Return to trip reports.This trip report covers my second trip to southern Africa. I am lucky that my wife, Lillian, has a sister in Harare which makes visiting the region easier than for most people. On this trip we flew from Edinburgh on 1 October 1996 by Air France to Charles de Gaulle, Paris, and then on to Cape Town via Johannesburg. We arrived in Cape Town at around 1.30pm local time and picked up the hire car from Imperial Self Drive. For 10 days the car was c.200UK pounds, comparable to car hire in the UK. The car was a Toyota Corolla hatchback (5-door). Using the Lonely Planet Guide we had booked accommodation at the St. John's Lodge in Sea Point, a back-packers lodge with rooms upstairs for approx. UKP10 per night. This was excellent value and a good place to stay and meet other people, no birders though. I used Newman's Birds of Southern Africa as a field guide, Top Birding Spots in Southern Africa by Hugh Chittenden, Birdwatch Zimbabwe, The Lonely Planet Guide to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland and the Rough Guide to Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Prices for food and petrol were about half of UK prices in South Africa and even cheaper in Zimbabwe. We didn't have any hassle in Cape Town, and in Zimbabwe everybody was friendly. We traveled by bus in Zimbabwe, and there are good services between the big towns. To get to Kyle we had to get a taxi from Masvingo and arrange for us to be picked up in time for the bus to Bulawayo.
A total of c.290 species were seen, of which 129 were new to me. If you want more details you can e-mail me at david.kelly@easynet.co.uk.
A walk along the Promenade in the late afternoon. Few birds around, just flocks of Red-winged and European Starlings, and Feral and African Rock (Speckled) Pigeons, as well as Cape Wagtails on the lawns. Loads of very noisy Grey-headed Gulls and a few Pied Crows.
You can't go to Cape Town without trying to get up Table Mountain, and today we managed it but we had to wait three hours in a queue to get on the cable car. When we parked the car I saw my first, magnificent male Orange-breasted Sunbird. Once at the top we lunched at the Restaurant where White-necked Raven, African Black Crow, Red-winged Starlings and Rock Pigeons scavenged for scraps, as did Rock Hyrax. We walked away from the crowds and saw more Orange-breasted Sunbirds as well as an immature Black (Verreaux's) Eagle and a couple of falcons, either Lanner or Peregrine. We had to queue to get back down the mountain, but while we waited large flocks of Swifts arrived before roosting on the crags. Not a lot of birds were seen but it was a beautiful place with magnificent views over Cape Town and south to the Cape Peninsula.
Brendan at the Lodge advised us to visit Simonstown to see the penguins and he was right. The colony is at the southern side of Simonstown at a place called "The Boulders." The penguins are Jackass Penguins and don't seem to disturbed by tourists. At one point there was a coach load of Taiwanese tourists lined up on the landward side of the beach parallel to a line of Penguins on the seaward side. In the bushes there were Cape Robins and Karoo Prinias, and offshore I could see some passing seabirds as well as a few cape Fur Seals lolling on the rocks. From The Boulders we drove south to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, stopping for lunch at the Black Marlin Seafood Restaurant. In the garden were flowering bushes, and here there were Lesser Double-collared Sunbirds and Malachite Sunbirds.
Cape Point was a bit disappointing, very built up and busy, but we did see a Peregrine overhead with Cape Gannets, Cormorants and a Subantarctic Skua offshore. We decided to try the Cape of Good Hope and a few of the less popular areas of the reserve and managed to add Ostrich, Black-headed Heron, Egyptian Goose, African Fish Eagle, Jackal Buzzard, Grey-winged and Cape Francolins, Helmeted Guinea-fowl, African Black Oystercatcher, Blacksmith Plover, Swift Tern and lots of smaller birds seen that day. Mammals seen were Cape Mongoose, Chacma Baboon and the splendid chocolate brown and white Bontebok.
We left Cape Town to go east to the Breede River Valley, the Overberg. I had my first Blue Cranes from the motorway. We hoped to stop at Sir Lowry's Pass to get some of the endemic passerines but low cloud and mist made trying a waste of time so we pressed on to Hermanus. Hermanus is very tourist-orientated, and its main attraction are the Southern Right Whales which come to the Cape coast to breed. We had distant views of the whales, the telescope was handy for this, and closer views of Lesser Double-collared Sunbirds in the ornamental shrubberies.
From Hermanus we went to the beautiful and remote Salmonsdam nature reserve to try for more endemics. This was inland and along gravel roads, and once we got away from the sea it was very warm. Here we added a number of species to the trip list including the spectacular Cape Sugarbird, as well as Red-breasted Sparrowhawk, Ground Woodpecker, Neddicky, Grassbird, Southern Boubou, Pied Starling, Cape Canary and Red Bishop. I failed to see Cape Rockjumper or Sentinel Rock-thrush though.
We pushed on to Swellendam where we stayed in the Swellengrebel hotel. This is a beautifully preserved Cape Dutch town and is handy for the Bontebok National Park.
We began in the Bontebok NP with a game drive, flushing a female Black Korhaan from the side of the road as well as seeing African Stonechat and Red-capped Lark. As you would expect there were lots of Bontebok in the Bontebok National Park as well as Cape Mountain Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Steenbok and Ostriches. By the office there is a garden where we saw Fiscal Flycatcher and Malachite Sunbird. We also walked some of the riverside trails, through woodland and the campsite, and here we saw a lot of small birds. On the way out of the park we flushed a Secretarybird from its perch in some scrub and saw a displaying male Stanley Bustard.
We now had a 50km drive to de Hoop along gravel roads through farmland. Lots of farmland birds were seen on this drive including more Blue Cranes. The first part of the huge de Hoop Nature Reserve we visited was the Potberg, a remote hill at the eastern end of the reserve where the Western Cape's last Cape Vulture colony is found. We spent a little while watching the vultures from the car park and also saw a Black Sparrowhawk above the Eucalyptus plantation as well as a pair of Jackal Buzzards mobbing an immature Black Eagle. At the western end of the reserve we walked from the car park to the sea and had a look at the de Hoop vlei and in this area we added wetland birds and a few passerines to our daylist. We also saw more Southern Right Whales offshore, closer than at Hermanus as well as Eland, Bontebok and Cape Mountain Zebra. We didn't have enough time at either site and had to leave de Hoop quite early to reach Cape Town before dark. On the drive back to Cape Town there were more Blue Cranes and a female Black Harrier near Bredasdorp.
We went north to this excellent site, a tidal lagoon with fynbos and saltmarsh around it. There were flocks of European Bee-eaters at the entrance, and Black-shouldered Kites were on the overhead wires, and one or two roadside Ostriches were seen. The park centre at Geelbek had Grey-winged Francolins, Pied Starlings, Fiscal Shrikes and a colony of Cape Weavers. There were some hides around here, but as it was high tide many of the waders were roosting. However, we did see White Pelican, African Spoonbill, waders, Grey-headed Gull and Caspian Tern from the hides. In the saltmarsh vegetation were various small birds. A drive through the Postberg section of the park produced a male Black Harrier and lots more species. There were also antelope in this section but we had missed the spring bloom of annual flowers. On the way out a superb male Black Korhaan was strutting his stuff by the side of the road, and another hunting male Black Harrier.
Today we drove south to Hout Bay to take a boat trip to Duiker Island where we saw Cormorants, Kelp Gull and Common and Swift Terns, as well as close up views of Cape Fur Seals. In the afternoon we visited Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where we had a long walk and added a few more species to the trip list.
Our last morning of Cape birding was at this superb wetland reserve with watchtowers and hides. This was the only place I met another birder, and he was originally from England. This was the only place I saw Cape Shoveler, African Marsh Harrier and Purple Swamphen as well as a host of other birds, but we did not see the Hippos.
A long bus journey from Cape Town to Harare via a ten hour stop in Johannesburg. We drove through the Karoo at night and were on the Highveld of the Orange Free State by dawn. From the bus I was able to see Paradise Whydah and White-quilled Korhaan but the best sight was the flocks of Greater and Lesser Flamingoes on the pans outside the gold mining town of Welkom.
Harare is situated in hilly terrain and is surrounded by granite Dombas, two of the more famous being Ngomakurira and Dombashawa. These are good for birds such as Miombo Double-collared Sunbird, Boulder Chat, Mocking Chat and Wattle-eyed Flycatcher. We also managed to see Fiery-necked Nightjar and Spotted Eagle-Owl.
Took the bus from Harare to Masvingo to stay at the Kyle Game Park on the shores of Lake Mutirikwe. The National Parks lodges here are luxurious, but we had no car so we could not enter the Gama Park and were limited to walks around the campsite. On the first day there was a plague of locusts, and this attracted many birds as well as a huge Wandering Spider and toads. A dead tree in the garden was used by a Grey Hornbill as a song post, and a Yellow-billed Kite tried to steal my breakfast, but the garden's most obvious inhabitants were a family of Warthogs. On the last day we were supposed to go on a horseback safari, but it rained, and the wardens said it was too muddy for the horses to be safe.
We had taken the bus on the 16 October from Masvingo to Bulawayo and stayed in the Shelborne Hotel in the city centre. I had booked a tour of the Matobo National Park with UTC. For two people this worked out at Z$730 (approx. 50UKP). Our driver was Gilbert, and he was a knowledgeable guide full of information about many aspects of the history and wildlife of the area. He took us to World's View where Cecil Rhodes and some of his cronies are buried. Here we saw the lizards being fed with sadze, the local staple made of maize meal, and a nervous Elephant-shrew trying to join in. Gilbert also showed us some of the rock paintings left by the San before the Ndebele conquered this area. The hills are famous for their Black Eagles, and we saw singles and pairs all over the area. Other wildlife here included plenty of dainty Klipspringers, but it was in the Game Park where we saw one of the highlights of the trip, three White Rhinoceroses (male, female and calf) as well a Giraffes, Zebra, Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, Wildebeest and Impala. This landscape of the Matobo is incredible and shouldn't be missed by anyone visiting Zimbabwe.
We flew from Bulawayo to Harare on an Air Zimbabwe flight and were met at the airport to travel to the Eastern Highlands. These run along Zimbabwe's eastern frontier with Mozambique and are home to the near-endemic species found in Zimbabwe. There was a party of us, and we rented two cottages at Campbell-Morrison's farm, near the Leopard Rock Hotel. I found the birding here difficult, especially in the forested areas, but did get some new species for me although I missed all the near-endemics bar Chrinda Apalis. The near-endemics are Swynnerton's Robin, Robert's Prinia and Chirinda Apalis. This was, however, a beautiful spot with spectacular sunsets over the Mozambiquean mountains and a splendid tree in the garden which was favoured by a small flock of the pterodactyl-like Silvery-cheeked Hornbill.
From Vumba we headed north to the Nyanga National Park. Here the landscape was a strange mixture with the very African woods of Acacia abbysinica mixed with grasslands, pine plantations and dams which were a little reminiscent of some areas back home in Scotland. Highlights here included Blue Swallows feeding over the dam and grasslands near our lodge at Udu Dam, a nesting Malachite Kingfisher at Rhodes Dam, but best of all was a pair of Taita Falcons mobbing a Lanner at Honde View. Wildlife here included Bushbuck, Reedbuck and Waterbuck. There were a lot of archaeological sites, and some of the views such as World's View and Honde View were spectacular.
Our last day, and my sister-in-law gave us a loan of her car to go to McIlwaine. The lake was higher than in 1993, and there were less birds around but we did see quite a few. Game seen included Kudu, Impala, Wildebeest and Zebra. For lunch we drove to a nearby hotel, and a Spotted Creeper flew across the road in front of the car and landed on a fence post, a great bird to finish the trip on.
E = endemic to southern Africa
English Name Scientific Name Sites
------------ --------------- -----
Ostrich Struthio camelus Cape of Good Hope, Bontebok, de Hoop,
West Coast, Matobo, McIlwaine
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Rondevlei, National Botanic Gardens
in Harare
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus de Hoop Vlei
Jackass Penguin E Spheniscus demersus The Boulders at Simonstown
White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus West Coast and Rondevlei
Cape Gannet Morus capensis common offshore in the Cape
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo common offshore in the Cape,
Rondevlei, McIlwaine
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis Duiker Island, Cape of Good Hope
Bank Cormorant E Phalacrocorax neglectus Duiker Island
Crowned Cormorant Phalacrocorax coronatus Rondevlei (may have been overlooked
elsewhere)
Reed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus Rondevlei, McIlwaine
African Darter Anhinga melanogaster Rondevlei
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Rondevlei
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Common and widespread
Great Egret Egretta alba Rondevlei, Kyle, McIlwaine
Little Egret Egretta garzetta Common and widespread
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Rondevlei
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Common and widespread
Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala Common and widespread
White Stork Ciconia ciconia Harare
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Rondevlei
Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopica Common and widespread
African Spoonbill Platalea alba West Coast, Rondevlei
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber flocks from bus at Welkom
Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor flocks from bus at Welkom
Hamerkop Scopus umbretta Vumba - on the Leopard Rock golf course
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptius Common and widespread
Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos Matobo
Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha Rondevlei
Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata Rondevlei
Cape Shoveler Anas smithii Rondevlei
Southern Pochard Netta erythropthalma Rondevlei, Udu Dam (Nyanga) and McIlwaine
Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Bontebok
Cape Vulture E Gyps coprotheres Potberg in de Hoop
Yellow-billed Kite Milvus (migrans) parasiticus Common and widespread.
Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Common and widespread
Wahlberg's Eagle Aquila wahlbergi Kyle
Black Eagle Aquila verreauxii Table Mountain, de Hoop and Matobo
Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus Kyle
Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occiptalis Rhodes Dam (Nyanga)
African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer Cape of Good Hope, McIlwaine
Steppe Buzzard Buteo b. vulpinus Common in Eastern Highlands
Jackal Buzzard E Buteo rufofuscus Cape of Good Hope, de Hoop area
Augur Buzzard Buteo augur Matobo, Nyanga
Red-breasted Sparrowhawk Accipiter rufiventris Salmonsdam, Rondevlei
Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus Potberg (de Hoop)
Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar Kyle
African Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorus Rondevlei
Black Harrier E Circus maurus female near Bredasdorp, 2 males in West Coast
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Cape Point
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus Honde View, Nyanga
Taita Falcon Falco fasciichuna 2 Honde View, Nyanga mobbing Lanner
Common (Rock) Kestrel Falco tinninculus de Hoop
Helmeted Guinea-fowl Numidia meleagris Common and widespread
Cape Francolin E Francolinus capensis Cape of Good Hope, Cape Peninsula,
West Coast, Bontebok, de Hoop
Grey-winged Francolin E Francolinus africanus Cape Peninsula, West Coast
Red-necked Francolin Francolinus afer Nyanga
Blue Crane E Anthropoides paradisea common in fields around de Hoop
and Bredasdorp
Wattled Crane Grus carunculatus 2 in fields near Christon Bank N of Harare
Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostris Rhodes Dam (Nyanga) and
National Botanic Gardens - Harare
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Rondevlei
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus de Hoop and National Botanic Gardens
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata Rondevlei
Stanley Bustard Neotis denhami Bontebok
Black Korhann E Eupodotis afra Bontebok, West Coast
White-quilled Korhaan E Eupodotis afraoides from bus between Cape Town and Jo'burg
African Black Oystercatcher E Haematopus moquini Cape of Good Hope, de Hoop
Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula West Coast
Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius West Coast
Three Banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris West Coast
White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus West Coast
Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus Common and widespread
Crowned Plover Vanellus coronatus Common and widespread
Wattled Plover Vanellus senegallus Kyle
Sanderling Calidris alba de Hoop
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea West Coast
Little Stint Calidris minuta West Coast
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus West Coast
Greenshank Tringa nebularia de Hoop Vlei, West Coast
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis de Hoop Vlei
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola de Hoop Vlei
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Kyle, Rhodes Dam
Subantarctic Skua Catharacta antarctica one seen off Cape Point
Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus common in the Cape, also McIlwaine
Hartlaub's Gull E Larus hartlaubi West Coast
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus common around the Cape
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia West Coast
Swift Tern Sterna bergii common around Cape
Common Tern Sterna hirundo a few seen around the Cape Peninsula
Damara Tern E Sterna baleanarum one seen de Hoop
Rock Pigeon Columba guinea Common in the Cape, around Harare
and in eastern Zimbabwe
Feral Pigeon Columba livia Common in cities
Rameron Pigeon Columba arquatrix One seen Kirstenbosch, also Rhodes Dam
Cape Turtle Dove Streptopelia capicola Common and widespread
Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata Common and widespread
Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Common and Widespread
Grey Lourie Corythaixoides concolor Kyle
Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius Rhodes Dam
Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus seen Ngomakurira, heard Udu Dam
Fiery-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis seen Dombashawa, heard Kyle
Mozambique Nightjar Caprimulgus fossii heard Kyle
Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus common in Zimbabwe
African Swift Apus barbatus common and widespread
Little Swift Apus affinis common and widespread
White-rumped Swift Apus caffer seen Harare
Horus Swift Apus horus Table Mountain and Vumba
Alpine Swift Apus melba Table Mountain
Common Swift Apus apus Nyanga
Mottled Swift Apus aequitoralis Nyanga, Honde View, Leopard Rock
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus Eastern Highlands
Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus Vumba
Red-faced Mousebird Colius indicus Bontebok
White-backed Mousebird E Colius colius West Coast, Bontebok
Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus Kyle
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster West Coast, McIlwaine
Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudata Common and widespread in Zimbabwe
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Matobo, McIlwaine
Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata Rhodes Dam
Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti McIlwaine
Scimitarbill Phoeniculus cyanomelas McIlwaine
African Hoopoe Upupa (epops) senegalensis Kyle
Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus flavirostris Common in Zimbabwe
Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus Common in Zimbabwe
Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus Vumba
Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus Kyle
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Bycanistes brevis 3-4 in garden at Vumba
White-eared Barbet Stactolaema leucotis Vumba
Pied Barbet Lybius leucomelas Common in Zimbabwe
Black-collared Barbet Lybius torquatus Kyle
Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillanti Kyle, Harare
Ground Woodpecker E Geocolaptes olivaceus Salmonsdam
Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni Vumba
Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor Bontebok
Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana Kyle
Long-billed Lark Mirafra curvirostris Bontebok
Karoo Lark E Mirafra albescens West Coast
Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea Common and widespread
Red-breasted Swallow Hirundo semirufa Nyanga
White-throated Swallow Hirundo albigularis Bontebok, Vumba
Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea feeding with House Martins Udu Dam
Greater Striped Swallow Hirundo cucullata Bontebok, Vumba
Lesser Striped Swallow Hirundo abyssinica Nyanga
Black Saw-wing Swallow Psalidoprocne holomelas Bontebok
Eastern Saw-wing Swallow Psalidoprocne orientalis Vumba and Nyanga
House Martin Delichon urbica Large flocks Nyanga
Brown-throated Martin Riparia paludicola Common and widespread
African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp Common and widespread
Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis Common in the Cape
Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara One seen Rhodes Dam
Grassveld Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus Common and widespread
Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis Bontebok, McIlwaine
Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys de Hoop
Buffy Pipit Anthus vaalensis Vumba
Bushveld Pipit Anthus caffer Matobo, McIlwaine
Orange-throated Longclaw E Macronyx capensis West Coast
Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava Common and widespread
Square-tailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii Vumba
Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis Common and widespread
Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus Kyle
Black Crow Corvus capensis Common around the Cape and Harare
Pied Crow Corvus albus Common and widespread
White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis Common in Cape and uplands of Zimbabwe
Southern Black Tit Parus niger Kyle
Southern Grey Tit E Parus afer West Coast
Spotted Creeper Salpornis spilonotis McIlwaine
Arrow Marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii Harare, Matobo - common garden bird
Cape Bulbul E Pycnonotus capensis Common around the Cape
Black-eyed (Common) Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus Abundant in Zimbabwe
Yellow-streaked Bulbul Phyllastrephus flavostriatus Vumba
Sombre Bulbul Andropadus importunus Kirstenbosch
Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyanus Common garden bird in Harare and Vumba
Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus Kirstenbosch
Groundscraper Thrush Turdus litsipsirupa pair at refreshment stop between
Jo'burg and Harare
Cape Rock Thrush E Monticola rupestris de Hoop
Miombo Rock Thrush Monticola angolensis Vumba
Heuglin's Robin Cossypha heuglini Common garden bird in Zimbabwe
Cape Robin Cossypha caffra in the Cape
Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus Common in dombas around Harare,
esp. Ngomakurira; Matobo
Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris Common and widespread
Mocking Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris Ngomakurira
White-browed Robin Erythropygia leucophrys Kyle, Vumba
Karoo Robin E Erythropygia paena Bontebok
Stonechat Saxicola torquata Common and widespread in the Cape
and Eastern Highlands
Cape Reed Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris Rondevlei and Nyanga
African Sedge Warbler Bradypterus baboecala Udu Dam
Yellow Warbler Chloropeta natalensis Udu Dam
Broad-tailed Warbler Schoenicola brevirostris Rhodes Dam
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus singing National Botanic Gardens
Bar-throated Apalis Apalis thoracica common in Zimbabwe
Chirinda Apalis E Apalis chirindensis Vumba
Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida Kyle
Grassbird E Sphenoeacus afer Cape of Good Hope, Kirstenbosch, de Hoop
Grey-backed Cisticola Cisticola subruficapilla West Coast
Wailing Cisticola Cisticola lais Nyanga
Singing Cisticola Cisticola cantans Nyanga
Levaillant's Cisticola Cisticola tinniens West Coast and Salmonsdam, Nyanga
Lazy Cisticola Cisticola aberrans Kyle
Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapilla Nyanga
Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava Common in Zimbabwe
Karoo Prinia E Prinia maculosa Common in the Cape
Blue-grey Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens Kyle
Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta Nyanga
Fiscal Flycatcher E Sigelus silens Common in the Cape
Cape Batis Batis capensis Bontebok and Kirstenbosch
Chinspot Batis Batis molitor Kyle, Nyanga
Wattle-eyed Flycatcher Platysteira peltata male Ngomakurira
African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone cyanomelas common and widespread in Zimbabwe
Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris common and widespread
Magpie Shrike Corvinella melanoleuca Kyle
Southern Boubou E Laniarius ferrugineus Salmonsdam and Bontebok
Tropical Boubou Laniarius aethiopicus Vumba
Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala Matobo
Gorgeous Bush-shrike Telophorus quadricolor heard Vumba
Orange-breasted Bush-shrike Telophorus sulfureopectus Vumba
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Common around the Cape
Pied Starling E Spreo bicolor Common around the Cape
Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea A few seen Overberg farms
Plum-coloured Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Matobo and Kyle
Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis corruscus Kyle
Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio Common in Cape and Zimbabwe
Cape Sugarbird E Promerops cafer Salmonsdam
Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa A few seen around the Cape
Orange-breasted Sunbird E Nectarinia violacea Cape Peninsula and Mountains
Lesser Double-collared Sunbird E Nectarinia chalybea Common around the Cape
Miombo Double-collared Sunbird Nectarinia manoensis Common in Zimbabwe
Collared Sunbird Nectarinia collaris Vumba
Olive Sunbird Nectarinia olivacea Nyanga
Black Sunbird Nectarinia amethystina Kyle
Scarlet-chested Sunbird Nectarinia senegalensis Common in Zimbabwe
Cape White-eye E Zosterops pallidus Common in the Cape
Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis Common in Zimbabwe
White-browed Sparrow Weaver Plocepasser mahali Seen around refreshment stop in
S Zimbabwe
House Sparrow Passer domesticus Common in towns
Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus Common around the Cape
Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus Kyle
Forest Weaver Ploceus bicolor Vumba
Cape Weaver E Ploceus capensis Common around the Cape
Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis Vumba and Nyanga
Holub's Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops Common in Zimbabwe
Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus Common and widespread
Spotted-backed Weaver Ploceus cucullatus Common in Zimbabwe
Red-headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps Matobo
Thick-billed Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons Rhodes Dam
Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea Large flock seen from road in S Zimbabwe
Red Bishop Euplectes orix Common around the Cape, Harare
Yellow-rumped Widow Euplectes capensis Common around the Cape
Red-faced Crimsonwing Cryptospiza reichenowi Vumba
Blue-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta rubricapa Vumba
Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis Common and widespread Zimbabwe
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Common and widespread
Black-cheeked Waxbill Estrilda erythronotos Matobo
East African Swee Estrilda quartinia Vumba
Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullatus Harare
Paradise Whydah Vidua paradisea From bus on Highveld
Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura Common and widespread
Yellow-eyed Canary Serinus mozambicus Common Zimbabwe
Yellow Canary Serinus flaviventris Common around the Cape
Cape Canary Serinus canicollis Salmonsdam and Nyanga
Black-eared Canary E Serinus mennelli Kyle
Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris Harare, Matobo
Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis Common around the Cape
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi Kyle