tanganyika and Mweru. A number of birds found in these areas are different from those occurring at higher altitudes.

A very small part of Zambia has montane altitudes. The avifauna here is quite different from that of the rest of the country and includes several species with very limited ranges.

Codes used are: (E)Endemic (found only in) to this habitat. (m) Established migrant, (n) (s) (e) (w) Found only in northern/southern/eastern/ western Zambia.

Habitats

WOODLAND

Of Zambia’s woodland birds, a few are found only in particular kinds of woodland - miombo or mopane, for example or in association with fig or palm trees. Most, however, occur in a range of woodland types, and often also the edge of forest. This is true of many of the forty-four species of diurnal raptor of the family Accipitridae - the vultures, hawks, eagles, etc. Thus the Bateleur, Shikra and Lizard Buzzard can be found almost anywhere. Among the less common members of this family, the African Cuckoo Hawk, Bat Hawk, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Ayres Hawk Eagle and Crowned Eagle are more common in Zambia than in many other countries where they occur.

Some of the birds inhabiting woodlands are the doves, pigeons, parrots, cuckoos. owls, nightjars, kingfishers, hornbills and the Broad-billed Roller. Barbets, honeyguides, woodpeckers, Swallows, the Fork-tailed Drongo and flycatchers. See the bird checklist for a full list of species found in Zambia.

MIOMBO WOODLAND

Lying at the centre of the miombo zone of south-central Africa, Zambia has a greater variety of miombo birds than any of its neighbours. Miombo is the commonest woodland type in Zambia and such areas have an undisturbed avifauna.

Many of the birds of the miombo woodland join mixed-species bird parties. A typical bird party may contain members of ten or twenty species, mainly of territorial insectivorous birds. The party travels slowly through the woodland and membership changes as the route leaves and enters individual territories. A party is often first noticed where one of its more conspicuous members is seen or heard - a Fork-tailed Drongo or Arnot’s Chat, for example. The following are some of the birds that, where they occur, usually join mixed-species bird parties in miombo woodland. Scimitarbill, Hoopoe, barbets, honeyguides, woodpeckers, pipits, cuckoo shrikes,

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) eremomelas, Miombo Barred Warbler (E), hyliotas, flycatchers, Chinspot Batis, tits, Spotted Creeper (E), orioles, Brubru, Southern Puffback, Grey-headed Bush Shrike, Fork-tailed Drongo, Violet backed Starling, Yellow-throated Petronia, Chestnut-mantled Sparrow-weaver (E) (n), Weavers, Seed-eaters, Cabanis’s Bunting (E)

More independent birds found here are the Pale-billed Hornbill, Central Bearded Scrub Robin, Trilling Cisticola (n) and many of the sunbirds.

MOPANE WOODLAND

In addition to those birds found in any woodland type, mopane has several species, listed below, that in Zambia are largely or entirely confined to this habitat. All are easily noticed because they are vocal, numerous and/or conspicuous, while in the case of the sparrow-weaver the nests cannot be missed. The Black-cheecked Lovebird is of particular interest because it has a very small range and is considered endangered. Among the threats to its continued existence in the wild are drought and the possibility that illegal capture for the cage-bird trade might resume. Others are the Three-banded Courser, Red- billed Hornbill, Southern Long-tailed Starling, Southern Grey- headed Sparrow and the White-browed Sparrow-weaver

LIGHT WOODLAND

In places, the natural woodland is open, such as on the edges of plains and dambos. Elsewhere light woodland has been created by human activity. Among the characteristic birds of such areas are the Black Shouldered Kite, Black-bellied Bustard, Namaqua Dove (m), Grey Lourie (s), Bare-faced Go-away Bird (n), Little Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Flappet and Fawn-coloured (w) Larks, Red-backed Cisticola (m), Fiscal Shrikes and the Yellow-fronted Canary

PARTICULAR TREES

Trees and bushes of one species or another in the Acacia group occur in much of Zambia, particularly south-west. Among birds associated with these are the African Mourning Dove, Acacia Pied Barbet, the migrant Tit Babbler, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Cape Glossy Starling, Burchell’s Starling, Scaly- feathered Finch, Black-faced Waxbill, Shaft-tailed Widow and in sub-montane areas, Brown Parisoma.

In baobabs, the Red-billed Buffalo Weaver often builds nests. Hollows in the same tree may be used for breeding by the Mottled Spinetail.

Several birds are associated with one or more species of Palm. Thus the Palm-nut Vulture normally occurs in the vicinity of raphia or elaeis palms. Dickinson’s Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, African Palm Swift and Collared Palm Thrush often nest in palms such as borassus.

Large spreading sycamore fig trees in otherwise rather open country are a conspicuous feature of parts of southern Zambia. Numerous species eat the fruit or make hole nests in dead branches. One bird that does both is Chaplin’s Barbet. It occurs in a limited part of Zambia centred on the Kafue flats and is Zambia’s only endemic bird. This striking white and black species is considered near-threatened.

BAMBOO

Extensive bamboo thickets occur in scattered parts of Zambia, notably on the Copperbelt and along the edges of the Luangwa Valley. At rare times when bamboo seeds are available, the Pied Mannikin can be extraordinarily common in such areas, but at other times it is scarce, local and partially nomadic.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) USNEA

Or ‘old man’s beard’, Usnea is an essential component of the habitat of two uncommon and poorly known insectivorous weavers of miombo woodland - Bar-winged west of the Luangwa Valley and olive-headed to the East. The usnea lichen is used in nest construction.

Scrub consisting of low bushes, small thickets or regrowth separated by stands of grass occur both naturally and on land formally cleared. Several of the species of this habitat are very common and include: Laughing Dove, Red- faced Mousebird, Common Bulbul, Thrush Nightingale, White-browed Scrub Robin, Marsh Warbler (m), Common Whitethroat, Rattling Cisticola, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Arrow-marked Babbler, White-bellied Sunbird (s), Brown headed and Black-crowned Tchagras, Tropical Boubou, Red-billed Quelea, Yellow Bishop, Red-collared Whydah, Red-billed and Jameson’s Firefinches, Blue (s) and Violet eared (w) Waxbills and the Village and Dusky Indigo-birds.

THICKET

Extensive areas of deciduous thicket occur in the low-lying area between Lakes Mweru and Tanganyika. Typical birds include the migrant African Pitta and the resident White-throated Nicator. The same species occur in similar habitats in the middle Zambezi and Luangwa Valleys, alongside the Natal Francolin, Barred long-tailed Cuckoo, Sombre bulbul, Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin and Livingstone’s Flycatcher.

Generally smaller areas of thicket occur over much, but not all of the plateau. These thickets as well as those at lower altitudes are the habitat of migrant Red-capped Robin and River Warblers, and such residents as Crested Guineafowl, African Broadbill, Yellow-bellied and Terrestrial Bulbul, Bleating Bush Warbler and the Melba Finch.

FOREST

Forest Habitats cover a small part of the surface of Zambia. However, they have a diverse avifauna that is largely different from that of the neighbouring woodlands. In forest, as in miombo woodland, many of the smaller birds gather into mixed-species foraging bird parties.

Some birds occur regularly at forest edge or in such near forest habitats as dense woodland, well developed thickets or rich vegetation on termite mounds. These include Blue spotted Wood Dove (n), Schalow’s Turaco, Lady Ross’s Turaco (n), Emerald Cuckoo, Speckled Mousebird (n), Narina Trogon, Brown-headed Kingfisher, Black-backed Barbet (n), Yellow breasted Apalis, Dusky Flycatcher (n), Collared Sunbird, Brown and Blue-billed Firefinches, Black-tailed Grey Waxbill (n) and Black-faced Canary (n).

Riverbanks often support a growth of riparian forest. Even if only a few meters wide or discontinuous, this habitat and the water it overhangs may be occupied by White- backed Night Heron, Green-backed Heron, Hadeda, African Black Duck, African finfoot, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Half-collared and Giant Kingfishers, Bohms Bee-eater (n) Olive woodpecker (n) Grey-olive Bulbul (n), Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher (n), Black throated Wattle-eye and Spectacled Weaver.

North of about 14 degrees, patches of wet evergreen forest, often called mushitu, grow on moist ground along rivers or at their headwaters. This rich habitat is more widespread at plateau levels than in low lying country between lakes Mweru and Tanganyika and it does not occur in the northern Luangwa Valley. Mushitu birds that are relatively widespread in northern Zambia include Woolly-necked Stork, Golden-rumped Tinkerbird, Purple-throated Cuckoo Shrike, Little and Cabanis’s Greenbuls, Yellow-throated Leaflove, West African Thrush,

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) Bocage’s Robin, Evergreen Forest and Laura’s Warblers, Grey Apalis, Blue-mantled Flycatcher, Olive Sunbird, Many-coloured Bush Shrike, Square-tailed Drongo, Splendid Glossy Starling (m), Dark-backed Weaver and Black-bellied Seed-cracker. Less widespread mushitu species include Cinnamon Dove, Margaret’s Batis (w) and Green Twinspot.

Dry evergreen forest in northern Zambia is generally less well developed than mushitu but, where rich enough, supports many of the same birds. The dry Cryptosepalum forests of the north-west support an additional species, the Gorgeous Bushshrike.

The Marsh Tchagra is one of a number of birds that occupy the dense, tangled bracken-briar at the outer edge of forest in northern Zambia.

Despite the few montane forests in Zambia, a large number of montane forest birds occur here. They include the Red-breasted Sparrowhawk, Rameron Pigeon, Pink-breasted Turtle Dove, Mountain Nightjar, Scarce Swift (m), Bar-tailed Trogon, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Bulbul, Olive and Orange Thrushes, White-chested Alethe, Starred and Olive Flanked Robins, Sharpe’s Akalat, Yellow throated Warbler (Mafinga only), Chestnut-headed Apalis, Slaty Flycatcher, Cape Batis, African Hill Babbler, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Fulleborn’s Black Boubou, Waller’s Red- winged and Slender-billed Chestnut-winged Starlings and the Red-faced Crimsonwing.

Several further birds occurring only at montane altitudes like in the dense bracken briar at the edge of montane forest: Red-tailed Flufftail, Cape Robin, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Churring and Black-lored Cisticolas, Baglafecht and Bertram’s Weavers, Swee Waxbill, African Citril and Streaky Seed- eater.

WETLANDS: DAMBOS GRASSLANDS

On the generally flat plateau, rivers are fed principally by dambos, where water seeps out into grassland and drains into the watercourse running through the centre of the dambo. On the upper parts of the dambo, close to the woodland edge, scattered trees are occupied by the White-winged Black Tit. The driest areas of sometimes extensive short grassland are inhabited by Temminck’s Courser (m), Red-capped Lark (m) and the Dessert Cisticola. The dry montane grasslands of the Nyika Plateau have populations of Red-winged Francolin and Common Quail.

The intermediate levels in typical dambos are permanently spongy and have short grass. This habitat is common enough in northern Zambia but does not occur in many other parts of Africa. Consequently many of the birds found here are uncommon elsewhere or have a localised distribution. They include Blue Quail (m), Long-toed (n) and Streaky-breasted (m) Flufftails, Black and Rufous Swallow (m) (n), Yellow-throated (e), Fulleborn’s (w) and Grimwood’s (nw) Longclaws, Pectoral-patch, Black-tailed (nw) and stout (n) Cisticolas, Yellow-mantled and Marsh (n) Whydahs, Fawn-breasted waxbill (n), Locust Finch and Black-chinned Quailfinch (n), Croaking Cisticola and red-billed Quelea (m).

The centre of a dambo consist of a series of different wetland habitats. In reedbeds there may be little Bitterns, Red-chested Flufftail, African Water Rail, Little Rush and Lesser Swamp Warblers and Chirping Cisticola. Where sedges are common, there may be Lesser Black-backed Cisticola (n) or in a few areas, Great-crested Grebe. Where reeds overhang water, weavers such as Bocage’s (nw), Large Golden or Yellow-backed (ne)occur. In water-lily covered pools African Pygmy goose, White-backed and Yellow-billed Duck and African and Lesser Jacana. On bare ground or mud, Hamerkop, Senegal Wattled Plover and Cape Wagtail occur.

MAJOR WETLANDS

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) Zambia has a number of major wetlands. On the plateau, there are huge wetland areas along the Chambeshi River, at Bangweulu, in eastern Kawambwa District, on the upper Kafue and Jiwundu Rivers, at Lukanga and Busanga Swamps, on the Kafue Flats and Barotse Floodplain and on the Zambezi along the Namibian border. At lower levels, major wetlands exist on the lower Luapula Rivers, at Lake Mweru Wantipa, on the Luangwa River, at Lake Kariba and on the Zambezi below Kariba Gorge. Those that have been declared Ramsar sites - internationally important wetlands - are Lochinvar and Blue Lagoon on the Kafue Flats and Chikuni in the Bangweulu area.

On the periphery of many of these wetlands are floodplains, which may be occupied by Abdim’s (m) and White (m) (e) Storks, Montagu’s Harrier (m), Secretary Bird, Red-billed Francolin (sw), Wattled Crane, Denham’s Bustard, Common Pratincole, Caspian (m) and crowned (m) Plovers, Ruff (m), Marsh Owl, Natal Nightjar, White-cheeked (n) and Blue-cheeked (m) Bee-eaters, Rufous-naped Lark, White-throated Swallow, Richard’s Pipit, White- rumped Babbler and Quail Finch.

Shallowly inundated vegetation is usually rich in both the number of birds and the variety of species, which include Common Squacco and Rufous-bellied Herons, Yellow-billed Egret, Saddle-billed Stork, Sacred and Glossy Ibises, Fulvous and White-faced Whistling Ducks, Spur-winged Goose, Knob-billed and Yellow-billed Ducks, Red-billed and Hottentot Teals, Southern Crowned Crane, Painted and Ethiopian Snipes, Black- winged Stilt, Long-toed Plover, Malachite Kingfisher and Sedge Warbler.

Another important wetland habitat is bare or poorly vegetated mud, often at the water’s edge. This habitat is most extensive when water levels are falling towards the end of the dry season. Among birds occurring here are Little Egret, Grey Heron, Ringed (m), Three-banded and Blacksmith Plovers, Marsh (m), Wood (m) and Common (m) Sandpipers, Greenshank (m) and Little Stint (m).

Shallow open water is used by a number of larger waterbirds, including White-breasted and Reed Cormorants, White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed and Open-billed Storks, African Spoonbill, Whiskered and White-winged Black (m) Terns and Pied Kingfisher.

Deep open water is usually lacking in birds, though on Lake Tanganyika the occasional group of Lesser Black- backed Gulls can be seen.

A large number of waterbirds use tall swamp for breeding or roosting. Other occupying this habitat more permanently include Purple Heron, Shoebill (n), African Marsh Harrier, Purple Gallinule, Common Moorhen, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Swamp Boubou (w), Southern Brown-throated Weaver (w), African Masked Weaver (race katangae) (n) and Red-shouldered Whydah.

Large stands of papyrus swamp occur in northern Zambia and are the habitat of the Greater Swamp Warbler, Swamp Flycatcher and Papyrus Yellow Warbler. Conservationists consider the last of these to be vulnerable. The Zambian race is found in papyrus only at the mouth of the Luapula River, where it enters Lake Mweru.

RIVERS

Slow-moving sections of major rivers such as the Luangwa and Zambezi provide two further ornithologically important habitats: horizontal sand bars and vertical sand cliffs. Among the birds associated with sand bars are the Egyptian Goose, Water Dikkop, White-crowned and White-fronted Sand Plovers and the African Skimmer. Those making extensive use of sand cliffs for breeding include Horus Swift, White-fronted and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters and the African Sand Martin.

Rocks exposed in rivers are the habitat of the migrant Rock Pratincole and, in some areas, of the Mountain Wagtail. Forbe’s Plover may breed where exposed rocks are adjacent to a river, as at the Zambezi Rapids. AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) ROCKY HABITATS

Miombo woodland on rocky ground occurs patchily over much of Zambia, though not in areas of Kalahari Sand. It is typical of escarpments, such as those flanking the Luangwa and Middle Zambezi Valleys. This is the habitat of a number of somewhat localised birds such as Shelley’s Francolin, Freckled Rock nightjar, Striped Pipit, Familiar Chat and Rock-loving Cisticola. In south-eastern Zambia the Boulder Chat and Cape Bunting occur in similar places where there are also large boulders.

Extensive rock exposures, including precipices, are of limited occurrence and often difficult of access. Their specialised avifauna includes the Black Stork, Augur Buzzard, Black Eagle, Taita and Peregrine Falcons, Mottled, African Black and Little Swifts, African Rock Martin, Mocking Chat, White-necked Raven and Red-winged Starling.

MAMMALS

The yellow-billed and Red-billed Oxpeckers are dependent on large game animals, where they occur, or, in western Zambia, on cattle and even donkeys. Hooded, White-backed, Lappet-faced and White-headed Vultures feed at the carcasses of dead animals, including domestic cattle. They are joined by the Marabou Stork, which may also be present at abattoirs. The Cattle Egret (m) and Wattled Starling (m) frequently feed around cattle or game animals. Ground trampled by cattle or other animals may attract the Yellow Wagtail (m) or Groundscraper Thrush.

TERMITES

When winged termite alates emerge after rain, many birds congregate to eat them, even such primarily vegetarian species as whydahs and waxbills. Among species that are particularly likely to appear at such emergences are certain migrants - European Hobby, European Swift and European Swallow.

In Zambia the European Swift (m) occurs only in the sky, often near rain. The same is usually true of the House Martin (m), though at times it perches on trees or wires. Both species apparently sleep in flight. The same is doubtless true of the Alpine Swift, a dry season visitor to the skies of eastern Zambia.

Among other species that feed principally in the sky irrespective of the habitat below are European Bee-eater (m) and European Swallow (m).

Many of the larger diurnal raptors are most frequently seen overhead. Some, such as Vultures, Black-breasted Snake Eagle and Bateleur, spend much of the day soaring. Others, such as the Yellow-billed Kite, common Buzzard and Lesser spotted Eagle, pass over on migration.

Many species of birds are attracted to bush fires by the fleeing or roasted insects and other animals. Almost always present are the Fork-tailed Drongos, often in large numbers. Others often present include Marabou Stork, Yellow-billed Kite (m), Dickinson’s Kestrel, Rollers, Hornbills and Swallows.

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The Dusky Lark (m) is attracted to fiercely burning bush fires. It may begin singing before smouldering has stopped and it breeds in the ashes. Likewise, the Bronze-winged Courser (m) often appears shortly after the ground has been burnt. Among other partial dry-season visitors requiring bare open ground that may become available only after the passage of fire are Crowned Plover, Temmink’s Courser, Hoopoe, Red-capped Lark, Grey-rumped Swallow, Buffy Pipit and Capped Wheatear.

MAN-MADE HABITATS

During the twentieth century human activity has created many new habitats now utilised by birds. The House Sparrow is entirely dependent on man-made structures and is new to the Zambian avifauna. Several species, particularly of Swallow, are now much more common than previously.

Buildings made of permanent materials are used for nesting by the Grey-headed Sparrow. The same species and the Mosque Swallow regularly nest in electrical installations. The House Sparrow, which first appeared in Zambia in 1965, is more strictly confined to towns than the Grey-headed Sparrow and is particularly common at grain milling factories. Several other birds originally associated with rocky habitats have occupied towns. Thus the little Swift nests under overhangs at the top of tall structures such as silos. Less frequently, the Peregrine Falcon and African Rock Martin occur at modern buildings. The barn and spotted Eagle Owls often nest in roofs and on the Nyika Plateau the red-rumped and Blue (m) Swallows nest under eaves.

Concrete bridges are regularly used for nesting by the Little African White- rumped Swifts (m) and Lesser Striped and Wire-tailed Swallows. In northern Zambia the red-throated Cliff Swallow (m) nests mainly under bridges and is currently expanding its range. In the Mbala areas, the red rumped Swallow also nests under bridges. Culverts under roads are the main nesting site of the red breasted Swallow.

A number of nocturnal birds perch on roads at night and may be killed by traffic. These include the Three-banded and Bronze-winged coursers, Spotted Eagle Owl and nightjars. During the day doves, particularly the Cape Turtle Dove, come to untarred roads to ingest grit. At times, European Swallows (m) perch in flocks on tarred roads.

In some areas Pied Crows regularly nest in Pylons. Raptors that frequently perch on pylons include the Brown Snake Eagle and Dark Chanting Goshawk. Electricity and telephone wires are used as perches by many species including Black-shouldered Kite, Namaqua Dove (m) European (m) and Lilac-breasted Rollers, European Swallow (m), Sooty Chat, Red-backed (m), Lesser Grey (m) and Fiscal Shrikes, Fork-tailed Drongo and the various species of Indigobird.

Suburban gardens may have a relatively rich avifauna. The presence of water attracts such seed-eating species as weavers, Bishops, whydahs, firefinches, waxbills, mannikins, indigobirds, widows and canaries. Nectar- bearing flowers attract sunbirds. Dense shrubbery provides suitable habitat for Heuglin’s Robin and Tropical Boubou. Fruit trees may attract the Red-faced Mousebird.

In Eastern Zambia the African Pied Wagtail often occurs in villages. Within its range, the Red-billed Firefinch may nest in thatched roofs. Where eucalyptus trees have been planted in rural settlements, they are often used for nesting by the Pied Crow and Village Weaver.

AFRICAN AERO SAFARIS www.aerosafari.com [email protected] Fax + 27 11 462 4547 (South Africa) Farm dams are common in commercial farming areas and usually attract many species of waterbird. The standing dead trees in new dams may be used as nesting sites by the scarce White-breasted Cormorant.

On commercial farms, extensive cleared areas may attract migrant raptors such as Lesser spotted and Steppe Eagles, Lesser kestrel and Eastern Red-footed Falcon. Bare fields may be used by Abdim’s stork (m), Crowned Plover (m), Red-capped Lark (m), Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Richard’s and Buffy (m) Pipits and Capped Wheatear (m). Wheat crops may be attacked by flocks of Red-billed Quelea.

Land cleared for more traditional agriculture is often used by such species as Kurrichane Buttonquail, Laughing and Cape Turtle Doves, Black-winged Red Bishop, Yellow Bishop, White-winged and Red-collared Whydahs and Common Waxbill

Conservation

According to critics established by Birdlife International, the following birds recorded in Zambia are threatened:

Extinct: none Threatened: critical: none Threatened: endangered : White-winged Flufftail (no certain records), Black-cheeked Lovebird Threatened: vulnerable: Slaty Egret, Cape Vulture (only a vagrant to Zambia), Lesser Kestrel, Taita Falcon Corn Crake, Wattled Crane, White-chested Tinkerbird (may be aberrant Golden-rumped Tinkerbird), Blue Swallow, Papyrus Yellow Warbler Near-threatened: Madagascar Squacco Heron, Shoebill, Lesser Flamingo, Pallid Harrier, Black-winged Pratincole, Great snipe, Chaplin’s Barbet, Grimwood’s Longclaw, Churring Cisticola.

REPTILES

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Very prolific along most of Zambia’s rivers, lakes and dams. It is the only reptile that shows any maternal instinct. In September, when the water is low, the female will dig a hole and deposit between 45 and ninety eggs, perfectly timed to hatch before the river rises and floods the nest site 3 months later. She will guard the nest site against predators (monitor, honey badger and even hyaena). After three months the young emit a small squeaking sound from the eggs. She then removes the topsoil which they would be unable to penetrate without her help.

The unborn young have a bony tip on their snouts to help them cut through the tough shell which soon after birth is absorbed and disappears. As they break through the shell she collects them in her mouth and carries them to water. Even though she continues to care for them for several weeks after hatching, only one percent are likely to reach maturity. Small crocs feed on insects and other invertebrates, medium crocs on fish, mostly barbel (catfish) and only the larger ones take mammals coming down to the rivers to drink, often as big as a buffalo. They will readily attack a person in the water and many local fishermen have fallen prey to their jaws. The slender snouted crocodile Crocodilus cataphractus, occurs sparsely in the Luapula / Bangweulu area.

MONITOR LIZARD

Common around rivers and lagoons, these enormous lizards can grow up to a length of almost two meters. They are sometimes spotted on overhanging or partly submerged trees along riverbanks. They live in holes in the ground and forage on crabs and insects, but often raid birds nests and crocodile nests.

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