Zinave National Park clearly supports a more varied selection of birds than the 200-odd species included on the current checklist. The Save River and Zinave Pan are good starting points to tick off many species in a short time. Zinave recently qualified as a Vulture Safe Zone, meeting 15 important criteria including a reduced risk of power-line collisions and poisoning. The critically endangered white-backed and white-headed vultures can often be seen soaring high in the sky.
Birding Specials Treats for Avid Birders
- Acacia pied barbet
- Bateleur
- Böhm’s bee-eater
- Böhm’s spinetail
- Brown-headed parrot
- Burchell’s coucal
- Collared pratincole
- Common ostrich
- Crested guineafowl
- Greater flamingo
- Greater painted-snipe
- Green wood-hoopoe
- Lappet-faced vulture
- Lemon-breasted canary
- Lesser swamp warbler
- Long-billed crombec
- Marabou stork
- Martial eagle
- Mottled spinetail
- Moustached grass-warbler
- Trumpeter hornbill
- White-backed vulture
- White-headed vulture
- Woolly-necked stork
- Zebra waxbill
Best Time for Bird Watching
Although birding is good throughout the year, the Wet season (November to April) is the best time for bird watching in Zinave. This is when migratory birds are present and many birds display their breeding plumage. General wildlife viewing is better during the middle and end of the Dry season, from July to October.