Birding enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that a series of exciting new cross-border birding itineraries have been launched in the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.
This area is enormous, larger than Germany and Austria combined and nearly twice as large as the United Kingdom. It lies in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins where Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge.
The new cross-border initiative connects 12 key birding routes along the the Kavango, Zambezi, Chobe, Kwando and Kafue rivers (see map).
Registered travel planning specialists are promoting the routes, and certified birding guides have been specially trained through partnerships with BirdWatch Zambia, BirdLife Zimbabwe, BirdLife South Africa, BirdLife Botswana and the Namibia Nature Foundation.
In Zimbabwe, the KAZA initiative has chosen three birding regions which all fall within Wild Zambezi's own area focus:-
Region 4: ZAMBEZI VALLEY (KARIBA / MATUSADONA)
• Devil's Gorge Conservancy
• Lake Kariba
• Chizarira National Park
• Matusadona National Park
The area offers diverse habitats, from the shores of Lake Kariba to the mountainous terrain of Matusadona, attracting a wide variety of birdlife. Birding is good year-round, but the nesting season (November to April) is particularly vibrant with resident and migratory birds arriving.
Region 8: VICTORIA FALLS / ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK
• Zambezi River
• Zambezi National Park
• Victoria Falls
This circuit incorporates the Victoria Falls and Zambezi National Parks, with diverse habitats. The river front itself, the Rainforest, the drier Zambezi NP and the Kazungula swamps in the far western corner. The area offers excellent birding opportunities, with over 400 species recorded in the area. The Zambezi River, in particular, is a hotspot for diverse birdlife, including the African Skimmer (pictured below) and other rare species like the African Finfoot, Pel's Fishing-owl, and Rock Pratincole. The best time for birding is during the summer months (November to April), when resident birds display their breeding plumage and migratory birds are present.
African Skimmers - Photo from Rivers of Life
Region 11: HWANGE AND KAZUMA PAN NATIONAL PARKS (Region 11 on the map)
• Hwange Main Camp and the buffer areas of Hwange including Sikumi Forestry Areas
• Ngamo Plains and Sinamatella area
• Kazuma Pan National Park
Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is a fantastic destination for bird watching, boasting a wide variety of species. While the park is renowned for its large mammals, including the Big Five, it also offers a rich avian diversity.
Nyambe Nyambe, Executive Director of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat says: No single country in this region can offer what the five partner states offer together. The birding route makes that case in the most concrete way possible: 650 species, 12 key areas, ancient migration corridors and a certified guide network to bring it to life.
More information on the routes, regions and suggested itineraries can be found on the Kavango Zambezi - Rivers of Life website.