Introduction

African Barred Owlet Glaucidium capense
Imbabala camp on the Zambezi near the Botswana border, Zimbabwe
Photo: Ian Nason

Zimbabwe has a confirmed bird list of over 660 species so far and new vagrants continue to be spotted. It is unlikely that any new species resident in the country will be found unless they are created by splitting present species. The best birding areas have been well covered. Even today most are accessible to the birder, but the availability of fuel can limit travel. Although there are no endemic species in Zimbabwe, some are restricted to the forests of the eastern highlands and western Mozambique e.g. Chirinda Apalis Apalis chirindensis.  

There are many areas of interest for the visiting birder: the eastern highlands and the associated Haroni-Rusito and Honde Valleys; the Brachystegia woodlands of the plateau; the Chizarira Fault Block; the Save River basin; Hwange and the Kalahari Sandveld; the Granite domes of Matobos and the Zambezi River. The last is best divided into three sections (a) above the Victoria falls (b) Kariba Basin and (c) the lower valley including Mana Pools.

Up until 2001 birding trips in Zimbabwe were relatively simple and local guides were readily available. However, the inconsistent fuel supplies, lawlessness and localised food problems have resulted in a dramatic reduction in birding over the last three years. It is still practical to organise trips to some areas, especially those near Botswana and South Africa where groups can bring fuel with them.  

The purpose of this document is to provide a summary of Zimbabwe and its birds for birders interested in the country and potentially planning a visit. The information has been put together from a number of sources by Peter Ginn and it is intended to add new information as it becomes available. It is not exhaustive as this would require much recent information not currently available to the author. As such, readers are welcome to submit contributions by e-mail to info@africanbirdclub.org. You should note that the names of birds used in this document are those of the African Bird Club checklist.