The Kafue’s size and diverse landscapes translate into an equally diverse birdlife. Over 500 recorded species, which makes it one of the best birding destinations in Africa. The Park contains unique biomes and those provide very different experiences.
In the north, the park is dominated by the Busanga plains, a wetland of global conservation importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Busanga is home to some of Zambia’s largest congregation of water birds including species such as the Wattled and Grey-Crowned Cranes, the African Black Duck, Open-billed storks (at times in the thousands), Saddle-billed storks as well as astonishing numbers of herons and egrets and jacanas (both African and lesser are found in the park). The bird numbers in Busanga when the waters are high is simply staggering.
As we move down from Busanga we come to miombo woodland. It is within this woodland that the Savanna specialist Zambian endemic, Zambia/Chaplin’s Barbet occurs. Apart from their duetting, pairs can be seen on fig treetops especially during their breeding season (August to November), looking out and guarding their eggs from brood parasites such the Lesser Honeyguides and defending their territory from competing Barbet Species such as the Black-collared Barbet and the Black-backed Barbets. Along with the Barbets, in the Savanna woodlands is the Yellow-throated Tinkerbird and 6 species of Woodpecker, attracted by the huge variety of insects characteristic of the Savanna.
Most camps in the Kafue are located on the riverbanks of permanent rivers – the Kafue and tributaries – and the banks mean riverine forest, where the highlights include many species of Bee-eater, flocks of Trumpeter and crowned and grey Hornbill as well as the stunning (but elusive) Schalow’s and Ross’s Turaco. But the big goal for many is a glimpse of the Pel’s fishing owl – this majestic dark orange owl is a real special.
Moving onto the river itself, the African finfoot is high on most people’s lists. Fortunately, despite it being a relatively rare bird, it is a common sighting within the Kafue. Apart from this already mentioned (in Busanga), African skimmers are present and plentiful as well as various kingfishers and of course a compliment of other water birds – ducks, geese, waders, and plovers.
Moving South, due to its proximity to the Kalahari and the geological fault lines of the Zambezi valley, the southern part of the park is drier and dominated by sandy clay soil, which are perfect for the Mopane woodlands. A characteristic of the Mopane in the south of the park is the specialist Black-Cheeked Lovebird, also endemic to Zambia following local extinctions in Namibia and Botswana. Through the Mopane trees, the echoing ‘barking-like’ sound of the Southern Ground Hornbill is a common song as they walk in their family groups hunting small animals within the forest. While the south of the park is generally dry, the Nanzhila river also a tributary of the Kafue forms several seasonal pools which attract vast species to the plain including the Crested Guineafowls, Shelly’s Francolin and perfectly camouflaged Yellow-throated Sandgrouse especially in the dry season (May to October).