DOCSLIB.ORG

Birding Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Birding Zimbabwe's Eastern Highlands 1 1 2 HARONI-RUSITU 2 3 3 4 JUNCTION 4 5 Clinging to the southern foot of the 5 6 Chimanimani mountains, where the 6 7 HHighlandighland Haroni and Rusitu rivers meet to flow 7 8 into Mozambique, are Zimbabwe’s last 8 9 fragments of lowland evergreen forest. A 9 10 birding Mecca, these small but luxuriant 10 11 forest patches harbour a list of regulars 11 12 that include Barred Cuckoo, Green 12 13 Coucal, Eastern Honeyguide, African 13 14 Broadbill, Angola Pitta, Pel’s Fishing Owl, 14 15 LLow-downow-down Slender Bulbul, Black-headed Apalis, 15 16 Vanga Flycatcher, Woodwards’ Batis and 16 17 Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike. Getting 17 18 BIRDING ZIMBABWE’S EASTERN HIGHLANDS there requires some determination 18 19 though. The track, for it cannot be called 19 20 Text by Penn Lloyd a road over the last 20 kilometres, is har- 20 21 rowing at best, impassable at worst. A 21 22 4x4 is advisable, but certainly no guaran- 22 23 tee that you will make it there (or back 23 24 again!) should rain set in. 24 25 With the forests surrounded by 25 26 communal land, courtesy requires that 26 27 HHazyazy withwith thethe smokesmoke ofof countlesscountless wood-firedwood-fired hearths,hearths, you stop off at the local District 27 28 Administration or the police/military post 28 29 thethe lowlandslowlands ofof MozambiqueMozambique sprawlsprawl fromfrom thethe IndianIndian at Vhimba to announce your presence in 29 30 Ocean to the foot of an escarpment that runs a wavy the area. There are also no facilities, so if 30 31 Ocean to the foot of an escarpment that runs a wavy you decide to camp rough, introduce 31 32 coursecourse fromfrom thethe DrakensbergDrakensberg rangerange ofof SouthSouth AfricaAfrica toto yourself to the closest household and 32 33 enquire where you might do so. 33 34 thethe AhmarAhmar MountainsMountains ofof Ethiopia.Ethiopia. Here,Here, puncturedpunctured andand The people here are poor and live a 34 35 simple life. The lands they have cleared 35 36 separatedseparated fromfrom thethe highlandshighlands toto thethe northnorth andand southsouth of forest are highly fertile. A variety of 36 37 fruits, such as avocados, bananas, 37 38 byby thethe mightymighty ZambeziZambezi andand LimpopoLimpopo riverriver valleys,valleys, thethe papaws, mangoes and naartjies are sold 38 39 as cash crops to the Zimbabwe Farmer’s 39 40 EasternEastern HighlandsHighlands ofof ZimbabweZimbabwe riserise upup fromfrom 300300 metresmetres Union. Sweet potatoes, madumbe (yams) 40 41 and maize are the staples, with indige- 41 42 toto overover 22 500500 metres,metres, toto formform aa naturalnatural borderborder withwith nous sorghums and millets extensively 42 43 cultivated for home-brewing. As the pop- 43 44 itsits moremore prostrateprostrate neighbour.neighbour. AssociatedAssociated withwith thisthis ulation expands, so the pressure on the 44 45 remaining forest increases; the people 45 46 altitudinalaltitudinal rangerange isis aa diversitydiversity ofof habitats,habitats, fromfrom need the land to make a living. 46 47 The borders of the Haroni and Rusitu 47 48 lowlandlowland evergreenevergreen forestforest toto miombomiombo ((BrachystegiaBrachystegia)) Forest Reserves exist on paper only, and 48 49 most of the former has already fallen to 49 50 woodlandwoodland toto Afro-montaneAfro-montane evergreenevergreen forest,forest, andand finallyfinally a banana plantation. Until the locals 50 51 montane grassland. Each supports a unique community derive a more direct benefit from the for- 51 52 montane grassland. Each supports a unique community ests, the attrition will continue. A farmer 52 53 ofof birdsbirds allall packedpacked withinwithin aa relativelyrelatively smallsmall area,area, who invited me in to his humble home- 53 54 stead asked me which bird I most want- 54 55 makingmaking thethe EasternEastern HighlandsHighlands oneone ofof thethe subcontinent’ssubcontinent’s ed to see. I indicated the appearance and 55 56 proportions of the Silvery-cheeked 56 57 premierpremier birdingbirding regions.regions. Furthermore,Furthermore, thethe isolationisolation ofof A view over communal lands at the Hornbill. ‘The Gakamira!’ he exclaimed 57 58 Haroni-Rusitu junction. In the a little incredulously. His advice on how 58 59 thethe mountainsmountains meansmeans thatthat aa numbernumber ofof species,species, foundfound background are the Chimanimani to find it: ‘When you walk in the forest, 59 60 mountains, rising up from lowland look for the pips of my papaws on the 60 61 otherwiseotherwise onlyonly inin distantdistant SouthSouth AfricaAfrica oror EastEast Africa,Africa, sursur-- evergreen forest on the border ground. When you find them, look up 61 62 with Mozambique. into the tree and the Gakamira will be 62 vivevive herehere asas long-isolatedlong-isolated populations.populations. BRONWYNBRONWYN LLOYDLLOYD there’. 63 1 Let this take nothing away from the ing, the weedy tangle in and around the (‘the boiling place’) pool, where a power- 1 2 quality of the birding experience though. communal fields hosts a multitude of ful spring keeps cones of white sand in 2 3 Wander along the footpaths through the birds, such as Blue-spotted Dove, Broad- perpetual motion, I tramped through the 3 4 more accessible Rusitu forest into a fairy- tailed and African Yellow warblers, marshy grasslands of the Bundi plain and 4 5 land of butterflies and birds. The butter- Singing, Red-faced and Short-winged was lucky to flush a Great Snipe. Other 5 6 flies are simply stunning, bobbing up cisticolas, Golden Weaver, Fire-crowned birds to look out for here are the Yellow- 6 7 from the path in a kaleidoscope of Bishop, Nyasa Seedcracker, Golden- throated Longclaw, and an uncommon 7 8 colours and symmetries. The birds are a backed Pytilia, and Cabanis’ Bunting. summer visitor, the Blue Swallow. While 8 9 little more elusive, but no less dramatic. In the scattered trees and woodland walking beneath the towering peaks, scan 9 10 Aside from the specials already men- fragments, the Long-crested Eagle, the skies for the elusive Taita Falcon and 10 11 tioned, you should at least catch glimpses Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Lizard Scarce Swift; this is one of the few places 11 12 of forest regulars such as Delegorgue’s Buzzard, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Swallow- where these rare species can be seen. 12 13 Pigeon, Tambourine and Cinnamon tailed Bee-eater, African Golden Oriole, 13 14 doves, Livingstone’s Lourie, White-eared Mozambique Batis, Red-backed Shrike, ELAND SANCTUARY 14 15 Barbet and Golden-rumped Tinker Red-billed Helmetshrike and Purple- 15 16 Barbet, Scaly-throated Honey-guide, Little banded Sunbird may be found. Fringing Chimanimani village, the small 16 17 Spotted Woodpecker, Stripe-cheeked and Over the tricky-to-cross Haroni River a Eland Sanctuary reserve offers a peep at 17 18 Yellow-streaked bulbuls, Gorgeous and magnificent tract of forest beckons. While what the highlands must have looked like 18 19 Black-fronted bushshrikes, and a bevy of deriving better protection as part of the 19 SWYNNERton’s robin PETER STEYN 20 20 21 outside Chipinge. The Chipinge area also 21 22 boasts some impressive forests, including 22 23 HARARE• the Chirinda Forest at Mt Selinda (see 23 24 pages 60–63). 24 25 Marondera • 25 26 NYANGA NATIONAL PARK CHIMANIMANI 26 27 NATIONAL PARK 27 28 • HONDE VALLEY 28 AND ABERFOYLE 29 ZIMBABWE Perched on a hill, the village of 29 30 MUTARE• Chimanimani has a sweeping view east 30 31 to the craggy peaks of the Chimanimani 31 BVUMBA 32 range. With a variety of comfortable 32 33 accommodation, from the Heaven bud- 33 34 get-backpackers’ hostel, to the Moriah or 34 35 ELAND SANCTUARY • CHIMANIMANI Frog & Fern self-catering chalets, the 35 36 NATIONL PARK Chimanimani Hotel, and the up-market 36 37 • Muwenji Lodge, it serves as the perfect 37 Chipinge HARONI-RUSITU JUNCTION 38 • springboard for excursions into the 38 39 national park. The park office is only 39 • Espungabera 40 CHIRINDA FOREST • 14 kilometres from the village, but the 40 41 last seven kilometres are on a dreadful 41 MOZAMBIQUE AFRICAN BROADBILL PETER STEYN 42 42 dirt road and take half an hour to negoti- OR 43 ate. From here, access to the mountains is before forestry blighted the landscape, 43 44 on foot along a network of hiking trails. with pristine Brachystegia/Uapaca wood- 44 45 flycatchers that Chimanimani National Park, its virgin The initial 400-metre ascent through land giving way to evergreen forest on 45 46 include Blue- status owes much to rumours of open Brachystegia/Uapaca woodland and the southern slopes. The magnificent 46 47 grey, Blue- unexploded mines. The border with forested gullies is steep and rocky. Bridal Veil waterfall is an idyllic spot to 47 48 mantled, Fan- Mozambique is a stone’s throw away, and Common birds to look out for while picnic. While the birding here is superb, 48 PENN LLOYD 49 tailed, White- a clearing I came across in the forest was catching your breath are several miom- Above Open miombo woodland on the rocky western slopes of the the sanctuary suffers from a lack 49 50 tailed and Wattle-eyed. As in any forest, once used as a forward base by Rhodesian bo specials, namely the Miombo Rock Chimanimani mountains. of footpaths. 50 51 the real action is in the bird parties, so helicopter-gunships during the civil war. Thrush, Miombo Grey and Rufous- 51 52 listen out for the noisy Square-tailed There is much to be explored and discov- bellied tits, Miombo Double-collared often with a rewarding view of Augur Cape Bunting. 52 53 Drongos that normally accompany them. ered here, including the multi-tiered Sunbird, and Mashona Hyliota. Others Buzzards soaring over the undulating The large mountain hut, which has THE BVUMBA 53 54 And don’t overlook the high-pitched, Mukurupini waterfalls cascading out of include Shelley’s Francolin, Freckled Bundi River valley to the high peaks of incredible views over the Bundi plain, is a Just 15 kilometres from Mutare, the capi- 54 55 almost inaudible trilling of Green and the Chimanimani mountains.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • White Helmetshrike
    446 Prionopidae: helmetshrikes are not usually found (Vernon 1977). For example, such irruptions have been documented for the years 1953, 1970 and 1979 (Tarboton et al. 1987b). The reporting rates in Zones 5 and 6 peaked in winter and declined in summer, fluctuating dramatically for a bird not usually considered to be a migrant. These variations may have been partly because winter movements render it more conspicuous and take it into habitats with a greater density of observers in the east; Harris & Arnott (1988) stated that it moves into urban habitats during winter. Alternatively, the winter increase in reporting rates could represent a large-scale movement into the region from further north in Africa. The seasonal variation in reporting rates was less marked in Zone 1; the arid conditions of the Kalahari woodlands may limit the extent of their winter dispersion. Breeding: In Zimbabwe, egglaying has been recorded August–April, peaking September–October, and in the Transvaal September–January, peaking October–Novem- ber (Irwin 1981; Tarboton et al. 1987b). The atlas data for Zones 5 and 6 show it breeding July–May and appear to confirm earlier breeding in the north. Late atlas records were probably of fledglings. Interspecific relationships: The ranges of the White and Redbilled P. retzii Helmetshrikes overlap to a large extent and they are sometimes observed side by side, although the Redbilled Helmetshrike tends to prefer more densely wooded environments. Generally, the reporting rate of the White was twice that of the Redbilled Helmet- shrike, but this may be due in part to the latter being less conspicuous.
    [Show full text]
  • Biogeography and Biotic Assembly of Indo-Pacific Corvoid Passerine Birds
    ES48CH11-Jonsson ARI 9 October 2017 7:38 Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Biogeography and Biotic Assembly of Indo-Pacific Corvoid Passerine Birds Knud Andreas Jønsson,1 Michael Krabbe Borregaard,1 Daniel Wisbech Carstensen,1 Louis A. Hansen,1 Jonathan D. Kennedy,1 Antonin Machac,1 Petter Zahl Marki,1,2 Jon Fjeldsa˚,1 and Carsten Rahbek1,3 1Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 2Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway 3Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot SL5 7PY, United Kingdom Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 2017. 48:231–53 Keywords First published online as a Review in Advance on Corvides, diversity assembly, evolution, island biogeography, Wallacea August 11, 2017 The Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Abstract Systematics is online at ecolsys.annualreviews.org The archipelagos that form the transition between Asia and Australia were https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110316- immortalized by Alfred Russel Wallace’s observations on the connections 022813 between geography and animal distributions, which he summarized in Copyright c 2017 by Annual Reviews. what became the first major modern biogeographic synthesis. Wallace All rights reserved traveled the island region for eight years, during which he noted the marked Access provided by Copenhagen University on 11/19/17. For personal use only. faunal discontinuity across what has later become known as Wallace’s Line. Wallace was intrigued by the bewildering diversity and distribution of Annu.
    [Show full text]
  • Structure and Condition of Zambezi Valley Dry Forests and Thickets
    SSTTRRUUCCTTUURREE AANNDD CCOONNDDIITTIIOONN OOFF ZZAAMMBBEEZZII VVAALLLLEEYY DDRRYY FFOORREESSTTSS AANNDD TTHHIICCKKEETTSS January 2002 Published by The Zambezi Society STRUCTURE AND CONDITION OF ZAMBEZI VALLEY DRY FORESTS AND THICKETS by R.E. Hoare, E.F. Robertson & K.M. Dunham January 2002 Published by The Zambezi Society The Zambezi Society is a non- The Zambezi Society P O Box HG774 governmental membership Highlands agency devoted to the Harare conservation of biodiversity Zimbabwe and wilderness and the Tel: (+263-4) 747002/3/4/5 sustainable use of natural E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.zamsoc.org resources in the Zambezi Basin Zambezi Valley dry forest biodiversity i This report has a series of complex relationships with other work carried out by The Zambezi Society. Firstly, it forms an important part of the research carried out by the Society in connection with the management of elephants and their habitats in the Guruve and Muzarabani districts of Zimbabwe, and the Magoe district of Mozambique. It therefore has implications, not only for natural resource management in these districts, but also for the transboundary management of these resources. Secondly, it relates closely to the work being carried out by the Society and the Biodiversity Foundation for Africa on the identification of community-based mechanisms FOREWORD for the conservation of biodiversity in settled lands. Thirdly, it represents a critically important contribution to the Zambezi Basin Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation (ZBI), a collaboration between the Society, the Biodiversity Foundation for Africa, and Fauna & Flora International. The ZBI is founded on the acquisition and dissemination of good biodiversity information for incorporation into developmental and other planning initiatives.
    [Show full text]
  • Observations on Agro-Ecology Post Cyclone Idai 3/24/19 Hi Friends, John Wilson Is Based in Southern Africa. This Note to Some Of
    Observations on Agro-Ecology post Cyclone Idai 3/24/19 Hi Friends, John Wilson is based in southern Africa. This note to some of his partners and farmers in the region reflects on the horrors in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, lessons learned about agroecology, forest cover, and nature-based water management, and the role of "evidence based practices" in this context. An important read for all of us as so many face unspeakable displacement and loss. John makes a strong case for supporting agroecological groups and methods even when all the peer reviewed science is not yet in. This is a tension among us - when must we wait for 5 or 10 year studies to demonstrate impacts given an IPCC report that gives us 10 years to transform our energy and agricultural systems? When do we look, listen and adapt complex systems based on local farmer and community knowledge? What is the role of "humility" in indigenous knowledge and among those claiming outcomes without peer reviewed verification? How do we maintain a collective spirit of inquiry and mutual respect for different ways of knowing? How do we act now with limited and imperfect yet compelling evidence/knowledge for a range of complex practices? John raises very important questions and concerns. Betsy === John Wilson’s original letter: From: John Wilson <[email protected]> Subject: Chimanimani, evidence and patience (or lack of??!) Date: 23 March 2019 at 11:56:00 GMT+2 To: Afsafrica <[email protected]>, abn partners-allies <abn-partners- [email protected]> Dear All – A reflective letter from Zimbabwe after a very difficult week.
    [Show full text]
  • The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and Election Violence: the Case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013
    The Electoral Authoritarian Regimes and election violence: The case of Manicaland Communities in Zimbabwe 2008-2013. Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der Philosophischen Fakultät der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i. Br. vorgelegt von Alexander Chimange aus Kwekwe (Zimbabwe) SS 2015 Erstgutacher: Prof. Dr. Reinhart Kößler Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Heribert Weiland Vorsitzender des Promotionsausschusses der Gemeinsamen Kommission der Philologischen, Philosophischen und Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftlichen Fakultät: Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmuth Gander Datum der Fachprüfung im Promotionsfach: 19.01.2016 ABSTRACT The Zimbabwean elections have been marred by unprecedented acts of election violence, intimidation, coercion, harassment and manipulation and this has systematically disenfranchised the citizenry from the much-desired democratic transition. These acts of violence have reversed the government’s efforts and commitment to democratize the country which had been under an autocratic colonial regime for almost one hundred years. This localized empirical research study explores and unpacks the dynamics of the 2008-2013 election violence in the communities of Manicaland in Zimbabwe. The study also examines the socio-economic and political effects of election violence on the lives of the people. The aims and objectives of the study have been achieved basically through an in-depth empirical exploration of the people’s election violence experiences in three Manicaland communities, namely Nyamaropa, Honde Valley and Mhakwe. The data collection process was carried out in 2013 from May to December. This period also covered a crucial general election that marked an end to the Government of National Unity established in 2009 after the bloody 2008 election violence. The primary data was collected through qualitative in- depth interviews in the three communities with people with impeccable experience and vast knowledge of state-sponsored election violence.
    [Show full text]
  • The Birds (Aves) of Oromia, Ethiopia – an Annotated Checklist
    European Journal of Taxonomy 306: 1–69 ISSN 2118-9773 https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2017.306 www.europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu 2017 · Gedeon K. et al. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Monograph urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A32EAE51-9051-458A-81DD-8EA921901CDC The birds (Aves) of Oromia, Ethiopia – an annotated checklist Kai GEDEON 1,*, Chemere ZEWDIE 2 & Till TÖPFER 3 1 Saxon Ornithologists’ Society, P.O. Box 1129, 09331 Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany. 2 Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise, P.O. Box 1075, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. 3 Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Centre for Taxonomy and Evolutionary Research, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany. * Corresponding author: [email protected] 2 Email: [email protected] 3 Email: [email protected] 1 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:F46B3F50-41E2-4629-9951-778F69A5BBA2 2 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:F59FEDB3-627A-4D52-A6CB-4F26846C0FC5 3 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:A87BE9B4-8FC6-4E11-8DB4-BDBB3CFBBEAA Abstract. Oromia is the largest National Regional State of Ethiopia. Here we present the first comprehensive checklist of its birds. A total of 804 bird species has been recorded, 601 of them confirmed (443) or assumed (158) to be breeding birds. At least 561 are all-year residents (and 31 more potentially so), at least 73 are Afrotropical migrants and visitors (and 44 more potentially so), and 184 are Palaearctic migrants and visitors (and eight more potentially so). Three species are endemic to Oromia, 18 to Ethiopia and 43 to the Horn of Africa. 170 Oromia bird species are biome restricted: 57 to the Afrotropical Highlands biome, 95 to the Somali-Masai biome, and 18 to the Sudan-Guinea Savanna biome.
    [Show full text]
  • Malawi Trip Report 12Th to 28Th September 2014
    Malawi Trip Report 12th to 28th September 2014 Bohm’s Bee-eater by Keith Valentine Trip Report compiled by Tour Leader: Keith Valentine RBT Malawi Trip Report September 2014 2 Top 10 Birds: 1. Scarlet-tufted Sunbird 2. Pel’s Fishing Owl 3. Lesser Seedcracker 4. Thyolo Alethe 5. White-winged Apalis 6. Racket-tailed Roller 7. Blue Swallow 8. Bohm’s Flycatcher 9. Babbling Starling 10. Bohm’s Bee-eater/Yellow-throated Apalis Top 5 Mammals: 1. African Civet 2. Four-toed Elephant Shrew 3. Sable Antelope 4. Bush Pig 5. Side-striped Jackal/Greater Galago/Roan Antelope/Blotched Genet Trip Summary This was our first ever fully comprehensive tour to Malawi and was quite simply a fantastic experience in all respects. For starters, many of the accommodations are of excellent quality and are also situated in prime birding locations with a large number of the area’s major birding targets found in close proximity. The food is generally very good and the stores and lodges are for the most part stocked with decent beer and a fair selection of South African wine. However, it is the habitat diversity that is largely what makes Malawi so good from a birding point of view. Even though it is a small country, this good variety of habitat, and infrastructure that allows access to these key zones, insures that the list of specials is long and attractive. Our tour was extremely successful in locating the vast majority of the region’s most wanted birds and highlights included Red-winged Francolin, White-backed Night Heron, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Western Banded Snake
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa: Magoebaskloof and Kruger National Park Custom Tour Trip Report
    SOUTH AFRICA: MAGOEBASKLOOF AND KRUGER NATIONAL PARK CUSTOM TOUR TRIP REPORT 24 February – 2 March 2019 By Jason Boyce This Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl showed nicely one late afternoon, puffing up his throat and neck when calling www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | TRIP REPORT South Africa: Magoebaskloof and Kruger National Park February 2019 Overview It’s common knowledge that South Africa has very much to offer as a birding destination, and the memory of this trip echoes those sentiments. With an itinerary set in one of South Africa’s premier birding provinces, the Limpopo Province, we were getting ready for a birding extravaganza. The forests of Magoebaskloof would be our first stop, spending a day and a half in the area and targeting forest special after forest special as well as tricky range-restricted species such as Short-clawed Lark and Gurney’s Sugarbird. Afterwards we would descend the eastern escarpment and head into Kruger National Park, where we would make our way to the northern sections. These included Punda Maria, Pafuri, and the Makuleke Concession – a mouthwatering birding itinerary that was sure to deliver. A pair of Woodland Kingfishers in the fever tree forest along the Limpopo River Detailed Report Day 1, 24th February 2019 – Transfer to Magoebaskloof We set out from Johannesburg after breakfast on a clear Sunday morning. The drive to Polokwane took us just over three hours. A number of birds along the way started our trip list; these included Hadada Ibis, Yellow-billed Kite, Southern Black Flycatcher, Village Weaver, and a few brilliant European Bee-eaters.
    [Show full text]
  • Tanzania 16 - 27 April 2018 Tour Leader Tertius Gous Photographs by Tertius Gous Taken on This Tour
    Tanzania 16 - 27 April 2018 Tour Leader Tertius Gous Photographs by Tertius Gous taken on this tour www.birdingafrica.com Day 0: The first day was spent birding and relaxing at our lodge near Kilimanjaro International Airport while we waited for everyone to arrive. The open Acacia savanna surrounding the lodge always provides a very productive start to the tour and notable sightings included Speckled and Blue- naped Mousebird, White-browed Coucal, Mourning Collared Dove, Little and African Palm Swift, European Roller, Grey-headed Kingfisher, African Hoopoe, Red-backed Shrike, Long-tailed Fiscal, Dark-capped Bulbul (the first of many!), Northern and Red-faced Crombec, Willow Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Buff-bellied Warbler, Garden Warbler, Winding Cisticola, Spotted Flycatcher, Spotted Palm Thrush, Superb and Violet-backed Starling, Scarlet- chested and Variable Sunbird, Red-billed Firefinch, Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, Crimson-rumped Waxbill and Reichenow’s Seedeater, while Yellow-winged Bat showed well at the lodge. As a bonus, our lodge was perfectly situated for spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Days 1- 2: We spent two full days exploring the grasslands, lakes, woodlands and forests of Arusha National Park. Close to the entrance of the Park we found a breeding colony of Taveta Weavers supported by a few Golden-backed Weavers and an obliging Brown-breasted Barbet. Soon after we entered the Park an open grassy meadow produced good numbers of African Buffalo with numerous Red- billed Oxpeckers in attendance, as well as Bushbuck. Other mammals found in the grasslands and woodlands included Common Zebra, Giraffe, Warthog, Waterbuck, Kirk’s Dik-dik and numerous troops of Olive Baboons, while the forests held Harvey’s Duiker and the diminutive Suni.
    [Show full text]
  • Bird Checklists of the World Country Or Region: Ghana
    Avibase Page 1of 24 Col Location Date Start time Duration Distance Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World 1 Country or region: Ghana 2 Number of species: 773 3 Number of endemics: 0 4 Number of breeding endemics: 0 5 Number of globally threatened species: 26 6 Number of extinct species: 0 7 Number of introduced species: 1 8 Date last reviewed: 2019-11-10 9 10 Recommended citation: Lepage, D. 2021. Checklist of the birds of Ghana. Avibase, the world bird database. Retrieved from .https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?lang=EN&region=gh [26/09/2021]. Make your observations count! Submit your data to ebird.
    [Show full text]
  • Blue Swallow Survey Report November
    Blue Swallow Survey Report November 2013- March 2014 By Fadzai Matsvimbo (BirdLife Zimbabwe) with assistance from Tendai Wachi ( Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority) Background The Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea is one of Africa’s endemics, migrating between East and Central to Southern Africa where it breeds in the summer. These breeding grounds are in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, southern Tanzania and south eastern Zaire, Zambia. The bird winters in northern Uganda, north eastern Zaire and Western Kenya (Keith et al 1992).These intra-african migrants arrive the first week of September and depart in April In Zimbabwe (Snell 1963.).There are reports of the birds returning to their wintering grounds in May (Tree 1990). In Zimbabwe, the birds are restricted to the Eastern Highlands where they occur in the Afromontane grasslands. The Blue Swallow is distributed from Nyanga Highlands southwards through to Chimanimani Mountains and are known to breed from 1500m - 2200m (Irwin 1981). Montane grassland with streams forming shallow valleys and the streams periodically disappearing underground and forming shallow valleys is the preferred habitat (Snell 1979). Whilst birds have been have only ever been located in the Eastern Highlands there is a solitary record from then Salisbury now Harare (Brooke 1962). The Blue Swallow is a medium sized swallow of about 20- 25 cm in body length. The males and females can be told apart by the presence of the long tail retrices in the male. The tail streamers in the males measure twice as long as the females (Maclean 1993). The adults are a shiny blue-black with a black tail with blue green gloss and whitish feather shafts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Miombo Ecoregion Areas of Biological Importance
    THE MIOMBO ECOREGION AREAS OF BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE J.R. Timberlake, F.P.D. Cotterill, P.J. Mundy, D.G. Broadley, B. Marshall, A.J. Gardiner & M. Fitzpatrick September 2001 (published 2018) Occasional Publications in Biodiversity No. 21 THE MIOMBO ECOREGION: AREAS OF BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE J.R. Timberlake, F.P.D. Cotterill, P.J. Mundy, D.G. Broadley†, B. Marshall, A.J. Gardiner & M. Fitzpatrick September 2001 (revised February 2018) Occasional Publications in Biodiversity No. 21 Biodiversity Foundation for Africa P.O. Box FM730, Famona, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Miombo Ecoregion: Areas of Biological Importance, page 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The maps were produced at the request of the Southern Africa Programme Office of the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF SARPO) under their Miombo Ecoregion project, funding for which was provided by WWF US. Particular thanks are due to the Regional Representative, Harrison Kojwang, and to the Programme Officer, Fortune Shonhiwa, who ran the project. We also wish to thank Heather Whitham in the Biodiversity Foundation for Africa for administrative support. The GIS versions of the maps, originally drawn manually, were digitised at the University of Botswana's Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre in Maun, Botswana, with financial support from Conservation International through their Wilderness Programme. Particular thanks are due to Mike Murray-Hudson and Leo Braak for making this possible. Final GIS maps were designed, drawn and checked by Ed Lim (Eastbourne, UK). Each map was compiled by a BFA specialist, with the
    [Show full text]