In The Birder’s Guide To Africa, Michael Mills describes Zambia as “under-birded” relative to its offering. He was right! Zambia is indeed under-appreciated as a birding destination. Although the country is not rich in endemics (it has just three, in fact) by sitting at the birding ‘crossroads’ between east, west and southern Africa it is home to a range of species numbering almost 800 in total which would otherwise only be found be visiting a large number of countries across the southern half of the continent. In particular, it is by far the best country in which to see species exclusively or largely found in miombo woodland.

The strength of Zambia’s offering is underlined by the fact that since early 2018 it has consistently been ranked in the top-25 globally and top-5 for Africa in terms of number of species recorded in Cornell/eBird’s biennial Global Big Day, the world’s biggest single-day birding event in which over 180 countries and territories participate. This despite the fact that GBD’s occur outside of the peak birding period, ie the ‘green season’ between November and April when Zambia plays host to large numbers of Palearctic migrants.

This richness is in significant part due to the wide range of habitats both inside and outside Zambia’s national parks, ranging from near desert in the southwest where Kalahari sands dominate to equatorial rainforest in the northwest; from large lakes, eg Tanganyika, to permanent swamp, eg Bangweulu (home of the rare Shoebill); and from inner city to open farmland.

With the help of the Zambia Bird App (USD19.99), many birders visiting Zambia, as well as our numerous resident birders, find building up their life- and year-lists very straightforward indeed. And there is a plentitude of expert guides available for those who like to have a helping hand including among the staff of the camps and lodges in our national parks.

To have a wonderful birding experience and make your trip to Zambia an even more unforgettable experience, plan an adventure-filled activity to spot the most rare birds and enjoy learning more about the role of birds in ecosystem balance.