27. Harare, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s capital city lies in the miombo woodland belt – probably my favourite birding biome. Birding in miombo is a lot fun: you have to wait until a mixed bird party comes along, and then there are suddenly birds everywhere. But in a few minutes they’re gone again, and everything becomes quiet. There are lots of cool little spots to visit in and around the city, such as Mukuvisi Woodlands, Harare National Botanic Gardens, Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens, Haka Park, Mazowe and Lake Chivero. The other major birding highlight around Harare are the dambo birds. Dambos are grassy clearings in the woodland that become wetlands after rain. Birding here can be tough but is worth it! There are lots of shy, tropical skulkers around, like Striped Crake, Locust Finch, Rosy-throated Longclaw and Black Coucal. If you’re traveling eastwards, Gosho Park in Marondera is another awesome spot.

TOP TEN SPECIALS (MIOMBO):

Whyte’s Barbet | Geelbleshoutkapper
Miombo Rock Thrush | Angolakliplyster
Boulder Chat | Swartberglyster
Wood Pipit | Boskoester
African Spotted Creeper | Boomkruiper
Green-backed Honeybird | Dunbekheuningvoël
Miombo Tit | Miombogrysmees
Southern Hyliota | Mashonahyliota
Eastern Miombo Sunbird | Miombo-rooibandsuikerbekkie
Western Violet-backed Sunbird | Blousuikerbekkie
Black-eared Seedeater | Swartoorkanarie
Cabanis’s Bunting | Geelstreepkoppie

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TOP TEN SPECIALS (DAMBOS):

Corn Crake | Kwartelkoning
Striped Crake | Gestreepte Riethaan
Streaky-breasted Flufftail | Streepborsvleikuiken
Great Snipe | Dubbelsnip
Blue Quail | Bloukwartel
Black-rumped Buttonquail | Swartrugkwarteltjie
Western Marsh Harrier | Europese Vleivalk
Black Coucal | Swartvleiloerie
Rosy-throated Longclaw | Rooskeelkalkoentjie
Yellow-mantled Widowbird | Geelrugflap
Locust Finch | Rooivlerkkwartelvinkie
Cuckoo Finch | Koekoekvink

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28. Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe

The beautiful, rainy mountains on the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique are a magical place. They are home the home of a wide range of forest birds, and many of these are not found anywhere else. The Vumba Botanical Gardens is a great place to start exploring. Just walk around and follow your ears. The more open parts of the gardens are also worth exploring: flowering bushes attract Bronzy, Variable, Eastern Miombo and other special sunbirds, Yellow-bellied Waxbills and Red-throated Twinspots feed in the flower beds, and Tree Pipits patrol the lawns. You can also visit the nearby Bunga Forest Reserve  or the famous Seldomseen (this is where most birders stay). Nyanga National Park is a rugged, mountainous landscape. The views are incredible, and you might spot three special flyers flying around: Blue Swallow, Mottled Swift and Scarce Swift. There are also more widespread mountain-type birds like Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Striped Flufftail, and Gurney’s Sugarbird. As you can tell, the ten specials I listed below are just the tip of the iceberg!

TOP TEN SPECIALS:

Mottled Swift | Bontwindswael
Scarce Swift | Skaarswindswael
Swynnerton’s Robin | Bandkeeljanfrederik
White-tailed Crested Flycatcher | Witstertvlieëvanger
Stripe-cheeked Greenbul | Streepwangwillie
Chirinda Apalis | Gryskleinjantjie
Roberts’s Warbler | Woudlangstertjie
Bronzy Sunbird | Bronssuikerbekkie
Yellow-bellied Waxbill | Tropiese Swie
Red-faced Crimsonwing | Rooiwangwoudsysie

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