Mudumu National Park offers first-rate bird watching. The variety of habitats (the wetland especially) is a magnet for birdlife, with more than 400 bird species recorded. The Kwando River attracts colonies of colorful southern carmine bee-eaters in the summer months, along with the rare coppery-tailed coucal. Flocks of African skimmers can be seen flying over the water, and a pair of African fish eagles, bellowing their distinctive calls, are never far off. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
Birding Specials Treats for Avid Birders
- African fish eagle
- African pygmy goose
- Bearded scrub robin
- Bradfield’s hornbill
- Brown firefinch
- Collared palm-thrush
- Coppery-tailed coucal
- Grey-backed cisticola
- Lesser jacana
- Rufous-bellied heron
- Slaty egret
- Southern carmine bee-eater
- Swamp boubou
- Three-banded courser
- Wattled crane
- Western banded snake eagle
- White-headed lapwing
Best Time for Bird Watching
Birdlife is at its most abundant in Mudumu during the Wet season (November to April), when you have the chance to see the summer migrants from Europe and Asia. However, roads can become very bad due to the wet, marshy conditions. A visit during the Dry season (May to October) is more practical, with ideal conditions from May to September.