News
Recent sightings are published regularly in The Honeyguide - official journal of BirdLife Zimbabwe. The records below are largely unconfirmed and were published in the Bulletin of the African Bird Club for information only.
A Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus was reported from Marlborough Vlei on 11 January. A Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea remained in the Vumba from 5 February until at least 3 March. Single Eurasian Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus were mist-netted at Marlborough Vlei on 11 January and on the Uzumbe River floodplain on 29 January.
A Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos was found in Mana Pools National Park on 26 October 2005. About 2,000 Amur Falcons Falco amurensis were counted at Tafara Township, north-east Harare early in the morning of 28 February 2006; subsequent late-afternoon counts at this roost revealed that no less than 25,000–30,000 birds were present. 28 Blue Swallows Hirundo atrocaerulaea were seen flying '4 km up the Troutbeck Road from the Nyanga Road’, Eastern Highlands on 2 March. A pair of Black-throated Wattle-eyes (Wattled-eyed Flycatchers) Platysteira peltata was found in a Harare garden in late February.
On 2 January 2005, Zimbabwe's first (if the record is accepted) Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis was found at Victoria Falls. There have been two submissions so far, from 2 March 1998, Victoria Falls, and 4 November 1998, Chikwenya, and neither has been accepted. Previous confirmed records from elsewhere in southern Africa include three from South Africa, two from Mozambique and one from Botswana. Also in January, a male Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis was present at Mutare Heights for the second year running; in 2004 the bird remained until mid February at least.
Zimbabwe's second Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus was found along the Nyamatusi channel, downstream of Nyamepi Camp, Mana Pools National Park on 30 September 2004 and stayed until at least 18 November. The first was seen earlier in the year in Hwange National Park.
A pair of Plain-backed Sunbirds Anthreptes reichenowi was seen at Hippo Pools, Umfurudzi Wildlife Area, c160 km north-east of Harare, on 17 September 2003. From June to October 2003, a large influx of Stark’s Larks Eremalauda starki took place in the Tuli Circle, the most notable record being that of a flock of c300 on 29 July, partly in Zimbabwe and partly in eastern Botswana. There was also an influx of Lark-like Buntings Emberiza impetuani in the same area although they moved in earlier, from March onwards.
The first Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus for Zimbabwe (and only the fourth for southern Africa) was seen at Hwange National Park from 23 March until 4 May 2003.
Records from November 2002 to January 2003 include the following. A Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens was seen in Bvumba Botanical Gardens, south-east of Mutare, Manicaland, on 15 November; no records of this species from the east have been accepted in the Atlas of Southern African Birds (1997). A Streaky-breasted Flufftail Sarothrura boehmi was observed at Monavale wetland, Harare, on 3 January, and a Spotted Crake Porzana porzana at Balla Balla waterhole, Hwange National Park, on 29 and 30 December. Collared Flycatchers Ficedula albicollis were seen at Chizarira on 1 January and at Gosho Park, Marondera, on the 2nd and 4th. At Wamba wetland, Honde Valley, Marsh Tchagra Tchagra minutus was recorded from 6 to 9 January and Lesser Seedcracker Pyrenestes minor on 8 and 9th. A Zambezi Indigobird Vidua codringtoni was at Bvumba on 12 January.
Records from November 2001 to March 2002 include the following. A European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus was seen near Hwange National Park on 12 December and another in the Vumba area on 30 January. A Shoebill Balaeniceps rex was claimed from Chipinda Pools on 3 November. What appears to be the first Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius for the country and for Southern Africa was seen and photographed at Makololo Plains, Hwange National Park, from 5 to 8th January 2002; the nearest records are from Zambia and Malawi. A White-throated Bee-eater Merops albicollis, apparently only the fifth for Southern Africa, was located at Mana Pools National Park on 2 November. An Asian Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus and a Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla were reported from the Vumba area on 31 January.
Over 2,000 Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola were found at a single roost on a small island near the eastern border of Mana Pools National Park in May 1999; although the species is common in the Zambezi Valley, this appears to be an unusually large flock.
Last page update 2nd August 2007
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