DOCSLIB.ORG

Zimbabwe Best of Birding 18Th to 27Th January 2018 (13 Days)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Zimbabwe Best of Birding 18Th to 27Th January 2018 (13 Days) Zimbabwe Best of Birding 18th to 27th January 2018 (13 days) African Pitta by Hugh Chittenden Zimbabwe is justly famous as a superb birding destination that leaves one with a lasting impression of having experienced the real 'wild Africa.' Pristine wilderness areas, spectacular landscapes and an amazing variety of ecosystems make Zimbabwe a natural history paradise. The diversity of habitats is astounding and ranges from open grassland and afro-montane evergreen forest to broad- leaved Mopani and Miombo woodlands, gallery forest and seasonal wetlands, which together host a large and impressive variety of birds and game. Our tour to this under-birded African destination has been specially designed to incorporate all of these diverse habitats, and we can expect some unrivalled birding experiences! RBL Zimbabwe - Best of Birding Itinerary 2 The superb Mopani and Miombo woodlands are home to a vast suite of avian specialities such as the smart Arnott’s Chat, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, spectacular Racket-tailed Roller, localised Boulder Chat and Southern Hyliota, while we can expect seldom-seen and extremely localised species like Chirinda Apalis, Roberts’s Warbler, the delightful Swynnerton’s Robin, Bronzy Sunbird, Black- fronted Bushshrike and Cinnamon-breasted Tit in the picturesque Vumba Mountains of the Eastern Highlands which border Mozambique. Another mouth-watering destination is the Honde Valley which also borders Mozambique. This valley will put us in direct contact with many bird species more restricted to the low-lying areas of Mozambique which otherwise, can be very hard to find. These include Marsh Tchagra, Lesser Seedcracker, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Moustached Grass Warbler, Green-backed Woodpecker, Black-winged Red Bishop, Short-winged Cisticola, Red-winged Warbler and some highly localised species such as Scarce Swift and Singing Cisticola. Our tour then moves onto the extensive, seasonal wetlands and bird-rich Miombo woodland’s around the capital city of Harare. Here localised specialities include Green-backed Honeybird, Whyte’s Barbet, African Spotted Creeper, Miombo Rock Thrush and Miombo Double-collared Sunbird. We descend from the plateau once more into the Lower Zambezi Valley where our primary target will be the very sought after African Pitta. This under-birded wilderness also holds specials such as Böhm's Spinetail, Livingstone's Flycatcher, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Arnott's Chat and the sought after Big 5. THE TOUR AT A GLANCE… BEST OF BIRDING ZIMBABWE Day 1 Arrival in Harare, Zimbabwe Day 2 Harare to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins Day 3 Great Zimbabwe Ruins and surrounds Day 4 Great Zimbabwe Ruins to the Vumba Mountains (Eastern Highlands) Day 5 Vumba Mountains (Eastern Highlands) Day 6 Vumba Mountains (Eastern Highlands) to the Honde Valley Day 7 Honde Valley Day 8 Honde Valley to Harare Day 9 Harare and surrounds Day 10 Harare to Lower Zambezi Valley Days 11 & 12 Lower Zambezi Valley and surrounds Day 13 Lower Zambezi Valley to Harare and final departures RBL Zimbabwe - Best of Birding Itinerary 3 TOUR MAP Best of Birding Zimbabwe Boulder Chat by Hugh Chittenden Day 1: Arrival in Harare. Upon arrival in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, you will be met by a Rockjumper representative and transferred to our nearby lodge where we shall overnight. Time permitting, we shall explore the Harare National Botanical Gardens where Whyte’s Barbet visits the RBL Zimbabwe - Best of Birding Itinerary 4 fruiting fig trees, Miombo Double-collared, Variable and Copper Sunbirds may all be seen in the indigenous gardens. We will then settle into our overnight accommodations. Day 2: Harare to Great Zimbabwe Ruins. This morning we will be given a bit of a taste of the capital city’s wet grassland specials within close proximity to our lodge. Depending on rainfall and conditions we might find several rare, secretive and erratic species like Striped and Spotted Crakes, Streaky- breasted Flufftail, Blue Quail and Locust Finch, which have made these wetlands famous within the local birding fraternity. These species are all regular and appear annually in the grasslands in and around Harare; however, they will only be present if there has been regular, recent rain and the Rosy-throated Longclaw by Cuan Rush seasonally flooded grasslands are shallowly inundated with water. Other regular visitors include African and Western Marsh Harriers, African Crake, Corn Crake, Greater Painted-snipe and African Snipe, Black Coucal, Marsh and Grass Owls, three species of Longclaw, including the highly sought-after and localised Rosy-throated Longclaw, Pale-crowned, Wing-snapping and the larger Croaking Cisticola, the parasitic and nomadic Cuckoo- finch, Orange-breasted Waxbill and Quailfinch. Other potential specials include Lesser Moorhen, Black-rumped Buttonquail, the colourful Yellow-mantled Widowbird and the smart Grey-rumped Swallow overhead. After fuelling our bodies with a scrumptious breakfast we leave Harare and begin the picturesque drive south to the historical Great Zimbabwe Ruins. As we meander through Zimbabwe’s interior we will pass through a variety of habitats, including areas of extensive, moist grasslands. Passing through these grasslands, we will keep a lookout for Yellow-mantled Widowbird, the impressive Southern Ground Hornbill, highly endangered and superbly elegant Wattled Crane, Amur and Red-footed Falcons and Lesser Kestrel hunting in flocks overhead, before reaching our destination. The Great Zimbabwe Ruins, near Lake Mutirikwi and the town of Mashing, is an ancient, large city ruin in the hilly south- east of the country and is truly spectacular and a site to behold! Constructed during the country’s Iron Age (11th to 14th century), it once served as the capital and royal palace of the Nzimabgwe monarch of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe. At its prime, this ancient city could have housed up to 18,000 people and is now recognised as a World Heritage Site. The monument’s most prominent feature is its walls, some of which tower over five meters high and were constructed without mortar. Eventually, the Amur Falcon by Clayton Burne city was abandoned and re-established a little further west at what is now the city of RBL Zimbabwe - Best of Birding Itinerary 5 Bulawayo. At our accommodations, we may connect with Mocking Cliff Chat, White-necked Raven and Miombo Double-collared Sunbird. Day 3: Great Zimbabwe Ruins and surrounds. The ruins, nestled within picturesque granite hills, are surrounded by lush Miombo forests. Miombo is the Swahili word for a type of habitat comprised predominantly of trees within the genus Brachystegia. These iconic trees, with their tall, straight trunks, branching out only at the end, are great for birding and contain many of Zimbabwe’s range-restricted species. This unique woodland is endemic to a small band across Southern and Central Africa from Angola, through Wattled Cranes by Markus Lilje Zambia, across Zimbabwe to Malawi and Mozambique. Mornings are most productive in this type of habitat and we will spend our first morning working through this pristine area. Specials that we will be searching for include Green-backed Honeybird, Cabanis's Bunting, African Golden Oriole, Wood Pipit, Miombo Blue-eared Starling, Miombo Rock Thrush, African Cuckoo-Hawk and Black-eared Seedeater. Bird parties are regularly formed with large concentrations of mixed species moving steadily through the trees creating moments of confusion and awe simultaneously. These bird parties could contain sought after species such as White-breasted and Grey Cuckooshrikes, the brood parasitic Thick-billed Cuckoo and it’s brood-specific host - the Retz’s Helmetshrike - while Brown-backed Honeybird, Cinnamon-breasted Tit, Green-capped Eremomela, Red-faced Crombec, Southern Hyliota, Stierling's Wren-Warbler, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Miombo Double-collared Sunbird, African Emerald Cuckoo and Scaly-throated Honeyguide may also be present. The impressive Boulder Chat might also be found atop the vast granite outcrops found in the surrounding green valleys. The afternoon will be spent exploring the Great Zimbabwe Ruins and viewing the famous bird statues thought to be stylised versions of the African Fish Eagle. Mocking Cliff Chats scurry over the ruins and their calls resonate off the walls, while you may be rewarded for keeping an eye on the sky, where massive Silvery- cheeked Hornbill and screeching flocks of Grey- headed Parrots may fly Arnott’s Chat by Adam Riley RBL Zimbabwe - Best of Birding Itinerary 6 overhead. After a busy day, we shall return to the comfort of our accommodation for a well-deserved rest. Day 4: Great Zimbabwe Ruins to the Vumba Mountains. After some final early morning birding and a well-deserved breakfast, we will make our way to the picturesque Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. Here we will be based for two nights at a luxurious and well-run hotel in the heart of the Vumba Mountains, or “mountains of the mist,” situated to the south-east of Mutare. An investigation of the surroundings may produce Roberts’s Warbler, Bronzy, Variable and Miombo Double-collared Sunbirds, Cape Robin- Chat and Stripe-cheeked Greenbul while Yellow-bellied Waxbill and Red-chested Chirinda Apalis by Adam Riley Flufftail may also be found near the various wetlands scattered in the region. Day 5: Vumba Mountains. We have the entire day to explore the lush Afromontane forest that drapes The Vumba Mountains. Excellent birding can be had right around the hotel grounds and we shall be on the lookout for a host of specialities that inhabit these verdant forests. Livingstone’s Turaco, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, African Emerald Cuckoo, White-eared Barbet and African Olive Pigeon clamber around the forest canopy, while Lemon and Tambourine Doves, Buff-spotted Flufftail and Barratt’s Warbler inhabit the forest understory. Mixed species flocks are a feature of these forests and could reveal the presence of Cape Batis, Black- fronted and Olive Bushshrikes, Yellow-streaked and Stripe-cheeked Greenbuls, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, the shy and brilliant Orange Ground Thrush, Bar-throated Apalis, Dark-backed Weaver, Grey Cuckooshrike, White-tailed Crested and Blue-mantled Crested Flycatchers.
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]
  • Sierra Leone Rockfowl and Upper Guinea Specials 21St February to 7Th March 2022 (15 Days)
    Sierra Leone Rockfowl and Upper Guinea Specials 21st February to 7th March 2022 (15 days) White-necked Rockfowl by Adam Riley RBL Sierra Leone Itinerary 2 Sierra Leone is a core West African destination, offering visitors a diverse range of exciting Upper Guinea forest birds and mammals. Rockjumper pioneered this tour during reconnaissance trips in 2005 and then led three successful tours in the course of 2006; these being the first-ever birding tours to the country. Sierra Leone’s biologically rich rainforests support no less than 15 of the 16 Upper Guinea endemic bird species, including the fabled White-necked Rockfowl that will form the basis of our tour. Forest specialties abound and we will focus on finding the rare Gola Malimbe, Sierra Leone Prinia, Black-headed Rufous Warbler, Hartlaub’s Duck, Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Sharpe’s Apalis, Kemp’s Longbill, White-breasted Guineafowl and Red-cheeked Wattle-eye; while the wooded savannas are home to the stunning Emerald Starling, Crimson Seedcracker and Turati’s Boubou, to name but a few. THE TOUR AT A GLANCE… THE ITINERARY Day 1 Arrival in Freetown Day 2 Freetown and Western Peninsula Forest Reserve Day 3 Regent Forest and transfer to Tiwai Island Day 4 Tiwai Island Day 5 Tiwai Island to Kenema Day 6 Kenema to Lalehun and walk in to Gola North (Tourist Camp) Day 7 Gola North (Tourist Camp) Day 8 Gola North to Lalehun and transfer to Kenema Day 9 Kenema to Koidu Day 10 Koidu to Loma Mountains and walk to camp 1 Day 11 Loma Mountains – camp 1 Day 12 Loma Mountains – camp 1 to Koidu Day 13 Koidu to Makeni via Bumbuna area Day 14 Bumbuna area Day 15 Makeni to Lungi International airport and departure RBL Sierra Leone Itinerary 3 TOUR MAP… THE TOUR IN DETAIL… Day 1: Arrival in Freetown.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Kinangop Sunbirds
    SOME KINANGOP SUNBIRDS. By SIR CHARLES F. BELCHER. Four species of Sunbird commonly occur in the valley of the gularis,Chania atSharpe,South Kinangop.the KenyaTheseMalachiteare NectariniaSunbird;famosaNectariniaaenei• tacazze (Stanley), the Tacazze Sunbird; Drepanorhynchus reiche• nowi, Fischer, the Golden-winged Sunbird; and Cinnyris medio• cris mediocris, Shelley,. the Kenya Double-collared Sunbird. The association of these four species was observed long ago by Sir Frederick Jackson (vide what is unquestionably an original note. of his in the recently-published "Birds of Kenya and Uganda," edited by W. L. Sclater, at page 1342 in the third volume). So far, during a residence of nearly twelve months on the Kinangop, I have not met with the Bronzy Sunbird (N. kili• mensis kilimensis, Shelley) which might be expected to occur and has been taken as near as Limoru at an altitude not more than 1,500 feet below us, but which I think must be regarded as definitely a: bird of, in these parts at least, lower altitudes than the Kinangop Plateau; and another species not yet noted is the Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia johnstoni johnstoni, Shelley) which though quoted by Sclater as occurring on Kilima• njaro and Kenya Mountains only, certainly is found as well on the higher parts of the Aberdares; and, as I am informed by Dr. van Someren, has once been noted on Major Ward's estate which is at much the same level as the main run of the Kinangop close in to the mountain, i.e. about 8,500 feet above the sea. It woold doubtless be an occasional visitor only from the higher levels.
    [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]
  • Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii
    Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 2nd Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council (ScC-SC2) Bonn, Germany, 10 – 14 July 2017 UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II (Prepared by the Appointed Councillors for Birds) Summary: The first meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council identified the adoption of a new standard reference for avian taxonomy as an opportunity to disaggregate the higher-level taxa listed on Appendix II and to identify those that are considered to be migratory species and that have an unfavourable conservation status. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the higher-level disaggregation using the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volumes 1 and 2 taxonomy, and identifies the challenges in completing the analysis to identify all of the migratory species and the corresponding Range States. The document has been prepared by the COP Appointed Scientific Councilors for Birds. This is a supplementary paper to COP document UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.25.3 on Taxonomy and Nomenclature UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II 1. Through Resolution 11.19, the Conference of Parties adopted as the standard reference for bird taxonomy and nomenclature for Non-Passerine species the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Non-Passerines, by Josep del Hoyo and Nigel J. Collar (2014); 2.
    [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]
  • 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]
  • Birding Tour to Ghana Specializing on Upper Guinea Forest 12–26 January 2018
    Birding Tour to Ghana Specializing on Upper Guinea Forest 12–26 January 2018 Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Ankasa Resource Reserve (Dan Casey photo) Participants: Jim Brown (Missoula, MT) Dan Casey (Billings and Somers, MT) Steve Feiner (Portland, OR) Bob & Carolyn Jones (Billings, MT) Diane Kook (Bend, OR) Judy Meredith (Bend, OR) Leaders: Paul Mensah, Jackson Owusu, & Jeff Marks Prepared by Jeff Marks Executive Director, Montana Bird Advocacy Birding Ghana, Montana Bird Advocacy, January 2018, Page 1 Tour Summary Our trip spanned latitudes from about 5° to 9.5°N and longitudes from about 3°W to the prime meridian. Weather was characterized by high cloud cover and haze, in part from Harmattan winds that blow from the northeast and carry particulates from the Sahara Desert. Temperatures were relatively pleasant as a result, and precipitation was almost nonexistent. Everyone stayed healthy, the AC on the bus functioned perfectly, the tropical fruits (i.e., bananas, mangos, papayas, and pineapples) that Paul and Jackson obtained from roadside sellers were exquisite and perfectly ripe, the meals and lodgings were passable, and the jokes from Jeff tolerable, for the most part. We detected 380 species of birds, including some that were heard but not seen. We did especially well with kingfishers, bee-eaters, greenbuls, and sunbirds. We observed 28 species of diurnal raptors, which is not a large number for this part of the world, but everyone was happy with the wonderful looks we obtained of species such as African Harrier-Hawk, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Hooded Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Bat Hawk (pair at nest!), Long-tailed Hawk, Red-chested Goshawk, Grasshopper Buzzard, African Hobby, and Lanner Falcon.
    [Show full text]
  • The Avifauna of Two Woodlands in Southeast Tanzania
    Scopus 25: 2336, December 2005 The avifauna of two woodlands in southeast Tanzania Anders P. Tøttrup, Flemming P. Jensen and Kim D. Christensen In Tanzania Brachystegia or miombo woodland occupies about two-thirds of the country including the central plateau to the north and the south eastern plateau (Lind & Morrison 1974). Along the coast more luxuriant woodlands are found in what White (1983) terms the Zanzibar-Inhambane regional mosaic floristic region. This highly complex vegetation comprises unique types of forest, thicket, woodland, bushland and grassland, interspersed with areas presently under cultivation and fallow (Hawthorne 1993). The coastal woodlands are usually deciduous or semi-deciduous but contain some evergreen species and often merge with coastal thickets, scrub forest and coastal forest (Hawthorne 1993, Vollesen 1994). The avifauna of miombo woodlands has been described for Zambia (e.g. Benson & Irwin 1966) and Zimbabwe (e.g. Vernon 1968, 1984, 1985), while little has been published on the birds of the coastal woodlands. An exception is Stjernstedt (1970) who reported on the birds in lush and dense Brachystegia microphylla vegetation in a sea of miombo in southeast Tanzania. Here we report our observations of birds in two woodlands in coastal southeast Tanzania, one of which harboured miombo trees. We present information on the number of species encountered during the fieldwork, and compare the avifauna of the two sites. We discuss possible causes for the differences observed and provide new information on habitat preferences for some of the species we recorded at these sites. Study sites Field work was carried out in two coastal woodlands in the Lindi Region, southeast Tanzania in September and October 2001.
    [Show full text]
  • 15-Day Zimbabwe Birding and Wildlife Spectacular
    15-DAY ZIMBABWE BIRDING AND WILDLIFE SPECTACULAR With optional pre-tour to Mana Pools: special Birds, African mammals, and breathtaking scenery including Victoria Falls 1 – 15 FEBRUARY 2021 Racket-tailed Roller will be searched for throughout Zimbabwe. www.birdingecotours.com [email protected] 2 | ITINERARY Zimbabwe 15 (18) days Zimbabwe is an absolutely fabulous country – scenically wonderful, with very friendly people fluent in English and, surprisingly to many people, with a truly excellent infrastructure. The hundreds of miles of paved roads are in very good condition, and it is one of the few African countries of which you can see a great deal without the use of a 4x4. With an improving political leadership and the change to the US Dollar as the local currency, which has greatly improved the economy, the country is once again fast becoming a very popular destination to birders, and right now it is still possible to get very comfortable accommodation at comparatively low rates. During our 18-day tour (which includes the 3-day pre-tour) you’ll see all the major habitats, sights, and birds of this wonderful country and end up with a very good bird list and loads of Africa’s big and small mammals. We begin with your international flight arriving in Harare, from where we take a charter flight to one of Africa’s wildest game parks, Mana Pools National Park. While this is one of the few game parks in Africa you can legally explore on foot, we do not advise this because of the presence of a host of dangerous animals.
    [Show full text]