Birdwatching in Malawi

7 Pages·1995·3.6 MB·

by  Bob Medland

Birdwatching in Malawi
Bob Medland
Resume:LeMalawipeutnepasapparaltresurungrandnombredelistesdesdixpremierspaysavisiter
par les ornithologistes, 651 especes y ont neanmoins ete signalees et plus de 525 d'entre elles s’y
reproduisentetincluentdesespecesaussienigmatiquesquel’AletheduMontCholo,Alethecholoensis
,
etlaGrive-akalattachetee,Modulatrixstictigula.Ungrandnombredesspecialitesdupayssontsoitdes
especesendemiquesdelaforettropicaleoudelaforetclairedeBrachystegia, difficilesatrouverdans
le restedel’Afrique. Cela, combine a faeces aise a la plupartdes regions du pays, fait du Malawi une
destination excitante avisiter.
D
idn’t that used to be part of Rhodesia? Next to eastcorner. Mostofthecountryisintensivelyfarmed
Kenya isn’t it? Any endemics? These are usually (maize, tobacco and tea) and with over 9 million
thefirstquestionsIamaskedwhenImentionMalawi people ithas one ofthehighest population densities
andtheanswertoallofthemisno.Formerlyitwasthe in Africa. Nevertheless around 13% ofthe land is set
NyasalandProtectorate,it’slandlockedbetweenTan- aside inaseriesofforestandwildlifereserves. Inevi-
zania, MozambiqueandZambiaandtheonlyspecies tably, there is considerable population pressure on
close to being endemic is the Thyolo Alethe Alethe theseareasandthegovernmentconservationdepart-
choloensiswhich is found also in a couple offorests mentsandtheWildlifeSocietyarefightingtoimprove
just across the border in Mozambique. protection and environmental education. Sadly
Sowhygothere forthebirds?Well, I did in 1984 though, this is a losing battle insomeplaces.
andendedupstayingfortenyears.WhilstMalawimay
not be in the world’s top ten in the league of bird- The habitats and their birds
watchingcountriesitscheckliststandsat651(ofwhich Rocky hills and mountain tops
over525areknowntobreed)-notbadforsomewhere Thesearescatteredaroundthecountry:MulanjeMoun-
thesizeofEngland-andduringatwoweekvisitone tainisbyfarthebiggestwhilstthelakeshorehillsare
canseeover400species.Manyoftherealgoodiesare probablythebestplacetofindaerobaticVerreaux’s
eitherrainforestorBrachystegiawoodlandendemics Eagles Aquila verreauxi usually seen hunting for
,
andcanbedifficulttofindelsewhere. Accessaround dassies (RockHyrax Heterohyraxbrucei) along the
thecountryisexcellent, ithasa pleasantclimate, has ridges of hills. Other common raptors are Augur
adequate accommodation ofa reasonable standard/ Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus and Lanner Falco
costintherightplacesandthepeopleareveryfriendly. biarmicuswhilstTaitaFalconF.fasciinuchaisrare.
Mocking Cliff-chat Myrmecochicla cinnamo-
For the factbook meiventris are commonly found at any altitude and
Malawi is a small country, lying between latitudes 9 Black Storks Ciconia nigra nest sparsely through-
and14degreessouthandstraddlingthesouthernend out the country.
oftheGreatRiftValley. Itisjustover800kmlongand
up to 150 km wide, and a quarter of its surface
comprisesthegreatlake,namedafterthecountryand
thethirdlargestinAfrica. Thewholecountry, includ-
ing the lake, is drained by the Shire (pronounced
Shiny) River, which joins the Zambezi in Mozam-
bique. The riftfloor, up to75 kmwide, isthe hottest
part of the country, and comprises mainly acacia
savannaandthicket,withdense Brachystegia/ever-
green woodland in the humid north around Nkhata
Bay.Therestofthecountryconsistsofhigh plateaux
at around 1,000 m above sea-level. Rising higherare
numerous isolated highlands, the principal ones be-
ingNyikaPlateauinthenorth,at2,400m,Ntchisiand
Dedza Mountains in the centre and the spectacular MulanjeMountain,Malawi(BobMedland)
MulanjeMountain,whichrisesto3,000minthesouth- MontaguesdeMulanje,Malawi(BobMedland)
Birdwatching in Malawi: Medland BullABC Vol2No2- 109
Montane Grassland Misuku Hills are capped with three forests, the only
Principally on the Nyika Plateau and Mulanje Moun- location in Malawi for the enigmatic Spot-throat
tain. The former holds breeding pairs of Wattled Modulatrix stictigula and the recently separated
CraneBugeranuscarunculatus,andDenham’sBus- Short-tailed Batis Batis mixta. Relatively unspoilt
tards Neotisdenhamiand the occasional Secretary anda longwayoffthebeatentrack, theMisukus are
Bird Sagittarius serpentarius. Red-breasted Spar- beautiful forests and the best place also for finding
rowhawks Accipiter rufiventris often hunt along Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Bycanistes brevis,
earth roads in front of vehicles, and in the rainy Oriole Finch Linurgus olivaceus and Shelley’s
season, four species of harrier Circus spp may be (Montane) Greenbul Andropadus masukuensis.
foundquarteringthevalleys. Howevertherealspeci- OntheNyikaPlateau, ZovoChipoloandChowo(the
alities are the passerines. Ofthe sunbirds, Bronze latteractually just inside Zambia) are the bestforests
Nectariniakilimensis, and Malachite N.famosaare for White-chested Alethe Alethe fuelleborni,
fairly common whilst Scarlet-tufted Malachite N. African Hill Babbler Pseudoalcippe abyssmica,
johnstoniandGreaterDouble-collared N. afraare Olive-flanked Robin-chat Cossypha anomala and
lessso.ThelocalraceofRufous-napedLarkMirafra Fiilleborn’s Black Boubou Laniariusfuelleborni.
africanaisolataisendemictotheNyikaandwhilston In contrast, not only climatically, are the lakeshore
the subject of ‘little brown jobs’, there are plenty of forestsofKalweandNkwadzinearNkhataBay.Whilst
cisticolas to grapple with, including another Nyika Crested Guineafowl Guttera pucherani probably
endemic, the nominate race ofAyres’sCloudCisti- nolongerexiststhere duetohunting, this isthebest
cola Cisticolaayresii whichperformsanimpressive, locationforEastCoastAkalatSheppardiagunningi.
,
ifapparently suicidal, sky-diving display. Finally, no Thelocalrace, bensoni,isendemictoMalawiandwas
listwouldbe completewithoutmentioningthe Blue named afterthe late Con Benson (fatherofMalawi’s
Swallow Himndoatrocaerulea now on the threat- ornithologyandauthorofmanybooksandhundreds
:
ened list for southern Africa due to loss ofbreeding ofpapers, hiscontributiontothesciencethroughout
habitat, fortunatelytheNyika is a safe stronghold for theregionwasastonishinginitsextentandthorough-
this graceful hirundine. ness). Nkwadzi usually turns up Yellowbill
Ceuthmochares aereus and Crested Flycatcher
Trochocercuscyanomelas.Stillinthenorth,theViphya
Mountains, apart from hosting an endemic race of
ScalyFrancolinFrancolinussquamatusdoni have
,
the dubious claim to fame for being blanketed by
southern Africa’s largest pine plantation. However,
the surviving ribbons of riparian forest are easily
accessible andare still goodplacesforOliveWood-
pecker Mesopicus griseocephalus and Red-faced
Crimsonwing Cryptospiza reichenovii. From
Lilongwe, Ntchisi and Dedza Mountains are in easy
Evergreen forest
reach: the former is as good a place as any for the
Ornithologically this is probably the most important magnificent Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coro-
habitat inMalawi, rangingfromcool andmistymon-
natus, Bar-tailed Trogon and Chestnut-throated
taneforestpatchestohot,humidlakeshoreforests.At
ApalisApalisporphyrolaema whilstDedzacanusu-
timesapparentlydevoidofbirds, atothertimesitcan ally be relied on to provid,e Olive Bush-shrike
seem as ifthe branches are dripping with birds ofa Malaconotusolivaceus. In the south, the hilltop for-
riotousassortmentofvividcolours-turacos, trogons,
ests ofSoche and Thyolo compete with Mulanje for
wriobtihnasllafnodreasptalbiisredsw,aatlclhtirnygi,ngwatoitouatnddobeeapcahtioetnhter-.bAust ornithologicalbrilliance:Ihaveneverhadabaddayin
anyofthese,whatevertheweather.Thyolo’sspecials
watch outforredants! Forthis reason, I recommend are an elitist bunch: White-winged Apalis A.
wearing shorts: once ants get up long trousers, your
chariessa Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chloro-
birdwatchingcomposurehashadit!Commoninmany cephalus,Black-frontedBush-shrikeM. nigrifrons,
forests throughout the country are stunners such as ,
GreenBarbet Stactolaemaolivacea, GreyCuckoo-
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata, Bar- shrike Coracina caesia and, of course, Thyolo
tailedTrogonApalodermavittatumandCapeBatis
Alethe.Allthesesouthernforestsholdthethreeforest
Batis capensis whilst there is a selection of nine thrushes, Mountain Turdus abyssmicus, Spotted
greenbuls for the enthusiasts. In the far north, the
110-BullABC Vo!2No2 Birdwatching in Malawi: Medland
Ground Zootherafischeri and Orange Ground Z. mostobviousbirds, asaresultoftheirabundant nest
gumeyi. The latter is the commonest: strikingly col- colonies, are White-browed Sparrow Weavers
oured as it works its way through the leaf-litter, it Plocepassermahali. Family parties ofGreenWood-
renders abeautiful song especiallyatdusk. hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureas provide great
entertainment with their antics and manic cackling
Brachystegia Woodland
and loose flocks ofSouthern Carmine Bee-eaters
‘Miombo’ is the local name forthis attractive, broad- Merops nubicus often hawk overhead outside their
leafed woodland which is dominated by the genera breedingseason. Competitorsforfoodandnest-sites,
BrachystegiaandJulbenardia. NotdissimilartoEng-
Dickinson’s Kestrels F. dickinsoni and Lilac-
lish oak woodland at first sight, this biome forms an breasted Rollers Coracias caudata are common
enormous swathe across south-central Africa from
and often engage in noisy aerial battles. In contrast,
AngolatoMozambiqueandTanzania.Oneofthebest depressed-looking Southern Ground Hornbills
areasisDzalanyama,anhoursouthofLilongwe.One Bucorvuscaferplodtheirwayaroundthegrasslandin
ofthefeaturesofthishabitatisthetendencyformany
search ofanything edible.
speciestoformloosefeedingflocksastheyworktheir
way through the mid-stratum and canopy. Miombo Dambo grassland
birdwatching is a pretty easy-going affair: you just Known as ‘vleis’ further south, these are seasonally-
driveslowlyalonguntilyoucomeacrossabirdparty: inundated, shallow valleys. In the rains, they are
stopandgetoutandyoumaywellpickuptwentyor excellent for many species of brilliantly-coloured
more species in five minutes. The many miombo widowbirds and bishops Euplectesspp., also Yel-
specials include White-tailed Blue Flycatcher low-throated and Rosy-breasted Longclaws
Elminia albicauda, Olive-headedWeaver Ploceus Macronyx croceus and M. ameliae. Red-chested
olivaceiceps Stierling’s Woodpecker Dendropicos Flufftails Sarothrura rufaarecommonlyheardcall-
,
stierlingi (almost unknown outside Malawi), Swal- ingat duskbut irritatingly difficulttosee.
low-tailedBee-eaterMeropshirundineus,Miombo
Mopane woodland
Rock Thrush Monticola angolensis and the two
Almost restricted to Liwonde National Park, this de-
hyliotas, Southern Hyliota australis and Yellow-
breasted H.flavigaster. Miombo also has its own ciduous woodland is ornithologically less exciting
endemic (or nearly so) sunbirds. These are all stun- tLhoavnebotihredrsAaglatphoorungihsitlisiltihaenoanely(lcoocmatmioonnfoirnLifllioacnk’ss)
ningly attractive, iridescent little gems including
Anchieta’sSunbirdAnthreptesanchietae,Shelley’s whilst Racket-tailed Roller C. spatulata is not un-
commonandMeves’sGlossyStarlingLamprotomis
NectariniashelleyiandAmethystN.amethystina. In
mevesiiis ever-present.
thebreedingseason(September-October),don’tleave
thewoodsuntilnightfallasseveralspeciesofnightjar, Thicket
including spectacular Pennant-winged Nightjars Difficulttodefine, thicketsarenowmuchreducedin
Macrodipteryx vexillaria, are fairly common along Malawi; certainlytheonlyextensiveareaisrestricted
roadsatdusk. Thelistgoeson... toLengweWildlifeReserveinthelowerShireValley.
Acacia woodland and savanna It is excellent for a wide variety of species scarcely
found elsewhere including Crested Guineafowl,
EssentiallytherearetwomaintypesofAcaciahabitat
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus
inMalawi.AroundLilongwethereisdensewoodland leucomelas, Vanga Flycatcher Bias musicus,
dominatedalsoby CombretumandPiliostigmatrees.
Woodward’s Batis Batisfratrum and the elusive
Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary is a fine example and GorgeousBush-shrikeMalaconotusviridis(soelu-
probably the only remaining intact remnant of this
habitat in Malawi. While not holding any particular sivethatInevermanagedtofindit)andtheminutebut
elegant Livingstone’s Flycatcher Erythrocercus
endemicsitsupportsa tremendousvarietyofspecies livingstonei. A surprising number of rainforest spe-
andisusefulforcatchinguponthosespeciesmissed
cies share a liking for this habitat, eg Square-tailed
out elsewhere. Typical of the canopy are Black-
Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii and Yellow-rumped
headed Oriole 0 larvatus, Sulphur-breasted
. Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus.
Bush-shrike M. sulfureopectus, African Paradise
Flycatcher Terpsiphoneviridisand ChinspotBatis Water and wetlands
B. molitor.Acaciasavannaismoreopenandfoundat Dominated by the vast expanse ofLake Malawi, the
loweraltitudesintheRiftValley.Bestexamplesarein country has extensive wetlands in the Rift Valley.
theMonkeyBayareaandLengweNationalPark.The Rightlyso,theAfricanFishEagleHaliaeetusvocifer
Birdwatching in Malawi: Medland BullABC Vol2 No2- 111
isMalawi’snationalbirdandisfoundwhereverthere Keytowildlifeand
isopenwater.Thesouthernendofthelakeholdsthe forestreserves
greatest population density anywhere in Africa, with DDZE DDzeadlzaanFyRamaFR
pairs holdingterritoryandnestingeveryhalfkilome- KU KasunguWR
LE LengweWR
treorsoalongtheshore. LiwondeWildlifeReserveis LI LiwondeWR
excellent for night-time trips to find Pel’s Fishing LM LakeMalawiWR
OwlScotopeliapeliandWhite-backedNightHeron MMJS MMuilsaunkjueHMiltlsFFRR
Gorsachiusleuconotus.Butforwetlandbirdsingen- NK Nkhota-kotaWR
NT NtchisiFR
eral, a summary probably says it all: 18 species of NY NyikaWR
herons and egrets, eight storks, 15 plovers and nine NZ NkwadziFR
SO SocheFR
kingfishers. TO ThyoloFR
VM VwazaMarshWR
The reserves VP ViphyaFR
ZA ZombaMtFR
There are nine wildlife reserves (formerly known as
national parks or game reserves) and many forest
reserves.EssentialforanyvisitareNyika,Liwondeand
Lengwe WRs, also Dzalanyama and Mulanje Moun-
tain FRs.
Nyika Wildlife Reserve
3,134km2ofBrachystegiawoodland, montanegrass-
landandrainforestpatchesinthefarnorthandabout
eight hours drive from Lilongwe. Cool climate and
spectacular scenery. Commonly seen mammals in-
clude Leopard Panthera pardus Roan Antelope
,
Hippotragus equinus Burchell’s Zebra Equus
,
burchelli, Reedbuck Redunca arundinum and
Bushpig Potamochoerusporcus.
WildlifeandforestreservesinMalawi
ReservesdelafaanesauvageetdesforetsanMalawi
hometotherareNyalaAntelope Tragelaphusangasi.
Adawnwatchfromthehideatthemainwaterholeis
a magical experience and can be rewarded by any-
thing from Cape Buffalo Syncerus cafferto the rare
Madagascar Squacco Heron Ardeola idae.
Dzalanyama Forest Reserve
An extensive range of miombo-clad hills only one
hour from Lilongwe
NyikaWildlifeReserve,Malawi(BobMedland) Others
ParcnationaldeNyika,Malawi(BobMedland)
Lake Malawi WR: sandy beaches, snorkelling and
Liwonde Wildlife Reserve lakeshorehillsandislands. KasunguandNkhotakota
548km2ofriver, marshandmopanewoodlandinthe WR’s:extensiveBrachystegia.ViphyaFR:mainlypine
ShireValley. Ignoring(ifyoucan)thecountlesscrocs, plantation but some montane grassland and riparian
hippos, antelope and elephants, one of the most rainforest.NkwadziFR:lakeshorerainforest.Lilongwe
impressiveday’sbirdwatchinganywhereintheworld Nature Sanctuary: dense Acacia woodland with a
mustbe from a boattrip on the Shire River river in the heart of the modern capital, well worth
visitingatthebeginning/endofatrip.MichiruConser-
Lengwe Wildlife Reserve
vationArea:regeneratingBrachystegiawithinBlantyre
887 km2 ofthicket and mixed open woodland in the
city limits.
far south. Hot and dusty but great birdwatching and
112 BullABC Vol2 No 2 Birdwatching in Malawi: Medland
Boehm’sBee-eaterMeropsboehmi,SengaHills,Malawi,August1993(BobMedland)
LeguepierdeBoehm,Meropsboehmi, CollinesdeSenga,Malawi,aout1993(BobMedland)
-
Brachystegiaforest,ThambaniMountain WattledCraneBugeranuscamnculatus,NyikaNationalPark,
Malawi(BobMedland) April1992(BobMedland)
ForetclairedeBrachystegia,MontaguesdeThambani, Gmecaronculee,Bugeranuscarunculatus,Parcnationalde
Malawi(BobMedland) Nyika,avril1992(BobMedland)
Birdwatching in Malawi: Medland BullABC Vol2No2- 113
Suggested Itinerary
Ideally three weeks to cover all habitats: Lilongwe;
Dzalanyama;Zomba;Lengwe;Mulanje;Liwonde;Lake
Malawi;Nyika;Viphya;Lilongwe.Twoormorenights
essentialwhere underlined.
Getting there from Europe
Threeflightsaweek(KLM,BA)directtoLilongweand
various cheaperalternatives via AddisAbaba (Ethio-
pian), Nairobi (Kenyan), Harare (AirZimbabwe) etc.
When
The peak season for breeding woodland and forest
speciesisOctober-December;waituntilFebruaryfor
the breeding widows and bishops. For cooler, more
pleasant weather, tryApril or Septemberwhen bird-
watching is still excellent.
Getting around
Public transport is not recommended. Car hire is
expensivebut readilyavailable althoughreliabilityis
variable.4WDnotnecessaryexceptforsomereserves
(eg Nyika) January-April. Main roads are excellent
(metalled), secondaryroadsareusuallyokayeven in
the rainyseason. Local safari operators include Cen-
tral African Wilderness Safaris (Box 489, Lilongwe), driveable(earth)roads''"^ToMzuzu,Lilongwe
HeartofAfrica(Box8, LilongweandKambukuTrails ipnatrekrnbaotuionndaalrbyoundary
(Box 1304, Blantyre). I will be happy to provide
further information and arrange and/or lead spe- NyikaPlateau
PlateaudeNyika
cialist safaris.
Accommodation Moslem. Officials are suspicious about photography
There are expensive first-class hotels in the main attheairportandofficialbuildings/bridgessoDON’T.
towns, cheaper rest-houses in all urban centres. All
wildlife reserves and larger forest reserves have ac- Publications
commodation of varying standards. Don’t miss the Field guides: Newman’s Birds ofSouthern Africa
;
tented camp in Liwonde. Newman’s Birds ofMalawi-, Sasol Birds ofSouthern
Africa. Checklists: Wildlife society national check-
Health list card; useful annotated checklists for the wildlife
Malaria isa majorrisksoprophylaxisisessential and reservesandLilongwe.Others/journals:Theexcel-
normally effective. DO take any other precautions lentBirdsofMalawibyBenson&Benson(1977)was
your doctor recommends. The lake is generally free thelastsummaryofornithologybutisnowsomewhat
frombilharziaatthemainbeachesbutdon’tpaddlein dated and out ofprint. Fieldwork fora national atlas
stillwateroraroundreeds. ElephantsinLiwondecan has been completed and publication is awaited. The
be dangerousso give them a wideberth. Wildlife Society (Box 1429, Blantyre) publishes pa-
pers and all interesting fauna and flora records in its
Customs of the country journal Nyala, also a quarterlynewsletter Vocifer.
Malawians,officialsandpublicalike,areveryfriendly
and helpful, although courtesyand patienceare pre- Records and rarities
requisites. The infamous, archaic dress regulations General records to Stewart Lane, Box 51147, Limbe.
havebeenrepealedbutitisstillbestnottogoaround Raritiesshouldbereportedwithsupportingdetailsto
ingrungeorsemi-naked.ThecountryismainlyChris- Mrs D Hanmer, Mitsasa, P O Box 3076, Paulington,
tian,althoughthesouthernlakeshoreispredominantly Mutare, Zimbabwe, b
2 Staplake Cottages, Starcross, Devon EX6 8QT, UK.
114 -BullABC Vol2 No2 Birdwatching in Malawi: Medland
The Nyika Plateau
Inthenorthofthecountry,this isperhapsMalawi’s TinkerbirdPogoniulusleucomystax,White-headed
premierbirdwatchingdestination. Rollingmontane Saw-wingPsalidoprocnealbiceps,AfricanHillBab-
grassland with rainforest patches surrounded by bler, Western Mountain Bulbul Andropadus
Brachystegiacoveredfoothills. Theroadacrossthe tephrolaemus,White-chestedAlethe,Olive-flanked
plateauformstheinternationalborderwithZambia. Robin-chat, Sharpe’s Akalat Sheppardia sharpei
The greater part of the plateau lies within Malawi (Manjenjere only), Brown Parisoma Parisoma
althoughtheZambianpartisalsoanationalpark,to lugens{onlyinAcacias),Chestnut-throatedApalis,
which access is possible without going through Black-fronted Bush Shrike, Waller’s Red-winged
immigration/customs although a separate (and ex- Starling Onycognathuswalleri, Slender-billedRed-
pensive) park entry permit is required (in theory). winged Starling O. tenuirostris, Green-headed
SunbirdNectariniaverticalisandFiillebom’sBlack
Getting there and back Boubou.
A direct drive from Lilongwe takes at least seven
hours without stopping so it’s best to break the Riparian growth and valleys
journey at Chikangawa Rest-house in the Viphya The valley immediately below the administration
Hills (book through Forestry Department) or at camp at Thazima entrance gate; the valley below
Mzuzu (Mzuzu Hotel - plush but expensive - or Dam 1 atChelinda; ChelindaBridge; NorthRukuru
Governmentrest-house). Ifyouhavetime, analter- Bridge.
native return trip is best via Nkhata Bay and the Key birds
lakeshoreroad.Evenbetter,extendyourtriptohead Black-backed Barbet Lybius minor, Trilling Cisti-
even further north for the Misuku Hills via Chitipa cola Cisticola woosnami, Black-tailed Waxbill
(look out forthe rare Oustalet’sWhite-bellied Sun- Estrilda perreini, Mountain Yellow Warbler
bird Nectarinia oustleti en route) and return via Chloropetasimilis,MarshTchagra Tchagraminuta,
Karongabutbewaretheroughroads.4WDisneces- Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Baglafecht
sary only from Mzuzu onwards during the rains WeaverPloceusbaglafecht,MountainMarshWidow
(January-April). Euplectes psammochromius.
Accommodation Grassland
The Zambian rest-house is better located for the Virtually anywhere is good but the best areas are
main forests: book through Robin Pope Safaris in along the border road, Chelinda Valley circular
Zambia. Otherwise, the main focal point of the route andChosiViewpoint.
Nyika is around Chelinda in the centre ofthe pla- Key birds
teau, where there are three dams and the best Red-breasted Sparrowhawk, Red-winged Franco-
grasslandareasforbirds.Chaletsandbedroomblock lin Francolinus levaillantii, Wattled Crane,
arecleanifbasic; thereisalsoabasiccampsite. For Denham’s Bustard, Mountain Nightjar Caprimul-
theintrepidthereisabasichutattheremoteJuniper gus poliocephalus. Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus
Forest. Booking in advance forall accommodation myoptilus, Rufous-naped Lark, Angola Swallow
is essential. None has electricity. Take your own Hirundo angolensis, Blue Swallow, Mountain
food, drink and fuel as the supply of all these is Cisticola Cisticola hunteri, Churring Cisticola C.
erratic. njombeandAyres’sCloudCisticola, Malachite and
Scarlet-tuftedMalachiteSunbirds,Yellow-crowned
Where to go Canary Serinus canicollis, Streaky Seedeater S.
Assuming a minimumthree nightstayitis possible striolatus.
tovisitthe following.
Brachystegia woodland
Forests Allow some time entering and leaving the park to
Manjenjere and Chowo (in Zambia), Zovo Chipolo checkoutthewoodlandoneithersideofThazima
and Juniper, also small patches between border Gate forbird parties.
roadandChelinda. Key birds
Key birds Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris,
Dusky Turtle Dove Streptopelia lugens, Bar-tailed Whyte’sBarbetStactolaemawhytii,Anchieta’sSun-
Trogon, Olive Woodpecker, Moustached Green bird andWhite-tailed Blue Flycatcher. ®
Birdwatching in Malawi: Medland BullABCVol2No2-115