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Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum ©Jim Rose http://mysite.freeserve.com/birdingtrips/trip_report_2003.htm

Birding in Zambia

The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked tropical country in south-central Africa. It has an area of 752,614km² and in 1994 the population was estimated to be 9.3 million, thus the average population density is 12.4 people per km². Most of the country is elevated plateau between 900m-1250m a.s.l. and small area in the north-east exceeds 2000m a.s.l.. Through Zambia lie several ancient arms of the rift valley system, notably the Luangwa and Zambezi Valleys (including the famous Victoria Falls) and the country around Lakes Mweru and Tanganyika. Most of the country is drained by the Zambezi system which flows into the Indian ocean. The remaining area lies within the Congo catchment and thus eventually feeds the Atlantic. Zambia`s very pleasant climate can be divided into 3 seasons. The hot rainy season usually lasts 5-6 months between November and April. The remaining months are generally dry with temperatures cooler between May and August and hotter in September and October. Annual rainfall averages between 700-1500mm, decreasing southwards and in the major low-lying river valleys.

About 750 species have been recorded in Zambia. Of this total, well over 600 species are residents or afrotropical migrants which breed here and about 100 are non-breeding migrants or vagrants from the palearctic region. Zambia has only one true endemic species (Chaplin`s Barbet); but there are several near-endemics and a large number of species that otherwise only occur in Angola and DRC - countries that are less accessible to travelling birders.

Zambia can boast large tracts of pristine wilderness and the vast majority of the country falls within the Zambezian biome. Miombo woodland is the dominant vegetation and as it has little understorey it is easy to walk through. The key to successful birding is locating bird parties; these may comprise 20, 30 or more species and are a typical feature of the habitat. In most areas the woodland is laced with grassy dambos along the drainage lines; these hold a very different variety of species, particularly if they are wet or spongy. In the north, evergreen forest patches (mushitus) are found in dambos and in the north-west there are many forest species characteristic of the Congo basin. In the north-east several highland areas hold afromontane species, including many typical of the Eastern Arc mountains in Tanzania. Zambia also has a rich array of wetlands that are famous for their vast numbers of birds as well as their populations of Shoebills and Wattled Cranes. Further exploration of the country will reveal many other interesting habitats for birding such as teak and dry evergreen forest, acacia, munga & mopane woodland, thickets, termitaria, plains, papyrus swamps and seasonal pans. There are 19 National Parks in Zambia, covering nearly 9% of the country and in addition 35 Game Management Areas (GMAs) account for a further 22%.

Contacts
Birders looking for more information and a full Zambian checklist, contact the Zambian Ornithological Society zos@zamnet.zm or check a recent Bulletin of the African Bird Club for contact details of the Zambian representative. ZOS publish a newsletter every month and the Zambia Bird Report annually. ZOS is the BirdLife International Representative in Zambia.

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